Break your silence and speak to your Urologist about Prostate to get early treatment

New Delhi [India], November 22 (ANI/Mediawire): Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer among men and the global burden of this disease is rising.
For increasing awareness of this urological condition and treatment options, India's best urologists participated in the "Urology Awareness Week" initiated by Times of India in association with MSN Healthcare, between 21-24 September' 21, in cities like Jaipur, Chandigarh/Ludhiana, Bhubaneshwar, Vijaywada, Coimbatore, Lucknow & Kolkata.
What is the prostate gland?
The prostate gland is present in men and is located just below the urinary bladder. The gland's function is to produce a fluid (known as the seminal fluid) that nourishes and transports the sperm.
One of the most common disease associated with the prostate is Benign Hyperplasia of the prostate (BHP). What is meant by this term?
Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (also known as BPH) is a non-cancerous condition when the gland increases in size. It occurs after the age of 40 due to a rise in estrogen and decreased testosterone levels.
What are the symptoms of BPH?
Symptoms are difficulty in urination due to obstruction of the urethra (the tube through which urine leaves the body), including hesitancy, poor urinary flow, and a sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder. Other symptoms include increased frequency of urination, rushing to pass urine, and waking up at night to urinate.
How is BPH diagnosed?
It is diagnosed by the symptoms a patient presents, measurement of urine flow and the prostate gland's volume with an ultrasound scan.
How can BPH be managed?
Patients with mild to moderate prostate enlargement are treated with medications. Those who do not respond to medications require surgical management. Patients are advised not to drink more than 1.5 litres to 2 litres of water per day and not drink water after the evening. Urologists recommend self-care that includes avoiding a high intake of tea and coffee, smoking and alcohol, and maintaining a proper lifestyle with timely consultations.
Globally, Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among males. What are the possible risk factors for the development of the disease?
Prostate cancer is an uncontrolled growth of prostatic cells. 1 out of 8 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. It rarely occurs before the age of 50, and the mean age of occurrence is 65.
Genetic factors play an essential role in the development of the disease. A person with first-degree relatives with prostate cancer has a higher chance of developing prostate cancer. Obesity, red meat intake, and smoking tobacco are other possible risks factors for developing prostate cancer.
What are the warning signs of prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is slow-growing cancer. Most patients are either asymptomatic or develop lower urinary tract symptoms which become challenging to distinguish from BPH.
Some symptoms specific to prostatic cancer include blood in urine or semen, sudden loss of erections, pain or burning during urination, or while having sex. If cancer spreads to the pelvic region, it may cause pain in the hips or swelling in the legs. If it metastasizes, then it may cause symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue.
Is there any way to catch the disease early?
A rise in Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is the most common marker to test for prostate cancer. Screening for PSA can begin by the age of 45 in men with first-degree relatives with prostate cancer and others by the age of 50. PSA is not specific to prostate cancer. Diseases such as prostate and urinary system infection and BPH are also associated with increased levels of PSA.
What are other methods to diagnose prostate cancer?
Depending on the examination of the patient, the doctor will advise for an ultrasound-guided biopsy. The procedure involves removing a tissue sample using a needle inserted through the rectum into the prostate and using the transrectal ultrasound to guide the needle.
When a person is diagnosed with cancer, the first question that comes to mind is what stage of cancer. What is meant by stage of prostate cancer?
The stage of cancer means how much it has spread. It may be localized to the prostate gland itself (Stage T1-T2), spread to the surrounding organs (Stage T3), or spread to the whole body through the bloodstream (Stage T4).
How is prostate cancer treated?
Treatment depends on the spread of cancer, the patient's age, and whether any comorbidity is present. The doctor divides it into low, intermediate, and high-risk cases. Low-risk cases are kept actively under surveillance, which means checking for a rise in PSA every three months and doing a yearly biopsy. The doctors advise surgery for patients up to the age of 75 in the intermediate-risk category and hormone therapy and removal of the gland in high-risk patients.
What can be the changes in the diet to manage the disease?
A patient should avoid red meat, processed food, smoking, and obesity. They should start eating healthy food consisting of high fibre and green vegetables, high antioxidant foods, and a good liquid intake.
Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer have improved the ability to stratify patients by risk and allowed clinicians to recommend therapy based on cancer prognosis and patient preference. Be aware of the symptoms and visit the urologist early so that it can be treated early and your quality of life is not hampered.
Bhuvaneshwar:
Dr. Lakshmikant Sahu
Dr. Sukanta Kumar Padhy
Dr. Samir Swain
Dr. Manas Ranjan Pradhan
Dr. Biswajit Nanda
Vijayawada
Dr. CH. Visweswara Rao
Dr. G. Ravi Shankar
Dr. P.T. Ravi Chander
Dr. G. Ajay Kumar
Dr. Sateesh Marriwada
Ludhiana
Dr. Anand Sehgal
Dr. Tejpal Singh Gill
Dr. Kawaljit Singh Kaura
Dr. Saurabh Gupta
Dr. Avreen Singh Shah
Coimbatore
Dr. K. Senthil
Dr. C. L. Dinakaran
Dr. D. Mohan Kumar
Dr. S. Praveen Kumar
Dr. A. S. Karthikeyan
Lucknow
Dr. Vishwajeet Singh
Dr. Alok Srivastava
Dr. Pratipal Singh
Dr. Praveen Kumar Pandey
Dr. Anubhav Raj
Kolkata
Dr. Tridibes Mandal
Dr. Abhay Kumar
Dr. Avinash Dutt Sharma
Dr. Pushkar Shyam Chowdhury
Dr. Sayak Roy
Jaipur
Dr. Neeraj Agarwal
Dr. Nachiket Vyas
Dr. Prashant Gupta
Dr. Ravi Gupta
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