Prostate Cancer

Symptoms and treatment of prostate cancer

Many men each year put themselves at risk of prostate cancer by not going to the doctor and having an annual screening for this common form of cancer. Early detection is the key to survival and all men over 40 are advised to be screened. It was once thought that there was a cancer prostate and testosterone link but research has shown that prostate cancer has little to do with testosterone. Today there are more knowledgeable forms of detection and treatment; every man should know the symptoms and what to do if they have them.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms

In the early stages of the disease prostate cancer there are few symptoms. This is why in many cases prostate cancer is not detected until it has spread to other areas. For many men prostate cancer is only detected during a routine screening. One of these screenings is a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or a digital rectal exam (DRE). When symptoms do occur they depend on how advanced the cancer is and how far it is spread. Early signs and symptoms can vary and may include urinary problems caused when the prostate presses on the bladder. This can cause trouble urinating, starting and stopping while urinating, decreased force of the urine stream, blood in the urine and blood in the semen. Others symptoms of prostate cancer can be swelling in the legs, discomfort in the pelvic area, pain in the bones, bone fractures and compression of the spinal cord.

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Prostate Cancer Treatment

Treatment for prostate cancer depends largely on whether the cancer has spread. For tumors still located inside the prostate, radiation therapy and a surgery called a radical prostatectomy are often required. This type of surgery involves removing the entire prostate gland in addition to the nearby lymph nodes.

As with other types of cancer, cancer of the prostate can be treated using just radiation therapy. If the tumors have grown beyond the edge of the prostate, the cancer can’t be cured with either radiation or surgery. Instead it must be treated with hormones to slow the cancer's growth.