Prostate Cancer Symptoms - Do You Know What They Are?

Early prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland itself; most of the patients with this type of cancer can live for years without any problems. About one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, but only one man in 34 will die of the disease. Men who are younger than 40 are rarely diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Cancer that grows in the prostate gland is called prostate cancer. The most common cancer in American men, excluding skin cancer, is prostate cancer. It’s estimated that approximately 234,460 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and approximately 27,350 will die of the disease.

One symptom is a need to urinate frequently, especially at night. One of the most common symptoms is the inability to urinate at all. Some men will experience symptoms that might indicate the presence of prostate cancer.

If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. If you have one or more prostate cancer symptoms, you should see a qualified doctor as soon as possible. Weak or interrupted flow of urine and painful or burning urination can be symptoms to watch out for.

One downside to PSA testing is that health care providers are detecting and treating some very early-stage prostate cancers that may never have caused the patient any harm. There is a newer test called AMACR that is more sensitive than the PSA test for determining the presence of prostate cancer. Your doctor may use either one or two of the most common tests for prostate cancer detection.

The decision about whether to pursue a PSA test should be based on a discussion between you and your doctor. A PSA test with a high level can also be from a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures the PSA enzyme in your blood for abnormalities.

Impotence is a potential complication after the prostatectomy or after radiation therapy. Recent improvements in surgical procedures have made complications occur less often. The approaches to treatment include: ever watchful waiting to see whether the cancer is growing slowly and not causing any symptoms.

In the early stages, surgery and radiation may be used to remove or attempt to kill the cancer cells or shrink the tumor. Surgery is usually only recommended after thorough evaluation and discussion of all available treatment options. Anyone considering surgery should be aware of the benefits, risks and the extent of the procedure.

Side effects of chemotherapy drugs depend on which ones you’re taking and how often and how long they’re taken. Medicines can be used to adjust the levels of testosterone; called hormonal manipulation. What you can do now is begin to understand what exactly your treatment options are and where you’re going to begin.

Radiation therapy to the prostate gland is either external or internal, both of which use high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. The conventional treatment of prostate cancer is often controversial. Surgery, called a radical prostatectomy, removes the entire prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissues.

Treatment options can vary based on the stage of the tumor. Prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) may be treated conventionally with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, chemotherapy or nothing at all.

The outcome of prostate cancer varies greatly; mostly because the disease is found in older men who may have a variety of other complicating diseases or conditions, such as cardiac or respiratory disease, or disabilities that immobilize or greatly decrease their activities. Just about all men with prostate cancer survive at least five years after their diagnosis, 93% survive at least 10 years, and 67% survive more than 15 years. Make sure to read everything you can get your hands on and mull it all over.

For more information on BestProstateHealthTips.com prostate cancer treatments and prostate cancer symptoms go to BestProstateHealthTips.com BestProstateHealthTips.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in prostate and prostate cancer tips, advice and resources, including information on prostate tests and BestProstateHealthTips.com natural prostate cancer treatments

Tags: cancer treatment, chemotherapy, prostate cancer, skin cancer

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Tags: cancer treatment, chemotherapy, prostate cancer, skin cancer