Reference
- Prostate CancerDefinition
Prostate cancer is a disease in which the cells of the prostate (a gland found in the male reproductive system) become abnormal and start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors. Tumors that can spread to other parts of the body are called malignant tumors or cancers. Tumors that are not capable of spreading in this way are said to be benign.
Most prostate cancers, about 95%, are classified as adenocarcinomas.
Description
The prostate is a gland that produces the fluid (semen) that contains sperm. The prostate is about the size of a walnut and lies just beneath the urinary bladder. Usually prostate cancer is slow growing, but it can grow faster in some cases. As a prostate cancer grows, some of the cells may break off and spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic or the blood systems. This process is known as metastasis. The most common sites of spreading are the lymph nodes and various bones in the spine and the pelvic region.
The lymphatic system is composed of ducts that transport extracellular fluid from distant areas of the body to the heart. Fluid enters lymph ducts and travels toward the heart. Any fluid collected is mixed with the blood. Any excess fluid is eliminated from the blood by the kidneys. Along the lymph system are clusters of specialized tissue called lymph nodes. These nodes act as strainers and retain cellular debris to prevent it from entering the bloodstream. Lymph nodes also retain cancer cells that escape from tumors. For this reason, surgeons often remove some lymph nodes for analysis to determine the extent that a cancer may have spread beyond its original (primary) site.
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Streaming Media
- Men Don't Cry: Prostate Cancer StoriesWhen Oscar-winning documentarist John Zaritsky started directing this program, he had no idea he was about to be diagnosed with prostate cancer himself. Men Don’t Cry tells the intimate stories of Greenpeace cofounder Bob Hunter and two other patients as they come to terms with the disease. Each, with the support of his spouse, chooses to fight it in his own way, balancing treatment options, rates of cure and survival, and quality-of-life concerns about impotence and incontinence. A video that is as human as it is candid, Men Don’t Cry reinforces the importance of PSA screening to catch the disease early. Contains clinically explicit language.
- I Can't Believe I'm Telling You This: Prostate Cancer in the Age of the InternetAlthough many men have prostate cancer—a disease that occurs in two-thirds of all men by the age of 80—there is a culture of silence among patients that stifles conversation about it. The complexities of the illness, the disease’s location, and potential post-treatment side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction have left them at a loss for words. But the Internet is changing that. In this program, three prostate cancer patients explain how they have used the Web to increase their understanding of the disease while pooling their knowledge and sharing their fears with fellow patients. If the barriers to beating prostate cancer are societal as well as scientific, then I Can’t Believe I’m Telling You This offers a powerful injection of hope.
Online Resources
- Prostate-Specific Antigen–Based Screening for Prostate Cancer: Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task ForceProstate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among US men. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review evidence on prostate-specific antigen (PSA)–based prostate cancer screening, treatments for localized prostate cancer, and prebiopsy risk calculators to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force. DATA SOURCES: Searches of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Registries and Databases from July 1, 2011, through July 15, 2017, with a surveillance search on February 1, 2018. STUDY SELECTION: English-language reports of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of screening; cohort studies reporting harms; RCTs and cohort studies of active localized cancer treatments vs conservative approaches (eg, active surveillance, watchful waiting); external validations of prebiopsy risk calculators to identify aggressive cancers. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: One investigator abstracted data; a second checked accuracy. Two investigators independently rated study quality.
- Screening for Prostate Cancer With the Prostate-Specific Antigen Test: A Review of Current EvidenceProstate cancer screening with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test remains controversial. OBJECTIVE To review evidence from randomized trials and related modeling studies examining the effect of PSA screening vs no screening on prostate cancer–specific mortality and to suggest an approach balancing potential benefits and harms. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials were searched from January 1, 2010, to April 3, 2013, for PSA screening trials to update a previous systematic review. Another search was performed in EMBASE and MEDLINE to identify modeling studies extending the results of the 2 large randomized trials identified. The American Heart Association Evidence-Based Scoring System was used to rate level of evidence. RESULTS Two trials—the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) screening trial and the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC)—dominate the evidence regarding PSA screening. The former trial demonstrated an increase in cancer incidence in the screening group (relative risk [RR], 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07-1.17) but no cancer-specific mortality benefit to PSA screening after 13-year follow-up (RR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.87-1.36).
