Prostate Cancer in Male - Symptoms, Causes, Cure, Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer typically affects men over 60 and may be heralded by symptoms of enlargement of the prostate gland.
Often there is frequency, where you feel you have to pass urine many times but the stream is poor and only a little urine is produced.
As soon as you've urinated you may feel as if you need to go again. Occasionally there may be blood in the urine.

Similar problems occur at night with frequent wakening and passing of small dribbles of urine. This may be due to an enlarged prostate or due to prostate cancer.
Either way, it is essential to visit your doctor who will examine you by placing a gloved finger into the rectum.
From here the doctor can feel the prostate gland, which may be enlarged and smooth, or lumpy, which tends to be more worrying.

Tests of Prostate Cancer

A doctor may perform a blood test to check the level of PSA (prostate specific antigen), which is raised in prostatic cancer. If the level is normal and the gland feels smooth but enlarged, tablets may be prescribed to help shrink the prostate.

However, if the gland is lumpy and/or the PSA level is raised, you will undoubtedly need to see a urologist for expert advice and treatment.

Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Treatment is usually a choice of surgery or radiotherapy. The urologist will guide you as to the best option for you. If the prostate cancer has been caught early then the outlook is extremely good.

Many men live a full and normal lifespan after prostate cancer. Only if it has spread to the bones is it more difficult to treat.

The prostate gland

The prostate gland is an organ about the size of a walnut that surrounds and opens into the urethra, the tube that connects the bladder to the outside of the body. The prostate adds fluid to semen to help the sperm swim and to keep them healthy. Enlargement of the prostate is common with age. A doctor can check if the prostate is enlarged or lumpy by performing a digital rectal examination, inserting a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the prostate.

Self examination of Prostate Cancer

. Examine the testicles after a warm bath or shower. This tends to relax the scrotum, in which the testicles sit.

. Look in the mirror first and see if you notice any difference from the last time you looked. Most men have one testicle that hangs lower than the other. Providing this is your normal appearance, all is fine.

. Feel the outline of the testicle through the scrotum. It should be smooth, soft and oval in shape.

. Across the top of the testicle and running down the back is the epididymis, the tube that carries the sperm from the testicles down to the penis. It feels a little like spaghetti but it should be soft.

. Consult your doctor immediately if there is any change in the appearance or texture of the scrotum or testes.

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