Prostate cancer
If discovered early prostate cancer can be treated successfully
In 
leading cancer specialists have been calling for such a screening programme but
to no avail.
The prostate itself is a walnut-size gland that lies at the base of the bladder and surrounds the urethra. Risk increases with age. Men 65 or older account for more than 75 percent of the cases diagnosed and an individual’s odds may be higher than average if the disease runs in his family.
What
are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
As men get older, their urine flow can become slower and the bladder needs to be emptied more often. This is usually due to the prostate gland getting bigger with age and, as a result, putting pressure on the bladder. Needing to pass urine more often does not mean that cancer is present.
However, many of the symptoms linked with prostate cancer are similar and therefore it is safer to rule it out if you are in any doubt. If discovered early, prostate cancer can be treated successfully. If you answer YES to any of the following questions you should not delay in seeking further advice from your doctor. In most cases, these symptoms will be due to a non-cancerous growth of the prostate and will be easily treated.
Do
you sometimes have difficulty passing urine?
Are you passing urine more often than usual, especially at night?
When you pass urine do you need to keep stopping and starting?
Does your bladder feel as though it’s not completely empty after passing urine?
Do you have any discomfort when passing urine?
Have you ever seen blood in your urine?
How is prostate cancer diagnosed?
Your doctor will carry out a physical examination and will also take a blood test from you. The blood test measures PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen). A raised PSA level can point to the presence of cancer and if it
is higher than normal, your doctor may refer you for further tests to check the diagnosis.
If
tests show that you have prostate cancer, your doctor will plan your treatment
depending on a number of factors including:
Your general health
The type of cancer cells found
Results of the tests
Surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy and sometimes chemotherapy may be used alone or together to treat cancer of the prostate.
Surgery: removal of part or all of the prostate gland
Radiotherapy: the use of radiation treatment to destroy cancer cells
Hormone therapy: The use of drugs (or surgery) to interfere with the production of particular hormones in the body
Regular check-ups: including PSA tests and physical examinations, may be needed for some men in the early stages of prostate cancer, before a specific treatment is recommended.
What
are my treatment options?
Treatment depends on how far the cancer has advanced. If tumour cells are found only in the prostate itself, doctors may remove your prostate or use radiation therapy to kill the cells. If the cancer has spilled out of the prostate gland into surrounding tissue, hormone therapy in the form of pills, shots, or both can slow the growth of malignant cells, sometimes dramatically so.
Some patients choose to do nothing, an approach called “watchful waiting.” This may sound alarming, but it may make sense, particularly for older men whose tumors are most likely to be slow growing. The majority of men who reach age 85, in fact, have cancerous prostate cells, but the disease is developing so gradually that it never threatens their quality of life.
What
are the risks of aggressive treatment?
The biggest worries men face are losing their ability to get an erection or to control their bladder. Unfortunately, surgery and radiation entail some danger of both. Your own odds are difficult to calculate precisely, since the risk of these side effects depends on your age, the extent of the disease, and the type of surgery performed. And the troubling fact remains that between 40 and 90 percent of patients whose prostates are removed suffer some inability to maintain an erection. A smaller percentage lose some degree of bladder control. Others may experience occasional urinary dribbling when they exert themselves or cough. Talk to your doctor about the best ways to deal with these problems.
Can
I do anything to help prevent prostate cancer?
For starters, load up on tomato sauce.
Researchers at
Lycopene may have particular power to stop healthy prostate cells from turning malignant. (Since cooking tomatoes releases lycopene more thoroughly, tomato sauce offers better protection than fresh tomatoes.) Eat lots of other fruits and vegetables as well; they contain other natural antioxidants thought to guard against many forms of cancer.Cutting back on saturated fat - the kind found in meat, dairy products, and most sweet things - is a good idea, too. Physical activity may lower the risks of all types of cancer, including the kind that develops in the prostate.
What
to do next:
If you’re 50 or older, see your doctor for a prostate exam.
Eat a healthy diet. Cut back on saturated fat and eat lots of fruits and vegetables - especially cooked tomatoes and tomato sauce.
Get moving. Studies suggest that regular exercise may lower the risks of all types of cancer.
Consider supplements. Some studies have shown that vitamin E, selenium, and saw palmetto may help keep your prostate healthy. Your doctor can help you decide which, if any, supplements are right for you.
For further information log onto www.cancer.ie.
Or contact The Irish Cancer Society,
