Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men. Mostly it occurs in the stronger sex at the age of 45-50 years, but by the age of 65-70, the risk of a malignant neoplasm increases. A feature of this type of cancer is the slow growth of the tumor. Therefore, in the early stages of the disease, when it is possible to overcome it, it is difficult to recognize any signs. So what are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Causes of the development of the disease
The causes of prostate cancer can be divided into three categories:
• heredity; • enlargement of the prostate gland; • exposure to carcinogenic factors.
People are at risk:
• with poor heredity (direct relatives have prostate cancer); • working in printing houses, in welding and rubber industries, having contact with cadmium; • follow a diet high in fat and low in fiber; • having a benign but rapidly progressing prostate tumor (adenoma); • living in poor environmental conditions; • in old age.
Symptoms
Prostate cancer, the symptoms of which are very difficult to determine in the initial stages, resembles a common adenoma. The only detection method in this case is a blood test to check the PSA level. The following are symptoms of prostate cancer:
1. Frequent urination, including at night. 2. Burning and cutting pain during urination. 3. Violation of erection and ejaculation. 4. The feeling of incomplete emptying during urination. 5. Lean and constantly interrupting stream. 6. Hematuria (the presence of any amount of blood in the urine).
When a cancer tumor metastasizes to the urethra, there may be the following symptoms:
1. Acute pain in the lumbar region. 2. An increase in the ureters and kidneys. 3. Kidney stones.
These are the first signs of prostate cancer. In the later stages, depletion due to intoxication is added to the above symptoms.
Stages
The symptoms of prostate cancer discussed above can vary depending on the degree of the disease. Stage I - No specific symptoms detected. The diagnosis is accidentally established by examining distant adenomas. Stage II - there are no signs of impaired urination. Rectal analysis allows you to detect a seal in the gland, and a biopsy to finally confirm the diagnosis. There are no metastases at this stage. Stage III - problems with urination (frequency, hematuria and so on). Metastases appear in the side walls of the pelvis and at the base of the bladder. In 50% they are also found in the pelvic lymph nodes and retroperitoneal. Stage IV - the tumor reaches its maximum size. Metastases are found in bones and other organs.
Treatment
In the early stages of the disease, when there are no symptoms of prostate cancer, surgery can be completely cured (radical prostatectomy). At stages III and IV, when metastases appear in other tissues and organs, a combination treatment using female hormones is used. This allows you to cause persistent remission and extend the life of the patient.
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