What is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men, with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer. This disease is second only to lung cancer as the most common cause of cancer-related deaths among men. Prostate cancer is caused by a series of changes or mutations in the genes of prostate cells. These changes allow the cells to grow in an abnormal pattern until they form tumors. Prostate cancer is often curable when caught early. Nonetheless, too many men have their prostate cancer diagnosis delayed when their general practitioners and sometimes even urologists fail to perform appropriate screening tests.

The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. When cells in the prostate become cancerous (malignant), they initially form small islands of cancer that are confined to the prostate. While the disease will claim nearly 31,000 deaths this year, there is growing evidence that educational efforts leading to early detection and diagnosis are resulting in lower mortality.

Screening for Prostate Cancer generally involves a blood test to determine PSA (prostate specific antigen) and a doctors exam to perform a DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) to see if they feel any nodules that might suggest a tumor. However, both of these are merely indicators of possible prostate cancer. Confirmation can only be achieved through a biopsy. PSA is a substance made by the prostate gland. Although PSA is mostly found in semen, a small amount is also found in the blood. PSA testing may identify very slow-growing tumors that are unlikely to threaten a man's life. Also, PSA testing may not help a man with a fast-growing or aggressive cancer that has already spread to other parts of his body before being detected.

As a rule symptoms associated with Prostate Cancer are rare until urinary obstruction occurs. Typically, Prostate cancer is a very slow growing tumor, often causing no symptoms until advanced stages. In my case the only symptom I had was back pain which occurred after the cancer had spread. (See My History) Most men with prostate cancer die of other causes -- many without ever realizing that they have the disease. Prostate cancer is generally found mainly in older men. (late 50’s and up)

Prostate cancer is a complex, heterogeneous disease. At the extremes of the spectrum, if left untreated, some prostate cancers behave aggressively, metastasize quickly, and eventually cause mortality, while others are slow to progress and never cause harm. One of the measures of how aggressive Prostate Cancer may be is the Gleason Score. This is determined after a biopsy has been performed and a pathologist views the cancer cells under a microscope. The Gleason score is the result of a system that rates how closely a prostate tumor resembles normal prostate tissue. A grade is assigned to the two largest areas of cancer within the tissue and then added together to produce the score. A tumor with a low score is likely to be slow-growing; one with a high score is likely to grow more aggressively. In my case I had a very aggressive Gleason 9 (10 is the maximum).
This explains why the cancer spread rapidly to my spine.

Treatment options include external-beam radiation, implantation of radioactive isotopes, and surgery. Hormonal manipulation by chemical castration or orchiectomy (removal of the testes), is generally used once the cancer has spread and occasionally in conjunction with surgery and/or radiation. This process decreases the levels of testosterone which feeds the cancer. I will deal with each treatment type in greater detail in subsequent articles.

I believe that a major component of my success at slowing the progress of my Prostate Cancer has been the vitamins and supplements that I take each day. After months of trial and error I found the best source for information, research and the products themselves at Life Extension Health Concerns
Go to their website and search Prostate Cancer for some of the best information around.