Living With Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is most common malignant growth in males over 50 years, therefore it is important to maximally prolong and improve life of males with such diagnosis.

In recent years there were made many findings in prostate cancer diagnostics and treatment. Modern methods of diagnostics help to detect the disease at early stages. There were reduced morbidity rate after radical prostatectomy which made this way of treatment more preferable for patients and doctors.

Prostate cancer is a disease of aged people which has quite ongoing course, therefore the question about its treatment still remains open. At average, during 2 – 4 years size of tumor increases. When an aged male is diagnosed with this disease, it is important to know common condition of his health in order to estimate risks for his life and health. Also it is important to take into account time delay in diagnosis establishment associated with symptom-free course through 4 – 5 years.

Male age is an essential factor which has an effect on mortality rate among males with prostate cancer who had not treated it. Studies showed that in patients under 65 years old who had not treated prostate cancer, the mortality rate is 75%. Conservative treatment in 45 – 50% cases of well differentiated cancers helps to prolong male life by 15 years.

Deficiency of metastasis in 10 years after disease finding (when prostate cancer is treated) is a sign of effectiveness of treatment. Majority of European researchers say that death from localized prostate cancer occurs only in case of its long-time course. It means that there is no need to start radical treatment of localized prostate cancer in patients with limited reserve of life years (senescence). The need is in early diagnostics of prostate as cancer treatment at early stages is most effective.

Finally, it must be said that a male should not accept the diagnosis of prostate cancer as death sentence. Prostate cancer may be successfully treated at early stages, or may be achieved  a long period of steady remission. At later stages prostate cancer in most cases responses good to hormonal therapy which prolongs male life by many years.