There are no cancer history or risk factor in my family. Neither on my mother’s side nor on my father’s side. My uncle died of lung cancer, but he was smoking like a chimney. I play sports, eat well, I am in good shape and, according to my doctor, I have a healthy weight. My PSA has always been normal – in fact, I never had a call from my doctor after a checkup, so I concluded that my results were normal – and I never had any urinary problems or any symptoms that would suggest a problem with my prostate. I do not understand.
How many times have we heard this story from men calling our support line to understand their diagnosis of prostate cancer and their treatment options? Often. Very often.
A risk factor is something that increases the likelihood of developing prostate cancer. The exact causes of prostate cancer remain unknown. In addition, some research seems to indicate the existence of several risk factors in men: having a father or brother suffering from this type of cancer, being of African origin, being overweight or obese, regularly consuming foods rich in animal fats, etc. But sometimes prostate cancer develops in men who have none of these risk factors.
True. Except that one of the factors we tend to forget is age. Although it strikes on average around the age of 65, it sometimes affects men in their forties or fifties.
Prostate cancer is intimately linked to aging
Normally, the cells in your body contain all the information that governs their development, functioning, reproduction, and death. Generally, these cells work well and your body remains healthy. However, some cells may not behave normally and multiply non-stop.
In the case of prostate cancer, it is mainly the secretory cells (those which secrete liquids for ejaculation) which are disrupted and turn into cancer cells. They eventually form groups of abnormal cells. After a while, these groups form a mass called a tumor. These are the tumors that doctors can detect.
Over time, malignant cells in cancerous tumors can invade nearby tissues or organs, such as lymph nodes near the prostate or bones. We then speak of bone tumors.
Prostate cancer is a disease that usually progresses quite slowly and is completely curable when detected at an early stage. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. It is sometimes indolent, sometimes fatal or in between and causes little or no symptoms at first. In Quebec, twelve (12) men are diagnosed every day. In the majority of cases, when it is detected at a localized stage, that is to say in the absence of spread elsewhere in the body (metastases), the survival rate is excellent.
This is why it is important to have a good discussion with your doctor about the added value of early detection.
Take the time to visit each of our pages on this website, as well as our YouTube channel, in order to get familiar with the disease with our expert lectures, our section on available resources, the support that is offered to you.
Do you have any questions or concerns? Above all, do not hesitate. Contact us at 1 855 899-2873 to discuss with a nurse specializing in uro-oncology. It’s simple and free, like all our services.
Pages of our site that might interest you
Want to know more? Just click on one of the links below.
Am I at risk
Signs and symptoms
PROCURE news that may interest you
Each week, we publish a blog article. Here are a few for you.
6 tips to keep your prostate healthy
PSA test: Yes, no, maybe?
Did you say prostate cancer?
Written by PROCURE. © All rights reserved – 2020
