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MORE ABOUT CANCER
Prostate cancer
A preventive examination by a urologist once
a year, for men over the age of 50, is needed for early discovery of
the disease!
What should we know about cancer of the
prostate gland?
Of all types of tumors that occur in the urogenital system, prostate
cancer appears to spread the fastest.
Each
year, around 18,000 people in the U.S. die from this disease, 6.8% of
men in Austria and 7.5% in Israel. The statistics in Bulgaria show that
prostate cancer takes the leading place for cause of death from
malignant diseases in men.
Science has determined that a hormonal
disorder can result in an outbreak of the disease. In the
beginning, a knob-like growth forms on the gland which gradually
increases and covers the entire gland. The disease then enters the
surrounding tissues and metastasizes in local and more distant parts of
the body, the bones of the spine and pelvis, the lungs, the spleen, and
other organs.
Symptoms
The
initial complaints are typical for diseases localized in the bladder
and urinary tract, and include disturbances in urination: increases in
urinary frequency, difficulty voiding urine, and the feeling of an
inadequately emptied bladder after urination. These disorders appear
first in the morning and, as the disease progresses, throughout the
day. Gradually, a patient reaches a point when partial or complete
urinary retention is experienced. In some cases, blood also appears in
the urine. Pain is a later symptom and is indicative that the disease
has developed past the initial growth on the gland, and that
surrounding tissue is also affected. The pain may be periodic or
permanent, and its strength depends on how much of the carcinoma has
spread to the surrounding tissues. Usually it distributes itself to the
urethra, the penis, or the area between the anus and scrotum. The pain
may appear initially due to the metastasis, and also may have symptoms
similar to that of sciatica. In the later stages, general complaints
such as weakness, lack of appetite, and other symptoms may occur.
Diagnosis and research
Making
the diagnosis of prostate cancer is not difficult, but is only possible
in a specialized institution, a urologic department or clinic -
facilities that have all the equipment necessary for accurate
diagnosis. Typically, diagnosis starts with a rectal exam. When
prostate cancer is suspected, radiological studies, research with
isotopes, scans, and biopsies are undertaken, which will then be
analyzed by laboratory personnel.
Treatment
Treatment
of prostate cancer is performed most often with the aid of medication.
Surgery should be done only when strictly necessary. Treatment should
be determined by considering the patient's general condition, age, and
the health of his organs.
It is desirable for the medical
treatment to begin in a hospital and the patient to remain under
medical supervision. The scheme and duration of treatment is determined
depending on the stage of the disease, type of tumor, clinical tests,
and potential side effects of the treatment.
If the disease is
treated early, results can be very good - the volume of the tumor
reduces, the symptoms disappear, and the spreading of metastasis to
neighboring and distant organs is stopped.
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