Saturday, February 11, 2012

Metastatic Prostate Cancer Type Guide |

Learn about metastatic prostate cancer type, the various stages and the prognosis within each stage. Also find out the different treatment options that are available for metastatic prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the more serious cancer types that men over the age 50 are typically at risk of getting and can come on regardless of their current health. Everyone knows that carcinoma is very aggressive when left untreated or when it?s discovered in the latter stages of growth, making it known as metastatic cancer. This is the general term for cancer that has started in one main point of origin and then spread to other parts of the body, be it other organs or the bones.

Once cancer spreads to other parts of the body, many are left with the feeling of hopelessness but there are still a few options that are available to help ease the stress and pain of metastatic prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer ? Metastatic Types and Stages

There are several different prostate cancer types and metastatic sites that are common in men who are in the more advanced stages of the disease. Most of the metastatic prostate cancer types are fairly predictable due to the location of the prostate and the routes that cancer cells can go down when they metastasize in the body.

Prostate cancer will generally spread to the lymph nodes first, followed by the liver, lungs and bones.

Other metastatic sites from common cancer types include:

Breast: ?Bones liver and lungs

Colon: ? Liver, lungs and peritoneum

Kidney: ?Bones liver and lungs

Lungs: ? Adrenal gland, liver and lungs

Melanoma: ? Liver, lungs, muscles or skin

Ovary: ? Liver, lungs and peritoneum

Pancreas: ? Liver, lungs and peritoneum

Rectum: ? Adrenal gland, liver and lungs

Stomach: ? Liver, lungs and peritoneum

Thyroid: ? Bones liver and lungs

Uterus: ?Liver, lungs and peritoneum

Prostate Cancer Screening and Different Types of Treatment

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)

TestThe prostate specific antigen test is conducted to view the protein levels in a man?s prostate. Should this protein reach levels that are higher than normal, doctors are required to conduct further tests to conclude whether or not cancer is present.

Higher protein levels are generally an indication of viruses or disease in the prostate. With prostate cancer incidences on the rise, it?s especially important to take precautions and proceed with further screening tests in order to properly diagnose the problem.

Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)

A digital rectal examination is manually done by a doctor using a gloved hand. The doctor will lubricate one digit and manually insert it into the perineal area and the prostate.

Cystoscopy

A cystoscopy is used to examine the urinary tract to find any abnormalities that may indicate the possibility of cancer. The probe used in this screening procedure is very fine and has a small lens with light at the end of it.

Biopsy

A prostate biopsy is conducted by taking small samples of the prostate tissue. The biopsy is one of the most effective ways of diagnosing prostate cancer and is usually done after one or two other screening tests that lead doctors to believe cancer or another serious disease or virus may be present.

A biopsy is also the only way doctors are able to detect high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN or PIN), when digital rectal exams and prostate specific antigen tests are unable to detect it at all.

Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia is typically evident prior to tumor growth. PIN is an abnormality found on the prostate gland or surrounding cells. These abnormalities are usually indicative of a potential malignant prostate cancer tumor from forming.

Type of Prostate Treatment Options

There are different types of standard treatment options that are available to patients with prostate cancer, including metastatic prostate cancer.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy requires the use of strong medicine to kill cancerous cells from within the body. This medication is administered directly into the veins, muscles or in the standard oral manner.

Radiation

Radiation therapy requires the use of x-rays or high energy protons that are used to kill cancer cells. The biggest problem with this form of treatment is the fact that it?s generally quite aggressive and also runs the risk of killing many healthy cells in the body.

Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery is different from standard surgery for prostate cancer because this one does not involve incisions in the same manner. This type of surgery utilizes extreme cold from liquid nitrogen as a means to destroy abnormal cells or cancerous tissue within the body.

Metastatic Prostate Cancer ? Type of Treatments

There is a variety of treatment and therapy options for men with metastatic prostate cancer, however the number and types of treatment options are reduced the more advanced the cancer stage they may be in.

While many people may believe that there is nothing that can be done; no hope, when they have metastatic cancer, there are in fact effective options available though most will be quite aggressive in order to help minimize the spread and damage in the body.

Most metastatic prostate cancer patients will be recommended the same treatments as non-metastatic prostate cancer; however the dosage and strength will generally be higher than normal. The treatments will also be combined for a more aggressive approach, which is why not all patients will be able to handle them due to their incredibly abrasive nature.

Metastatic Prostate Cancer Prognosis

For proper staging and prognosis of metastatic prostate cancer, there are several tests that are run, with the most popular one being the Gleason Score.

Gleason Score

The Gleason score is based on the grading system created by the pathologist Donald Gleason in the 1960s. This is a very common grading system that?s used to evaluate the prognosis of prostate cancer in men.

The main benefit of the Gleason score is to help with prognosis and guide with the treatments and therapy for the best possible results with the disease.

The way it is graded is through a scale that?s numbered from one to five. The higher the Gleason score is for a man, the more aggressive the cancer stage, which generally means the prognosis for that patient is not as positive as lower scores.

The five types or general grades of the Gleason score are as follows:

  • A grade of 1 will virtually never be used since there is little to be discovered. The prostate gland will seem normal.
  • A grade of 2 to 4 will be given to non-aggressive cancer but the prostate gland will have a larger form from normal.
  • A grade of 5 or 6 will indicate mildly aggressive cancer and the prostate gland will have darker cells forming.
  • A grade of 7 will be given to cancer in a more moderate aggressive state.?At this stage, the cancerous cells are invading surrounding tissue.
  • A grade of anything from 8 to 10 will indicate very aggressive cancer.?The prostate glands are no longer recognizable due to extensive cellular damage.

Metastatic Prostate Cancer Life Expectancy

The metastatic prostate cancer survival rate will always vary from one person to another, making it very difficult to determine a common life expectancy, regardless of the stage of the advanced metastatic prostate cancer type that they may be dealing with. Not only will the patient`s physical condition come into effect but also their age and reactions to the different treatment options.

Source: http://www.about-prostate-cancer.com/509/metastatic-prostate-cancer-type-guide/

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