Stage 4 Prostate Cancer Information

- As with all cancers, prostate cancer is staged according to how far along the cancer has progressed. Usually, these stages are represented with Roman numerals, such as I, II, III, and IV, a system that was developed by the American Join Committee on Cancer to standardize staging. As you might expect, stage IV (or 4) is the most advanced type of prostate cancer.

If you have been diagnosed with a stage 4 prostate cancer, you might be wondering how it relates to the other stages. Often, cancer patients are confused by the staging designations and require some further clarification. As a quick primer, the stages of prostate cancer are listed below:

Stage I – Cancer is well within the prostate gland and has not spread. If you’ve had a biopsy, fewer than 5% of the biopsy tissue contained cancer.

Stage II – In this state, the cancer is also within the prostrate gland and hasn’t spread. However, during a biopsy, the tissue contained more than 5% cancerous cells.

Stage III – At this point, the cancer has spread outside the prostate gland area, but not to the lymph nodes or other body parts that are farther away from the prostate.

Stage IV – In stage 4, the prostate cancer has spread to other areas of the body, including some that are considered “far away” from the prostate gland (such as the lymph nodes.)

As you can see, stage 4 cancers need to be dealt with more aggressively and efficiently than other types. In fact, many stage 1 patients may choose to adopt a “wait and see” attitude toward their cancer rather than immediately attacking the cancer at its source. However, this isn’t an option for stage 4 patients.

By the time it reaches a stage 4 prostate cancer , you may need to choose radiation or chemotherapy in addition to surgery to eradicate the cancer. At this point, your doctor can provide you with all the answers you need to make the most informed decision possible.

Article courtesy of prostatehealthnews.org

Prostate Treatments & PSA Predicts Death From Prostate Cancer

ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2009) — Men whose prostate specific antigen (PSA) rise within 18 months of radiotherapy are more likely to develop spread and die of their disease, according to an international study led by Fox Chase Cancer Center radiation oncologist Mark K. Buyyounouski, M.D., M.S. and presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

"PSA is the gold standard for following prostate cancer patients after they receive radiation or surgery. But we haven't know if having PSA rise sooner means a patient has a greater danger of dying of prostate cancer, though it seems logical," Buyyounouski says.

Using a single institution database, Buyyounouski and colleagues showed previously that men who suffered an early biochemical failure, which is defined as their lowest PSA level plus 2 ng/mL, were at greater risk of dying of prostate cancer. The new study confirms those results using a multinational database and shows that the measure is ready for use in the clinic.

"Now we can use the simple criteria from this study, which is widely available for anyone who has PSA testing, to identify men who have a greater than 25% chance of dying from prostate cancer in the next five years. That is huge. There is nothing else that can do that," says Buyyounouski.

A total of 2,132 men with clinically localized prostate cancer who suffered biochemical failure after treatment were studied. The median interval between treatment and biochemical failure was 35.2 months for the entire study group. However, 19% of patients developed biochemical failure at 18 months or less. The five-year cancer-specific survival for these men was 69.5% compared with 89.8% for men who developed biochemical failure after 18 months.

A multivariate analysis showed that the interval to biochemical failure correlated with cancer specific survival, as did Gleason score, tumor stage, age, and PSA doubling time. However, the interval to biochemical failure had the best predictive value for cancer-specific mortality, compared with the other variables.

Currently, most physicians do not start treatment based on biochemical failure alone, but rather wait until the PSA reaches a high level or there is some other evidence tumor spread. "The potential impact of this finding is that patients can initiate treatment far sooner without waiting for other signs or symptoms of prostate cancer," Buyyounouski says. "If a patient has biochemical failure at 16 months, rather than wait and learn later that the PSA is rising sharply and risk the development of distant metastasis, therapy can be started sooner based on the increased risk of death."

Prostate Self Examination

Prostate cancer has many similarities to breast cancer. In the first place, it is among the most common deadly cancers. Secondly, it is gender specific (although it is possible for males to develop breast cancer, it is exceedingly rare). Third, it is detectable using a self exam. Finally, the prostate, like the breast, is located in a location that is not frequently talked about.

It is recommended that men aged fifty and older receive a yearly prostate exam. However, since the long term prognosis is directly proportional to how early the cancer is detected, conducting a prostate self exam can give you added precious time if the cancer develops in between your regularly scheduled exams.

A prostate self exam is surprisingly easy to accomplish, though it may take a bit of will power to get over the natural tendency to avoid the part of the body where the prostate is located. The prostrate gland is very easy to reach as it lies less than a finger length away from the rectal sphincter, but the really hard part is convincing yourself that probing into the rectum is a good idea. This takes a bit of mind work–aren’t a few moments of being uncomfortable worth it if those few moments make the difference between catching the cancer early or late?

To perform a prostate self exam, simply insert the index finger into the anus and feel for a fleshy mass. It should have the same consistency as the skin between your thumb and index finger when making a tight fist. A healthy prostate is firm but not hard. Gently massage the prostate, carefully feeling for any hard lumps. If you detect a lump, do not panic–it’s probably not cancer and, if it is, at least you caught it early. Call your physician and ask for a comprehensive prostate exam.

Doing a prostate self examination may be uncomfortable and embarrassing, but they can mean the difference between terminal and treatable prostate cancer. A few minutes of discomfort can save your life.

