Myths And Facts About Prostate Cancer

Myth: The elevated level of PSA in the blood means that you have prostate cancer. Normal PSA level suggests that prostate okay
Fact: the level of PSA in the blood may affect not only prostate cancer. He rises with prostatitis and prostate adenoma. In addition, in some cases of prostate cancer PSA level may be normal or even low. However, this method of diagnosis is the best for the early detection of prostate cancer.

Myth: Even if the level of PSA in the blood is high, but a biopsy found no prostate pathology, it means that there is no cancer.
Fact: Unfortunately, no although at the time of biopsy the doctor tries to take as many samples of prostate tissue, with small tumors detected on biopsy of cancer can be difficult. Therefore, if the doctor doubts that you may be unrecognized tumor of the prostate, he will recommend another biopsy.

Myth: If I do not have any symptoms, then I do not have prostate cancer.
Fact: often in the early stages of prostate cancer, he did not manifest. As the progression of the disease may have problems with urination or pain in the hip or pelvic bones. But these symptoms may be associated not only with diseases of the prostate.

Myth: A diagnosis of prostate cancer can be placed only through determination of PSA in the blood.

Fact: The PSA level reflects the state of the prostate, but it is not specific for prostate cancer. PSA is contained in the blood of all men and at his level can affect different factors such as age, infection and some medications. The level of PSA may rise and other non-cancer diseases of the prostate. Similarly, a low PSA level does not guarantee the absence of prostate cancer, as the early stages of a PSA level may be normal.

Myth: Radiation therapy or operative removal of the prostate cancer cures a man from the disease forever.

Fact: There is, after these treatments in 35% of cases it may be a relapse of cancer, because it all depends on the characteristics of the tumor itself - its type, stage, growth rate and the presence of metastases.

Myth: such problems postoperative period for prostate cancer, as incontinence and impotence are rare.
Fact: No, they are characterized in 80% of cases after surgery for prostate cancer. Impotence and incontinence after surgery are observed due to muscle damage and nerve fibers in the prostate.

Myth: The only effective method of treatment for prostate cancer - is its surgical removal.
Fact: No, in the surgeon's arsenal to date, there are other methods of treatment such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Myth: prostate cancer affects only older men.
Fact: No, the point is that older men simply higher risk of cancer of the prostate. But this disease occurs in middle age (40 - 50 years). However, due to the fact that this type of cancer develops slowly, it is often detected only after several years, when a man becomes older.

Myth: from prostate cancer do not die.
Fact: this is very strange, but often people can assume that from prostate cancer do not die. In fact, for example, in the U.S., prostate cancer - the second most common cause of death from cancer among men. It all depends, mostly, from the patient's age, rate of tumor growth, degree of differentiation and the stage at which cancer was detected. If cancer is found early, it is curable. If the disease is detected at a later stage when the tumor has already moved to the neighboring organs and tissues or metastasizes to bone and other organs, it is quite possible that the patient in this case has less chance of a cure.

Myth: surgery for prostate cancer - the best method of treatment.
Fact: To date, the doctors in the arsenal than a scalpel, there are other methods of cancer treatments - are different types of radiation therapy, high intensity ultrasound, hormone therapy, etc. In this case, the indications for each of them depend on the patient's condition and stage of cancer. For example, for a man aged 70, suffering from diabetes, surgical treatment is not the best method, since in this case is at high risk of postoperative complications, the same for patients with diabetes wound healing proceeds much worse and slower.

Myth: after treatment of prostate cancer always occurs impotence.
Fact: Unlike many other myths, in this statement is a small grain of truth. Almost half of men who underwent treatment for prostate cancer, there is impotence, albeit temporarily. However, some men, this complication is manifested to a lesser extent or not shown at all. Surgical treatment or exposure to radiation can lead to impotence due to damage to nerve fibers and blood vessels passing in the vicinity of the prostate. In addition, the effect on potency has and hormonal therapy. To avoid this complication allows, for example, the operation is carried out with preservation of nerves.

Myth: cryosurgery is an experimental treatment.
Fact: In the U.S. cryosurgery approved FDA (Office of the sanitary supervision over the quality of food and medicines). This method has been used for more than a few thousand patients worldwide.

Myth: cryosurgical characterized by serious side effects.
Fact: At the dawn of his patients had the appearance of the grounds for fear of damage during cryosurgery of the urethra and the surrounding prostate tissue, as well as at the time, doctors have not been improved methods of visualization and control the temperature of the cryosurgical probe. But today in the arsenal of physicians are more accurate methods to obtain a detailed picture of all of the manipulations in cryosurgery. In addition, now more advanced temperature sensors to monitor the condition of surrounding tissues, as well as special system, warming the urethra and not allow cold to destroy its fabric.

Myth: cryosurgery has no effect.
Fact: Cryosurgery is a modern, efficient, and safe method of treating cancer, which is simply irreplaceable in some forms of this disease.

Myth: The method of cryosurgery for prostate cancer road.
Fact: The cost of treatment for prostate cancer using cryosurgery no more than the cost of radical prostatectomy.