BPH
(Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) - Enlarged
prostate condition. As men age, the prostate gland increases in
size. Many will develop a condition called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.
BPH is not Cancer. Those that have difficulty urinating may have
drug therapy or an operation called a TURP to relieve these symptoms.
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PSA
( Prostate-Specific Antigen) - A blood test
- The prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test is used to determine
the PSA level. The higher the PSA level, the more likely cancer
is present.
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Digital
Rectal Examination
- In a digital rectal examination (DRE) your doctor will feel
for lumps in the prostate by inserting a lubricated, gloved finger
into the rectum. An ultrasound may also be used to visualize your
prostate.
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TURP
- A TURP is a simple enough procedure, taking
from 30 to 60 minutes. The doctor inserts an instrument called
a resectoscope into the penis through the urethra. The resectoscope
is about 12 inches long and half an inch in diameter and contains
a light, valves for controlling irrigating fluid and an electrical
loop to cut tissue and cauterize blood vessels. By manipulating
the loop the doctor removes prostate tissue one piece at a time.
The pieces of tissue are carried by the fluid into the bladder
from where they are flushed out after the operation.
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TRUS
(Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Biopsy) You will be asked to
lie
on your side with your knees drawn up towards your chin (as for
a digital rectal examination). A probe is inserted into the rectum
and an image of your prostate can be seen on a screen. A needle
is used to take samples (usually six) of your prostate (biopsy)
which will be sent for examination under a microscope.
Prostate
Cancer - Prostate cancer is an abnormal growth
of cells in the outer zone of cells making up the prostate gland.
Prostate cancer is usually slow growing and can be treated effectively.
However, successful treatment relies on early detection and diagnosis.
Unfortunately, because men often avoid visiting their doctor and
because they often tend to dismiss health concerns, prostate cancer
frequently develops undetected for some time.
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MRI
Scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) An imaging
technique which may be offered but is not available in all hospitals.
The machine looks like a long tube in which you lie for for 20-30
minutes. Rather than taking X-rays, the MRI scanner is like a
large magnet which uses the electricity already within your body
to create an image. Although these machines are very noisy, they
do not harm you, and you can communicate to an assistant through
a microphone should you begin to feel claustrophobic. The pictures
obtained help the doctors to define if the cancer is confined
within the prostate gland.
CT
Scan
(Computerised Tomography) CT scans can indicate whether the cancer
has spread into tissues surrounding the prostate. You pass through
a machine which takes X-rays of your pelvis. These are fed into
a computer which creates a 3D image of the prostate, surrounding
tissue and lymph nodes, which is more sensitive than a standard
X-ray. The doctors can then look more closely at the cancer and
see if it is still contained within the prostate.
Needle
Biopsy
If your doctor feels anything that is not normal during the rectal
exam, or is concerned about the results of your PSA test, he or
she may perform a needle biopsy. During a needle biopsy, several
needles are placed into the prostate to remove some cells for
examination under a microscope. Cells taken during the biopsy
are studied in a lab to help decide how aggressive the tumor might
be. This process called grading, measures how similar cancer cells
are to normal cells.
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Staging
Once prostate cancer has been diagnosed, more tests will be done
to find out if the cancer cells have spread from the prostate
to the other parts of the body. This process is called staging.
Your doctor needs to know the stage of your disease to plan treatment.
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Radical
Prostatectomy A radical prostatectomy is a
major operation to remove the whole prostate and any cancer that
is inside it. (This operation is quite different from a TURP which
only removes some of the prostate)
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Radiotherapy
- In external radiation therapy, a machine outside the body delivers
radiation to the appropriate part of the body. The patient is
exposed to the source for a given amount of time.
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Brachytherapy
- In internal radiation therapy (also called
brachytherapy), radioactive materials are placed inside the patient's
body near the tumor in order to deliver the radiation.
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Orchiectomy
Surgical removal of the testicles
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LH-RH
(Lutemising Hormone Releasing Hormone) Agonist injections
- These injections aim to stop testosterone being produced as
this hormone helps Prostate Cancer to grow
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Anti-androgen
drug therapy - These drugs do not stop the production
of testosterone but help to reduce its effect of stimulating the
prostate cancer. They are given as tablets and so offer an alternative
to those patients who cannot face an operation or routine injections.
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Oestrogen therapy - This
drug can be used if your prostate cancer does not, or ceases to
respond to the LH-RH agonist or anti-androgen therapies. Oestrogen
is a female hormone and is administered in tablet form. It suppresses
the effects of testosterone.
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Palliative
therapy -When
other treatments are no longer effective in slowing down your
prostate cancer you may develop pain elsewhere. For example, if
the cancer has spread to your bones you might start to experience
bone pain. 'Palliative' therapy does not stop the growth of the
cancer, but aims to reduce the pain caused by it.
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