Article courtesy of prostatehealthnews.org

More Prostatitis News

Prostatitis

is a Blanket Term Describing a Number of Prostate Conditions. With advances in health care comes ever increasing life spans. While this is undoubtedly a good thing, having a large population of people of advanced age means that diseases that were once rarely seen are becoming more prevalent. One of these diseases is prostate cancer.

The early symptoms of prostate cancer are typically due to restrictions in the urethra that occur because prostate cancer enlarges the prostate. Therefore, any hint of prostate enlargement should be investigated. Fortunately, most prostate enlargements are not caused by cancer.

Other sources of prostate enlargement are normal enlargement of the prostate as a natural part of aging. Another cause, more common in younger men, is prostatitis. What is prostatitis? Prostatitis is a catch all term that stands for a diverse number of prostate enlargements not related to aging or prostate cancer.

Acute bacterial prostatitis is the least common form of the disease but it is very easy to diagnose and treat. The symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis include fever, back pain, and frequent urination. The tratment for acute bacterial prostatitis is as simple as administering a round of antibiotics.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis has the same symptom suite as acute prostatitis, but the causes typically involved defects that provide a natural harbor for bacterial infection. Treatment by antibiotics is not usually effective since it does not cure the underlying defect. Surgery or ultrasonic treatments are usually necessary to first remove the defects, and then antibiotics can clear up the residual bacteria.

Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland that does not cause any pain or discomfort. It is usually only detected during prostate examinations. This form of prostatitis generally causes no problems and does not require treatment of any kind.

Clearly, enlargement of the prostate should always be taken seriously. Any symptoms should be reported to your doctor so that further tests can be run. Fortunately, most enlarged prostates are caused by non cancerous prostatitis.

Article courtesy of prostatehealthnews.org

2/3 Prostate Cancer Patients Don't Need Treatment

ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2009) — Research at the University of Liverpool involving more than 500 prostate cancer patients has revealed two thirds of cases did not require urgent treatment, due to the absence of a protein that indicates progressive disease.

In the largest study of its kind, the international team of pathologists studied an initial 4,000 prostate cancer patients over a period of 15 years to further understanding into the natural progression of the disease and how it should be managed. The research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, could be used to develop a blood test to distinguish between aggressive and non-aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

Globally, prostate cancer is the fifth most common malignancy and accounts for 13% of male deaths in the UK. Studies have shown that men with non-aggressive prostate cancer can live with the disease untreated for many years, but aggressive cancer requires immediate treatment.

Pathologists found that the presence of a protein, called Hsp-27, in cancer cells was an indicator that the disease will progress and require treatment. The study showed, however, that in more than 60% of cases the protein was not expressed and the cancer could be managed by careful monitoring, rather than with active invention methods, such as drug treatment or surgery.

The protein normally has a positive function in the body, helping healthy cells survive when they are placed under 'stressful' conditions, such as disease or injury. If the protein is expressed in cancer, however, it can prevent the diseased cells from dying, allowing the cancer to progress. The team, supported by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and in collaboration with scientists in London and New York, found that the protein can be used to predict how the disease will behave and could help doctors advise patients on how the disease could affect their daily lives.

Professor Chris Foster, Head of the University's Division of Pathology, explains: "Cancer of any kind is a very distressing disease and has the ability to impact on every aspect of a person's life. Chemotherapy and surgery can also have a significant effect on health and wellbeing and that is why it is important that we first understand the biological nature of the disease and how it will behave in each individual patient, before determining if and when a person needs a particular type of treatment.

"By studying the disease in a large number of men throughout the UK and over a long period of time, we have been able to get a more complete picture of how to manage the disease successfully, whilst limiting the negative impact it can have on a patient's life. The study also demonstrates the role of modern of Pathology, not only in establishing diagnoses but in determining if the subsequent management of individual patients is biologically appropriate for their particular condition.

"The protein – or biomarker – we have identified provides us with a signal that the disease will continue to progress. We know that at the point this marker is expressed, medics need to administer treatment to kill the cancer cells. We have shown that in the majority of cases, however, this marker is not expressed and therefore patients do not necessarily need to go through treatment to lead a normal life."

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What Causes Prostate Cancer?

While there are many symptoms of prostate cancer, the causes of the prostate cancer are unknown. The biggest culprit seems to be genetics. If a person’s father had prostate cancer, then chances are, they will develop it too. While a person’s age, race, and nationality can be factors, genetics seems to be the biggest common link between those who have had the cancer.

After the age of fifty, visiting a doctor for yearly prostate cancer screenings is recommended. This will give doctors a chance to treat the cancer early if it is detected.

Early symptoms and warning signs include painful urination, pelvic pain, swelling, back pain, and weight loss. There may be other symptoms as well. Visiting a doctor is the only way to receive a definite prognosis as these symptoms could be caused by other illnesses or infections. Being aware of the symptoms and causes of prostate cancer could save a person’s life by getting treatment early. After the age of fifty, it is best to schedule yearly tests to see if the cancer is present. Sometimes knowing early can save a person’s life.

If prostate cancer is left untreated, it will begin to spread. Once it has metastasized, or spread to other areas of the body, the cancer will be harder to treat. Bone metastasis is the hardest form of cancer to treat. Once the cancer enters the bone, it will infect the marrow which can be spread very easily to the rest of the body. This is why being checked for cancer is so important.

There are many prostate cancer treatments available to help fight prostate cancer. The latest treatment is cryosurgery. This procedure involves freezing tumors so that they cannot spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy is also available and if the tumor is small enough and has not mestasised, removing the tumor through surgical procedures is also an option.

Article courtesy of prostatehealthnews.org