Nuclear Oncology

Archive for the ‘Prostat Cancer’ Category

WHAT IS IT?
It is a malignant tumor that develops in the prostate gland. It consists of an uncontrolled growth of prostate cells. This means, among other things, the prostate, by its position, press on the bladder and urethra preventing normal urine output.
Most prostate cancers grow very slowly, although some do it quickly, they can even spread.

SYMPTOMS
The most common symptoms are: – Need to urinate often and especially at night .- Difficulty starting or stopping urination Inability to urinate .- .- Interrupted or weak flow of urine .- Painful urination or burning sensation .- Difficulty having an erection .- .- Painful ejaculation Blood in urine or semen Frequent pain or feeling .- tension in the lower abdomen, hips or upper thighs.

RISK
Age: the chance of having prostate cancer increases significantly after age 50. More than 80% are diagnosed in men over 65 años.Raza: more common in men of race negra.Dieta: fats seem to have a role in prostate cancer, favored. Physical activity: Regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight helps reduce the risk of cancer genetic próstata.Alteraciones: in families in which one of its members, as a father or brother has had prostate cancer, is increased risk, to another member, to suffer this enfermedad.Actividad hormone: testosterone at first “shoot” the growth of prostate cancer, but when the tumor is in an advanced stage, testosterone slowing down growth.

STAGES
Once found (diagnosed) prostate cancer, will be carried out other tests to determine if cancer cells have spread from the prostate to tissues around or other body parts. This is called staging.

Stage I (A) prostate cancer at this stage does not feel and does not cause any symptoms
Stage II (B) The tumor can be detected by a needle biopsy performed because a blood test called a PSA test.
Stage III (C) Cancer cells have spread outside the covering (capsule) of the prostate to surrounding tissues. The glands that produce semen (seminal vesicles) may have cancer.
Stage IV (D) Cancer cells have spread (metastasized) to lymph nodes (near or far from the prostate) or organs and tissues located far from the prostate such as bone, liver or lungs.

The blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA, for its acronym in English) is often done to screen men for prostate cancer. Because these tests, most prostate cancers are now found before they cause any symptoms.

The symptoms listed below may occur with prostate cancer (most of the time these symptoms are caused by other prostate problems that are not cancer):

Delay or slowness in initiating urination
Dribbling or leaking urine, most often after urination
Slow urine stream
Straining to urinate or may not be able to empty all the urine
Blood in the urine or semen
Bone pain or tenderness, most often in the lumbar and pelvic bones (only when the cancer has spread)
Signs and tests:

The prostate biopsy is the only test that can confirm the diagnosis. The prostate tissue viewed under a microscope. The results of the biopsy informnan using the Gleason grade and Gleason score.

The Gleason score corresponds to how aggressive it might be prostate cancer. He graduated tumors on a scale of 1 to 5, based on how different are the normal tissue cells.

Often, more than a Gleason score is present within the same tissue sample. The degree is therefore used to create a Gleason score, adding the two most prevalent grades together (a scale of 2 to 10). The higher the Gleason score, the greater the likelihood that the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland:

Scores of 2 to 4: low-grade cancer
Scores of 5 to 7: intermediate-grade cancer (or half). Most prostate cancers fall into this category.
Scores of 8 to 10: high-grade cancer cells (poorly differentiated)
There are two reasons for the physician to perform a biopsy of the prostate:

His PSA blood test is high. See also: prostate specific antigen
A rectal examination may show a large prostate or a hard, irregular surface. Because PSA testing, prostate cancer is diagnosed less frequently during a rectal exam.
The PSA blood test is also used to monitor cancer after treatment. Often, PSA levels begin to rise before there are any symptoms. An abnormal DRE may be the only sign of prostate cancer (even if the PSA is normal).