Prostate cancer is also the most common of all cancers occurring in men. It is in the prostate gland secreting seminal fluid. Prostate cancer can be identified at an early stage, and this enhances the cure rate of the same. In this blog, we are going to learn about prostate cancer early detection and new prostate cancer treatment.
What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer exists in the prostate, which is a walnut-sized gland in males. The prostate produces fluid mainly to nourish and transport sperm. The majority of the prostate cancers grow slowly and will not show any symptoms for many years. Others will grow rapidly and spread to other parts of the body.
Early Detection of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer must be diagnosed early to be effectively treated. Physicians recommend periodic screening, especially for men over 50 years old or with a history of prostate cancer in the family. Periodic check-ups could identify cancer at an early stage when it is easily curable.
One of the most common ways of diagnosing prostate cancer is by a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. A PSA blood test will give a result of how much PSA is present in the blood. An elevated PSA reading may mean prostate cancer, but something else may be going on.
The second method is a digital rectal exam (DRE). Under this test, when the individual is undergoing this, a doctor puts a finger within the rectum to look for any form of abnormality of the prostate. As accurate the DRE might not be comparable to a PSA test, but DRE is helpful to doctors in finding abnormal masses.
Additionally, a biopsy is done to check whether there is cancer or not. When it is done, a small amount of tissue of the prostate is removed and examined under a microscope. If the test by the biopsy is positive, further tests may be required to determine the degree of spread of the cancer.
Procedures for Advanced Treatment of Prostate Cancer
Once a diagnosis has been established, the appropriate treatment should then be selected. Prostate cancer treatment is determined by the stage of cancer, age, and general condition of the patient. Some of the most recent treatments nowadays will be presented below.
- Surgery
The most common treatment of prostate cancer, particularly in cancers that are locally located, is surgery. The most common operation done here is radical prostatectomy or complete removal of the prostate gland. It may be performed when the cancer is still not spread outside the prostate gland.
- Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy destroys the cancer cells with high-energy beams. It is either internal or external. External beam radiation therapy is the most frequent one, where the prostate is showered with radiation beams from outside the body.
Moreover, there is brachytherapy, an internal radiation in the form of radioactive seeds placed inside the prostate. It provides direct radiation to the cancer cells.
- Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy is also used to suppress the production of testosterone, which serves as a fuel source for prostate cancer cells. Hormone therapy can retard the growth of prostate cancer by lowering the level of testosterone in the body. It is one of the treatments administered in the advanced stage of the prostate or if cancer has spread to other parts outside the prostate gland.
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses the application of medicine to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is primarily used when prostate cancer extends outside the prostate and hormone treatment is ineffective. Chemotherapy exists in oral formulations or injection formulations.
- Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a fairly recent type of treatment that helps the body’s immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells. While still in the infant stages of research on how to treat prostate cancer, immunotherapy is an effective type of treatment in the future.
Choosing the Best Hospital to Treat
Hospital selection plays a crucial part in cancer therapy. There are many hospitals in India with up-to-date facilities to cure cancer. For instance, Baroda best hospital offers world-class equipment and professionally skilled doctors who try to cure prostate cancer. Therefore, hospitals in Gujarat India are now renowned as they not only employ the latest technology but also have world-class oncologists.
While looking for the treatment, the hospitals have to be selected depending on the quality of treating cancer. It can provide the newest treatment and the finest experts. They can provide the newest treatments along with the clinical trials so that they can be provided the finest appropriate outcomes.
Post-treatment: Follow-up as well as Observation
Follow-up is also required after prostate cancer therapy. The doctor will look for any recurrence. These are usually performed with PSA testing, DRE exam, and imaging tests. A visit to the oncologist would identify any emergent problems early.
However, the patients will also need to change their lifestyle in a manner that can assist them while they are undergoing recovery. Proper nutrition, physical exercise, and stress reduction are all part of the recovery process after they are treated. Counseling and support groups can assist the patients in eliminating emotional problems while going through the recovery process as well.
Conclusion
Prostate cancer is a scary diagnosis, but with prompt diagnosis and sophisticated treatment, the probability of successful treatment is high. Early diagnosis can be achieved by routine screening like PSA tests and digital rectal exams. The treatment is specially tailored to the individual patient’s condition, like surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.
If you want to be treated professionally, then go to some of the top cancer hospitals in the world. They have the best world-class treatment facilities so that you can be treated as well as possible. Just do not forget that early diagnosis and early treatment are the secrets of successfully curing prostate cancer.
