Prostate Cancer Research Paper

Cancer is a very complex disease that affects men, women, and children alike. It does not discriminate based on age, race, or sex. Certain cancers however do affect only men. Prostate cancer is one of them. Prostate cancer is one of the leading cancers that invade the bodies of men worldwide. Most men are unsuspecting because the symptoms are not noticeable and the men may not have prostate cancer in their family. The prostate is a small gland that is located near the pelvic region of a man. This gland is also wrapped around the urethra and secretes part of the liquid portion of the semen that carries the sperm (Prostate Cancer 9/4/2014). The prostate gland is a big part of the reproductive system as well. There are some risk factors that

A small lubricated probe is entered into the rectum and gives off sound waves to help create a black and white picture of the prostate gland (American Cancer Society 3/12/2015). The TRUS also helps to determine the prostate’s density and size. A prostate biopsy will then be ordered and performed to be a hundred percent sure the man does in fact have prostate cancer. A core needle biopsy is the main method used to diagnose prostate cancer and is performed by an urologist. The urologist uses a hollow needle to remove prostate tissue and they take usually twelve different samples (American Cancer Society

The main two risk factors are impotence and incontinence. The patient may have to wear briefs for a short period of time until feeling returns and impotency may take a while to return, however, medications are available to help with this problem. Cryosurgery helps to treat prostate cancer if it is in the early stages. During cryotherapy the prostate is essentially “frozen” with very cold gases and destroys the prostate (American Cancer Society 3/12/2015). Chemotherapy is another form of treatment for prostate cancer. This treatment is, however, used to treat the cancer if it has spread to other organs. The chemotherapy drugs may slow the growth of the cancer, reduce symptoms, and resulting in a better quality of life (American Cancer Society 3/12/2015). After you choose and go through your treatment you still need to get your PSA levels checked every three months. After surgery the PSA should fall to a very low of undetectable level within a couple of months after radical prostatectomy (American Cancer Society 3/12/2015). Radiation therapy levels are different. PSA levels tend to drop gradually and most likely won’t reach their lowest levels until two years after