The fastest action to prevent prostate cancer

The fastest action to prevent prostate cancer.
There’s no standart measurement to know the result of prevent development of prostate cancer. We can prevent progression of the cancer by making early diagnoses and then attempting to cure the disease. Early diagnoses can be made by screening men for prostate cancer with PSA and digital rectal examination The purpose of the screening is to detect early, tiny, or even microscopic cancers that are confined to the prostate gland. Early treatment of these malignancies (cancers) can stop the growth, prevent the spread, and possibly cure the cancer.

Based on some research in animals and people, certain dietary measures have been suggested to prevent the progression of prostate cancer. For example, low-fat diets, particularly avoiding red meats, have been suggested because they are thought to slow down the growth of prostate tumors in a manner not yet known. Soybean products, which work by decreasing the amount of testosterone circulating in the blood, also reportedly can inhibit the growth of prostate tumors. Finally, other studies show that tomato products (lycopenes), the mineral selenium, and vitamin E might slow the growth of prostate tumors in ways that are not yet understood. 

Recently, studies have shown that certain medications (finasteride [Propecia] and dutasteride [Avodart]) decrease the chances of getting prostate cancer when taken over the long term. These medications are currently used for shrinking the size of the prostate and relieving symptoms associated with benign (non-cancerous) enlargement of the prostate. However, they may have a future role for decreasing the chances of development of prostate cancer in men who are at high risk for the disease. 

What will be the future treatments for prostate cancer? 

The treatment of organ-confined prostate cancer to date has involved cutting out, radiating, or freezing the gland in trying to cure the disease. In more advanced cases, the goal has been to control the cancer for at least some time by using hormonal treatment or chemotherapy. Earlier diagnosis and improved treatment techniques in recent years have certainly led to better results.

The key to curing prostate cancer, however, ultimately will come from an understanding of the genetic basis of this disease. Genes, which are chemical compounds located on the chromosomes, determine the characteristics of individuals. Accordingly, investigators at research centers have focused on identifying and isolating the gene or genes responsible for prostate cancer. For example, studies are being conducted in men who have a family history of prostate cancer to try to uncover the genetic links of the disease. The investigators ultimately will try to block or modify the offending genes so as to prevent or alter the disease. 

Recently, the FDA approved a prostate cancer vaccine called sipuleucel-T (Provenge) that has been made for people who are at an advanced stage of prostate cancer. Although clinical experience with this vaccine is limited, it has been shown to improve survival in patients whose cancer has become resistant to hormones. This treatment involves taking a patient's own white blood cells and using a drug that trains them to more actively attack cancer cells. Once these cells are removed from the patient, they are treated with the drug and placed back into the patient. After the treatment of these cells, it kills cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed.

Another area of research is focal therapy for prostate cancer that attempts to mirror the evolution of breast cancer treatment, which often involves "lumpectomy" as part of the initial management of the disease. It involves treatment of only that part of the prostate that is affected by cancer and uses methods like cryotherapy (freezing), HIFU (heating), and brachytherapy (seed implantation) to treat the cancer. Focal therapy is still at its infancy and its role is unclear because of unresolved problems related to lack of a proper method for complete evaluation of cancer location within the prostate and the potential coexistence of many different cancerous areas within the same prostate. 

There is also a great interest in inventing better methods to image prostate cancer to detect its location and spread in the body. Newer techniques like MRS (magnetic resonance spectroscopy), PET (positron emission tomography) and certain molecular imaging techniques hold promise in this regard. 

Prostate Cancer conclusions :

• Prostate cancer is the leading cause of deaths from cancer.
• While the causes of prostate cancer are still unknown, some risk factors for the disease, such as advancing age and a family history of prostate cancer, have been identified. 
• Prostate cancer is often initially suspected because of an abnormal PSA blood test or a hard nodule (lump) felt on the prostate gland during a routine digital (done with a finger) rectal examination. * Refinements in the PSA test, including the PSA ratio, age-specific PSA, and PSA velocity or slope have improved the accuracy of the test. 
• If one of the screening tests is abnormal, the diagnosis of prostate cancer should be suspected and a biopsy of the prostate gland is usually done.
• The diagnosis of prostate cancer is made when cancerous prostatic cells are identified in the biopsy tissue under a microscope.
• In some men, prostate cancer is life threatening, while in many others, it can exist for many years without causing health problems.
• The choice of treatment for prostate cancer depends on the size, aggressiveness, and extent or spread of the tumor, as well as on the age, general health, and preference of the patient.
• The many options for treating prostate cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal treatment, cryotherapy, chemotherapy, combinations of some of these treatments, and watchful waiting/active surveillance. 
• Research is under way to identify the genes that cause prostate cancer. 

REFERENCES: 

Chang, S.S., M.C. Benson, S.C. Campbell, J. Crook, R. Dreicer, C.P. Evans, et al. "Society of Urologic Oncology Position Statement: Redefining the Management of Hormone-Refractory Prostate Carcinoma." Cancer 103.1 Jan. 1, 2005: 11-21.

Kataja, V.V., and J. Bergh. "ESMO Minimum Clinical Recommendations for Diagnosis, Treatment and Follow-up of Prostate Cancer." Ann Oncol 16.1 (2005): i34-6. 

Loblaw, D.A., D.S. Mendelson, J.A. Talcott, K.S. Virgo, M.R. Somerfield, E. Ben-Josef, et al. "Initial Hormonal Management of Androgen-Sensitive Metastatic, Recurrent, or Progressive Prostate Cancer: 2006 Update of an American Society of Clinical Oncology Practice Guideline." J Clin Oncol 22.14 July 15, 2004: 2927-2941.

Zaheer, A., S.Y. Cho, and M.G. Pomper. "New Agents and Techniques for Imaging Prostate Cancer." J Nucl Med 50.9 Sept. 2009: 1387-1390.

Diagnoses of prostate cancer

Diagnoses of  prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is diagnosed from the results of a biopsy of the prostate gland. If the digital rectal exam of the prostate or the PSA blood test is abnormal, a prostate cancer is suspected. A biopsy of the prostate is usually then recommended. The biopsy is done from the rectum (trans-rectally) and is guided by ultrasound images of the area. A small piece of prostate tissue is withdrawn through a cutting needle. The TRUS-guided Tru-Cut biopsy is currently the standard method to diagnose prostate cancer. Although initially a 6-core set was the standard, currently most experts advocate sampling a minimum of 10-12 pieces of the prostate to improve the chances of detection of the cancer and also to provide a better idea regarding the extent and areas of involvement within the prostate. Multiple pieces are taken by sampling the base, apex, and mid gland on each side of the gland. More cores may be sampled to increase the yield, especially in larger glands.

A pathologist, a specialist physician who analyzes tissue samples under a microscope, then examines the pieces under the microscope to assess the type of cancer present in the prostate and the extent of involvement of the prostate with the tumor. One also can get an idea about the areas of the prostate that are involved by the tumor by assessing which of the pieces contain the cancer and which of them do not. Another very important assessment that the pathologist makes form the specimen is the grade (Gleason's score) of the tumor. This indicates how different the cancer cells are from normal prostate tissue. Grade gives an indication of how fast a cancer is likely to grow and has very important implications on the treatment plan and the chances of cure after treatment. A Gleason score of 6 is supposed to indicate low-grade (less aggressive) disease while that of 8-10 demonstrates high grade (more aggressive) cancer; 7 is regarded as somewhere in between these two.