Prostate cancer: A pathology without symptoms
Written by:In the following article, the prestigious specialist in urology, Dr. Pérez-Castro Ellendt explains the usefulness of the prostate and the detection and treatment of prostate cancer.
The prostate: definition
The prostate is an organ of male reproduction. Its function is to secrete certain liquids: some serve to clean the urethra before ejaculation and others to transport the sperm.
Detection and treatment
The only way to detect a patient suffering from prostate cancer is through a review with our specialist. There is no common symptom that indicates its discovery, especially in cases where cancer is curable.
The techniques used to locate this pathology are: digital rectal examination, ultrasound, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) analysis and prostate biopsy.. In the case of PSA , a protein produced by the prostate gland, its degree of concentration is measured. If this is high it can be an indication that the patient suffers from prostate cancer, although there are other reasons that can cause this increase. On the other hand, it can also happen that men suffering from prostate cancer do not have elevated PSA.
The procedure that is followed after its diagnosis is given by the aggressiveness of the cancer and the age of the patient, among other reasons. The applied treatment must always be tailored to the patient in question.
The technique used for its extirpation is laparoscopic surgery. Method that allows a minimal incision and whose post operative, from three to five days, allows a quick and painless recovery.
Sexual appearance
After a radical prostatectomy, the patient becomes infertile. This situation is not usually a problem, since at the age when cancer is usually treated, having offspring is usually not a priority. Regarding the erection, there are surgical methods to preserve it and medical treatments that after the surgery usually solve the problem with a high degree of satisfaction.
