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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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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.


Detecting the Undetectable in Prostate Cancer Testing

Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine

created Nov 18, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of Northwestern University researchers, using an extremely sensitive nanotechnology-based tool known as the biobarcode system, has detected previously undetectable levels of prostate-specific antigen ...


Common pain relief medication may encourage cancer growth

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 18, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of ...


New Synthetic Molecules Trigger Immune Response to HIV and Prostate Cancer

New Synthetic Molecules Trigger Immune Response to HIV and Prostate Cancer

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Nov 05, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (9) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Yale University have developed synthetic molecules capable of enhancing the body’s immune response to HIV and HIV-infected cells, as well as to prostate cancer cells. Their ...


Prostate Cancer Surgery Performed by Many Surgeons with Little Experience

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 19, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study from researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has found that the majority of surgeons treating prostate cancer in the United States have extremely low annual caseloads, potentially ...


Scientists link chronic fatigue ailment to retrovirus

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Oct 08, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (11) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have discovered a potential retroviral link to chronic fatigue syndrome, known as CFS, a debilitating disease that affects millions of people in the United States. Researchers from the Whittemore ...


Study uncovers key to how 'triggering event' in cancer occurs

Study uncovers key to how 'triggering event' in cancer occurs

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Oct 29, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered what leads to two genes fusing together, a phenomenon that has been shown to cause prostate cancer to develop.


UCSB scientists discover potential drug delivery system

Scientists discover potential new drug delivery system

Medicine & Health / Research

created Aug 25, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (8) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have discovered a potential new drug delivery system. The finding is a biological mechanism for delivery of nanoparticles into tissue. The results are published ...


Routine evaluation of prostate size not as effective in cancer screening (w/ Video)

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 10, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New Mayo Clinic research studied the association between prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and prostate size and found that routine annual evaluation of prostate growth is not necessarily a predictor for the development ...


DNA-Coated Nanotubes Help Kill Tumors Without Harm to Surrounding Tissue

Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine

created Aug 19, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have destroyed prostate cancer tumors in mice by injecting them with specially-coated, miniscule carbon tubes and then superheating the tubes with ...


African-American men at higher risk of false positives in prostate testing

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 17, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- While an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test can be frightening news for men, new research shows that sometimes the levels are caused by a naturally occurring hormone, and may not indicate a need ...


Fresh pot of tea strikes anti-cancer gold

Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine

created Mar 24, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (10) | comments 0

Researchers might one day brew up a cancer treatment in their afternoon cuppa, says a study in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.


Detecting the undetectable in prostate cancer screening

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Oct 19, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 1

A team of Northwestern University researchers, using an extremely sensitive tool based on nanotechnology, has detected previously undetectable levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in patients who have undergone radical ...


Quick test for prostate cancer

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created May 19, 2009 | popularity 3.4 / 5 (5) | comments 2

A new 3-minute test could help in diagnosing prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men in the UK, according to scientists.


Diet may reduce risk of prostate cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Jun 03, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (4) | comments 2

A new review published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics assessed whether certain modifications in diet have a beneficial effect on the prevention of prostate cancer. Results suggest that a diet low in fat an ...