How to screen and treat prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the male urogenital system. Epidemiological studies have shown that the occurrence of prostate cancer is mainly related to factors such as age, race, family genetic background, geographical location and dietary structure. The incidence of prostate cancer varies greatly around the world, and the incidence in Asians is much lower than that in Europeans and Americans. In the United States, the incidence of prostate cancer ranks first among all male malignant tumors, and the mortality rate ranks second only to lung cancer.

Unlike other common malignant tumors of the urinary system, prostate cancer has no typical clinical symptoms. This is because prostate cancer often occurs in the peripheral zone of the prostate. Early prostate cancer is mostly confined to the prostate and does not invade the surrounding tissues of the prostate, and often has no obvious clinical manifestations. However, as the tumor continues to develop, it will show a variety of different clinical symptoms.

1. Lower urinary tract symptoms: including irritation symptoms and obstruction symptoms. First of all, it should be clear that lower urinary tract symptoms are not unique to prostate cancer, but are more common in many benign urological lesions. In patients with prostate cancer, when the tumor infiltrates the front and middle part of the prostate, invades the urethra, bladder neck and trigone, it can cause lower urinary tract symptoms. These include frequent urination, urgency, hesitant urination, interrupted urination, dripping after urination and labored urination, etc.

2. Local invasive symptoms: The growth and development direction of prostate cancer often develops along the weakest path. Most prostate cancers originate from the peripheral zone of the prostate, that is, behind the prostate, so the bladder-rectal space is often the first area invaded by local invasive prostate cancer. When the tumor invades the prostate capsule and the perineural lymphatic vessels nearby, perineal pain and sciatica may occur; when the tumor invades and compresses the vas deferens, low back pain and testicular pain on the affected side may occur; when the tumor invades the upper part of the bladder-rectal space, it can compress the ureter and cause unilateral or bilateral hydronephrosis, and in severe cases, it can cause renal failure; when the tumor invades the neurovascular bundle on the posterior and lateral sides of the prostate, it can also cause erectile dysfunction; in severe cases, when the tumor invades the rectum, it can cause difficulty in defecation or colon obstruction; when the tumor invades the membranous urethra, urinary incontinence may occur.

3. Metastatic symptoms: The most common site of prostate cancer metastasis is the bones, and sometimes it can metastasize to other organs, such as the lungs, liver, adrenal glands, etc. Bone metastasis of prostate cancer can cause bone pain and even pathological fractures; when the tumor metastasizes to the pelvic lymph nodes, it can cause lower limb edema; when the tumor metastasizes to the lungs, it can cause coughing, coughing up blood, etc.

4. Systemic symptoms: Advanced prostate cancer may manifest as weight loss, fatigue, low fever, progressive anemia, cachexia or renal failure.

It can be seen that the early symptoms of prostate cancer patients are atypical, and prostate cancer cannot be discovered through early clinical manifestations. When prostate cancer shows certain clinical symptoms, it is often in the late stage. Since the key to improving the treatment effect of prostate cancer is early diagnosis and early treatment, prostate cancer screening is particularly important for the treatment effect of the disease.

Prostate cancer screening refers to the use of some simple and effective examination methods to detect tumors early before the patient develops related symptoms. Currently, commonly used screening methods include rectal examination, prostate-specific antigen test, transrectal ultrasound, etc. Among them, rectal examination and PSA test are the most commonly used and basic screening methods.