Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor that arises in the prostate gland, the small walnut-shaped organ in men responsible for producing seminal fluid. It is the second most common cancer in men after skin cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.
Simple Explanation
- Prostate cancer happens when cells in the prostate grow uncontrollably.
- It often grows slowly but can be aggressive in some men.
Detailed Explanation
Key features:
- Risk Factors: Age (risk increases after 50), family history, African ancestry, certain genetic mutations, and lifestyle factors.
- Symptoms: Early-stage disease often has no symptoms. Later, men may experience trouble urinating, blood in urine or semen, erectile dysfunction, or bone pain if cancer spreads.
- Diagnosis: Usually through a combination of PSA testing (prostate-specific antigen), digital rectal exam (DRE), imaging (like MRI, PSMA-PET scans), and biopsy.
- Stages: Localized (confined to the prostate), locally advanced (spread to nearby structures), or metastatic (spread to distant organs such as bones).
Treatment options depend on the stage and can include:
- Active surveillance (monitoring low-risk cases)
- Surgery (prostatectomy)
- Radiation therapy
- Hormone therapy (androgen deprivation)
- Chemotherapy
- Novel therapies: Such as targeted drugs, PARP inhibitors, immunotherapy, and theranostics—a nuclear medicine approach that targets and destroys cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
Recent advances in 2025 include theranostics using PSMA-targeted radiopharmaceuticals, new drugs to combat resistance to hormone therapy (e.g., NXP800), improvements in immunotherapy approaches, and the use of artificial intelligence in diagnosis and personalized treatment selection..
Summary:
Prostate cancer is a significant health issue for men, with improved screening, diagnostic, and treatment approaches continually evolving. Early detection and new therapies are transforming outlooks, especially for those with advanced or treatment-resistant cancer. for more health & disease news click www.eminentnews.com
