To beat your enemy, you have got to understand it. This is really where the excitement is nowadays is getting closer to understanding the enemy that is prostate cancer. Now one of the things about all cancers is that the cancer cells become smarter the more they get injured or subjected to different treatment, the smarter they become.
Over 80% of men for 10 or more years after the diagnosis of prostate cancer are living happily without any risk of life. But as we know the cancer is not what and easy medical issue to be treated with. Prostate cancer is a very common disease in particular male gender. Prostate cancer is still a disease that requires a new innovative treatment.
There are plenty of options available for treating prostate cancer. The doctor whom you are consulting for the disease will recommend one for you, based on your body reaction to various medications and lifestyle. In this article we will focus on Prostate Cancer treatments available for the patients by going in-depth of how the cells interact to form a cancerous cell, diagnosing cancer for better life expectancy.
How does prostate cancer happen?
Over 50% of prostate cancer harbour a gene fusion, a gene that is normally turned on by hormones. It is fused upstream of a gene that controls cell growth. That leads to turning on that particular gene that leads to cell growth essentially leading to cancer.
The fusion of two different genes that shouldn’t be together, is creating this hybrid gene essentially generating creating a hallmark of cancer in general. The previous impact of the generation having prostate cancer creates a basic cause of prostate Cancer disease risk for the future generation.
Diagnosing cancer for treatment
Some of the treatment that is available for this type of cancer is not much known. The treatment option for prostate cancer is very much dependent on what kind of cancer and individual has and also the patient.
So, if a cancer is confined within the prostate gland that it might be treated through surgery or radiotherapy. But equally, sometimes there might be a very slow-growing tumour, in which case doctors can just keep an eye on that and the kind of cancer is determined by the size of it, on the stage of cancer. When the type of cancer, size, and stage of cancer is detected, then all three will be put together to create an idea, of the risk of a particular individual dying of prostate cancer. The age, health, and personal preference will be kept in mind before recommending any treatment.
Treatment alternatives
There are various options available and defining one being the best is left to the patient in consultation. We are going to explore the various types of treatment options available for treating prostate cancer effectively to increase the life expectancy of any patient.
- Hormonal Therapy
One of conventional treatment for prostate cancer is called hormonal treatment. It slows down the growth of the prostate. Once the prostate cancer has spread on Meta sized it becomes very difficult to control and many times hormonal treatment does not work.
When the cancerous cells begin to become resistant to the hormone treatment is when the patient will end up dying from that disease. The male sex hormone, like testosterone, helps in the growth of cancerous cells in the prostate. This makes the level of testosterone low with other hormones which are only found in men. Other hormonal treatments block the functioning of those hormones.
Surgery
If the cancer is confined within the prostate gland and has not spread much. Then, surgery can be an option to treat prostate cancer. Surgery involves removal of prostate gland from the body without disturbing the nerves around it.
Earlier, this surgery was done by open surgery but recently the surgery is done less encroaching using keyhole and robotics. For treating prostate cancer through surgery the surgery required to be dependent upon the stage of disease with confining overall health status including other health factors.
Radiation therapy
As well known, this treatment includes the usage of high-intensity radiation beams to destroy cancerous cells. This treatment is preferred while the cancer is of low grade are confined within the prostate. It can be done after surgery for the destruction of any toxic cells if left behind. This is helpful for bone infected cancer also.
The different types of radiation therapy useful to fight with prostate cancer are as follows –
- External beam – it is the most popular level of radiation therapy. This involves a machine which focuses its rays directly at the cancerous cell for its destruction.
- Brachytherapy or internal Beam – this type of radiation therapy focus on the print ration of radioactive seeds into prostrate. The seeds of radiation around the area for the destruction of harmful cells.
Proton therapy
This is also a radiation therapy which involves the usage of very small particles or proton to charge and destroy the cancer cells at high energy which are not spread in the whole prostate.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves the distinct use of a drug to attack and kill cancer cells, mining the growth of cells through division. This treatment is done under the guidance of a doctor who specializes in cancer treatment to medication.
A drug that hits an enzyme that directly interacts with the gene fusion and that enzyme called PARP. It is required for the gene fusion, to cause cancer by blocking the PARP enzymes essentially indirectly blocking the cancer-causing ability of gene fusion.
the therapy starts with the drug name docetaxel, that is combined with a specifical steroid called prednisone. Chemotherapy reaches into the bloodstream to destroy harmful cancer cells in the body. This therapy is favourable for cancer that has spread externally in prostrate.
Focal therapy
It is the combination of therapies that can kill the small tumour in the prostate while treating prostate gland also. In general, focal therapies include treatment using cold heat and other alternatives for men less invasively. It is favourable for low risk and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients.
Cryosurgery/ cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is a type of focal therapy involves penetration of a metal probe to the small incision for freezing of Cancer cells in the area between scrotum and rectum. It was established for treating newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients.
High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
HIFU is a focal therapy that is solely based on heat. During this focal therapy treatment, the sound waves are directed on cancerous part of the prostate gland using an ultrasound probe which is inserted into the rectum to destroy the toxic cells without affecting the rest of the prostate gland.
Immunotherapy
This therapy is performed using drugs that can temporarily remove the brakes of from the cancerous cells. These drugs combine with the immune system to fight cancer cells. Particularly this treatment is most favourable for the people who have advanced prostate cancer.
Convective water therapy
The enlarge prostate forces the Eureka to narrow causing a variety of urination problems as the age increase in men the symptoms occur more frequently. For the treatment of BPH has long been for medication and procedure such as lasers or an electric loop which burn the prostrate from the inside out but now the new convective water therapy treatment uses steam to make the prostate smaller for few seconds. A steam ball produces and that kills the prostate tissue that we don’t want or that is growing out of control with fewer side effects on the body.
Proper diet and exercise
This is a very natural treatment which can be done as prevention. As we all know prevention is better than cure. So, proper nutrition is very important for prostate health. Some healthy food that has been mentioned in preventing the development of prostate cancer are as tomato, green tea, vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage can selectively focus on directing the cancerous cells destructively living the healthy prostate cells unaffected.
Other foods which are very important towards maintaining a healthy prostrate are pomegranate juice avocados, grapes, carrots, etc. When deciding to make dietary changes it is suggested the two always consult your physician first. Price is also beneficial in terms of helping to regulate cancer cells growth and repair DNA. Very basic exercises such as stability ball squat, wall push up, plank, leg/hip extension can help the patients who are recovering from cancer surgeries or therapies. These exercises will support the whole body and will keep you fit and healthy.
In a nutshell
For advanced for metastatic cancer, very fewer treatment options exist because recovery from cancer is not always possible to be done. The advanced or terminal stage cannot be cured or controllable. Everyone is focused on conquering cancer to save lives and reduce suffering as well as pain for hopefully curing cancer. By better understanding of the causes of prostate cancer can lead to developing the treatment therapies. If the treatment works well and hopefully the pain with suffering can be reduced.