Cancer of the Prostate - Essay Example

Cancer of the Pro Cases of pro cancer has been significantly increasing and with this situation it is very helpful to provide information on the conditions of men who have prostate cancer. It is also very important to know the different ways in which this disease is managed so that we can assess, even with superficial judgment, the effectivity of these methods. This paper aims to provide enlightened understanding of prostate cancer and the men who have acquired this disease. In this paper, the pathology of this cancer will be discussed in order to have a thorough understanding of what a man with this type of cancer is undergoing. Also, it is important to discuss the psychological aspect of the lives of men with this condition. This section will touch on the cognitive functions and emotions of the person regarding his cancer. In addition to those, it would be really helpful to tackle the drugs which are said to have effects on this cancer. Related to the medical aspect of the topic of prostate cancer is the surgery and other medical interventions done in order to alleviate the condition of the patients. It would also be worthwhile talking about any risk factors which could be present alongside different medical and other nature of treatments. It is also appropriate to tackle the process after treatment which includes after-treatment therapy and the corresponding exercise and diet for the patients. The prostate gland The word prostate comes from the Greek word prostates which means to stand before. This etymology could be due to the fact that the prostate stands before the testis (MedicineNet.com, 2000). The prostate gland of the male reproductive system is located below the urinary bladder. The prostate marks the first part of the urethra. It is composed of 30-50 glands with smooth muscle tissue in between them. The prostate secretes a milky substance which is released at the same time that semen is ejaculated. (MedicineNet.com, 2007) Prostate cancer This is characterized by abnormal growth of cells in the prostate gland. This cancer progresses very slowly. This disease can be terminal, many men die because of prostate cancer but many also die because of other health effects of this cancer (McKesson Health Solution, 2006). Figures and statistics: who are affected In the United Kingdom, prostate cancer cases constitute almost a quarter of the male cancer cases. Annually, approximately 32,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with this cancer and almost 30% of these die (Hicks, 2007). It is termed as the most common malignancy of the male urinary tract (Robert-Koch-Institut, n.d). This cancer is more common to older men and to those who are genetically linked to a person with prostate cancer (Hicks, 2007). In general, 20% of prostate cancer patients are in their 50s while 70% are in their 70s (Brawn, Kuhl, Speights, Johnson & Lind,1995). Also, men from western countries, especially those in the Scandinavian region and those with African-Caribbean or African-American blood have higher risks of having prostate cancer (Hicks, 2007). Pathology In relation to the individuals affected by prostate cancer, it can be noted that men of African descent more commonly have high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) (Brawn, Kuhl, Speights, Johnson & Lind,1995). There are low chances of having prostate cancer if the individual has undergone pre-pubertal castration and also for people with liver cirrhosis or hyperestrogenism. It should be noted that prostate cancer is not at all related to sexually transmitted diseases. Also, it is not due to the effects of smoking. Nodular hyperplasia is not related to prostate cancer. (Brawn, Kuhl, Speights, Johnson & Lind,1995) Prostate cancer secretes ten times the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of the normal prostate. The tumours are adenocarcinomas or described as glandular structures originating from glandualar tissue (Dorland's Medical Dictionary, 2007). In cases of prostate cancer, there is a significant arise in the posterior part of the prostate gland. Specifically, there is 70% arise in the peripheral zone, 20% in the transition zone and 10% in the central zone. Normally, cancer cells spread through the neck of the urinary bladder, to the pelvic wall and rectum. Other common situations involve lymphatic spread, haematogenous spread and distant spread, to which the cancer cells reach the seminal vesicles. Recent evidences show that tumour pathology is directly related to prostate volume and that men with larger prostates have high tendency of having less aggressive cancer and lower Gleason scores. Gleason scores are used to grade tumours. Physical Impact In early stages of prostate cancer, affected men may experience frequent, delayed and very painful urination. Alongside these symptoms is pain in the lower back and hips. (Hicks, 2007). In advance stages of prostate cancer, affected men may experience very evident weight loss and bone pain alongside lower back pain and blood in the semen or urine (Hicks, 2007). Prevention and screening It is often told that foods rich in vitamin E, selenium and lycopene lowers the risk of acquiring this disease (Hicks, 2007). Also, healthy and lowfat diet is encouraged in order to lessen the chance of having this cancer. Men are encouraged to see their doctors once some of the symptoms have already been experienced. There could be some screeenings to be done in order to verify if the person really has prostate cancer. However, in the United Kingdom, there are no existing screeening programmes for men who suspect themselves of having prostate cancer (Hicks, 2007). . Some of the examinations included in order to screen for possible prostate cancer is digital rectal examination (DRE), blood tests, and even x-rays (Hicks, 2007). After information has been verified by the doctor, he may proceed to the biopsy of the prostate. This process will be able to confirm whether or not the person has prostate cancer and if ever present, be able to identify what stage the cancer currently is (Hicks, 2007). This will be the basis of the treatment that the doctor will prescribe the patient. Treatment The treatment of prostate cancer actually depends on whether cancer cells have already spread around the body or just concentrated within the prostate. Localised prostate cancer usually is treated through surgery or more commonly called radical prostatectomy. It is also treated through brachytherapy or the implantation of radioactive seeds in the prostate. Aside from that highly focused radiotherapy, high-frequency ultrasound and even cryotherapy is being used for treatment of prostate cancer. For the prostate cancer cases in which it has already spread to different parts of the