Let’s Chat Men’s Health - Prostate Cancer: PART I

Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the incredible men in our lives—whether they are fathers, sons, uncles, friends, or etc—and show appreciation for all they do. It’s also an opportunity to focus on their health and well-being, ensuring they remain vibrant and healthy for years to come.

This year, Marah Natural is dedicating Father’s Day to raising awareness about three significant health issues facing men today: prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer. By providing valuable information and emphasizing the importance of early detection and prevention, we hope to empower men to take charge of their health.

Explore our three-part blog series to learn more about lung and colorectal cancer by clicking the applicable links.
What Is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer occurs when cancerous cells develop in the prostate gland, which is a part of the male reproductive system. Situated just below the bladder and in front of the rectum, the prostate gland is roughly the size of a walnut and encircles a portion of the urethra, through which urine passes. Additionally, the prostate produces fluid that contributes to semen.
Early Detection and Prevention of Prostate Cancer
The Importance of Regular Screenings
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men, particularly those over the age of 50. Statistically, about 1 in 8 men will face a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime and about 1 in 44 men will die of prostate cancer. Early detection through regular screenings can significantly increase the chances of successful treatment and survival. According to the American Cancer Society, men should begin discussing prostate cancer screening with their doctors at age 50, or earlier if they have a family history of the disease or other risk factors
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

  • Difficulty urinating

  • Frequent urination, especially at night

  • Weak or interrupted urine flow

  • Pain or discomfort in the pelvic area

  • Blood in urine or semen

  • Erectile dysfunction

Causes of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer can be caused by a variety of factors, including age, genetics, and lifestyle. The risk increases with age, particularly after 50. Family history and certain genetic mutations can also increase risk. Lifestyle factors, such as diet, smoking, and obesity, have been linked to the development of prostate cancer.
Prevention Rate and Treatment Success
Regular screenings and a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. The five-year survival rate for prostate cancer detected at an early stage is nearly 97.5% - 99%. This high success rate underscores the importance of early detection and regular check-ups.
Determining whether the cancer has spread
Once a prostate cancer diagnosis has been made, an oncologist will check to see if it’s spread beyond your prostate, using these imaging tests:

  • Bone scan

  • Ultrasound

  • Computerized tomography (CT) scan

  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

  • Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

Common Medical Procedures and Treatments
Your prostate cancer treatment options depend on how fast the cancer is growing, whether it has spread, your overall health, and the potential benefits and side effects of the treatment.
Immediate Treatment May Not Be Necessary

For low-grade prostate cancer, treatment might not be needed right away. Instead, doctors might recommend active surveillance, which involves regular blood tests, rectal exams, and prostate biopsies to monitor the cancer. If it progresses, you might opt for treatments like surgery or radiation. This approach is often suitable for cancers that grow very slowly and are confined to a small area of the prostate.

Surgery to Remove the Prostate

Surgery involves removing the prostate gland and some surrounding tissue. It’s typically used for cancer confined to the prostate but can also treat advanced cases in combination with other treatments. Surgeons may use robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery, which involves several small incisions, or retropubic surgery, which requires one long incision.

Radiation

Radiation uses high-powered energy to kill cancer cells. External beam radiation directs energy beams to the prostate from outside the body, while brachytherapy places radioactive seeds inside the prostate. These treatments can be used alone or together, depending on the cancer’s spread and the patient’s needs.

Freezing or Heating Prostate Tissue

Ablative therapies destroy prostate tissue using extreme temperatures. Cryotherapy freezes the tissue, while high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) heats it. These methods may treat very small cancers or advanced cancers when other treatments haven't worked.

Other treatments

Prostate cancer treatment often involves reducing testosterone levels, as this hormone helps cancer cells grow. Options include medications that either stop testosterone production or block it from reaching cancer cells, and in some cases, surgery to remove the testicles to quickly and permanently reduce testosterone levels. Advanced prostate cancer is often treated this way to shrink the cancer and slow its growth. Additionally, treatments may include drugs that target rapidly growing cells, which can be administered through a vein or in pill form, and are used when cancer has spread or isn't responding to other treatments.
 
Innovative approaches like using the immune system to fight cancer involve engineering immune cells in a lab to better identify and attack cancer cells. These methods are particularly useful for advanced prostate cancers that don't respond to other treatments.
 
Finally, targeted drug treatments focus on specific abnormalities within cancer cells to effectively cause them to die, with certain drugs tailored to individuals whose cancer cells have specific genetic mutations.

ADVANCEMENTS IN PROSTATE CANCER
Prevention and Treatment
In recent years, significant advancements have been made in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Research has shown that a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with regular exercise, can help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.
 
However as we age, our body’s cells can’t perform it’s duties optimally and therefore to support proper cell formation and repair, consider taking supplements (like Marah Natural’s SAC® products) to help form healthy cells.
 
Additionally, new screening methods, such as the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test and MRI fusion biopsies, have improved the accuracy of early detection.
 
On the treatment front, advancements in targeted therapies have provided new options for men diagnosed with prostate cancer. These treatments can be more effective and come with fewer side effects compared to traditional methods like surgery and radiation.

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SOURCES:

  1. American Cancer Society. (2021). Prostate Cancer. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer.html

  2. Chan, J. M., et al. (2005). Diet After Diagnosis and the Risk of Prostate Cancer Progression, Recurrence, and Death. JAMA.

  3. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. (2018). Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Prostate Cancer.

  4. Ahmed, H. U., et al. (2017). Diagnostic accuracy of multi-parametric MRI and TRUS biopsy in prostate cancer (PROMIS): a paired validating confirmatory study. The Lancet.

  5. Kantoff, P. W., et al. (2015). New England Journal of Medicine.

  6. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2021). Colorectal Cancer: Screening. Retrieved from https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org

  7. Murphy, N., et al. (2018). World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Continuous Update Project. International Journal of Cancer.

  8. Chan, A. T., & Giovannucci, E. L. (2010). Primary prevention of colorectal cancer. Gastroenterology.

  9. Le, D. T., et al. (2015). PD-1 Blockade in Tumors with Mismatch-Repair Deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine.