Prostate cancer:
Cures
Prostate cancer: cures
The prostate is a gland, the size of a chestnut, located just below the bladder. It is a male organ of the reproductive system, the base of which is attached to the undersurface of the bladder, while the tip points upwards. It is located just in front of the rectum, from which it is a few centimeters away. It is made up of fibrous and muscular tissue and its purpose is to produce and store seminal fluid, which is released during ejaculation. This gland, like many other parts of the body, is subject to natural temporal deterioration, but also to many other pathologies. One of these is precisely the prostate cancer, one of the most common carcinomas in men. In Italy, almost 43,000 cases are diagnosed every year. Prostate cancer cures, treatments and prevention are therefore on the agenda. Suffice it to say that this carcinoma represents almost 20% of all neoplasms diagnosed among men aged 50 and over. In recent years there has also been a gradual upward trend. One of the maximum incidence peaks occurred around the year 2000.
Cancer mainly affects people over the age of 50. Cancer cells are present in 40% of men over 50 and the risk increases with age. Studies have found that by the age of 80, nearly all men have small outbreaks of prostate cancer. It is estimated that today Italians over 65 have about a 3% probability of dying from a prostate cancer. This means that you should never let your guard down, keep your health under control and at the first symptoms of the disease, immediately contact a urologist or andrologist.
Prostate: how it is made and how it works
The prostate is composed of a cluster of tubuloalveolar glands, surrounded by a thick, strong smooth muscle layer. The prostate surrounds the first part of the urethra, the central portion instead surrounds the ejaculatory ducts. It is also formed by two lateral lobes, an anterior and a posterior area, which constitutes almost 70% of the entire volume of the gland itself.
The prostate is about 3 cm long, 4 cm wide and 2.5 cm thick. From small it is already present, but in small dimensions. It develops during puberty. When fully mature, it weighs about 10-20 grams.
The main purpose of the prostate is to secrete a part of the seminal fluid, thus helping to produce the sperm necessary for reproduction. In fact, the seminal fluid, together with the spermatozoa, constitutes the seminal fluid expelled from the penis during ejaculation.
The prostate gland, throughout its life, can be the target of many pathologies: inflammation, infections, stones, cysts and tumors.
Initial stage and first symptoms
Prostate cancer usually has an asymptomatic first stage. This means that the affected person does not initially accuse or manifest any symptoms, thus remaining unaware of the situation. It is precisely for this reason that it becomes essential to carry out preventive checks and diagnostics to be carried out thanks to targeted urological visits accompanied by PSA (prostate specific antigen) control. The PSA, through blood tests, allows to identify the subjects most at risk in which it is then possible to carry out further checks.
In the initial stages, the tumor progresses slowly and is often confined exclusively to the prostate gland. For this reason, the initial symptoms are very scarce, non-specific and this situation is often confused with benign prostatic hypertrophy.
Many prostate cancers are nonetheless not aggressive and have rather slow courses. This means that patients can live with prostate cancer for years, without the need for specific treatments and treatments. However, this does not mean that there are no aggressive prostate cancers, which develop quickly and grow just as quickly, with a tendency to metastasize. It is precisely these tumors that also attack other organs, through the blood and the lymphatic system.
For this reason it is recommended, even in the absence of obvious symptoms, to carry out periodic screenings, in order to prevent prostate cancer from being discovered only after it has managed to attack other organs.
Prostate cancer symptoms
If the tumor is ignored, the increase in the size of the cancer leads to problems related to urination. This is because the prostate gland covers the prostatic urethra. Symptoms of prostate cancer can be:
- Difficulty urinating
- Nocturia (frequent urge to urinate at night)
- Frequent urge to urinate during the day
- Difficulty maintaining a constant flow when urinating
- Pain and/or burning when urinating
- Blood in urine or semen
- Erectile dysfunction
- Painful ejaculation
- Tiredness
- Loss of appetite
- Pain in the back, hips or pelvis
In the early stages, the tumor progresses slowly and is often confined exclusively to the prostate gland. For this reason, the initial symptoms are very scarce, non-specific and this situation is often confused with benign prostatic hypertrophy.
However, many prostate cancers are not very aggressive and have a rather slow course. This means that patients can live with prostate cancer for years, without the need for specific treatments and treatments. However, this does not mean that there are no aggressive prostate cancers, which develop quickly and grow just as quickly, with a tendency to metastasize. It is precisely these tumors that also attack other organs, through the blood and the lymphatic system.
For this reason it is recommended, even in the absence of obvious symptoms, to carry out periodic screenings, in order to prevent prostate cancer from being discovered only after it has managed to attack other organs.
Prostate cancer: cures and treatments
So prostate cancer, cures and treatments are very widespread today and become part of the life of many men over 50. The cures vary according to the case and the subjects. In fact, different cures and different treatments are provided based on the stage of the tumor, the Gleason score, the PSA level, the symptoms, the age and the general health conditions of the patient.
Prostate cancer cures, therapies and treatments aim to lengthen the patient’s life expectancy. Among the most invasive and effective interventions we remember the radical prostatectomy. This can be performed by Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery, Retropubic Surgery, Perineal Surgery and Laparoscopic Prostatectomy.
Radical prostatectomy allows the cancer cells to be eliminated, although, in some cases, prostate cancer can still return after the operation.
There are also other treatments to eradicate prostate cancer: Radiotherapy, Brachytherapy, Hormonal Therapy, Orchiectomy, Cryotherapy and High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) and Chemotherapy. The right path to follow can only be indicated on a case-by-case basis by an expert urologist and andrologist.
Focal therapy: improve quality of life
Among the various treatments that can be adopted to combat prostate cancer, we find that of focal therapy. It is a technique that allows the destruction of neoplastic cells, without resorting to exporting the prostate.
The robotic radical prostatectomy is a minimally invasive technique which consists in removing all or part of the prostate gland and any associated lymph nodes in case of cancer. It is a definitive technique, which completely treats prostate cancer. However, this is only possible when the tumor has not yet attacked the surrounding organs.
Side effects are minimal and hospitalization much shorter than with other types of surgery. It is ideal for all those patients who have localized prostate cancer and do not present substantial contraindications of relevant interest.
it allows you to eliminate the neoplastic cells, although, in some cases, prostate cancer can still return after the operation.
There are also other treatments to eradicate prostate cancer: Radiotherapy, Brachytherapy, Hormonal Therapy, Orchiectomy, Cryotherapy and High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) and Chemotherapy. The right path to follow can only be indicated on a case-by-case basis by an expert urologist and andrologist.
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Florence | Matteotti Medical Group
Viale Giacomo Matteotti, 42
50132 – Florence (FI)
Telephone: 055 570224
Florence Castello | Villa Donatello
Via Attilio Ragionieri, 101
50019 – Sesto Fiorentino (FI)
Telephone: 055 50975
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Viale della Repubblica, 141
59100 – Prato (PO)
Telephone: 0574 583501
Milan | Columbus Clinic Center
Via Michelangelo Buonarroti, 48
20145 – Milan (MI)
Telephone: 02 480801
Dr. Andrea Cocci
urologist and andrologist
The decision to dedicate my professional life to urology and in particular to andrological and reconstructive surgery is the result of a deep passion for anatomy , the art of surgery and in general the diagnostic-therapeutic process which leads to the recovery of the patient. Oncological pathology, infertility, erectile dysfunction, penile diseases or simply prostate disorders irreparably afflict not only the individual but also the couple dimension.
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