Prostate Cancer
The prostate gland is about the same size and shape as a chestnut. It’s located at the base of the bladder. The urethra runs below it between two lobes of muscle tissue that reach from either side of the prostate. These two muscular lobes are the way in which the flow of urine is regulated through the urethra.
Inside the prostate seminal fluid is produced. This is the fluid that is released during orgasm and carries a man’s sperm.
When abnormal cells are produced and begin to reproduce, they grow into a mass of tissue called a tumor. When the cancerous cells begin to outgrow the normal cells, the functions of the prostate gland and the two lobes become compromised.
Usually prostate cancer has a slow growth rate. There have been cases where it has developed abnormally fast, but this is not typically the case. Prostate cancer cure rates are quite high when it is in the early stages, but there are typically no symptoms – so regular screening is essential.
Stage T1
Stage T1 prostate cancer is when it is first developing. Tumors at this point are small and there are no physical signs or symptoms outside of an elevated PSA level in the blood. PSA is the prostate specific antigen released into the blood as a result of tumors developing in the gland. A doctor may only be suspicious of the presence of cancer if the blood test results indicated an unusually high PSA level. If the suspicion is very high, for instance if the patient had close relatives with prostate cancer, a tissue sample would be sent for a biopsy to verify it. (more…)
Some statistics indicate that the survival rate of prostate cancer can be as high as 98 percent if the disease is caught in its early stages. But, how can one go about ensuring their prostate cancer gets diagnosed in time? Even with regular prostate screenings, the tumors have to be big enough to be noticeable. Well, you might not be able to catch prostate cancer at Stage 1, but if you pay attention to your body and let your doctor aware of anything unusual during your check-ups, you increase your chances of catching it as it goes into Stage 2. To appropriately do this, you need to be aware of the 5 early symptoms of prostate cancer. They are explained in greater detail below.
1. Urinary Difficulties
The first symptoms of prostate cancer are urinary difficulties. You may be wondering why urinary difficulties in this list of prostate cancer symptoms if the bladder is not the prostate gland? It’s simple; as the tumors grow they press up against the organ, which is still very close to the prostate. When this happens a man will experience incontinence, trouble urinating at all, (despite incontinence) and a very low urine flow.
2. The Presence of Blood
Symptom 2 s even more alarming than urinary incontinence. It involves the presence of blood in a man’s urine and/or semen.
3. Erectile Dysfunction
Of the symptoms listed in the here, erectile dysfunction makes the most sense, since the prostate gland is a sexual organ. However, erectile dysfunction is such a common problem among older men, they may not even suspect prostate cancer. They may think they are experiencing a psychological problem, or perhaps that they just need a dose of Viagra. Either way, it’s not worth the risk. If you are experiencing erectile dysfunction, discuss it with your doctor to make sure prostate cancer can be fully ruled out. (more…)
