Prostate Cancer: Causes,
Symptoms & Prevention

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Why is it that a prostate check-up instils genuine distress in men? Some chuckle nervously, others quietly agree that they need to get it seen to, and a select few refuse to discuss it. Too many men put off getting their prostate checked until it’s too late.

In Namibia and in many other countries worldwide, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men. It can be successfully treated if identified early (when the disease is still in the prostate gland).

So in this article, we hope to sway you towards taking the disease seriously and putting your health first.

Find out more about prostate cancer, read the full article, or jump ahead using the quick links below:

What is prostate cancer?
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
What causes prostate cancer?
Who is most at risk?
Six ways to treat prostate cancer
How can you prevent prostate cancer?
When should you see a doctor?

If you think you might have a problem or you want to be proactive, please contact your doctor to book an appointment and get your prostate checked.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the prostate gland. The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that produces seminal fluid. It’s quite small in young men, but it can change in size, becoming much larger as men get older.

While the cancer is confined to the prostate gland, it’s much easier to treat successfully, especially as these cancerous cells grow slowly. However, the prostate’s location in the body is an issue: It’s found deep inside the pelvis, below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Seminal vesicles, glands that make fluid for the semen, are located just behind the prostate, and the urethra (the exit pipe carrying the urine) travels right through it. That is why enlarged prostate glands can make urination difficult as men get older.

Cancer is basically the presence of abnormal cells within the body’s organs, that grow aggressively and uncontrollably. Whilst most men experience a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland as they get older, some will develop cancerous cells even at younger age. Even though prostate cancer often grows slowly, if it spreads to any other organs, the cancer can rapidly spread out of control.

Therefore, early detection and treatment are vital.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

In the early stages, there often are no symptoms. But if your prostate enlarges, including in the presence of more advanced prostate cancer, you may experience:

• Frequent urination, especially at night.
• Trouble urinating, so you might struggle to start and stop urinating, or experience interrupted flow.
• A weak stream when urinating
• Blood in your semen or urine.
• Discomfort or pain in the pelvic area, lower back, and hips.
• Erectile dysfunction (the difficulty to maintain your erection for sexual intercourse).

What causes prostate cancer?

Unfortunately, we’re still learning about the disease. We do know that prostate cancer occurs because cells in the prostate mutate, or change their behaviour to allow uncontrolled growth, and to replace the healthy cells of the prostate gland. Over time these abnormal cells accumulate to form a mass (or “tumour”).

Who is most at risk?

While we don’t know exactly what causes prostate cancer, when we compare cases, we notice some commonalities like:  

• Family history. If you have an immediate family member who’s had prostate cancer, you’re at a far greater risk of getting the disease.
• Age. The older you get, the higher your chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Typically, the disease occurs in men over 50. It’s very rarely found in men under 45.
• Ethnicity. For reasons unknown, prostate cancer most commonly occurs in African men. That’s not to say that Asians, Coloureds, or White men are not at risk, but the disease tends to be more prevalent and aggressive in African men.
• Genetics. Mutations or changes to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increase your chance of getting cancer.
• Smoking.
• Obesity. If you’re grossly overweight, you’ll likely have a more advanced prostate cancer stage, and it tends to be harder to treat.
• Swelling of the prostate.

Six ways to treat prostate cancer

If you’re wondering how you treat prostate cancer, there are six options available to you. These solutions depend on the severity of your case or how quickly your cancer is spreading. Your doctor will discuss a treatment plan with you and the possible repercussions.

Here are six ways to treat prostate cancer:

1. Prostatectomy

Prostatectomy, which means to remove the prostate via surgery. Your doctor will consult with you before deciding on whether to remove the prostate gland and some surrounding tissue and glands via open or laparoscopic surgery. As cancer grows slowly, this is one of the best treatments for early-stage prostate cancer. In many centers, the gold standard is nowadays the robotic prostatectomy.

