Depending on the stage of prostate cancer, treatment options are available. Treatment may include surgery or medications. The side effects of treatment can include urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. In some cases, chemotherapy is used.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. It develops when specific changes occur in the glandular cells in the prostate. It is usually slow-growing, and it can go for many years without causing symptoms. If you notice any symptoms, it’s important to talk to your doctor. A doctor can help you determine if you have prostate cancer and determine what type of treatment you may need.
Some of the early symptoms of prostate cancer include a sudden urge to urinate, frequent urination, pain during urination, and a urination that seems to start and stop. You may also notice blood in your urine. Your doctor may perform a urine sample or perform a PSA test. If your doctor does not suspect prostate cancer, you may want to talk to a urologist, who can make a definitive diagnosis.
When your doctor makes a diagnosis, you may need to undergo special imaging studies to determine if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. In some cases, the cancer may have spread to nearby organs such as the liver, lungs, and bones. If the cancer has spread, treatment is usually not effective.
Depending on the stage of prostate cancer, a doctor may recommend a treatment to control the cancer or to control its spread. Some treatments target the prostate or nearby organs while others target bone metastasis. The disease most commonly spreads to the liver, but it can also spread to bones. Some patients with prostate cancer may experience bone pain, which can be uncomfortable. If you are experiencing bone pain, you should visit your doctor as soon as possible.
A doctor may also perform a biopsy. This is a sample of the prostate tissue that is sent to a pathologist. The pathologist will analyze the sample and give a Gleason score. A score of three to five indicates that the cancer cells are low-grade, which means they are not likely to grow. A score of six or higher indicates that the cancer cells are more aggressive and likely to grow.
The Gleason score is used to assign patients to a Grade Group, which is based on how aggressive the tumor is. Patients in Grade Groups one through four are considered to have low-risk prostate cancer. Patients in Grade Group five or six are at medium risk, while patients in Grade Group seven and eight are at high risk.
Treatment for prostate cancer can include surgery, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy. Each treatment has its own side effects. You may experience pain during surgery, and you may also experience erectile dysfunction. The treatments you receive depend on your age, Gleason score, and other factors. You may need to have regular PSA tests to ensure that your cancer is controlled.
