Advances in the management of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cause of cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer death among men worldwide. In India, it is the second most common cancer in Indian males as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and various state cancer registries. The incidence rate in India is 9-10/100000 population which is higher than other parts of Asia and Africa but lower than USA and Europe. The cancer projection data shows that the number of cases will become double by 2020. Prostate is the second leading site of cancer among males in large Indian cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram; third leading site of cancer in cities like Bangalore and Mumbai.

There has been a change over the years, in the increase of number of cases, owing mostly to lifestyle changes and work-life balance. Owing mostly due to the lack of awareness, men in India do not undergo periodic cancer screening after the age of 50 and most of the cases detected are observed to have already progressed to an advanced stage. There are newer advances and developments towards the prevention, detection, and treatment of prostate cancer with improved treatment options made available for better outcomes.

To prevent prostate cancer, few precautionary measures should be adopted in regular lifestyle like engaging in more physical activities, maintaining a work-life balance to avoid stress, increase intake of leafy vegetables. Some substances in tomatoes (lycopenes) and soybeans (isoflavones) have been found that might help prevent prostate cancer. Researchers have tested certain hormonal medicines called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors as a way of reducing prostate cancer risk.
Particularly in the early stages prostate cancer rarely causes any typical symptoms. Unlike benign prostate hyperplasia, early prostate cancer mostly does not cause difficulties with urination for example.

Only very large tumors pressing on the rectum, as well as metastases in other parts of the body, cause pain. Symptoms, such as weight loss, night sweats, and anemia generally occur only in advanced stages. Detecting prostate cancer on your own is therefore almost impossible.

Periodic checks with Digital rectal exam (DRE) and the Prostate-specific antigen(PSA) test are recommended. Elevated PSA levels can be an indication of cancer, infection, inflammation or non-cancerous enlargement. Transrectal Ultrasound is done for further diagnosis. The biopsied tissues are examined to evaluate the grade of prostate cancer by Gleason score. Bone scan, CT, MRI or PET CT followed with Biopsy is done to confirm the diagnosis. Men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer may not require treatment right away. Only active surveillance is required in a few cases.

The treatment options include surgery (radical prostatectomy) or radiation therapy. Radical Prostatectomy for prostate cancer involves removing the prostate gland, some surrounding tissue and a few lymph nodes. Robotic prostatectomy allows the surgeon to make more precise movements with surgical tools as compared to traditional open or minimally invasive surgery.
Radiation therapy can be delivered either by a radiation system, the fastest in treatment speed, precision and simplicity, to accurately target tumors, or by Brachytherapy which involves placing many rice- sized radioactive seeds in the prostate tissue, delivering a low dose of radiation over a longer period of time. A few patients additionally require Hormone therapy, either for a short or long course.

Researchers are looking at newer forms of treatment for early-stage prostate cancer. These new treatments could be used either as the primary treatment or as adjuvant after radiation therapy One treatment, known as high-intensity focused ultrasound(HIFU), uses highly focused ultrasonic beams to kill tumor cells. Many studies have looked at the possible benefits of specific nutrients (often as supplements) in helping to treat prostate cancer. Some compounds being studied include extracts from pomegranate, green tea, broccoli, turmeric, flaxseed, and soy. A holistic multi-disciplinary team approach is the best way to fight prostate cancer.

Source:http://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/advances-in-the-management-of-prostate-cancer/60918484

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

EMA validates Incyte’s MAA for retifanlimab to treat metastatic squamous cell anal carcinoma

Merck’s Keytruda plus platinum- and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy receives US FDA nod to treat certain patients with locally advanced/metastatic esophageal or GEJ carcinoma

Tumour-targeting drug paves way for bone cancer treatment