According to Affinity Health, a leading provider of high-quality healthcare, while prostate cancer primarily affects men over the age of 65, it can strike earlier, especially if you have a family history of prostate cancer.
What Is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate. In males, the prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland that produces seminal fluid, which nourishes and transports sperm.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Many prostate cancers are slow-growing and limited to the prostate gland, where they may not cause significant harm. While some prostate cancers grow slowly and require little or no treatment, others are aggressive and spread rapidly.
Early detection of prostate cancer, while still confined to the prostate gland, gives the best chance of successful treatment.
Who Is Predisposed to Prostate Cancer?
Every man is at risk of prostate cancer, but some factors contribute to the risk.
Age: The most critical risk factor for prostate cancer is age. Men aged 65 and older account for roughly two-thirds of all prostate cancer diagnoses. However, as you age, the disease becomes less aggressive, especially after age 70.
Family History: Men with a history of prostate cancer are at a higher risk. Having a father or brother with the disease doubles your chances of getting it. When multiple family members are affected, your chances increase.
Race: Black men are about 60% more likely than white men to develop prostate cancer. When cancer is diagnosed, it is more likely to be advanced. Doctors aren’t sure why different races have different rates of prostate cancer, but they believe environmental factors are to blame.
Diets High In Fat: Dietary fat may also be linked to prostate cancer. Men in high-fat diet countries eat fewer fruits and vegetables. The disease is much more prevalent in countries where meat and dairy products dominate the diet, as opposed to those where rice, soybean products, and vegetables are the primary staples.
Obesity: Extra weight does not appear to increase your chances of developing prostate cancer. However, it may reduce your chances of getting a lower-grade type and increase your chances of getting an aggressive form. Although not all study findings agree, some evidence suggests that obese men are more likely to have advanced prostate cancer and die from it.
Sedentary Way of Life: Although there haven’t been many studies to determine how closely a lack of physical activity is linked to prostate cancer, it has been shown to play a role in other types of cancer, including colon and endometrial cancer. However, because a lack of physical activity is frequently associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, there may also be a link between it and prostate cancer.
Changes in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 Gene: These are what your doctor may refer to as mutations. Because you are born with them, they are risk factors over which you have no control. They run in families, but only a few people are affected. They increase the likelihood of breast and ovarian cancer in women, as well as prostate cancer in some men.
Lynch Syndrome: Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), is caused by a gene change that occurs at birth. It can increase your chances of getting a variety of cancers, including prostate cancer.
Signs and Symptoms
While most prostate cancers are asymptomatic, the following symptoms and signs of prostate cancer may occur:
- Urine flow that is weak or interrupted, or the need to strain to empty the bladder
- Urge to urinate frequently during the night
- Urine with blood
- Erectile dysfunction
- Urinary pain or burning
- An enlarged prostate (that causes discomfort or pain when sitting)
- Back, hip, thigh, shoulder, or other bone pain
- Leg or foot swelling or fluid buildup
- Unknown cause of weight loss
- Fatigue
- Alteration in bowel habits
If you are concerned about any changes you are experiencing, please consult your doctor. Your doctor will ask you how long and frequently you have been experiencing the symptom, among other things (s). Diagnosis is made to assist in determining the cause of the problem.
Screening For Prostate Cancer
A digital rectal examination or finger test is the only way for a doctor to examine your prostate. To check the size of the prostate and for lumps, a doctor must insert a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum and press the bowel wall, this is unpleasant, but a minute of discomfort can save your life. The prostate exam is the most effective screening test for prostate cancer.
Screening should begin at the age of 40 if you have a family history of prostate cancer. If you are not at high risk, you should start screening at the age of 50, unless you have any of the warning signs, in which case you should begin screening right away,” says Murray Hewlett, CEO of Affinity Health.
Treatment Of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer treatment options include surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy, which can be used alone or in combination.
“Treatment is highly individualised and is planned according to clinical findings. The earlier prostate cancer is detected, the better the prognosis,” concludes Hewlett.
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