Sunday, January 22, 2012

Prostate Cancer Questions And Answers

By Owen Jones


As men get older they run more and more risk of getting prostate cancer. Some doctors recommend frequent check-ups after the age of 50 or even 60, but others say that you ought to start checking at 40.

It is wiser to begin checking as early as you can and certainly at 40 or 50 years of age, because the earlier it is diagnosed, the more opportunity you have of surviving it. The difficulty with prostate cancer is that it spreads more quickly than most cancers.

In this piece, we will attempt to give answers to a couple of basic questions that you may have concerning this male disease. However, there is only space here for the fundamentals, so please take significant questions to your medical doctor.

What is the prostate gland and where is it? The prostate is around the size of a walnut, but is conical in shape. It is part of the male reproductive system and is linked to the penis because it is wrapped around the urethra right up near to the bladder.

This makes the prostate somewhere between the anus and the penis. Because of its position, it is not easy to get at and so most examinations are rectal ie from the colon. Many men find this embarrassing, which is why a lot of men put of a check-up until it is too late.

What are the chances of having prostate cancer? White American males more than the age of 50 have a one-in-six chance of developing some malignancy.

Hispanics and Blacks have a one-in-four risk. However, all these figures rise if there is a history of prostate cancer in the family.

What are the indications of prostate cancer? This question is not simple to answer, because the symptoms can look like other concerns and everyone knows that 'all old men' have bladder concerns

The prostate swells as it grows older anyway, so this could be the cause of urination issues. This is characterized by urinating a little at a time, but having to urinate frequently. Sometimes there are drips too after you have put it away.

The symptoms of prostate cancer are comparable but may include blood in the urine and lower back pain. If you have anything like these concerns, you need to have a check-up as soon as you can.

Can prostate cancer be diagnosed early enough to save life? Luckily, the reply to this is yes. There are two forms of examination: 1] the DRE - digital rectal exam (or 'finger up the bum') and 2] the PSA blood test (prostate specific antigen), although this test is frequently just carried out if the DRE raises suspicions.

If the cancer is caught early enough through regular screening, the chances of living more than five years are over 90%. Continued success depends on several causes, but the cancer can also be totally eradicated never to return.

It can not be emphasized too much, that, as with some female-specific cancers, success fighting this cancer relies on catching it early.




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