Cancer can originate in and affect any organ in the body. When cancer originates in prostate gland, located between the male urethra and the bladder, it is called prostate cancer. The prostate resembles a walnut in size and both urine and semen pass through its channel.
Prostate cancer develops due to mutation and uncontrollable growth of the cells in the gland. The mutated cells form a tumor or tumors.
Prostate cancer is treatable if caught in early stage. In fact, a top-tier cancer research center in India claims that the five-year survival chance for patients with localized prostate cancer is almost 100 per cent. Unfortunately, the rate dramatically drops after the cancer becomes metastatic i.e. it affects distant organs.
What causes prostate cancer?
Multiple factors are responsible for causing prostate cancer. According to oncologists, men are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. A research suggests that one in eight men will get a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Unfortunately, what actually causes the disease in a particular man is still unknown.
It is possible to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. If you are a man, you should embrace a healthy lifestyle, eat healthy foods, maintain a healthy weight and stay active.
“Healthy weight matters a lot for the cancer patients”, says the best surgical oncologist in Kolkata. He is associated with a well-known cancer treatment and research center in the City of Joy. “Healthy weight helps a prostate cancer patient recover quicker and live longer”, he added. The physicians recommend low-fat diet for both the prostate cancer patients and those who are trying to prevent the disease.
Lifestyle, exercises, diet plan, physical activity etc are the changeable risk factors. It means, you can cut down your risk of prostate cancer through healthy diets, good lifestyles and regular exercises. But some factors are unchangeable. These include:
Age: An overwhelming majority of prostate cancer patients (more than 90 per cent) are men 55 or older.
Genetics: Men born with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, mismatched DNA or other genetic glitches are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
Race: Just like Triple-Negative Breast cancer (the deadliest type of BC) mostly affects African-American women, men of African-American origin are more likely to get prostate cancer and die of the disease.
How to check for prostate cancer?
Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) and Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) are two routine tests to check for prostate cancer. Oncologists with specialization in prostate cancer treatment suggest that men should go for both as a part of their approach towards cancer prevention.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Just like any other type of cancer, prostate cancer may not produce any warning signs in early stages. Therefore, visiting an oncologist after the symptoms surface is not a sensible idea at all. Regular screening is the best way to get your prostate checked.
Most of the time, symptoms come up after the tumor has grown. Here are the commonest symptoms of early stage prostate cancer:
- Problems urinating (difficulty starting, maintaining a steady flow)
- Frequent urination
- Excessive urination
- Urge to urinate
- Blood in the urine
After prostate cancer becomes metastatic, the patients may experience additional symptoms depending on the organ affected by cancer.
- Pain in the back
- Loss of weight
- Persisting cough
- Breathing problems
- Low appetite
We should generously donate to the cancer center and research hospitals so that the scientists can develop more effective and cost-excellent treatments and come up with a permanent cure for prostate cancer.