12 Things You Don’t Know About Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of those diseases which have a large number of misunderstandings and myths associated with it, mostly because there is a lack of awareness among the general male population and men diagnosed with the disease don’t usually talk about it. Sometimes, it is thought to be completely harmless either because some forms of the cancer don’t show symptoms or because some forms of the cancer are (relatively) easily curable than other forms of the disease. However, there is no reasonable basis to dwell in such security, because it can be as malignant as any other form of cancer, and it is essential that you consult a best oncologist in a Top cancer hospital to know more about it.

However, there are 12 basic, elementary facts that you need keep in mind whenever you want to start to research and read up on the disease. These may help you to better understand the complexities and enable you to get a better perspective on the issues relating to it and its treatment. These facts have been listed below:

• Prostate cancer is more common that breast cancer. Men have a greater lifetime risk of developing the disease than women have the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. In fact, it is the second-most commonest form worldwide, with the highest rates being witnessed in North America and Australasia while the lowest incidence is seen in Asia and Africa.

• The risk of its diagnosis increases if there have been former cases of the disease in your family. This is actually true for any form of cancer. Scientists can’t fully understand the relationship between family and the development of risk factors, but genetics may play a role in this.

• The reasons for this risk factor isn’t exactly clear, but apparently consumption of meat and dairy products and a lower consumption of fruits and vegetables increases its occurrence, especially the prevalence of more aggressive forms of it. Researchers are trying to conclusively establish the link between diet and its occurrence.

• While detecting the cancer in its early stage is important for starting treatment, things could be complicated with the fact that some men don’t show any kind of symptom of the disease in its earliest stage. This could be remedied by screening for the condition by your prostate doctor, in order to confirm its presence. It could include digital rectal exam (DRE) and a blood test called prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia is, contrary to popular perception, not associated with prostate cancer. It also doesn’t increase the risk of developing the disease.

• While there might be no symptom in some men, those who show symptoms may have various symptoms in its earliest stage. They may include difficulty in urinating, blood or semen in the urine, painful urination and ejaculation, impotence and stiffness and pain in the back, hips and thighs.

• Generally, older men are more prone to develop the disease. The average age of diagnosis is 66 years. This doesn’t mean that younger men are free from risk; in fact, younger men when diagnosed with the disease have the most chances in succumbing to it.

• In North America, chiefly in the United States, African-American men are more prone to develop prostate cancer and are more likely die from the disease, relative to other races of men. Again, scientists are yet to fully understand the difference in occurrence.

• A number of tests are needed to confirm its presence and effect. Digital rectal exam involves the doctor inserting a gloved finger inside the rectum to detect any kind of abnormalities in the prostate, after which a biopsy could be conducted to confirm the presence of cancer. PSA is another way to determine cancer; a high PSA level in the bloodstream is indicative of the disease but it could also imply the presence of BPH, urinal or prostate infections.
  

• Treatment is pretty intensive as it is for all other forms of cancer. Doctors may adopt a number of treatment techniques such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery or even hormonal therapy to stop the disease from spreading.

• The cure rate is very high, especially if the treatment is commenced right after the diagnosis in the first stage. In fact, the success of the 5-year cure rate is 100%, which is within 5 years of treatment with a 100% of men diagnosed with the cancer are free of the disease.

• As far as prostate cancer treatment cost in India is concerned, it is cheaper when compared with other countries. The lowest cost of treatment about INR 1, 93,545.