Hi. I'm Dr. Humphreys,
a urologist at Mayo Clinic.
In this video, we'll cover
the basics of prostate cancer:
What is it? Who gets it?
The symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Whether you're looking for answers
about your own health or that of someone
you love, we're here to provide
you with the best information available.
Prostate cancer, unfortunately, is common.
It affects one in seven men,
making it the second most common
cancer among men worldwide.
The good news is, is that
prostate cancer can be curable,
especially when identified and treated early.
That is why I and
most urologists and medical professionals
you talk to encourage men over
a certain age to get
regular prostate screenings.
First, let's talk about what
the prostate is and how it functions.
The prostate is a small
gland that is involved in
reproduction and makes some of
the essential components in semen.
While it is small,
it has an important role
in reproductive health and can
cause voiding or urinary symptoms as men age,
as well becoming a source of cancer.
Like other kinds of cancer,
prostate cancer starts when cells mutate.
These small changes in DNA cause the cells to
grow faster and live
longer than they normally would.
As these abnormal cells accumulate,
they monopolize resources from normal cells,
which can damage surrounding tissue.
These cancerous cells can then
spread to other parts of the body.
Who gets it?
By definition, prostate cancer only
affects bodies with male reproductive organs.
But in addition, there are
some other risk factors that we can monitor.
Age is a big one, as
prostate cancer is more
prevalent in older men,
which is why testing is
encouraged as men age.
For reasons that are unclear,
Black men also have
a greater risk compared to other races or
ethnicities. Being at a higher weight
as another possible risk factor.
Genetics can also play
a role in prostate cancer.
A family history of
prostate cancer or certain
kinds of breast cancer
increases the likelihood of
being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Well, it's not a guarantee,
there are plenty of steps you
can take to reduce your risk.
A healthy diet and exercise helps your body's
overall well-being and can lower
your chances of getting prostate cancer.
What are the symptoms?
A big reason to get regular testing is that
prostate cancer usually has
no presenting symptoms.
And when they do show up,
it generally indicates a worse stage of cancer.
When symptoms do occur,
they can include: trouble
urinating or decreased force of stream,
blood in the urine or semen,
bone pain, unexpected weight loss,
and unexplained fevers.
If you consistently notice
any of these symptoms,
you should see your doctor right away.
How is it diagnosed?
There are a variety of ways to detect
prostate cancer in
both physical exam and from the blood.
For starters, there's the DRE,
the digital rectal exam.
Just like the name suggests, the doctor
inserts their finger and your rectum to feel
the prostate to detect any abnormalities.
You can also get a blood test to look for
prostate-specific antigen, or PSA.
It is recommended that you have
this as well as the physical exam.
And if there are any abnormalities,
there are additional tests that can be
used. If prostate cancer is detected,
the next step is figuring out
how fast it grows.
Fortunately, prostate cancer often
doesn't grow very fast.
Prostate cancer is graded by a Gleason score,
which measures how abnormal
or different from normal cells are.
There are also other tests
to see if the cancer has spread:
bone scan, CT scan, MRI,
and even specific PET scans.
Your doctor will be able to determine which,
if any, is appropriate for you.
How is it treated?
Treatments are most effective
when the cancer is caught early.
In fact, immediate treatment
isn't always necessary.
Keeping an eye on the cancer until it
grows bigger is sometimes enough.
When cancer is localized
only to the prostate,
surgery to remove the prostate, or
a radical prostatectomy,
could be your best option.
Radiation is another possibility.
With external beam radiation,
high-energy beams that deliver photons,
target and kill the abnormal cells
of the prostate from outside your body.
Another treatment is chemotherapy,
which uses powerful chemicals,
destroy the cancer cells.
Cryotherapy, which freezes the cancer cells,
or heat, can be used to kill
the cancer cells with high-intensity
focused ultrasound.
Consider that prostate cancer uses
male hormone or testosterone
as an important factor for growth.
In some prostate cancers,
it may be beneficial to block that hormone with
androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT,
which can slow the cancer
or even put it in remission.
It is generally not curative and usually
the cancer will find a way to grow
even with the lack of testosterone.
Sometimes ADT is used in combination to
enhance the treatment
success of other therapies,
such as with radiation.
All of these treatments have side effects of
various degrees and have
different success rates of
treating prostate cancer.
It's important that you have
a candid discussion with your family and
your care team and weigh
all that information to make
the best choice for you.
Support groups for
cancer survivors can be helpful
in dealing with the stress of
the diagnosis and treatments.
What now?
As we've seen here,
research and scientific advancement
has provided us with
a host of options for
this extremely treatable form of cancer.
And with early detection,
your chances are even better.
While it may not be a thing
people want to think about,
it's an important part of
your health and an expert medical care team can
guide you to the solutions
that are most tailored for you,
your wishes and your body.
If you'd like to learn even
more about prostate cancer,
watch our other related videos
or visit MayoClinic.org.
We wish you well.