OUT AFRICA MAGAZINE Out Magazine ISSUU 33 | Seite 38

PROSTATE CANCER
Symptoms, risk factors, and treatment
As the most common cancer in men, prostate cancer is curable if
diagnosed early, so it is important that men get tested regularly,
particularly after the age of 50 ... don’t be foolish, get tested ...
P
rostate cancer is the most
common cancer affecting men
and according to the National
Cancer Registry the lifetime
risk for Prostate Cancer in men in South
Africa, is 1 in 19. However, it is also
treatable if found in the early stages
therefore regular testing is crucial as
the cancer needs to be diagnosed before
metastasis.
What is prostate cancer? The
prostate is a walnut-sized exocrine gland.
This means that its fluids and secretions
are intended for use outside of the body.
The prostate produces the fluid that
nourishes and transports sperm on their
journey to fuse with a female ovum,
or egg, and produce human life. The
prostate contracts and forces these fluids
out during orgasm.
The protein excreted by the prostate,
prostate-specific antigen (PSA), helps
semen retain its liquid state. An excess of
this protein in the blood is one of the first
signs of prostate cancer.
The urethra is tube through which sperm
and urine exit the body. It also passes
through the prostate.
As such, the prostate is also responsible for
urine control. It can tighten and restrict
the flow of urine through the urethra using
thousands of tiny muscle fibers.
How does it start? It usually starts
in the glandular cells. This is known as
Mag 36
adenocarcinoma. Tiny changes occur in
the shape and size of the prostate gland
cells, known as prostatic intraepithelial
neoplasia (PIN). This tends to happen
slowly and does not show symptoms until
further into the progression.
Nearly 50 percent of all men over the age
of 50 years have PIN. High-grade PIN is
considered pre-cancerous, and it requires
further investigation. Low-grade PIN is
not a cause for concern.
Prostate cancer can be successfully
treated if it is diagnosed before
metastasis, but if it spreads, it is more
dangerous. It most commonly spreads to
the bones.
Symptoms - There are usually no
symptoms during the early stages of
prostate cancer.
If symptoms appear, they usually involve
one or more of the following:
• frequent urges to urinate, in-
cluding at night
• difficulty commencing and
maintaining urination
• blood in the urine
• painful urination and, less com-
monly, ejaculation
• difficulty achieving or maintain-
ing an erection may be difficult
Advanced prostate cancer can involve the
following symptoms:
• bone pain, often in the spine,
femur, pelvis, or ribs
• bone fractures
If the cancer spreads to the spine and
compresses the spinal cord, there may be:
• leg weakness
• urinary incontinence
• fecal incontinence
Risk factors -The exact cause of
prostate cancer is unclear, but there are
many possible risk factors.
Age - Prostate cancer is rare among
men under the age of 45 years, but more
common after the age of 50 years.
Genetic factors - Certain genetic and
ethnic groups have an increased risk of
prostate cancer.
A man also has a much higher risk of
developing cancer if his identical twin
has it, and a man whose brother or father
had prostate cancer has twice the risk of
developing it compared to other men.
Having a brother who has or has had
prostate cancer is more of a genetic risk
than having a father with the disease.
Diet - Studies have suggested that a
diet high in red meat or high-fat dairy
products may increase a person’s chances
of developing prostate cancer, but the
link is neither confirmed nor clear.
Obesity - It is often believed that obesity
is linked to the development of prostate
cancer, but the American Cancer Society
maintains that there is no clear link.
Some studies have found that obesity
increases the risk of death in advanced
cancers.