Prostate cancer

What is prostate cancer?

It is a malignant tumor of the prostate gland. The most common site of origin is the mucosal cells (epithelium) lining the excretory ducts. Prostate carcinoma is the most common tumor and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death in men. The probability of developing prostate cancer increases with age. An occurrence before the age of 40 is rare.

What are the different shapes?

The following forms can be distinguished:

  • Clinically manifest prostate carcinoma: Here the tumor can be diagnosed with the possibilities of clinical examination, especially rectal palpation.
  • Incidental prostate carcinoma: It is found randomly in a tissue sample taken during the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).
  • Latent prostate cancer: More than 40% of the over 50s and 60% of the over 80s have prostate cancer but die from other conditions without ever having had any problems with their prostate.
  • Occult prostate carcinoma: There are no abnormal findings. The tumor only makes itself noticeable through its metastases (daughter tumors).

Symptoms

As mentioned above, early stage complaints are very rare. The reason for this lies in the localization of the tumor. Most carcinomas develop in the so-called peripheral zone of the prostate, which is relatively far from the urethra.

Benign prostate enlargements, on the other hand, are usually located in close proximity to the urethra. Symptoms such as urinary retention therefore occur at the beginning in the case of benign prostate hyperplasia, but in the final stage of prostate cancer. In most cases, the carcinoma is diagnosed as part of a preventive examination or as a chance finding during histological examination, e.g. due to a benign prostate enlargement. The following symptoms may occur in the late stage:

  • Incontinence (= inability to hold back urine or stool) due to infestation of the ring muscle of the urethra and narrowing of the rectum
  • Urinary retention due to the enlargement of the prostate volume, which causes the urethra to constrict.
  • Urinary stasis kidneys as a complication of urinary retention (the renal pelvis dilates and eventually leads to renal failure)
  • Erectile dysfunction (= inability to get an erection) due to infestation of the vessels that are necessary for this
  • Pain in the bones (often in the form of lumboischialgia) as an indication of secondary tumors (metastases), e.g. in the lumbar spine
  • General symptoms of a tumor disease: unwanted weight loss, night sweats, fever