Causes and symptoms of prostate cancer. Methods of treatment of prostate cancer

To date, prostate cancer is the most common oncological disease in the stronger sex. The average age of men exposed to this disease is 55-60 years, less often, but cases of disease up to 40 years are encountered. At the moment, the death rate from this disease is quite high. The problem is that the disease is practically asymptomatic, and screening testing does not always reveal the problem that has arisen.

The causes and symptoms of prostate cancer are very important to recognize at the earliest stage of appearance, but how to do it? We will talk about this in the article, and also about how this disease proceeds.

Causes of the disease in men

Quite often prostate cancer is detected already at a late stage, as a result - the prognosis for a person is unfavorable. Although if you pass the diagnosis in time, the man will not only have a chance to save his own life, but also the opportunity to return to his former favorite pursuits. That is why it is so important to know the causes and symptoms of prostate cancer, since this information can save a life.

At the moment, in modern medicine, there were 6 main reasons for the appearance of this disease, namely:

• Predisposition on the part of genetics. If a man had relatives suffering from this disease, then the risk of manifesting this pathology and he is quite high. Therefore, an examination with a urologist is a necessary procedure.
• Alcohol, smoking and drugs. These bad habits are the main provocateurs of this disease. They stand in the first place as its cause.
• Abuse of animal food. If we rely on research conducted by a number of scientists, men, whose menu consists mainly of animal food, are more likely to suffer from prostate cancer.
• Initiated inflammatory processes. Half of the stronger sex on the planet at least once, but experienced in their lives with signs of prostatitis. At the same time, the number of men who applied for help to specialists was negligible. And after all, the insidiousness of prostatitis is that it is enough not to take the time to treat it, how it can go to cancer.
• BPH. Adenoma is a benign tumor that often grows into a malignant tumor. As a rule, prostate cancer occurs in men of advanced age.

An important role in the risk factor is played by the ethnicity of the man. Also to this list you can add an intimate life of a person and professional activity. All this can give such a result as prostate cancer. Symptoms and treatment for this ailment are listed below.

Stages and symptoms that signal the development of the disease

There are four stages of prostate cancer. Symptoms of each of them are different. Of course, any oncology is much easier to stop at the initial stages of development. But in the case of the prostate, the problem is that at first the cancer proceeds without any signs. It can be detected by chance, for example, on a routine inspection. And if this happened, then for the man with this problem there will be the most favorable forecast.

The first stage. The tumor takes no more than 5% of the volume of the prostate gland. Complete absence of symptoms, in other words, she does not show herself. Cancer of the prostate of the 1 st degree can be easily cured, it is only necessary to turn to a specialist in time. The insidiousness of the disease is that it is asymptomatic.

The second stage. The urination is difficult for a man, the frequency of nocturnal urges increases. In the semen appears blood in a small volume. Pain appears in the groin area, potency decreases. There are no metastases at this stage.

It is worth noting that such symptoms are typical for other diseases - prostate adenoma and chronic prostatitis among them. Therefore, it is very important to carry out diagnostics at this stage. This is necessary for the timely recognition of the disease.

The third stage. There is an increase in the existing pain symptoms. It is very difficult to urinate, and pain in the groin becomes unbearable. Such signs are rather difficult to ignore. By this time, the cancerous tumor continues to occupy healthy tissue in the prostate region - the pelvic region, the testicles and lymph nodes, which are gradually affected by metastases.

If you rely on statistical data, then most often a person is diagnosed at this stage, that is, prostate cancer of the third degree. Life expectancy varies, depending on the number of metastases already spread, such as a tumor. Some men live their whole life with this ailment, only by regularly doing certain medical procedures and visiting a doctor.

The fourth stage. At this stage, the tumor grows faster, and its metastases affect almost all organs, bones and even the vertebra.

At the fourth stage, the body weight is noticeably reduced, general weakness and severe fatigue appear. In addition, a person stops eating due to lack of appetite, vomiting, swelling of legs and constant pain in the genital area and vertebra.

The causes and symptoms of prostate cancer may vary. What does it depend on? In some cases, the cancer can develop very slowly, with years of asymptomatic development. Men for several years do not even suspect that they are carriers of a malignant tumor. But there is also an absolutely different situation in which prostate cancer develops "at the speed of light", in which case the patient literally burns for several months.

Diagnosis of prostate cancer

For today the most simple and accessible way of inspection is a rectal examination with the help of fingers. A doctor with experience can detect the appearance and development of a malignant tumor even in the early stages, even with its small size. To be examined in this way is strongly recommended to all representatives of the stronger sex, suffering from painful urination.

The second method of diagnosis establishes the diagnosis with great accuracy. Modifying indices are used to determine the presence of malignant diseases, which determine how much the PSA antigen is exceeded.

The third method is ultrasound and transrectal examination of the prostate gland. Often it is used to determine the tumor and take a biopsy of the gland.

The main method of diagnosing cancer is biopsy. The essence of this manipulation is to take a column of tissue material for examination under a microscope with a thin needle.

In rare cases, but can supplement the examination with the use of magnetic resonance imaging to examine in detail the small pelvis and internal organs.

