Prostate Cancer

       The prostate is a gland found only in males. It is located in front of the rectum and below the urinary bladder. The size of the prostate varies with age. Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. The medical term for a cancer that starts in gland cells is adenocarcinoma.

Risk Factors
1. Age :-
Prostate cancer is very rare in men younger than 40, but the chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50. About 6 in 10 cases of prostate cancer are found in men over the age of 65.
2. Race/ethnicity :-
Prostate cancer occurs more often in African-American men and Jamaican men of African ancestry than in men of other races.
3. Nationality :-
Prostate cancer is most common in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia, and on Caribbean islands. It is less common in Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America.
4. Family history :-
Prostate cancer seems to run in some families, which suggests that in some cases there may be an inherited or genetic factor. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man's risk of developing this disease.
5. Genes :-
Some inherited gene changes raise the risk for more than one type of cancer. For example, inherited mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are the reason that breast and ovarian cancers are much more common in some families. Mutations in these genes may also increase prostate cancer risk in some men, but they account for a very small percentage of prostate cancer cases.
6. Diet :-
Men who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products appear to have a slightly higher chance of getting prostate cancer.
7. Obesity :-
Most studies have not found that being obese (very overweight) is linked with a higher risk of getting prostate cancer.
8. Smoking :-
Most studies have not found a link between smoking and the risk of developing prostate cancer.
9. Inflammation of the prostate
10. Sexually transmitted infections
11. Vasectomy

Signs and symptoms
Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms.
-  frequent urination
- nocturia (increased urination at night)
- difficulty starting and maintaining a steady stream of urine
- Hematuria (blood in the urine)
- Dysuria (painful urination)
- difficulty achieving erection or painful ejaculation.
Advanced prostate cancer can spread to other parts of the body, possibly causing additional symptoms.

Investigations
1. Digital rectal exam (DRE)
2. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test
3. Transrectal ultrasound
4. Biopsy :-
- Transrectal biopsy
- Transperineal biopsy

Treatment
- There are different types of treatment for patients with prostate cancer.
- Eight types of standard treatment are used :
1. Watchful waiting or active surveillance
2. Surgery e.g. Radical prostatectomy
3. Radiation therapy :- External radiation therapy, Internal radiation therapy.
4. Hormone therapy :- Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists, Antiandrogens.
5. Chemotherapy
6. Biologic therapy
7. Bisphosphonate therapy
8. Targeted therapy.
- New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
1. Cryosurgery
2. High-intensity focused ultrasound
3. Proton beam radiation therapy

Prevention Tips
1. Drink more coffee
2. Give your gland a regular workout (i.e., have lots of sex)
3. See red, eat red i.e. tomatoes products
4. Regular Exercise
5. Top off your oil
6. Ditch the doughnuts
7. Shelve the selenium supplements
8. Check for so-called bed bugs
9. Go green : broccoli