Your Guide To Prostate Cancer And Its Treatment In Udaipur

What is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate Cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that affects the prostate gland. It occurs in the man’s prostate, a walnut-size gland that’s part of the male reproductive system. It’s located below the bladder and encircles the upper part of the urethra. The prostate helps in various essential functions, such as bladder control and production of the seminal fluid that sustain and transport sperm. While prostate cancer has become more common in India nowadays, it primarily affects men above the age of 65. Luckily, it progresses at a slow pace and rarely expands beyond the gland. However, some types can be quite aggressive and require timely intervention at a Prostate Cancer treatment hospital in Jaipur.

What are the symptoms of Prostate Cancer you need to look out for?

In its earlier stages, prostate cancer shows no sign and fewer symptoms are usually observed. But when cancer develops into the advanced stage, various symptoms start occurring, such as urinary difficulties, pain during ejaculation, and blood in urine or semen are detected. According to the leading oncologists and cancer doctor in Jaipur, these are the symptoms you need to look out for:

• Frequent urge to empty the bladder, especially at the night
• Blood in the urine or semen
• Frequent pain or burning sensation that increases while urinating
• Recurring pelvic pain that doesn’t go away
• Back Pain the moves to hips
• Erectile dysfunction
• Low flow of urine
• Loss of bladder control
• Urine leaking involuntarily
• Sudden weight loss
• Weakness and fatigue

Prostate Cancer occurs due to the cellular mutations that cause abnormal changes in the DNA of the prostate cells. These mutations allow prostate cells to grow out of control and continue to live even when the healthy cells die. Eventually, these cell tissues form into a shape of a cancerous tumour that can invade nearby healthy tissues. While the exact cause of cell mutation in the prostate is unknown, various factors can increase of risk of prostate cancer, including:

• Gender – Prostate Cancer occurs in the prostate of men.
• Ageing – Prostate Cancer rarely occurs in men below the age of 40. However, its risks significantly increase in men over 50 years and elderlies above 65 are more vulnerable to prostate cancer than others.
• Obesity – Obesity can significantly increase your risks of developing prostate cancer. Various studies have found that prostate cancer tends to be more aggressive in overweight men.
• Family history – Prostate cancer usually occurs in people who have a history of cancer in their family. Prostate cancer has also been associated with the involvement of inherited or genetic factors and affects various family members. If you have a close family member who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you should get screened for cancer.

How to get tested for Prostate Cancer?

The diagnosis process for prostate cancer is fairly simple and doesn’t take much time. Firstly, it requires a digital rectal examination to check the prostate and routine ultrasonography to detect an enlarged prostate. However, the most reliable test to diagnose prostate cancer is a prostate-specific antigen or PSA test that can identify the cancer markers in your bloodstream. And if cancer is suspected, you will require some additional tests to complete the diagnosis, including:

• Imaging tests like ultrasound and MRI to create detailed images of the prostate and identify the cancerous tumour.
• Biopsy to collect a tissue sample from the prostate and test it for cancer cells.

What are the treatment options for Prostate Cancer?

Treatment for prostate cancer depends on various factors like your health, age and cancer stage and extent. Hence, various approaches can be used to cure prostate cancer, relieve symptoms and improve the result. These approaches can be:

• Surgery: In surgery, prostatectomy is performed to remove the prostate gland and the affected lymph nodes to cure cancer and prevent a relapse.
• Radiation Therapy: In this treatment, high-intensity radiation beams are used to kill cancer cells. It’s often used after surgery to destroy any leftover cancer cells or cancer that has spread to the bone.
• Chemotherapy – In chemotherapy, various anticancer drugs are used to stop and kill cancer. These drugs can be given intravenously or orally so they can be absorbed faster by cancer cells.
• Hormonal Therapy- In this therapy, hormonal drugs are used to prevent hormones from fueling prostate cancer cells.