Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Be Familiar
Probably one of the most feared among the diseases is known as Metastatic cancer. Not only it is mentally burdening and physically degenerating, it is financially debilitating as well. Among older men prostate cancer is the most common and one of the major causes of death. Cases of metastatic prostate cancer are commonly seen from developed countries.
How Can You Define Metastatic prostate cancer?
In metastatic prostate cancer, the tumor has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. This means that the primary tumor sheds cancer cells, which travel through the bloodstream and lymph system and lodge in other parts of the body (usually the bones). There they begin to grow new tumors. The actual cause of metastatic prostate cancer is unknown.
Signs And Symptoms of Metastatic prostate cancer:
Metastatic prostate cancer is a little known about disease that is often mistakenly believed to be a sexually transmitted disease. Metastatic prostate cancer is not a sexually transmitted disease, and carries no risk of being contracted by a sexual partner. Some symptoms of Metastatic prostate cancer, specifically include lower back pain, fever, weight loss, problems with urinating (usually urine retention), localized pain, chills, pain in the genital area, painful urination, urgent urination, and penile discharges.
Age Group Commonly Affected in Metastatic Prostate Cancer:
It can be noted that most of the cases of the Metastatic prostate cancer are found among older men who are 40 years old and above but the cases are more apparent among men who are more than 65 years old. The racial origin of a man might make him vulnerable to the disease. In the U.S. alone most of the cases are found among African American while the number among Asians and American Indians is lesser. Genetic is also one major risk factor of the disease. The susceptibility to Metastatic prostate cancer is higher in men whose brother or father is suffering from the disease.
Diagnosis of Metastatic prostate cancer:
I the doctor will review your symptoms and examine you. X-ray evaluation is important in the area where symptoms are occurring and/or areas where symptoms commonly occur. For painful areas, bone scans and/or CT scans may be used in place of plain x-rays to look for the spread of cancer. The goal behind a prostate biopsy procedure is to take a small amount of tissue from the area and examine it to see whether or not cancer cells are present. Here is how a prostate biopsy procedure is performed.
Treatment Recommended for Metastatic Prostate Cancer:
The treatment for metastatic prostate cancer (cancer which has gone from the prostate to other parts of the body) has not changed significantly since the 1940’s. Prostate cancer is stimulated to grow by the male hormone testosterone. By blocking testosterone, prostate cancer will go into remission (either stop growing, or at least grow more slowly). Eighty percent of men with metastatic prostate cancer will respond to hormonal therapy (blocking testosterone). The response is a temporary one due to the fact that the cancer will mutate (change) and begin to grow despite the absence of testosterone. Half of men treated with hormonal therapy will develop disease that no longer responds to hormone treatment within three years of instituting therapy.
How to take care of a patient of Metastatic Prostate Cancer:
You can help the patient by giving him a balanced diet and plenty of rest. Ask the doctor any questions you may have about the course of the disease, treatments, and side effects of the treatments, sexuality, support groups, and anything else that concerns you. Ask the doctor about some alternative methods for pain control (such as relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and hypnosis).