PROSTATE CANCER: STRUGGLE AND SURVIVAL.
Introduction: Prostate cancer is a pervasive condition that affects the prostate gland which is a reproductive organ of a male. This blog post will attempt to clarify a few aspects of prostate cancer: prostatectomy, PSA, PAP,some treatment options.
Understanding Prostate Cancer: The prostate gland is a small and round pearl-shaped organ wrapped around the urethra under the bladder region in men. However, the risk comes when normal cell growth transforms to become prostate cancer. This form of cancer tends to develop slowly thus enabling the affected individuals to be treated effectively and often coming out healthy after cancer diagnosis.
Diagnostic Tools: The prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test is one of the main methods for diagnosing prostate cancer and it assesses the amount of a particular protein found in the prostate gland. Furthermore, an additional test may also be used to identify desirable characteristics of the cancer which may include PAP which stands for prostatic acid phosphatase.
Cancer Stages: Prostate cancer is classified into stages from the ones in which the cancer is in the prostate only in situ, to the ones in which the cancer has spread to other organs. In this sense it is better to know these stages to define the best cure for Prostate cancer. Treatment may be local or general and often depends on the stage of cancer; early-stage cancers may be treated with local interventions such as surgery or radiation, but advanced stages may need more treatment options.
Treatment Options:
- Prostatectomy: Among the surgeries that can be done is prostatectomy where the prostate gland is removed from the body. The most common treatment for prostate cancer is surgery which is prostate removal, and it is only advised when the cancer is localized.
- Adjuvant Therapy: Post-surgery, sometimes adjuvant therapy is used to treat any cancer cells that may have been missing after surgery and prevent reoccurrence. This can involve radiation therapy as well as chemotherapy.
- Hormone Therapy: Hormone therapy is a type of treatment that targets hormones that are responsible for the growth and development of prostate cancer since prostate cancers are often hormone sensitive It involves reduction of the male hormone to slow down the process of development of cancerous cells.
- Alpha-Adrenergic Blockers: Are alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists that are used to treat symptoms produced by prostate cancer, such as enlarged prostate and bladders that do not empty fully.
- Brachytherapy: This type of radiation therapy is done by precisely placing radioactive seeds into the prostate thereby destroying cancer cells but not the normal tissue.
Hope for the Future: Research conducted in prostate cancer is offering hope to patients affected with this condition. When cancer cases are identified in their early stages and appropriate treatment solutions are provided to meet the needs of each patient, the quality of life of prostate cancer patient can be improved.
Conclusion: Prostate cancer is a complex topic; this paper is designed to offer information about this disease and as well as about its treatment. Thus, by having knowledge of new diagnostic modalities, cancer stages and various treatment options, it can be used to empower individuals undergoing this diagnosis to make decisions with their healthcare providers and develops a sense of hope on this nowadays terrible condition called cancer