What Causes Prostate Cancer
Experts have not been able to pinpoint the reason that cells within your prostate become cancerous. However, a number of factors appear to play some part in triggering the process.
Your cells have specific instructions regarding what theyre supposed to do: when to grow, when to divide and form new cells, and when to die. They get those instructions from your genes, which you inherit from your parents, and which are made up of DNA, a chemical within your cells. That DNA can be damaged, causing genes to send the wrong instructions to your cells. For example, genes that normally help prevent cells from growing out of control may stop working properly. And that may lead to cancer.
Why does this happen? In some cases, you inherit faulty genes from one or both of your parents, or you have a family history of other types of cancers.
Remedies For An Enlarged Prostate
Even if you have an enlarged prostate, that does not mean you must live with the symptoms for the rest of your life. Your doctor might advise one of several approaches to coping with BPH, including lifestyle changes, medication changes, and other treatments. The remedies and treatments available will depend on your own health situation and how disruptive the symptoms have become.
Get Sufficient Exercise
Exercise can improve with your overall fitness, as well as benefit your prostate health. Studies have shown a connection between increased physical activity and reduced risk of BPH, with exercise of any type having some degree of benefit.
Seated activities, such cycling, can put pressure on the perineum and groin. This can lead to numbness or pinched nerves. To avoid these issues, make sure you utilize a wide seat and engage in a variety of activity types.
You can also try Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles and reduce urine dribbling. To do these exercises, squeeze the muscles that affect urine flow and then release, repeating several times to train the muscles.
Slow Down
When you head to the bathroom, make sure you slow down. When you relax your muscles and leave time to account for delayed urine and possible dribbling, you’re much more likely to completely empty your bladder. Urine that remains in the bladder because of an enlarged prostate can lead to urinary tract infections or painful bladder stones.
Reduce Caffeine and Alcohol Consumption
When To See A Doctor
If you don’t see a reduction in symptoms or if your symptoms worsen, you may need to undergo a different treatment plan.
Prescription Medications
The first higher-level treatment is to begin taking prescription drugs for an enlarged prostate. One class of medication is an alpha blocker. These medications, such as Flomax, Rapaflo, and Cardura, work by relaxing the affected muscles around the prostate to encourage urine flow.
Another type of medication is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. Examples of these medications include Proscar and Avodart, which are long-term medications that help to block the production of dihydrotestosterone and shrink the size of the prostate.
Surgery and Minimally Invasive Procedures
For moderate to severe BPH, you may need a medical procedure to relieve your symptoms. There are a variety of procedures, including laser therapy, microwave heat, or prostate tissue compression. Partial prostate removal and full removal are more invasive but may be necessary for extremely large prostate glands.
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Treatments Options For High
The prostate is a walnut-sized organ that is part of the male reproductive system. It sits in front the bladder and above the rectum. The prostate is responsible for the production and supply of fluid that helps nourish sperm in the ejaculate. The urethra, where urine travels from the bladder to the penis, runs through the prostate.
As a result of family history, lifestyle, diet, and natural hormonal changes, the prostate begins to grow in size as men age, starting in their mid-30s. When the prostate becomes more enlarged over time, it might press against the urethra and block urine flow . This condition is called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.
Enlarged prostates differ in size. The size can be estimated on digital rectal exam or prostate imaging like an ultrasound. People with very enlarged prostates have several treatment options. However, size is not the only factor used to choose a treatment.
When doctors evaluate the prostate, symptoms are just as important as size. In addition, size and symptoms don’t always correspond. For example, one person might have a mildly enlarged prostate with noticeable symptoms, while another person could have a very large prostate with no symptoms.
All of this information is the basis of a personalized treatment plan. Here are the options for patients with very enlarged prostates, with or without symptoms.
Surgery For An Enlarged Prostate
For most men with very enlarged prostates, surgery can relieve symptoms — but there are both risks and benefits with each type of operation. Discuss them with your doctor. After a careful evaluation of your situation and your general medical condition, your doctor will recommend which is best for you.
TURP : This is the most common surgery for an enlarged prostate, and considered to bring the greatest reduction in symptoms. Only the tissue growth that is pressing against the urethra is removed to allow urine to flow easily. The procedure involves an electrical loop that cuts tissue and seals blood vessels. Most doctors suggest using TURP whenever surgery is required, as it is less traumatic than open surgery and requires shorter recovery time.
With the TURP procedure, patients can expect to have retrograde ejaculation afterwards, says Westney. This is a condition in which a man ejaculates backward into the bladder instead of through the urethra. “Retrograde ejaculation generally isn’t painful,” she tells WebMD. “It shouldn’t be an issue unless fertility is a concern.” Other possible side effects include blood loss requiring transfusion , painful urination, recurring urinary tract infections, bladder neck narrowing, and blood in the urine.
