Of the 7.6 million deaths owing to cancer worldwide, one-sixth are caused by prostate cancer which is also the second-most frequently diagnosed cancer after lung cancer. The good part is that prostate cancer is a relatively slow-growing cancer and the survival rate is, hence, high.
The prostate is an exocrine gland (secretions end up outside the body) of the male reproductive system, and exists directly under the bladder. Roughly the size of a walnut, it is through the prostate that the urethra - the tube carrying urine and semen out of the body - goes through. The gland continues to enlarge with age to an average weight of 40 grams in men in their seventies.
“Prostate cancer usually grows slowly and initially remains confined to the prostate gland where it may not cause serious harm. While some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need minimal or no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly,” said Dr Ginil of AIMS Hospital.
Many men experience urinary symptoms as they age, which may be caused by inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis). In the older male, symptoms may be the result of a blockage in the tubes due to a benign (non-cancerous) enlargement of the prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH). The most common symptom is difficulty emptying your bladder.
However, age, genetic predispositions and diet all seem to have a direct correlation with the risk of prostate cancer.
In India the awareness about the disease remains low. It is important to note that there are no warning signs of early prostate cancer. Once a tumor causes the prostate gland to swell, or once cancer spreads beyond the prostate, the following symptoms including a frequent need to
urinate, especially at night, a weak or interrupted urinary stream, blood in urine or semen.
“Over 70 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65. It is still unclear why this increase with age occurs for prostate cancer but studies suggest that after 70, most men have some form of prostate cancer, though there may be no outward symptoms. Hence, it becomes important to immediately visit a doctor if any of these symptoms are observed,” said Dr Ginil.
The treatments include surgery (prostatectomy), radiotherapy, hormonal therapy using androgen-depriving drugs, depending upon the stage and level of the cancer.
Key facts
One new case occurs every 2.5 minutes and a man dies from prostate cancer every 17 minutes. A non-smoking man is more likely to get prostate cancer than lung, bronchus, colon, rectal, bladder, lymphoma, melanoma, oral and kidney cancers combined. Because prostate cancer is a relatively slow-growing cancer, the 5-year survival rate for prostate cancer diagnosed at all stages is 98%.