Once prostate cancer has been diagnosed, patients are usually separated into 3 groups depending upon the extent of disease for deciding on the line of management:
1.EARLY STAGE or ORGAN CONFINED DISAEASE
2.LOCALLY ADVANCED STAGE
3.METASTATIC DISEASE
The staging of prostate cancer is also done on the basis of TNM classification.T denotes the extent of primary tumor in the prostate gland.N denotes the extent of spread to the regional lymph nodes and M denotes the extent of spread to distant regions/organs in the body. Once the staging has been done, this information is taken into account for deciding the best treatment option.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
HOW TO DIAGNOSE PROSTATE CANCER
Earlier the diagnosis, higher the chances of curing any cancer,especially so ,prostate cancer.Any man can develop prostate cancer.There are 2 standard SCREENING tests which are the first steps to diagnose a prostate cancer .A screening test is one which is done when a person has no symptoms.The 2 screening tests are :1.PSA (prostate specific antigen)-- This is a simple blood test .If the values are above normal, a person has to undergo further investigations to rule out a malignancy.
2.DIGITAL RECTAL EXAMINATION (DRE)-- This is an outpatient procedure which is done with a finger inserted into the rectum to assess the prostate gland.
3.BIOPSY --- If the PSA and DRE are abnormal, then the patient is advised to undergo a biopsy.This procedure can be done as an outpatient with the help of a transrectal ultrasound probe.It is usually painless, and takes about 10 minutes.Sometimes, there may be a liitle bleeding after the procedure which usually subsides in a few hours. Multiple bits of the prostate tissue from different quadrants are removed from the prostate gland and sent for histopathology examination.This test will confirm whether a malignancy is present or not. The pathologist will give a report on a.whether a malignancy is present,
b.if present, then which quadrants are positive,
c. what type of maligancy is present(adenocarcinoma is the commonest)
d.Gleason's score.The gleasons score usually determines the aggressiveness of the cancer, a lower score meaning less aggressive and a higher score meaning more aggressive tumor.
The treatment decisions are taken after all this information is ready.
4.DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING: Once a cancer is confirmed, further tests like transrectal ultrasound,CT /MRI /PET CT scans , NUCLEAR BONE SCANS may be ordered to know the extent of the disease and hence stage it.
2.DIGITAL RECTAL EXAMINATION (DRE)-- This is an outpatient procedure which is done with a finger inserted into the rectum to assess the prostate gland.
3.BIOPSY --- If the PSA and DRE are abnormal, then the patient is advised to undergo a biopsy.This procedure can be done as an outpatient with the help of a transrectal ultrasound probe.It is usually painless, and takes about 10 minutes.Sometimes, there may be a liitle bleeding after the procedure which usually subsides in a few hours. Multiple bits of the prostate tissue from different quadrants are removed from the prostate gland and sent for histopathology examination.This test will confirm whether a malignancy is present or not. The pathologist will give a report on a.whether a malignancy is present,
b.if present, then which quadrants are positive,
c. what type of maligancy is present(adenocarcinoma is the commonest)
d.Gleason's score.The gleasons score usually determines the aggressiveness of the cancer, a lower score meaning less aggressive and a higher score meaning more aggressive tumor.
The treatment decisions are taken after all this information is ready.
4.DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING: Once a cancer is confirmed, further tests like transrectal ultrasound,CT /MRI /PET CT scans , NUCLEAR BONE SCANS may be ordered to know the extent of the disease and hence stage it.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
What is prostate gland?
The prostate gland is an organ of the male reproductive system. It is shaped like a walnut and is found at the base of the bladder. There is a thin tube(urethra) running through the prostate gland that allows urine and semen to pass out of the penis. Alkaline fluid produced by this gland helps to nourish sperm and leaves the urethra as ejaculate. Another function of the prostate gland is to help control urination. However men can survive without a prostate gland.
The prostate undergoes two main growth spurts. The first is fuelled by the sex hormones made by the testicles during puberty. This prompts the gland to reach an average weight of 20g. The second growth spurt happens sometime in the fourth decade of life.
The three most common forms of prostate disease are
The three most common forms of prostate disease are
1. non-cancerous enlargement, also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy(BPH)
2. inflammation(Prostatitis)
3. cancer.
A man may experience one problem or a combination of two or more problems.
Diagram showing the position of the prostate gland
SYMPTOMS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Symptoms of prostate cancer can vary from patient to patient.Symptoms can mimic those of benign prostatic hypertrophy or prostatism.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. It occurs when cells of the prostate mutate and begin to multiply out of control. These cells may spread (metastasize) from the prostate to other parts of the body, especially the bones and lymph nodes. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, erectile dysfunction and other symptoms.This cancer can occur only in men, as the prostate gland is found only in the male reproductive tract. It is one of the most common types of cancer in men.
PROSTATE CANCER incidence
The term 'prevalence' of Prostate Cancer usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Prostate Cancer at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Prostate Cancer refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Prostate Cancer diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence.
Prostate cancer incidence statistics for men in various countries:
112.3 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in the US 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
80.2 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in Canada 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
63 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in Sweden 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
42.2 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in Colombia 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
39.6 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in the UK 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
32 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in the Czech Republic 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
29.9 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in Denmark 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
22.2 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in Poland 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
13.9 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in Singapore 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
9.0 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in Japan 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
8.6 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in China 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
7.4 men per 100,000 population with prostate cancer in India 1993-97 (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP, Health Canada)
Friday, October 31, 2008
What is cancer?
DEFINITION OF CANCER :Cancer is a term used for diseases in which some abnormal cells in the body start dividing without control .They can develop the capacity to invade other tissuesand spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems(metastasis).
Cancer can be divided into various categories depending upon which type of cells are affected or in which organ of the body the abnormal cells start dividing.The main categories of cancer include:
Carcinoma - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.
Sarcoma - cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.
Leukemia - cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.
Lymphoma and myeloma - cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.
Central nervous system cancers - cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.
Carcinoma - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.
Sarcoma - cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.
Leukemia - cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.
Lymphoma and myeloma - cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.
Central nervous system cancers - cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.
HOW DOES CANCER START?
The body is made up of many types of cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells when needed as they are needed to keep the body healthy. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells.
However, sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. The genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need them. The extra cells may form a mass of tissue called a tumor.
However, sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. The genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need them. The extra cells may form a mass of tissue called a tumor.
However, not all tumors are cancerous.There are 2 types of tumors:1.Benign
2.Malignant
Benign tumors aren't cancerous. They can often be removed, and, in most cases, they do not come back. Cells in benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. In some cases, eg. in brain and spinal cord because of the critical location, these tumors may be inoperable.In such cases, Radiotherapy can be used to control these tumors.
Malignant tumors are cancerous. Cells in these tumors can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis.
Some cancers do not form tumors. For example, leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood.
DISCLAIMER:The information contained herein reflects only the opinion of the author.
In no way is it to be considered an exhaustive information on the topic being discussed. Specific medical advice should be obtained from your treating physician.
This information is in no way meant to treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness from happening.
This blog is not intended to create any physician-patient relationship or supplant any in-person medical consultation or examination. Always seek the advice of your treating physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before seeking any treatment. This site is for information purposes only.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
