Prostate Cancer: Why it has higher survival rates and its treatment
Although cancer was once considered nothing more than a death sentence, this perception has slowly faded as cancer has become a more prevalent disease. One common form among all types of cancers is prostate cancer: a cancer that occurs in a small walnut-shaped gland in males. The prostate is responsible for the production of seminal fluid and the transport of sperm. Prostate cancer can be difficult to identify in the early stages as signs and symptoms may not appear even until later stages. While symptoms do differ based on each individual, severe symptoms could include:
Difficulty in urination
Weak stream of urine
Blood in urine
Blood in the semen
Pain on bones
Unintended loss of weight
Inability of erection
Like most types of cancer, the causes of prostate cancer are still obscure, but doctors state that prostate cancer can be identified through changes in an individual’s cells located in the prostate. These changes can be identified mainly using two methods. The first method is a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE), where a doctor feels the prostate to search for abnormalities or hard areas that may indicate cancer. The other method is a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test, which is a blood test that indicates PSA (a protein produced in prostate cells) levels. In this test, an elevated level may be due to cancer.
Being one of the most common forms of cancer, prostate cancer also has a significantly higher survival rate compared to others. The reason for the high rate is that prostate cancer cells usually grow slower (slowing down the development and spreading of the cells around the body) and often remain only in the area of the prostate gland. Survival rates differ based on the four stages of cancer: for stages I to III, an individual’s 5-year relative survival rate is 99% while for stage IV, the rate is 34%. These results show that despite the survival rate being almost equal to that of an individual not diagnosed with prostate cancer in the first three stages, there is a significant decrease in survival rates for stage 4.
Furthermore, survival rates can be greatly influenced by different factors. These factors include:
Age
Race
Genetics
Obesity
With about 1 out of 8 males being diagnosed with prostate cancer, these numbers increase along with age. For instance, research shows that under the age of 50, 1 in every 456 males is diagnosed with prostate cancer, and this number decreases to 1 in 54 for ages 50 to 59, 1 in 19 for ages 60 to 69, and 1 in 11 for ages above 70. A similar trend can be seen in survival rates: most age groups have values between 97.8% and 99.6% but for ages under 50 and above 80, they have rates of 96.7% and 84.6% respectively. These lower rates are due to those under 50 not being commonly tested for prostate cancer and those above 80 experiencing immune deficiency. For ages between 50 and 80, survival rates remain between the ranges of 97.8% and 99.6%. Secondly, race is also a contributing factor as research reveals that black people have a higher likelihood of getting diagnosed with prostate cancer and at younger ages. Black men are almost 80% more likely than white men, supporting this claim. Moreover, CDC statistics demonstrate that between the years 1999 and 2017, the number of deaths due to prostate cancer per 100,000 was 36.8 for non-Hispanic black males, 17.8 for non-Hispanic white males, and 15.4 for Hispanic males. Thirdly, of course, genetics plays a major role as individuals who are related to other individuals who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer have a higher chance of also getting diagnosed. Lastly, although not completely proven, some studies have shown that obese individuals tend to face higher risks of prostate cancer and more severely.
There are various types of treatment available to cure prostate cancer. Although treatment differs based on the situation and severity of the individual, the 4 most common types of treatment are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and drugs. The surgical process includes the removal of the prostate gland as well as surrounding tissues and lymph nodes. Incisions are made by surgeons into the abdomen to receive access to the prostate in this process. Radiation therapy utilizes high-powered energy that comes from outside the body or that is placed inside the body to eliminate the cancer cells, called external beam radiation and brachytherapy respectively. Chemotherapy, also commonly used to treat other types of cancers, uses drugs to eliminate cells in growth including cancer cells. The drugs are inserted through the arm veins or the use of pills; therefore, this treatment method is more appropriate for situations in which cancer has spread throughout the body Lastly, drug therapy, or targeted drug therapy, is the use of drugs targetting oddities that can be seen in cancer cells. This method is usually recommended for those with severe prostate cancer, especially since some of the drugs specifically focus on certain genetic mutations.
Although cancer may still seem scary for many individuals, not all types are severe and harmful. Being one of them, prostate cancer can be seen with higher survival rates. However, it should still not be taken lightly as a late discovery and improper treatment may lead to hazardous outcomes.