Introduction
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Prostate cancer ranks as the second leading cause of cancer death in men.
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Almost all prostate cancers develop in the glandular cells.
Risk Factors
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Risk of prostate cancer increases dramatically with age. Most cases occur after the age of 50.
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The risk is higher if an immediate family member has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
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In the US, African American men have the greatest incidence of prostate cancer.
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Dietary factors influence the risk of prostate cancer. Meat and dairy may heighten the risk whereas fish and tomato-based foods may lower the risk for prostate cancer.
Symptoms
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Advanced-stage prostate cancer patients experience a wide range of symptoms that may involve urine discoloration, pain with urination, weak urine flow, and others.
Detection and Diagnosis
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A prostate specific antigen (PSA) test can be used to help detect prostate cancer, but it does not provide a definitive diagnosis.
Pathology Report and Staging
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A pathologist examines a tissue sample micro- and macroscopically in order to create a pathology report.
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Prostate cancer used the Gleason Grading System which assigns a number to the cancer based on its aggressiveness.
Prostate Cancer Tumor Biology
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Many genetic changes occur in cancer. Details can be found in the Mutation section.
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PTEN and TP53 are two of the genes involved in the development of prostate cancer.
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The androgen receptor protein binds androgens in the cell. This complex promotes cell growth and division. The presence or absence of this protein helps determine treatment option for the cancer.
Treatment
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A wide range of treatments exists for prostate cancer including chemotherapy, surgery, hormonal therapies and radiation.
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Foregoing treatment and carefully monitoring the prostate is an option in some cases.
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