Parsteiner Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Cancer Prostate’

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, after lung cancer. Every year it kills more than 30,000 American males.

There are two different types of the cancer – an aggressive and deadly one and the other a slower-growing and less harmful one. Making possible prostate cancer detection and its severity anticipation is the way to save thousands of men a year from surgery (treatment) they don’t need. The big problem is not the surgery itself, but the situation they will face the side effects of that treatment such as impotence, bladder control troubles and possible worst conditions.

To be able for this performance, doctors use varying techniques. The newest methods involve 3-D mapping, a biopsy method in which a grid is placed over the prostate to evaluate the amount of cancer and its precise location. The prostate specific antigen (PSA) is another possibility to detect the severity of prostate cancer. Because PSA can reveal how quickly the cancer changes over time, specialists hope that they will be soon able to anticipate the more aggressive form of prostate cancer.

In the context of accuracy, more typical methods have recently been the subject of debate. One of panel conclusion was that the still standard biopsy helps doctors determine whether cancer is present.

Prostate cancer patients should be very interested in doctor’s abilities and methods to determine the severity of their illness. They need a right evaluation of stage and progression of cancer as more men die with prostate cancer than of it.

Over the last twenty years survival rates for people with prostate cancer have been steadily climbing, largely due to better detection techniques and treatment. The chances of prostate cancer being treated successfully are also greatly increased if the cancer is diagnosed early, so it is important to know which symptoms to look out for. If it is left and spreads to the bone, then it often cannot be cured and at this stage treatment focuses on prolonging life and increasing life quality.

The following prostate cancer signs and symptoms can show that someone has the disease, but can also be caused by many other things. Having these symptoms does not mean someone has the disease. However it is always advisable to go to a GP or doctor if these symptoms occur to be on the safe side. Also, prostate cancer does not usually cause the following symptoms until it has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra, so very early prostate cancer has few symptoms.

Prostate cancer signs and symptoms:

Painful urination More frequent urination than usual (often during the night) Weak and irregular urine flow A feeling that after urination the bladder is not completely empty Blood in urine in some unusual cases

Prostate cancer can also cause:

Reduced sexual desire in some cases Painful ejaculation

Again, these symptoms do not mean someone has prostate cancer, but they are an indicator as to whether there is a possibility. A GP or doctor will be able to advise whether a scan is required.

Once a patient is diagnosed with prostate cancer, it is then important that information regarding the extent of the spread is determined, and how much it has affected the gland. Determining this is what is called prostate cancer staging. Prostate cancer staging involves categorizing the disease in specific classification in order to derive the appropriate approach for your treatment.

Prostate cancer staging conventionally was done by classifying the stages as Stages A, B, C and D. Stages A and B may be curable, and in both cases, the cancer is localized within the gland. In this type of prostate cancer staging, stage C has the cancer spreading beyond the prostate but has not reached the lymph nodes. Some in this stage have some hope of being cured. In stage D, the cancer has already reached the lymph nodes, bones and some other areas. Though the prostate cancer in this stage may no longer be curable, it can be treated for purposes of slowing its effect down.

New prostate cancer staging systems now use the TNM notation. T means tumor, N means Nodes (lymph nodes), and M means metastasized to other body organs.

For this prostate cancer staging system, the T classification has two types: a.) clinical stage, and b.) pathologic stage. The clinical stage is important in determining whether removal of the prostate gland may be in order, though it will not show the extent of the cancer spread. The pathologic stage is determined after surgery and will enable one to know the severity of the cancer – also, one will be able to have a better impression on how it might fair for him in the future.

Prostate cancer staging systems, whichever is used, provide a general guideline on what to expect at each particular level. It describes the condition of the prostate and the cancer cells in it, the treatment that may work for your particular stage, and the prognosis for your case.

With the valuable information it provides, prostate cancer staging systems will be a useful tool for both patients and doctors alike. Patients will be able to understand their current situation and the specific status of their prostate. Doctors will be able to rely on them to come up with the suitable approach for the patients they are treating.

Without prostate cancer staging systems, there would not be any means of putting meaning of the level and severity of the cancer experienced by the patient – no reference for appropriate approach in treating prostate cancer. A prostate cancer staging system has continued to be an efficient tool and basis for one’s treatment & prognosis.