Brain Cancer Stages

Signs/Symptoms

Brain Cancer Stages

Men often do not know that they have prostate cancer until the later stages of the disease, unless they go in for quarterly screenings. This is because prostate cancer, in the early stages, is asymptomatic (does not show symptoms). The first manifestations of the disease are often related to bladder obstruction, and are similar to the signs and symptoms seen in patients with Bph (see p. 18). Rectal obstruction can also occur, which causes problems with defecating while a bowel movement.

Later Stages of the disease often yield a wider variety of symptoms because at this point the cancer has often metastasized (spread) to another area of the body such as the bones or lymph nodes. Signs and symptoms of the later stages of prostate cancer include:

Screening/Diagnosis

Screening and analysis is the same for both Bph and prostate cancer. Procedures include the following:

* Digital rectal examination (Dre): palpitation of the prostate gland via the anal canal may detect enlargement

* Prostate-specific antigen (Psa) blood tests: elevated levels of Psa in the blood may be an indication of cancer

* bone pain

* edema (swelling) of the lower extremities

* enlarged lymph nodes in the groin area, under the arms, or in the throat liver enlargement

* bone fractures

* reasoning confusion (seen in severe cases in which the cancer has spread to the brain)

* Transrectal ultrasonography (Trus): ultrasound examination of the testicles, prostate, and kidneys may rule out other disease or confirm Bph or cancer.

Treatment

Treatment of prostate cancer varies depending on the stage of cancer, the effects of treatment, age, normal health, and life expectancy of the individual. Men who are diagnosed and treated in the early stages of Prostate cancer have a 90% opportunity of being completely cured of the disease.41 Although perfect salvage is not as likely while the later stages of cancer, rehabilitation can expand life expectancy, sacrifice tumor size, and sacrifice pain. rehabilitation options include both surgical and non-surgical procedures.

Surgical treatments

* Prostatectomy- the partial or perfect discharge of the prostate gland.

* Transurethral resection

* Cryotherapy- course in which the prostate gland is exposed to icy temperatures. while the procedure, needles are inserted into the prostate gland straight through the area between the scrotum and anus. Once the needles are in place the needles yield icy temperatures which destroy the prostate and all surrounding cancerous tissue. Note: Surgical rehabilitation of prostate cancer can often effect in a temporary loss of urinary control and/or sexual dysfunction. Medications can be prescribed by your doctor to help sacrifice these side effects.

Non-surgical treatments

* Radiation therapy- curative use of ionizing radiation to destroy the Dna of cancerous cells. Radiation is used to destroy or control the multiplication of malignant cells. Radiation is applied to the site of cancer (tumor, lymph nodes, etc.) and its surrounding tissue. This rehabilitation is often used in conjunction with Hormone or Chemotherapy.

* Hormone therapy- Hormone therapy involves the administration of specific hormones, such as steroids, or drugs which inhibit the yield or activity of other hormones involved in the improvement of the cancer. The agents used in hormone therapy are designed to alter gene expression of the cancerous cells, causing cell activity to cease, or by promoting cell death.

* Chemotherapy- Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals and antibiotics to kill cancer cells. Cancer is caused by the uncontrollable division of cells. The chemicals used while chemotherapy are designed to target rapidly-dividing cells, thus targeting the cancer cells and not other healthy cells of the body.

* Immunotherapy- Immunotherapy is a relatively new rehabilitation that stimulates the body's own immune-system to kill off tumors.