Surgery is not always necessary. But if you choose to have your prostate removed, you may have erectile dysfunction or urinary incontinence.

2. Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy, which uses powerful energy to destroy the cancerous cells. The two types of radiation therapy available to you are:

• Brachytherapy involves placing radiation seeds within your prostate. Over time these seeds release a low dose of radiation, eventually becoming inactive. Luckily, they don’t need to be removed.
• External beam radiation, which takes place in a hospital. You’ll be asked to lie on a table while a machine directs high-powered energy beams to cancerous cells in your body. This treatment takes several weeks.

Complications resulting from radiation therapy include erectile dysfunction, loose stools or pain when passing a stool, and frequent or painful urination.

3. Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy, which focuses on stopping your body from producing testosterone. Prostate cancer feeds on testosterone—that’s how the cells grow. Cut off its supply, and essentially your cancer spreads far slower or dies. It’s usually advised for men with advanced prostate cancer, but it can be used to treat early-stage cancer. Hormone therapy is often paired with radiation therapy.

Your doctor might advise removing your testicles as this can significantly reduce testosterone levels in your body. Alternatively, they’ll prescribe medication that stops your body from producing testosterone, or anti-androgens which prevent testosterone from reaching cancerous cells.

Side effects include a decrease in bone density, weight gain, a reduced sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and random hot flushes.

4. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is prescribed if your cancer has spread to other parts of your body or doesn’t respond well to hormone or radiation therapy. It’s a drug that rapidly kills cancer cells. The side effects include hair loss, vomiting, nausea, and a feeling of weakness.

5. Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses your body’s immune system to fight off cancer cells. It can be used to treat advanced staged cancer or early stage. It involves taking immune cells from your body and genetically engineering them before injecting them back into the prostate. It is, however, a costly treatment option, and requires several rounds of treatment.

6. Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery, which is the process of freezing prostate tissue to destroy cancer cells, is often used when radiation hasn’t worked. It involves inserting needles into the prostate. Cold gas is then used to freeze the surrounding tissue before reheating the tissue. It’s this process that kills cancer cells. The therapy has improved over the years with minimal side effects.

How can you prevent prostate cancer?

Living a healthy life is the best way to avoid getting sick. You can still get prostate cancer, but your chances are significantly lowered. 

1. Eat at least five fruit or vegetables each day

While there’s no conclusive evidence to show that eating a healthy diet prevents prostate cancer, we know that it’s crucial to improving your overall health. Fruit and vegetables are also high in vitamins and minerals, which are essential.

2. Avoid processed sugars and fatty foods

That means you need to eliminate fast foods, sweets, cakes or puddings, and cookies from your diet as much as possible. You can still indulge in your sweet-cravings or love of junk food, but the key is to limit how often you treat yourself.

3. Add foods rich in vitamins and minerals to your diet

If you’re able to purchase supplements, that’s great, but don’t rely on them solely.

4. Get active

Exercise is vital to your good health. If you already exercise, ask yourself, are you doing enough? Where can you change things up or increase your level of activity? If you don’t exercise, now’s the time to start. Speak to your doctor about a training programme or hire a personal trainer.

5. Lose weight

Your goal should be to maintain a healthy weight. If you’re overweight, you’ll need to shed those extra kilograms. You can speak to a nutritionist about formulating a healthy diet or simply reduce your calorie intake and up your exercise routine. Ideally, you want to reach your goal weight and maintain it.

6. Be proactive, not reactive

If you know your family has a history of prostate cancer, then it’s up to you to arrange yearly check-ups with your doctor. You have a much higher chance of contracting prostate cancer, so you really need to be regularly monitored.

When should you see a doctor?

From the age of 40 onwards, you should arrange a yearly prostate examination and blood test with your doctor, especially if there is a family history of cancer. Be proactive and contact your doctor today to set up a consultation. Alternatively, send an email to Welwitschia Hospital at hello@welwitschiahospital.com. We’re here to help you.