After TURP, the odds of erection problems range from 5% to 35%. However, this is often temporary — and the ability to have an erection and an orgasm returns after a few months.
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Does An Enlarged Prostate Mean Cancer
Most men who have a prostate problem do not have cancer. Cancer does occur in the prostate gland and is more common as men age. It is important for your doctor to check your prostate gland for enlargement or abnormalities, particularly as you age. In addition, there is now a blood test called the PSA, or prostate specific antigen test, which measures a substance that increases in the blood when prostate cancer has spread. The American Urologic Association recommends a yearly prostate examination for all men over age 50. However, men who have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, such as African-American men and men who have a family history of the disease, are advised to begin yearly prostate exams at age 40. Other tests, such as ultrasound, can also give information about the prostate gland.
About Half Of Men Older Than 50 Have An Enlarged Prostate Here Are Some Of The Basic Facts You Need To Know About This Common Condition
As men age, many experience prostate gland enlargement. This condition is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia .
The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, the hollow tube that carries urine out of the body. When the prostate gets bigger, it can squeeze or partially block the urethra, which leads to problems urinating.
BPH is quite common in older men. In fact, the condition impacts about 50% of men between the ages of 51 and 60. For men 80 and older, the prevalence of BPH is approximately 90%, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
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What Are Symptoms Of Bph
The following are the most common symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
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Leaking or dribbling of urine
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More frequent urination, especially at night
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Urgency to urinate
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Urine retention
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A hesitant, interrupted, weak stream of urine
These problems may lead to one or more of the following:
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Incontinence
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Bladder stones
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Inability to pass urine at all
The symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your doctor for a diagnosis.
How To Treat Prostate Cysts In Male Dogs
They are cysts that form outside the prostate and can be viewed on ultrasound or an x-ray. Paraprostatic cysts are best treated by being surgically corrected and when the dog is neutered. Neutering will cure BPH and prostatitis. However, it is very difficult to breed neutered male dogs, unless they have had semen frozen.
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How Are Prostate Cancer Stages Determined
Once all testing has been completed, your doctor will tell you the stage of your cancer, or how much it has progressed and whether it has spread beyond your prostate. The stage will help your medical team decide which treatment is best for you. The higher the stage, the more advanced your cancer. The most common way to stage prostate cancer is the TNM system, developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer, which hinges on three important factors:
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T : How much of your prostate the tumor affects
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N : Whether the cancer has spread beyond your prostate to nearby lymph nodes
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M : Whether your cancer has metastasized, or spread far beyond your prostate to your bones, to nearby organs such as your bladder or rectum, or to more distant organs like your lungs, liver, or brain.
The TNM system also includes your PSA level and your Grade Group, based on your Gleason score. With your stage designated, which is labeled in a range of T1 to T4 , a treatment plan can be developed.
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What Is The Gleason Score
So, how do you know where your biopsy stands? Your biopsy samples will be assigned whats called a Gleason score, the most commonly used way to grade prostate cancer, which will help your doctor make treatment decisions.
It works like this:
Your doctor compares each of the tissue samples taken during your biopsy to normal, healthy prostate tissue.
He or she gives each sample a score, or grade, ranging from 3 to 5.
The more abnormal your cells, the higher your grade. A 5 represents the most aggressive cancer.
Once each sample has been graded, your doctor then takes the two most common scores from all the samples and add them together. These two numbers are then weighted for prevalence. This is your Gleason Score, which can range from 6 to 10, with 10 being the most aggressive cancer.
To make it super clear, lets walk you through an example.
Lets say a man has a biopsy in which 12 tissue samples are removed from his prostate.
After careful study in a lab, each tissue receives a score. Eight of the tissue samples score a 3, while the other four samples each receive a 4.
His doctor then writes the two most common scores, 3 and 4, as the final score: 3+4=7. He writes 3 first because more of the slides were graded as a 3, thus giving these readings more significance.
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What Does A Dre Involve
You might have a DRE at your GP surgery or at the hospital.
The doctor or nurse will ask you to lie on your side on an examination table, with your knees brought up towards your chest. They will slide a finger gently into your back passage. Theyll wear gloves and put some gel on their finger to make it more comfortable.
You may find the DRE slightly uncomfortable or embarrassing, but the test isnt usually painful and it doesnt take long.
