Prosate Cancer: What You Need to Know

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Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. There are number of risk factors. One of the strongest thought of risk is age; more than 70 percent of men diagnosed with this disease are over the age of 65. Research also suggests high dietary fat may be a contributing factor prostate cancer. The disease is much more common in countries where meat and dairy products are dietary staples, compared to countries where the basic diet consists of rice, soybean products, and vegetables. Prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms for many years. By the time symptoms occur, the disease may have spread beyond the prostate. When symptoms do occur, they may include urinary problems like not being able to urinate, having a hard time starting or stopping the urine flow, needing to urinate often, especially at night, weak flow of urine, urine flow that starts and stops, pain or burning during urination, difficulty having an erection, blood in the urine or semen, frequent pain in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.
These can be symptoms of cancer, but more often they are symptoms of noncancerous conditions. It is important to check with a doctor because there are prostate cancers without symptoms and go unnoticed. There are two tests can be used to detect prostate cancer in the absence of any symptoms. One is the digital rectal exam (DRE), in which a doctor feels the prostate through the rectum to find hard or lumpy areas. The other is a blood test used to detect a substance made by the prostate called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Choosing a treatment option involves the patient, his family, and one or more doctors. They will need to consider the grade and stage of the cancer, the man’s age and health, and his values and feelings about the potential benefits and harm of each treatment option. Since both surgery and radiation therapy are options for localized disease, consultation with both an urologist and a radiation oncologist is recommended.
While you’re still fit to do so, one of the best ways to reduce your risk for prostate cancer is by getting regular exercise and maintaining your optimal weight.