Perspectives
Management of Prostate Cancer
This book provides an exhaustive review of the current state of the art in the management of prostate cancer, from screening to treatment. A particular feature is the emphasis placed on the value of a multidisciplinary approach. The opening chapters address basic aspects including epidemiology, biology, and chemoprevention. The role of individual and mass screening is carefully appraised, and diagnosis, clinical work-up, and the role of active surveillance are discussed in detail. Subsequent chapters are devoted to each of the therapies that may be employed, including open and robotic laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, the various forms of radiation therapy, high-intensity focused ultrasound, cryotherapy, hormonal therapy, and targeted therapies and vaccination. Up-to-date data from clinical trials are included. The editors are members of the EORTC who have coordinated phase III EORTC trials and have worldwide reputations.
Prostate Cancer Survivors Speak Their Minds
Personal stories show men how to make the right decisions for themselves, with medical insights from a leading Johns Hopkins authority on prostate cancer If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you want to know the facts about treatment options as well as what to expect through the process of treatment and recovery. Written by Dr. Arthur L. Burnett, II. one of the world's most distinguished authorities on prostate cancer and veteran CBS News journalist and prostate cancer survivor, Norman Morris, Prostate Cancer Survivors Speak Their Minds gives you the information you need through the experiences of men who have had prostate cancer. Dr. Burnett speaks openly and honestly about prostate cancer options, treatments, and aftereffects and shares stories of both well-known and ordinary prostate cancer survivors who offer their personal reflections on going through treatment and getting well. Includes personal stories from notable prostate cancer survivors such as Arnold Palmer, Ken Griffey Sr., Pat Robertson, and others Takes an authoritative look at prostate cancer treatments, current and promising scientific breakthroughs, and life-altering side effects Author Arthur Burnett, a leading prostate cancer expert, is the Patrick C. Walsh Professor of Urology, Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the Johns Hopkins's James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute and is renowned for his research studies that led to the formulation of Viagra Offers solutions to common side effects such as sexual problems and incontinence Combining the essential medical facts about prostate cancer with personal, intimate stories told by courageous men who have survived it, this book is an invaluable guide for men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those who care about them.
Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI Atlas of Prostate Cancer
MRI Atlas of Prostate Cancer analyses high-resolution MRI scanning and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI. This combination improves the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer and may soon replace PSA testing and digital rectal examination. The first two chapters focus on normal anatomy, anatomic variations, benign disease and intraprostatic tumors. The subsequent chapters on MRI of extracapsular disease create a useful atlas of pathologic anatomy. This is the first text of its kind to show color-coded DCE-MRI scans of prostate cancer and to correlate these imaging findings with tumor grading. The chapters on the post-treatment prostate clearly display the increasing incidence of post-therapy recurrences. This book is intended for internists, radiologists, radiotherapists, oncologists, urologists, family practitioners, and general surgeons. Ultrasound, MRI, and radiotherapy technicians will find it extremely useful as a reference guide.
The Prostate Cancer Protection Plan
New research shows that up to 25 per cent of men in their 30s have microscopic, latent prostate cancer. By the time a man enters his 50s, the figure is even higher - 40 per cent. In some men, these cancers remain dormant, but in others they can become significant tumours, sometimes at great speed. As with breast cancer, Dr. Arnot has found that the foods men eat can have a profound influence on whether or not they get prostate cancer. In this book he explains what these foods are and how they can be used as part of an eating plan.
Prostate Cancer
This book is a patient's guide for coping with prostate cancer. It provides state-of-the-art information to help the patient through each step of diagnosis, treatment and recovery