Cancer of the Prostate
There are a number of different tests which are used to detect prostate cancer although each one of them are not conclusive on their own. The following lists will give a brief description of the examinations which are most commonly used:
Rectal Examination
The doctor/surgeon will insert a gloved finger into the back passage to feel the prostate gland. This will help the doctor to determine whether or not the prostate is larger than normal. If enlarged, it does not necessarily mean that it is cancerous.
PSA Test
This involves a blood test which measures the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) in the blood. If the PSA is too high, it might be suggested that prostate cancer has developed although there are several other conditions which may have increased the PSA levels in the blood.
Ultrasound
This involved a small probe being inserted into the back passage for the purpose of an ultrasound scan. This will illustrate the exact size of the prostate.
Biopsy
A biopsy involves a small sample of tissue from around the prostate being taken. This is performed by a probe being inserted into the back passage and a small needle jabbing the prostate.
X-rays
X-rays can illustrate the presence of cancer which has spread from the prostate to the nearby bones.
At present, routine screening for cancer of the prostate are not performed in any country due to the fact that the tests are not accurate enough to be used in general. For example, screening every man by PSA test would highlight many men who did not have cancer and on the other hand many men who do have cancer would go undetected. However, those men who have a family history of prostate cancer may benefit from certain screening. This should be discussed with your doctor.
Prostate cancer is detected in more than half of those patients who develop it at an early stage making treatment for successful for nine out of ten cases. The other half of patients are diagnosed after the cancer has been become advanced and spread. Treatment can provide those patients with several extra years of life and prevent pain of the disease, although it does not normally provide a cure.
Some prostate cancers grow fairly slowly, therefore no treatment is required. Where treatment is required, three main methods are used:
Surgery
Surgery known as prostatectomy where the whole of the prostate is removed.
Radiotherapy
During radiation treatment, high energy rays are used to kill the cancerous cells. This also helps to destroy the originating tumour and helps to reduce the pain which have been caused by the cancerous tumour cells which have spread to the bones.
Brachytherapy
This newer type of radiotherapy consists of small radioactive wires or pellets being inserted directly into the tumour, killing it from the inside. This has found to be as effective as other available treatments, sometimes even more so. It has also been found that there are fewer side effects from this type of treatment.
Hormone Therapy
The growth of the cancer cells in the prostate depends on the male hormones, known as androgens. There are certain drugs available which reduce the amount of androgens which are produced by the body. They also work by blocking the effect of androgens on the cancer cells. This then prevents the growth of the tumour or shrinks it. It has been found, however, that most prostate cancers, after approximately five years go on to develop the ability to develop without androgens thus the hormone therapy stops working.
Prostate cancer news on the Web
The Impact Of Urologic Diseases On The American Public
Urologic conditions like urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and prostate cancer are a major economic burden on Americans, resulting in health care costs of close to $40 billion annually, according to a newly released national report that charts the demographic and economic impact of urologic diseases in the U.S... |
Distinct Molecular Subtype Of Prostate Cancer Discovered
A collaborative expedition into the deep genetics of prostate cancer has uncovered a distinct subtype of the disease, one that appears to account for up to 15 percent of all cases, say researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute... |
Hormone-Depleting Drug Shows Promise Against Localized High-Risk Prostate Tumors
A hormone-depleting drug approved last year for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer can help eliminate or nearly eliminate tumors in many patients with aggressive cancers that have yet to spread beyond the prostate, according to a clinical study to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), June 1-5, in Chicago... |
Racial Disparities Revealed In Prostate Cancer Surgery
Black prostate cancer patients may not be getting the same quality of care as white patients, according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital who found racial disparities in the results of surgery to remove diseased prostates... |
Avoiding Repeat Biopsies In Prostate Cancer - MDxHealth Launches ConfirmMDx
Each year, in the United States, more than 650,000 men receive a negative prostate biopsy result, with around 25-35% of these results being false negative. However, a new prostate cancer test has been launched by MdxHealth. The test - ConfirmMDx™ for Prostate Cancer - will help physicians identify which men have a true-negative prostate biopsy from those who may have occult cancer... |
Ancient Remedy Slows Prostate Tumor Cell Proliferation
An over-the-counter natural remedy derived from honeybee hives arrests the growth of prostate cancer cells and tumors in mice, according to a new paper from researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, or CAPE, is a compound isolated from honeybee hive propolis, the resin used by bees to patch up holes in hives... |
Prostate Cancer Stem Cells Identified Among Low-PSA Cells
Prostate cancer cells that defy treatment and display heightened tumor-generating capacity can be identified by levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) expressed in the tumor cells, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in Cell Stem Cell... |
Gay Men And Minorities Have Poorer Quality Of Life After Prostate Cancer Treatment
To improve the quality of life in gay men and minorities treated for prostate cancer, a greater awareness of ethnic and sexual preference-related factors is needed to help men choose a more-suitable treatment plan, researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital conclude in a literature review published in Nature Reviews Urology... |
Boron-Nitride Nanotubes Show Potential In Cancer Treatment
A new study has shown that adding boron-nitride nanotubes to the surface of cancer cells can double the effectiveness of Irreversible Electroporation, a minimally invasive treatment for soft tissue tumors in the liver, lung, prostate, head and neck, kidney and pancreas. Although this research is in the very early stages, it could one day lead to better therapies for cancer... |
Denosumab (Xgeva) Not Approved For Metastasis Prevention
Amgen's application for expanded indications for denosumab (Xgeva) were turned down by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) - the expanded indications were to include bone metastases prevention in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer... |
Prostate Cancer Cells Destroyed By The Common Herb Oregano
Oregano, the common pizza and pasta seasoning herb, has long been known to possess a variety of beneficial health effects, but a new study by researchers at Long Island University (LIU) indicates that an ingredient of this spice could potentially be used to treat prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in American men... |
Males With Mutated BRCA1 Breast Cancer Gene Have Higher Prostate Cancer Risk
Men who carry the mutated BRCA1 gene have a four times greater chance of developing prostate cancer than other males, researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust reported in the British Cancer Journal. The mutated BRCA1 is found in people with a family history of not only breast cancer, but ovarian cancer as well... |
Prostate Cancer And Radiation Therapies - The Need For Additional Treatments
In the April 18 issue of JAMA, a study comparing traditional radiation therapy to treat localized prostate cancer with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and proton therapy reveals thats IMRT was linked to fewer gastrointestinal side effects, receipt of additional cancer treatments and hip fractures but to more erectile dysfunction, whilst those who received proton ... |
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