Subscribe
Prostate cancer
Best treatment methods for prostate cancer
Treatment methods for prostate cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy, among others. The choice of specific treatment methods is comprehensively considered based on the stage of the disease and the patient's physical condition. Early-stage prostate cancer patients can choose prostatectomy or radical radiotherapy. For patients with locally advanced T3 or T4 stage prostate cancer, since the efficacy of prostatectomy alone is relatively poor, radiotherapy combined with endocrine therapy can be chosen. For patients with metastatic prostate cancer, those who are found to have bone metastasis or distant metastasis from the onset, endocrine therapy is primarily used. If endocrine therapy is ineffective or fails, chemotherapy can also be adopted for these late-stage metastatic prostate cancer patients. If the bone metastasis causes pain, local radiotherapy can also be used to alleviate the pain symptoms.
Late-stage prostate cancer with bone metastases: how long can one survive?
Bone metastasis is the most common site of metastasis for prostate cancer. If prostate cancer has metastasized to the bones, it means it is not in its early stages but has entered the advanced stages. However, this type of tumor is not like others with a higher degree of malignancy. If it has a good sensitivity to hormone therapy, after our standardized treatment, the survival time can still be quite long.
The difference between prostate cancer and prostatitis
Prostatitis and prostate cancer have different causes. Prostatitis is caused by the invasion of pathogens into the prostate, whereas prostate cancer is mostly related to genetics, lifestyle and dietary habits, and genetic mutations. Their clinical manifestations are inconsistent; prostatitis mainly presents as pain or abnormal urination, while prostate cancer primarily shows symptoms of compression and metastasis. Of course, their treatment methods are also different.
Prostate Cancer Treatment Options
How is prostate cancer treated? The choice of treatment plan should be based on a comprehensive consideration of the patient's clinical stage, age, overall health, and expected lifespan. For example, in the early stages of prostate cancer, one can choose postoperative radical radiotherapy after prostatectomy. For locally advanced prostate cancer, radiotherapy, intensified radiotherapy combined with endocrine therapy can be chosen. For metastatic prostate cancer, endocrine therapy is mainly used, and chemotherapy can be adopted for those who are ineffective or fail endocrine therapy.
What causes prostate cancer?
The current causes of prostate cancer are not completely understood, but a large amount of research indicates that genetic and environmental factors play a significant role. Dietary factors, such as the intake of a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, vasectomy, smoking, obesity, and alcohol consumption, also increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. Overall, the occurrence and development of prostate cancer are related to various factors, including both internal causes in the patient and the influence of external factors.
How is prostate cancer detected?
Digital rectal examination combined with PSA testing is currently recognized as the best screening method for the early detection of prostate cancer. Currently, systematic prostate needle biopsy is the most reliable method for diagnosing prostate cancer. In addition, prostate cancer MRI plays an important role in clinical staging. There is also a whole-body nuclear bone marrow scan that can detect the most common metastatic sites of prostate cancer, including bone metastases.
What are the causes of prostate cancer?
At present, there are many factors that cause prostate cancer, but its exact etiology remains unclear. It may be related to genetic factors, gene changes, prostate gonococcal and chlamydial infections, intensity of sexual activity, and the influence of hormones. Additionally, dietary habits, long-term consumption of high-fat foods, and occupational hazards, such as excessive exposure to chromium, may also be related to the development of the disease.
Where can prostate cancer metastasize to?
When prostate cancer invades surrounding tissues and structures, it can cause a variety of clinical symptoms, including urinary irritation, urinary obstruction, urinary incontinence, sciatica, erectile dysfunction, etc., and can compress causing unilateral or bilateral hydronephrosis. In severe cases, when the tumor invades the rectum, it can cause difficulty in defecation or colon obstruction. When the cancer metastasizes to the bones, it can cause bone pain and pathological fractures, and may also spread to the lungs.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Early-stage prostate cancer generally has no symptoms, but if the patient also has prostate enlargement, or in cases of mid to late-stage prostate cancer where the tumor invades the urethra or bladder, various degrees of urinary obstruction or irritative urinary symptoms may occur. This is characterized by frequent urination and urgency. If there are local infiltrative symptoms, perineal pain and sciatica might occur. If the vas deferens is compressed, it can cause back pain and pain in the testicles on the affected side. Invasion of the rectum can cause difficulty in defecation or obstruction of the colon, and if the membranous part of the urethra is involved, urinary incontinence may occur. The most common site of metastasis for prostate cancer is the bones. If it spreads to the bones, it can cause bone pain, pathological fractures, anemia, and spinal cord compression leading to paralysis of the lower limbs.
Pathological classification of prostate cancer
The classification of precancerous lesions of prostate cancer is divided into two categories: intraductal carcinoma of the prostate and atypical adenomatous hyperplasia. Among these, the relationship between intraductal carcinoma of the prostate and prostate cancer is the closest. Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate is currently recognized as a precancerous lesion of prostate cancer, while atypical adenomatous hyperplasia has not been proven to be a precancerous lesion of prostate cancer according to current evidence. However, the biological behavior of this atypical adenomatous hyperplasia is not very clear yet, so it should be closely monitored. The histological classification of prostate cancer mainly includes the majority of acinar adenocarcinoma and a small amount of ductal adenocarcinoma, with acinar adenocarcinoma being a highly invasive malignant tumor.