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Prostate cancer

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Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. The cancer cells may metastasize (spread) from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, problems during sexual intercourse, or erectile dysfunction. Other symptoms can potentially develop during later stages of the disease.

Rates of detection of prostate cancers vary widely across the world, with South and East Asia detecting less frequently than in Europe, and especially the United States. Prostate cancer tends to develop in men over the age of fifty and although it is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in men, many never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of other causes. This is because cancer of the prostate is, in most cases, slow-growing, symptom free and men with the condition often die of causes unrelated to the prostate cancer, such as heart/circulatory disease, pneumonia, other unconnected cancers, or old age. Many factors, including genetics and diet, have been implicated in the development of prostate cancer. The presence of prostate cancer may be indicated by symptoms, physical examination, prostate specific antigen (PSA), or biopsy. There is controversy about the accuracy of the PSA test and the value of screening. Suspected prostate cancer is typically confirmed by taking a biopsy of the prostate and examining it under a microscope. Further tests, such as CT scans and bone scans, may be performed to determine whether prostate cancer has spread.

Treatment options for prostate cancer with intent to cure are primarily surgery and radiation therapy. Other treatments such as hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, proton therapy, cryosurgery, high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) also exist depending on the clinical scenario and desired outcome.

The age and underlying health of the man, the extent of metastasis, appearance under the microscope, and response of the cancer to initial treatment are important in determining the outcome of the disease. The decision whether or not to treat localized prostate cancer (a tumor that is contained within the prostate) with curative intent is a patient trade-off between the expected beneficial and harmful effects in terms of patient survival and quality of life.

For more information about Prostate cancer, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with prostate cancer

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coffee

Coffee Consumption Associated with Reduced Risk of Advanced Prostate Cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Dec 07, 2009 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (5) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- While it is too early for physicians to start advising their male patients to take up the habit of regular coffee drinking, data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers ...


Cardiovascular and suicide risk raised after prostate cancer diagnosis

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Dec 15, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

Men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer have an increased risk of cardiovascular events and suicide, reports a new study in this week's PLoS Medicine. Katja Falland Fang Fang from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden ...


More blood vessels in hormone-resistant prostate tumors

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Dec 15, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Patients with advanced prostate cancer are often treated with hormones, but when the tumours start growing again they have more and different blood vessels, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy, at the University ...


Random DNA mix-ups not so random in cancer development

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Dec 03, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine have pinpointed a mechanism that may help explain how chromosomal translocations - the supposedly random shuffling of large chunks of DNA that frequently lead to cancer - ...


Hops compound may prevent prostate cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Dec 08, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (2) | comments 0

The natural compound xanthohumol blocks the effects of the male hormone testosterone, therefore aiding in the prevention of prostate cancer.


Exercise reduces death rate in prostate cancer patients

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Dec 08, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

As little as 15 minutes of exercise a day can reduce overall mortality rates in patients with prostate cancer, according to findings presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention ...


Higher risk for heart disease and diabetes associated with androgen deprivation therapy

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Dec 07, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Men of all ages treated for prostate cancer with androgen deprivation therapy, specifically with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH), have an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to ...


The tall and short of diseases

Medicine & Health / Health

created Nov 25, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Research shows that being taller means a fatter pay check and an increased risk of some cancers.


PSA value at 2 years post-treatment can predict long-term survival in prostate cancer patients

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Dec 02, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Prostate cancer patients who have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value of less than or equal to 1.5 at two years after external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) are less likely to have a cancer recurrence and cancer-related ...