Prostate adenoma cancer - a diagnosis, not a sentence

The main organ in the male body is considered to be the prostate gland (prostate). And it is not surprising, because the prostate is responsible for an important function - maintaining good male health. The organ itself is located in the small pelvis slightly below the bladder. It consists of two lobes, which are located on the sides of the urethra. It partly grasps the urethra together with the ejaculatory ducts and this feature affects them during periods of inflammatory processes.

The gland at this time increases in size and exerts a compressive effect on the urethra, thereby disrupting the outflow of urine. In this regard, men complain of difficult, painful urination. If you suddenly have such symptoms, you should go to the urologist. Such disorders may indicate a disease called adenoma or Prostate cancer.

Many men face a problem called prostate adenocarcinoma. prostate cancer is a hormone-dependent malignant tumor that develops from the small glands of the organ itself. Often, many confuse this disease with prostate adenoma, which in turn is a benign tumor and at the onset of the disease, as well as at about the second or third stage of development, has similar symptoms with prostate cancer. The adenoma itself is not cancer, but can only precede cancer, but does not necessarily turn into a malignant form.

Over the past couple of decades, prostate cancer has progressed strongly, has become more prevalent and aggressive. Young people are much less likely to get adenocarcinoma. The risk zone usually includes men over the age of 50. Therefore, a visit to a urologist is recommended consistently at least once a year after reaching the age of 45.

If we take into account the territorial prevalence of cancer, it can be found that the inhabitants of Asia and the Far East are the least affected by this disease, while the prevalence is highest in Africa and North America. European countries are somewhere in the middle of the ranking.

Causes of prostate cancer

The pathogenesis of the development of cancer in our time is very diverse. It is worth remembering that each person is unique, and that each has its own characteristics of the body. Therefore, if in one person the disease has developed due to an infectious disease, then in another it may happen due to a different factor.

The main cause of prostate tumors is hormonal imbalance. The pituitary hormones, androgens and steroid hormones are mainly responsible for ensuring the normal functioning of the gland. Due to various disorders, when the level of any of the listed hormones begins to change, cancer cells multiply and the prostate gland begins to grow.

The second most important cause of prostate cancer is prostate adenoma and precancerous conditions. Cells of adenoma or precancer can mutate due to various factors: exposure to high or low temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, viral and bacterial diseases of the genitourinary organs, the toxic effect of certain drugs can cause growth and malignancy of the neoplasm.

An important role in the development of the process is played by heredity and genetic material. The risk of a tumor will increase depending on how many blood relatives have suffered from this disease: a high degree of risk is acquired by men whose father and brother were ill, and a lower degree when only the father or only brother is sick.

Of course, the occurrence of cancer is also influenced by the wrong lifestyle: smoking, alcohol dependence, fast food, the predominance of fatty foods over fiber; venereal diseases; irregular sex life leading to congestion in the prostate; stress and chronic diseases. All this has a detrimental effect on the body and sometimes leads to irreversible consequences.

Therefore, a man should monitor his lifestyle and, if possible, refrain from bad habits, especially if there was this disease in the family. Incorrect lifestyle, exposure to mutagens, combined with poor heredity, increase the risk of acquiring a malignant neoplasm several times.

Stages of adenocarcinoma of the prostate

The division of prostate cancer into stages is no coincidence. Thanks to them, an experienced doctor can choose the right treatment and not cause more harm to the body. Depending on the size and infiltration, the neoplasms are divided into four stages of prostate cancer.

The first stage is characterized by the fact that at the very beginning of the disease a man may not feel any changes in his body at all. There is usually no discomfort. Often at this stage, the formation is an accidental finding during prostatectomy.At this stage, the formation can be diagnosed with a biopsy.

Second stage. At this stage, a dense nodule is already determined, but it has not yet spread to nearby tissues and is limited by the capsule. The doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis with a digital rectal examination.

Third stage. It is characterized by the infiltrative growth of the neoplasm. In simple words, the tumor is growing into the nearest tissues. Dysuria (urination disorder) appears. Infiltration occurs at all stages of cancer, it is just less pronounced at the beginning.

