Nine out of 10 men who are diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer can go on to live a healthy life after proper treatment. That is great news, considering prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. Despite these excellent odds, more than 27,000 men still die each year from cancer of the prostate gland.
Prostate cancer involves a malignant tumor growth within the prostate gland. The cause of prostate cancer is unknown, although some studies have shown a relationship between high dietary fat intake and increased testosterone levels.
Prostate Cancer Symptoms
Often prostate cancer will have no symptoms at all. With testing, it can be detected long before any of these prostate cancer symptoms appear.
- Painful or burning urination
- Inability to urinate or difficulty in starting urine stream
- Inability to empty bladder
- Blood in urine
- Continual pain in the lower back, pelvis or upper thighs
- Frequent, urgent need to urinate
Prostate Check-Up Guidelines
Men over the age of 65 are most likely to develop prostate cancer. There are some check-up guidelines, however, that men can follow to detect prostate cancer early.
Click here for Cancer Screening Guidelines for Men.
Prostate Cancer Treatment
Prostate cancer treatments may vary based on the stage of the cancer. Depending on the stage, cancer treatments may include medications, surgery, radiation therapy or lifestyle changes.
In addition, CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery may be an option. UT Medical Center is home to CyberKnife, a revolutionary technology that enables treatment of tumors throughout the body at greater convenience and comfort to the patient than other radiosurgery systems such as Gamma Knife.
CyberKnife, a non-invasive, image guided, high-energy radiation treatment, often is used for tumors and is capable of treatment throughout the entire body. CyberKnife delivers precise beams of radiation from many angles outside the body without requiring the use of a metal head frame. The accuracy is so precise, in fact, that radiation can be matched to the shape of small complex tumors—even those close to critical organs. This technology is able to treat conditions such as prostate cancer, even tumors that are considered inoperable or untreatable with surgery or other options.
For additional information on your prostate cancer treatment, please contact the CyberKnife Center at 865.305.6889.
Early detection is your best defense against prostate cancer.
Call 1.877.UT.CARES (1.877.882.2737) to request an appointment today!
For more information, visit the American Cancer Society or National Cancer Institute. |
