If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may be hearing conflicting advice from medical professionals. Most men will develop prostate cancer at some point, and because it progresses slowly, you may be urged to “just ignore it.”
While the majority of men will develop a slow-growing form of prostate cancer at some point in their lives, many men may develop a particularly aggressive form, which must be taken seriously. What follows is a discussion of why a diagnosis of prostate cancer should not be taken lightly and where men in Phoenix can go to get their prostates treated so they can keep living fulfilling lives.
What Happens if You Ignore Prostate Cancer?
Cancer is the result of cells dividing too quickly and out of control. Whether or if your prostate cancer has spread to other tissues or organs (metastasized) is something your doctor will discuss with you.
Urologist may advise total prostatectomy if cancer is progressing rapidly. For men with prostate cancer, this is a fantastic and potentially life-saving alternative because they do not require their prostate to live.
Prostate removal improves survival rates if the cancer is still confined to the prostate; if the disease spreads after the prostate is removed, it may usually be managed using nonsurgical methods. It’s not unheard of, and treatment with radiation and hormones helps keep the cancer in check for the men who experience it.
Aggressive cancers can grow malignant and spread to other organs if they are not treated. Cancer, especially malignant cancer, can be fatal.
How Prostate Cancer Spreads
Prostate cancer that goes undetected and untreated has a far higher risk of metastasizing, or spreading to other areas of the body. In most cases, the disease first manifests in nearby tissues or lymph nodes. Because cancer is characterized by unchecked cell division, it is possible for cancer cells to enter the bloodstream and spread to other organs.
Spreading to Nearby Tissues or Structures
Prostate cancer first spreads outside of the prostate through the lymphatic and blood arteries that enter and leave the gland. Seminal vesicles, abdominal lymph nodes, the rectum, and the bladder are the most typical places where prostate cancer metastasized.
Distant Sites of Metastasizing Prostate Cancer
After entering the circulatory and lymphatic systems, cancer cells can travel to other parts of the body and establish new tumors. Because cancer is termed according to its initial site, even when prostate cancer spreads to another organ, we still refer to it as “prostate cancer.”
Once prostate cancer has spread to other organs or tissues, it is extremely challenging to cure. Treatment options for metastatic prostate cancer typically include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or hormone therapy.
Prostate cancer warrants careful management from an expert urologist. You may consult any certified urologists who treat men’s health conditions of all kinds, from erectile dysfunction to infertility, from urinary incontinence to prostate cancer.
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