What is Prostate Cancer? What are the symptoms? How Is It Treated?

The prostate is a 2,5x3 by 5x4.5 cm in size, chestnut-shaped, approximately 25 g in weight, seminal organ, located just below the bladder region in all men. It is one of the important parts of the reproductive system. This organ, which surrounds the urinary tract outlet, provides fluidity in the semen.

Prostate secretion has a thin, milky and basic structure containing calcium, zinc, cholesterol, acid phosphatase, citrate and proteases. With the contractions experienced with the event we call emission; this fluid is added to the semen fluid. Prostate secretion is also of great importance in fertilization.

This organ may grow with aging and become dangerous depending on genetic factors. Benign prostate enlargement occurs when the gland in the prostate enlarges and compresses and narrows the urinary tract.

Of course, benign prostate enlargement does not pose any life-threatening risk to the patient. However, it is possible to say that it reduces the quality of life to a certain extent. Among the people, this growth is also called “prostate” directly.

The enlargement of the prostate causes the bladder not to be fully emptied, intermittent urination, and urinary incontinence. It should be reminded that if it is not treated, some of the urine may escape to the kidneys and cause various loss of function.

What is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer occurs as a result of uncontrolled and abnormal growth of cells in the prostate glands due to various reasons. If this cancer is left untreated, it can spread to surrounding tissues and organs through blood vessels and lymph. If prostate cancer is not diagnosed and treated early, it can reach dimensions that affect even the lungs and livers. Prostate cancer is at the top of the most common cancer types in men. Since this type of cancer is not well understood at first, it can progress secretly and can be understood by going to the doctor with the complaint that the patient's quality of life has decreased.

Naturally, when symptoms become severe, treatment can be difficult. For these reasons, specialist physicians strongly recommend that men should have prostate examinations if they reach middle age. It is also useful to say that even the slightest roughness in the test should not be interrupted by the doctor's controls.

What Are the Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?

First of all, depending on the location and environment of the prostate organ, the complaints that come to the doctors are almost the same. These complaints are experienced through the pressure created by the enlargement of the prostate on the urinary canal / tract. In some cases, prostate cancer can develop insidiously and make it seem like you don't have any problems. In other words, problems may not be diagnosed in the early period. Well, let's come to the possible causes of this prostate cancer and prostate:

- Increased urination at night.

- Frequent urination in general.

- Intermittent urination.

- Difficulty in holding urine.

- Swelling in the legs.

- Not having enough erection in the penis.

- Bleeding during or after urination.

- Burning, pain felt while urinating.

- Prolongation of the expected time when starting to urinate.

How is the Detection and Treatment of Prostate Cancer?

First of all, doctors need to clearly determine whether the type of cancer is prostate by looking at these symptoms and necessary tests/controls. Because prostate cancer rarely shows symptoms in the early detection period. Diagnosis can be made by a test called PSA performed during check-up. In addition to this test, an extra rectal exaSmination with a finger from the anus is performed.

However, although these tests are important, there may be cases where a biopsy is required to detect real prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is a curable disease that can be easily treated if detected early.

The growth does not follow the same speed in every person who has prostate cancer. Cancer can spread sometimes very quickly, sometimes slowly, that is, suddenly / over time. The prostate can cause sexual dysfunctions.

Living with untreated prostate cancer, not prostate cancer, can cause death. The main method and steps used in detecting the symptoms and determining the stages of prostate cancer can be listed as follows:

• Looking for free PSA if blood PSA is high
• Rectal Touch
• Trans Rectal Ultrasonography
• Computed tomography
• MRI
• Bone scintigraphy
• Biopsy from the lymph node

A 2-day sexual abstinence is applied before PSA is administered. It is done before the prostate examination and fasting is not required.

The treatment of prostate cancer is carried out by specialist physicians according to the stage of the disease, how its course is, the age and health status of the person who has the disease. If there is a situation such as early diagnosis, cancerous cells are destroyed. If the spread is dominant, treatment methods aimed at slowing it down are determined. So, what are the main treatment methods?

• Radiation Therapy
• Inactivation of Male Hormones (through drugs)
• Closed prostate surgery
• Open surgical operation
• Laser (greenlight) method
• Holmium laser therapy

In addition to all these, there are foods that you can add to your diet to prevent prostate cancer. By consuming foods such as tomatoes, soybeans, mushrooms, fish, broccoli, spinach, cabbage and vitamin E, supplements containing minerals, and green tea, you will greatly reduce your risk of developing this cancer by exercising regularly.