Popular science related to prostate cancer 1: Introduction to the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

Why does prostate cancer occur? The prostate is an important male reproductive organ. The prostate fluid secreted by it is an important component of semen. It contains a variety of proteases, which help liquefy semen and the combination of sperm and egg. The prostate gland is located deep in the pelvic cavity. The size and shape of a normal-sized prostate are similar to a chestnut.

As men age, the size of their prostate glands will continue to increase. Most men will experience symptoms of prostate hyperplasia after the age of 60. If individual cells become malignant during the process of prostate hyperplasia, prostate cancer will occur. It is currently believed that the factors that cause normal prostate cells to become cancerous may include: genetic factors, metabolic factors, and dietary factors.

Among them, genetic factors are particularly worthy of attention. That is to say, if a male in a family has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the risk of prostate cancer in male offspring will increase. How to detect prostate cancer? Generally, early prostate cancer has no special symptoms. Some patients will have symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency or hematuria, but it is easy to confuse urination symptoms caused by prostatitis or benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Therefore, early detection of prostate cancer generally relies on physical examination screening. When the doctor during the physical examination finds that the patient has an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, or suspicious lesions in the prostate are found through digital rectal examination or imaging examinations such as magnetic resonance imaging, the patient will be further arranged to undergo a prostate puncture biopsy. Clinically, the detection of prostate cancer cells through a puncture biopsy is the ultimate basis for determining that a patient has prostate cancer.

Generally, if a man has a family history of prostate cancer, it is recommended that he start annual prostate cancer screening at the age of 45, including blood tests for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate ultrasound examinations, and rectal examinations. If there is no family history of prostate cancer, prostate cancer screening can be performed after the age of 50. How to treat prostate cancer? There are many treatments for prostate cancer, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy.

The choice of specific treatment plan needs to be determined by the doctor based on the patient's prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at diagnosis, the puncture pathology results, and the extent of the lesion shown by imaging examinations. The basic treatment principles include: ensuring patient safety, controlling the progression of the tumor as much as possible, and reducing the impact of the disease and treatment on the patient's quality of life. Most patients can effectively control their condition after appropriate treatment.