A very poor prognosis awaits men in the fourth stage of prostate cancer, which is the most severe of all stages. Infiltration of the surrounding tissue continues. Metastases to other organs may already be detected. Bone pain appears, as cancer often metastasizes to bone tissue. Hemospermia (an admixture of blood in the semen) is characteristic.

What causes cancer?

In patients with prostate cancer, symptoms usually do not appear at the very beginning of the disease, since the tumor is a small nodule. Only with an accompanying disease appear slightly unpleasant sensations in the area below the bladder. The second stage of the disease, as a rule, is also asymptomatic. However, starting from the end of the second - at the beginning of the third stage, the first symptoms appear.

A man begins to complain of a difficult urination process, discomfort in the pelvic area, and sexual dysfunctions. However, it is too early to make predictions about your condition, since at the beginning of its development, prostate adenoma is characterized by the same symptoms. Therefore, with the appearance of the first alarming symptoms, a man needs to consult a doctor to identify and prevent pathology, since the prognosis may be unfavorable.

With the subsequent development of the tumor, the symptoms begin to increase. There is a frequent urge to urinate, the process itself is still disrupted - urine is excreted slowly. With the progression of the disease, urine no longer comes out in a stream, but drop by drop. Urination is accompanied by severe pain and burning sensation in the urethra.

At a later stage in the development of prostate cancer, when metastasis occurs in the organs and systems of the body, symptoms appear where the tumor has settled. But these are only accompanying signs and they will not necessarily develop. However, when the cancer is in the fourth stage of its development, metastasis to the bone tissue occurs. This is manifested by aching pains in the bones.

Diagnosis of prostate cancer

In case of slight discomfort or with a problematic act of urination, a man should quickly contact a urologist and be examined to identify pathologies from the prostate gland. The first method will be a rectal digital examination. Diagnostics using this method is quite simple and allows you to identify a neoplasm.

The next stage of diagnostics is an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs. It will allow you to see the tumor in more detail, to determine the degree of prevalence, its size. In the event that ultrasound is not very informative, radiography, computed tomography and excretory urography are used. However, one of the methods cannot give an exact answer to the question - is it cancer or an adenoma?

One of the most important stages of diagnosis is a blood test for the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Its level in the blood will indicate whether there is a tumor in the prostate gland or not.

The most reliable and informative diagnostic method is a biopsy. Diseases such as adenoma, prostatitis, tuberculosis and prostate stones can be ruled out with this method. Evaluation of the tumor process, with a biopsy, is carried out according to the Gleason scale. With the help of this scale, experienced doctors determine the degree of differentiation of the neoplasm. The lower the degree of differentiation, the less reassuring the forecast. A tumor with a high degree of differentiation responds better to treatment.

Prostate cancer can be suspected with a general urine test. With cancer, single cancer cells can be found in the portion under examination under the microscope. It is recommended to take a spermogram analysis at regular intervals.

The admixture of blood in the semen, its high liquefaction time, a change in pH and the presence of cells of an atypical form indicates a pathological condition. In a biochemical blood test, the activity of phosphatase is determined: an increase in acid phosphatase indicates the proliferation of adenocarcinoma outside the prostate gland, and an increase in alkaline - with metastases in the bone. It will not be superfluous to also control the level of hormones that are responsible for the normal functioning of the prostate.

Prognosis for Prostate Cancer

Depending on at what stage of the disease the man went to the doctor with complaints, this will be the prognosis of the disease and its further therapy. Treatment will be carried out taking into account the stage of the tumor process, the patient's age and the general condition of the body.

If a man consulted a doctor on time, and the disease was detected at an early stage, then thanks to the treatment it is possible to achieve complete healing, as well as prevent subsequent complications. As a rule, specialists prescribe hormonal therapy, as well as virotherapy.

The situation is worse if the tumor is found at stages 2-3. As a rule, the treatment is prescribed more difficult and longer, and the success in recovery depends on the state of health of the man and his age. At the fourth stage of tumor development, the chance of recovery is rather small. Doctors generally prescribe supportive care and combination therapy.