Why men need know about prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men after skin cancer, but it can often be treated successfully.

There are tests to find it early. We don’t yet know if the benefits of testing outweigh the risk, but men should learn about prostate cancer and testing to then decide if testing is the right choice for them.

The exact cause of prostate cancer is not known, so at this time,  it isn’t possible to prevent most cases of the disease even as studies around the world are being carried out.

Many risk factors such as age, race and family history can’t be controlled, but based on what we do know, there are some things you can do that might lower your risk of prostate cancer -- like leading a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Screening

For some types of cancer, screening can help find cancers at an early stage, when they are more easily cured. There is no question that screening can help find many prostate cancers early, but there are still questions about whether this saves lives.

Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms but more advanced prostate cancers can sometimes cause symptoms such as: problems in passing urine, including a slow or weak urinary stream or the need to urinate more often, especially at night, blood in the urine, erectile dysfunction, pain in the hips, back (spine), chest (ribs), or even weakness or numbness in the legs or feet.

Loss of bladder or bowel control too can be symptoms. Tests don’t always reveal the complete picture.

If your PSA level (amount of prostate-specific antigen) is low, you can still have prostate cancer.

If your rectal exam does not suggest cancer you can still have prostate cancer. However, if the PSA level or rectal exams of a patient suggest cancer, he may need a biopsy to know for sure if he has prostate cancer.

Tiny pieces of the prostate gland are removed with a needle and looked at under a microscope to see if cancer cells are present. The biopsy is done as an outpatient and takes only a few minutes.

Symptoms (advanced prostate cancer):

• Problems in passing urine, including a slow or weak urinary stream
• The need to urinate more often, especially at night
• Blood in the urine
• Erectile dysfunction
• Pain in the hips, back (spine), chest (ribs)
• Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
  
  - The writer is a Dubai-based urologist (As told Abhishek Sengupta, Staff Reporter)