Treatment of prostate cancer

Currently, there are the following treatments for prostate cancer. Each method is applied depending on the stage of human injury. There are several ways, in particular:

• surgical;
• radiation therapy;
• Hormone therapy;
• cryotherapy;
• Bilateral orchiectomy.

And now we will consider in detail each method of treatment.

Surgical method

Implies the removal of the gland by surgery. This happens if the cancer is diagnosed (prostate gland). The operation is performed mainly for young patients, provided that the tumor is small in size and the accompanying defects respond.

A side effect is possible impotence. But to date there have been developed sufficiently sparing methods of conducting operations, they help to maintain the erectile function in men.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy for prostate cancer is used in stages 1-3. The advantage of this method is that there is a large percentage of the total cure of a person. And most importantly, there is no need for surgical intervention and the course of outpatient therapy. But at the same time this method has drawbacks, namely:

• It is possible to develop urinary incontinence.
• In 40% impotence develops.
• The appearance of diarrhea and the opening of a bleeding.

Modern medicine does not stand still, thanks to which comparatively recently appeared another effective method - brachytherapy. The essence of this method is that radioactive sources are introduced into the tissue of the prostate gland. Such manipulation gives an excellent result with minimal risk to the patient.

Hormonotherapy

This method includes a whole complex of drugs of hormonal and chemotherapeutic origin. These drugs have a disastrous effect on tumor cells. Hormones act overwhelmingly on the production of testosterone, because it is he that contributes to the growth of the neoplasm.

But this method of treatment has side effects, so the consequences of prostate cancer can be as follows:

• Development of brittle bone (osteoporosis);
• Severe weight loss;
• Intensive growth of mammary glands;
• Development of impotence.

It is worth noting that, even considering all the unpleasant consequences, this method gives an effective result in its use. And most importantly, it is an opportunity to prolong a person's life.

Cryotherapy

An effective method provided that the tumor is small in size. Use such manipulation in rare cases. The method of treatment is that the tumor is destroyed by low temperature. In addition to this method, the use of hormonal drugs is prescribed.

Bilateral Orchiectomy

This method of treatment includes the mandatory removal of testicles in men. It is used only if there is no possibility to remove the tumor due to metastases. At the same time, this method helps to reduce the level of sex hormones by almost 90%. If, in the presence of such pathology, distant metastases have appeared, then hormonal remedies are necessarily used. Thanks to this, you can extend the life of a person.

In rare cases, oncologists use the so-called waiting tactics. In other words, a man who has a non-aggressive form of malignant neoplasm, while it does not create any discomfort, does not prescribe treatment. There are several reasons for such actions, some contraindications or surgical intervention are likely to pose a great threat to the life of the patient. The same applies to radiation therapy.

Treatment in a medical institution is mandatory if the man is diagnosed with prostate cancer. Metastases can slow the recovery, but still it is quite real.

To date, there are a large number of folk methods of treating prostate cancer. But they are all rather doubtful, and with such a dangerous disease it is extremely dangerous to engage in "shamanism".

Prevention of disease

The causes and symptoms of prostate cancer can be completely avoided if you perform elementary preventive actions, namely:

• Every year to be examined by a specialist, it is especially important to carry out this advice to men aged 50 years.
• Harmful habits are one of the main factors in the appearance of cancer, so rejecting them will increase the chance of avoiding this disease.
• When there is a prostatitis disease in time to deal with its treatment.
• Regular sex life has a beneficial effect on the prostate gland, so it is very important to have a permanent partner.
• Sports activities and moderate loads are good for blood circulation in the prostate. Such an easy way will help a man to avoid this disease.

Prostate cancer can be avoided if a person treats his own health more closely. Some doctors recommend to undergo examination at the urologist, since the age of forty. This will help to avoid pathology in the form of malignant neoplasm. And even if this problem is found, at an early stage it can be successfully treated.

Prognosis of survival

Prostate cancer is not a verdict, the main thing is that the disease is detected in a timely manner. In this case, the man will have a chance for a full life. If this disease was found in the first or second stage, then this can be a guarantee of getting rid of malignant growth by 100%.

Other situation, if prostate cancer of the third degree is diagnosed. Life expectancy in this case may be lower, but there is a fairly high chance of prolonging life. When predicting the age of the patient matters. The younger the man, the greater the chance of success in treatment. As a rule, representatives of the stronger sex under the age of 65 years are successfully treated.

When the last stage is revealed, the chances of life are low enough, unfortunately, the outlook is disappointing. But in this case there can be exceptions.

There is a certain statistics: when treated with surgery, the survival rate after this procedure is at least 70%. If the tumor is treated with radiotherapy, then at the age of 5, 80% of patients experience it.

From all of the above, we can conclude that prostate cancer is a very dangerous disease, but amenable to successful treatment. It is also important that modern medicine does not stand still, thanks to which new methods constantly appear that help successfully cope with oncology not only in men but also in children and women.

The most important thing is prevention! After all, it depends on this measure, at what stage a pathology called prostate cancer is found. Symptoms and treatment have been discussed in detail in the article, but the main idea is that you should not ignore the annual examination of a urologist. Always remember that spending a few minutes can save your life.