body, hormone therapy is used in order to reduce the concentration of testosterone in the body which eventually would hinder the growth of cancer cells which have already spread around the body. (Hicks, 2007). Currently in the United Kingdom, permanent interstitial brachytherapy with seed implantation has already been increasing (Stone & Stock, 2002). In the United States, this has been seen as a more frequent resort of patients than radical prostatectomy. The treatment brachytherapy is used to treat prostate cancer way back in 1911 (Bahn, 1997; Porter, 1995). This earlier method involves the use of a catheter in order to insert radium into the prostatic urethra. However, this process has lead to some complications and with the increase popularity of other methods such as prostate removal or radical prostatectomy and hormone therapy, brachytherapy has slowly lost its pace in the fast changing medical world (Bahn, 1997). The procedure of brachytherapy involves a urologist injecting radioactive seeds, specifically Iodine-125 or Palladium-103 seeds into the man's prostate (Porter, 1995; Ragde et al, 1997). The seeds is injected using needles through the skin above the rectum or what we call perineum. The implanted seeds would then provide high amounts of radiation to the prostate with emissions lasting for many months (Ragde et al, 1997). The increase in the popularity of this technique is due to the lessened probability of having incontinence and impotence which can be acquired through radical prostatectomy. Other advantageous thing about this treatment is that the person involve can return to his normal activities after a considerably short period of time (Stock, Stone, Lo, Malhado, Kao, DeWyngaen, 2000). In addition to those, brachytherapy is also seen as a safer treatment compared to others in that it entails reduced probability of having injury in the rectal area, more focused effects on cancer cells, and less chances of damaging healthy cells within the periphery. This method, I think is one of those which offer less side effects. It is very important to make sure that surgeries and treatments are free or have low risk factors in order to ensure full recovery of the patient. Psychological Impact Men with prostate cancer experience certain psychological difficulties alongside physical incapabilities. By looking at the symptoms of prostate cancer, we can say that these men indeed feel extreme pain in certain parts of their body-especially in their lower back and urinary tract. With these pain, there is a high possibility that they have this feeling of being useless especially if they cannot do chores and carry activities on their own. Men are most of the time considered as the dominating figure in the family. While most of the men with this cancer is on the age range of 50-80, they are fathers and grandfathers who are have great responsibility in the family. With the difficult situation of prostate cancer patients, they have a high tendency to feel helpless. This sometimes causes conflict within the family, most especially if the family members cannot go along the mood swings of the patient, if ever there are any. In relation to that, these men may have a damaged ego simply because they feel that they are just a burden to their loved ones. Prostate cancer patients should be supported by their family in order to aid and help them in their recovery. These patients are like other patients who needs to get strength from the support and love by other people. As evident from the situation mentioned, we can say that indeed, there is a change in lifestyle of the individual with cancer. Depending on the extent of his adaptation to this new situation, there will always be a change in behavior and thinking because of the change in lifestyle. With all of these, it is appropriate to say that one of the best ways to treat or alleviate the situations of these patients is through supportive treatment. This will be the main role played by the family members. However, there are cases in which the patient doesn't have any family members to care for him or was just abandoned because of his situation. For these cases there are existing institutions which offer help and care for these men. Guidelines The NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) Manual includes that of prostate cancer and other types of cancer. The manual recommends that locally advanced disease of the prostate with or without the use of external beam radiotherapy should be discussed and consulted with men. This aims to encourage these men to make decisions which they think would be most beneficial to them. Other than the previous recommendation, the NICE guidelines do not recommend maximum androgen blockade. Nurses' role Specialist Nurse Programme aims to deploy specialist nurses to different health centeres and hospitals in order to cater the needs of prostate cancer patients (The Prostate Cancer Charity, 2007). These nurses focus on providing emotional and moral support and medical advices to men with prostate cancer. They also give way to more efficient medical referral of patients. These nurses also aid in the quick response and faster service provision for these cases. One of the significant roles of these nurses is their willingness and motive to attend to the needs of these patients especially those who are living alone, disabled, ostracized because of age and ethnicity (The Prostate Cancer Charity, 2007). They make it to a point that these patients are treated and well taken care of. Conclusion Prostate cancer is indeed a very complex situation with very complex treatments. We can say that these patients are very lucky that specific treatments had already been formulated in the present which are better versions of the traditional ones aiming to reduce the risks of side effects of surgery. It is very important to instill in our minds that still, prevention is better than cure. Treatments may be readily available but it is still better to prevent prostate cancer. From the information provided we can say that there is still hope for prostate cancer patients. However painful their situation could be, medicine and their social environment can greatly help them in decreasing their pain and return to their usual activities. These men have already done a lot of things for themselves and for their family. It is now the turn of their family members to take care of them and to make them feel that they are no burden to the family. We have also seen that nurses play a major role in aiding the recovery and giving support to these men. It is very possible that the programmes related to nursing and prostate cancer will be more developed in the years to come because of the positive effects it brings to patients. 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