Prostate Cancer: Early Signs and Treatments

The prostate is a small gland that produces seminal fluid, located just below the bladder in the male body. Prostate cancer occurs when cells in this gland mutate and reproduce at a rapid rate, causing a malignant tumor. While some cases progress slowly and are confined to the prostate, others see the cancerous cells spread to other parts of the body.

Prostate cancer is the fourth most common type overall and the second most common in males. It’s estimated that just over 34,000 men will die this year in the United States alone. However, despite being serious, most prostate cancers are highly treatable if they’re caught before they’ve spread to other areas of the body.

Types

There are several types of prostate cancer that vary in frequency and severity. Around 99 percent of prostate cancers are ductal or acinar adenocarcinomas. The former type forms in the tubes surrounding the prostate, while the latter occurs in the fluid-secreting glands. There are other extremely rare types of prostate cancer that account for less than one percent of cases:

• Sarcomas – Responsible for less than 0.1 percent of all cases, sarcomas form in soft tissue such as muscles and nerves.
• Neuroendocrine tumors – This type of cancer forms in hormone-secreting tissue. Often, the cancer occurs in another areas of the body before spreading to the prostate.
• Small cell carcinoma – This is an incredibly aggressive type of neuroendocrine cancer with a prognosis of less than a year.

Early Signs and Symptoms

Prostate cancer often presents with various urinary symptoms due to the prostate’s proximity to the bladder. However, early on symptoms tend not to be serious or glaring. The early-stage signs include:

• Difficulty urinating, including difficult starting or stopping the flow of urine
• Burning or pain during urination
• Blood in urine (called hematuria) or semen
• Increased need to urinate at night
• Sudden need to urinate and loss of bladder control
• Erectile dysfunction
• Pain when ejaculating

Treatment Options

When this type of cancer is caught early on, treatment is often very successful. Doctors recommend options based on the stage and spread of the disease. Many prostate cancers are very slow-growing and may be suitable for active surveillance by your doctor.

Cancer in stages I to II has not yet spread and may be suitable for less invasive treatment plans, such as hormone therapy, targeted radiation, or simple observation.

Other common treatments include:

• Surgery – An “open radical prostatectomy” is done when the cancer is localized
• Chemotherapy – Anti-cancer drugs are injected to shrink the tumor
• Radiation – Uses a machine to target the cells associated with prostate cancer
• Testosterone suppression therapy – Interferes with the production of testosterone, which is the “fuel” for the cancer cells
• Immunotherapy – A newer treatment that uses a person’s immune system to kill cancer cells

If you’re experiencing any symptoms of prostate cancer, make an appointment with your doctor immediately for testing via a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and a digital rectal exam. The prognosis of prostate cancer in stages I through III is good with early detection and treatment, and many men are disease-free after five years.