Prostate cancer is a condition affecting a walnut-shaped gland in the pelvis of men, called the prostate. One in nine men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
Prostate cancer can be benign or malignant. Benign growths in the prostate are not a threat to the individual’s life, do not spread to tissue or other organs, can be removed and don’t usually grow back.
Malignant tumors, on the other hand, can spread to tissue or other organs, may be removed and sometimes grow back. When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is called metastatic prostate cancer.
During an initial consultation, the best urologist in Los Angeles will schedule the necessary screening and diagnostic tests in order to determine if the tumors are benign or malignant and recommend treatment.
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Patients exhibiting the following symptoms may have prostate cancer:
- Bone pain
- Unexplained weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Painful ejaculation
- Pain in the lower back, hips or upper thighs
- Blood in the urine
- Difficulty urination, pain, burning sensation or a weak urine flow
- Dull pain in the lower pelvic area
- Frequent urination
When You Should Consult with The Best Urologist in Los Angeles
Patients exhibiting symptoms of prostate cancer should schedule an appointment with the best urologist in Los Angeles to screen for the condition and obtain treatment.
Causes of Prostate Cancer
The following factors increase an individual’s risk of developing prostate cancer:
- Old age (over 55 years)
- Smoking
- Being overweight
- Being African American
- Family history of prostate cancer
- Poor diet
Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer may be screened for by a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or a digital rectal exam (DRE). If the results of the tests are abnormal, the patient’s urologist may request a prostate biopsy.
If prostate cancer cells are discovered, the pathologist will use the Gleason grading system to identify how aggressive the cancer is. A grade of less than three means the tissue is normal (or non-cancerous), a grade of three may signify a slow-growing tumor and a grade of five means the cancer is aggressive and high-risk.
The pathologist will then add up the two scores found in the biopsy to create a final number. A final grade of 10 indicates the cancer is extremely aggressive.
Treatment of Prostate Cancer
The best urologist in Los Angeles will recommend treatment based on how severe and aggressive the cancer is. Patients with serious and aggressive cancer may benefit from the following treatments:
Radical Prostatectomy. This procedure may be performed in three different ways: Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy (RALP), Retropubic Open Radical Prostatectomy or Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy. Each procedure removes the prostate. Once the prostate is removed, the surgeon will reconstruct the bladder and urinary tract.
Complications may include bleeding, infection, erectile dysfunction (ED), and urinary incontinence.
Radiation Therapy. This treatment involves using photon beams or proton beams to destroy cancerous cells in the prostate. Two types of radiation therapy include external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy.
Cryotherapy. Also known as cryoablation, cryotherapy is a procedure that freezes the prostate gland in order to destroy cancerous cells.