Exploring Prostate Cancer
The prostate is a walnut shaped gland that is only found in males and is located just below the bladder in front of the rectum. The prostate gland houses the urethra and also contains cells that make seminal fluid. Most prostate cancers start in the cell glands. Prostate cancer begins can be very aggressive, growing rapidly and spreading to other parts of the body. However, most of the time prostate cancer grow slowly. Many doctors now believe that prostate cancer begins with small changes in the prostate gland cells.. There is no definitive answer as to the exact cause of prostate cancer at this time.
The symptoms of prostate cancer may be very subtle in some men. Among the most commonly reported symptoms of prostate cancer include increased difficulty and frequency in urination patterns, blood or pus in the urine with or without burning, less force in the urine stream, dribbling after urination, and pain after ejaculation. These symptoms should not be ignored. Prompt follow up with your healthcare provider is needed to rule out prostate cancer,
There are several ways in which your health care provider can check your prostate. The most common way is thorough a digital rectal exam. Your health care provider will don a pair of rubber gloves, lubricate a finger and digitally check your prostate. A firm prostate is desirable. If your health care provider feels lumps or hard spots on your prostate, prostate cancer can not be ruled out. The PSA(prostate specific antigen) test is another way to test for prostate cancer. This test is a blood test that examines PSA level. Men who have prostate cancer may have a higher level of the antigen presenting their blood.
Because of the specific limitations of both PSA and digital rectal exams, it is recommended that both tests be completed to have a more thorough and accurate test result.
A prostate biopsy will be taken by the health care provider if prostate cancer is still suspected. The prostate sample will then be sent to the lab for analysis. Samples will then be taken from 2 different areas of the original biopsy sample. These samples will then be graded on their comparison to normal prostate cells. The system most often used for grading the samples is the Gleason System. A higher score indicates that the cells are less normal. Your health care provider will base future tests and treatments on the biopsy results.
The American Cancer society recommends that men receive PSA tests and digital rectal exams beginning at age 50. Men in higher risk groups should begin receiving PSA’s and digital rectal exams by age 45. Men having very high risk factors such as being African American, with several relatives who have died from prostate cancer should begin receiving PSA’s and digital rectal exams by the age of 40. It must be noted that the American Cancer Society does not recommend routine testing for prostate cancer at this time. The American Cancer Society recommends that each man consult with his health care provider to determine the frequency of tests.