Does Enlarged Prostate Mean Cancer
Many people think that prostate cancer and enlarged prostate cancer are associated, but it is not right. Enlarged prostate begins from the central part of the prostate gland, while prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland’s peripheral zone. Both the conditions may appear common, but they don’t cause each other. Prostate cancer is malignant and can spread from the source of its origin to other body parts. On the contrary, an enlarged prostate is benign and cannot spread from its original source. 1 out of every 7 men may be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 1 out of every 2 men may be diagnosed with an enlarged prostate in their old age.
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International Prostate Symptom Score
Youll be asked to complete a questionnaire to assess your symptoms. Each question has five possible answers that carry a score, and your overall score is used to assess the severity of your symptoms.
The checklist includes the following questions.
Over the past month:
- How often have you had the sensation of not completely emptying your bladder after urinating?
- How often have you had to urinate again less than two hours after finishing urinating?
- How often have you found that you stopped and started again when urinating?
- How often have you found it difficult to postpone urination?
- How often have you had a weak stream of urine?
- How often have you had to push or strain to begin urinating during the course of one night?
- How often have you had to get up during the night to urinate?
After your GP has assessed the severity your symptoms, theyll aim to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms using certain tests.
What Do You Need To Know About Enlarged Prostate
About half of men older than 50 have an enlarged prostate. Here are some of the basic facts you need to know about this common condition. As men age, many experience prostate gland enlargement. This condition is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia . The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, the hollow tube that carries urine out of the body.
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When Does A Prostate Problem Need Treatment
BPH requires treatment only if the symptoms are severe enough to be troublesome to the patient, if the function of the urinary tract is seriously affected or if there are other complications, such as bleeding, kidney infections or kidney damage. An enlarged prostate by itself is not enough reason to need treatment.
Symptoms Of Benign Prostate Enlargement
The prostate is a small gland, located in the pelvis, between the penis and bladder.
If the prostate becomes enlarged, it can place pressure on the bladder and the urethra, which is the tube that urine passes through.
This can affect how you pee and may cause:
- difficulty starting to pee
- a frequent need to pee
- difficulty fully emptying your bladder
In some men, the symptoms are mild and do not need treatment. In others, they can be very troublesome.
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How To Prevent Prostate Cancer Naturally
Follow these prostate cancer prevention tips:
#1. Follow a Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle ideally protects you from various diseases, including prostate cancer.
Hence, smoking and drinking should be avoided as much as one can do!
In fact, smoking is one of the major causes responsible for the widespread menace of cancer.
Hence its ideal to stay away from smoking.
And that is, obviously, independent of the fact whether celibacy can cause prostate cancer or not.
#2. Following a Proper Meal Plan
A healthy diet rich in fruits and veggies and low in refined foods is ideal for a healthy prostate.
It protects as well as promotes the healthy functioning of your gland.
According to experts, you can have a diet plan containing whole grains, fruits, veggies, tomatoes, and yogurt.
#3. Do Not Use Supplements
People usually prefer going for nutrient supplements or for supplements that boost performance.
But such supplements may have a negative impact on your glands increasing the risk of prostate cancer.
Hence, try taking foods rich in specific nutrients instead of supplements.
#4. Using Medicines Right
People often skip the medications or overdo them the wrong way.
Apart from this, it has also been seen that people take medicines without proper consultation.
For example, long usage of aspirin.
Such practices harm your glands.
#5. Have More Sex and Masturbate Less
Ejaculatory frequency has a controversial link with reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
Try These Techniques To Relieve Common Urinary Symptoms Without Medication
For frequent urination or urgency in men, these methods really work. And you can always switch to medication later.
If you are a man over age 50, chances are you knowor will soonsomeone taking a medication for an overgrown prostate gland. Better known as benign prostatic hyperplasia , this condition can cause bothersome problems like frequent urination at night, difficulty completely emptying the bladder, and the urgent need to urinate at inconvenient times.
BPH triggers noticeable problems in a third of men in their 60s and nearly half of those in their 80s. Drug therapy relieves symptoms, and for severe problems, surgery may be considered. But for men with milder symptoms that dont interfere much with their daily lives, theres another option: watchful waiting.
In watchful waiting, you and your doctor monitor your symptoms closely and then take action only when you feel it is necessary. In the meantime, simple changes in behavior can help to take the edge off urinary symptoms. This approach also avoids the costs and risks associated with more aggressive treatment.
Watchful waiting is broadly available to men who have lower urinary tract symptoms that have been attributed to BPH, but who are not bothered enough to take on the small but finite risks of treatment, such as drugs or surgery, says Dr. Michael J. Barry, a clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who helped to write national guidelines on how to treat BPH.
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