Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer happens when cells in the tissues of the prostate grow uncontrollably. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland in front of the rectum and just below the bladder. It produces the liquid part of semen, which protects and transports sperm, and surrounds the urethra. Prostate cancer occurs when normal cells grow abnormally, forming a cancerous tumor in the prostate.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Each year, nearly 300,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). There is a 1 in 8 chance a man will develop lung cancer in his lifetime, according to ACS. 

You can count on the specialists at North Kansas City Hospital Center to treat prostate cancer with the latest knowledge, education and care. Our nurse navigators will help guide you through diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation with empathy and compassion.

Types of Prostate Cancer

Almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas, accounting for 95 percent of prostate cancer diagnoses. It develops from the gland cells in the prostate. 

Other types of cancer that can start in the prostate are rarer. They include:

  • Sarcomas
  • Small cell carcinoma
  • Transitional cell carcinoma
  • Various neuroendocrine tumors, including large cell carcinoma

Prostate Cancer Risk Factors

Many prostate cancer risk factors, like family history, can’t be changed. It’s important to know that if you have a prostate cancer risk, you can’t be certain you will someday develop the disease. However, these factors can increase your risk.

Prostate cancer risk factors include:

  • Being over the age of 65: according to ACS, about six in 10 prostate cancers are found in older men
  • Family history: according to ACS, having a brother or father with prostate cancer more than doubles your risk
  • Inherited gene changes
  • Race: African American men are nearly 70% more likely to develop prostate cancer than white or Hispanic men

Less common prostate cancer risk factors may include obesity, smoking, consuming a lot of dairy products, sexually transmitted infections, chemical exposures, prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate), and having had a vasectomy, according to ACS.

Screening for Prostate Cancer

A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is the most common way to check for prostate cancer. A high PSA level could mean you have prostate cancer. It also could mean you have an enlarged or infected prostate.

In addition to a blood test, your doctor may recommend a digital rectal exam as part of a complete physical exam. During the exam, the doctor gently puts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to check the prostate gland.

There are pros and cons to prostate cancer screening. According to ACS, you should talk to your doctor to see if screening for prostate cancer is right for you if:

  • You are 50 years old and at average risk
  • You are 45 years old, are African American, or have a father or brother who was diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 65
  • You are 40 years old and have had a father and brother(s) diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 65

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

When prostate cancer is in the early stages, it typically doesn’t cause symptoms. Most men don’t realize they have it until their doctor finds it during a routine checkup.

Call your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms:

  • Blood in your urine or semen
  • Difficulty having an erection
  • Difficulty starting or stopping urine flow
  • Needing to urinate often, especially at night
  • Not being able to urinate at all
  • Pain in your lower back, belly, hip or pelvis
  • Pain or burning during urination

Diagnostic Tests for Prostate Cancer

Our team of specialists will use several tests to diagnose and gather information.

Prostate cancer diagnostic tests may include:

  • Biopsy: One of our surgeons may remove a small piece of tissue for diagnosis.
  • Blood tests: The PSA test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen in the blood. PSA is a protein produced in the prostate by cancerous and noncancerous tissue.
  • Digital rectal exam (DRE): One of our doctors may perform a digital rectal exam to feel the prostate for anything abnormal, such as cancer.
  • Imaging tests: We may request imaging tests, such as a CT scan, MRI or PET scan, or a transurethral ultrasound, to review suspicious areas. Imaging tests also help us determine if the cancer has spread, a treatment’s effectiveness or signs that it has returned.

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

You can count on NKCH to create a deeply personal prostate cancer treatment plan based on the stage and grade of your disease. We also take into consideration your overall health and personal wishes.

Treatments for prostate cancer include:

  • Hormone therapy, also called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which helps to reduce the level of androgens, a male hormone, to curb cancer cell growth
  • Radiation therapy, which uses medication to stop cancerous cells from growing or multiplying, and may be given if surgery isn’t a first option or before or after prostate cancer surgery
  • Surgery, which, in many cases, is minimally invasive robotic surgery
  • Target therapy, which involves using drugs that work in the bloodstream to reach distant parts of the body and interfere with proteins that help tumors grow, divide and spread