Prostate Cancer Symptoms And Treatment

It is still unknown what really causes prostate cancer but several risk factors have been discovered like family history, race, age or high fat diet. Prostate cancer symptoms can only be experienced when the patient has developed the cancer in a larger scale already. The only other way to detect prostate cancer in an early state is having a screening examination.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer? A burning sensation while urinating, blood in the urine, an unknown pain in your hips or back. Another clear symptom could also be a change in urine flow. It could be a matter of life or dead to detect the cancer as early as possible. The earlier the treatment starts the greater the chances of survival. Prostate cancer can be cured but only when it hasn't spread too much already.

The doctor will also put his digit into the rectum to feel any lumps in the prostate. If he finds any abnormalities, the doctor will order an blood test to find out if a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is in the blood. While low amounts of PSA are ok, a high amount of PSA is a strong sign for cancer. Another test is the transrectal ultrasound which shows a pretty accurate picture of the prostate gland. This painless procedure can detect tumors within twenty minutes.

A biopsy is needed once the above tests indicate the occurrence of cancer. That means that the doctor must take a small sample of the tissue by using a needle. The sample is then checked under a microscope and if the sample is cancerous it is an exact diagnosis. The biopsy itself is a quick and rather painless method to diagnose prostate cancer.

Once the cancer is detected, the doctor must find out how much it has spread already. An x-ray can show if the cancer has reached the lungs already. A computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging can also make internal organs visible.

The treatment must start quickly and is often done by more than one doctor. An oncologist, a surgeon and a urologist are needed to start treatment. The standard treatment is a surgery because it gives the chance to completely remove the entire cancer. There are alternative treatment options as well which you may consider, especially because the surgery can have some serious side effects.

If treatment has started early enough then the prognosis is good. It is possible that the cancer could be completely removed. Statistics say that after five years more than 95% of men are still alive. The prognosis goes down significantly below 30% survival rate if the cancer was detected late.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms
Common prostate cancer symptoms explained