Cancer is a disease process that usually begins when an abnormal cell is transformed by the genetic mutation of the cellular DNA. It forms a clone and proliferates at an abnormal rate. The cells acquire invasive characteristics and infiltrates tissues surrounding it. Cancerous cells are described as malignant neoplasms that demonstrate uncontrolled cell growths and follow no physiologic demands.
Prostate cancer is a kind of cancer that develops in the prostate. The prostate is the gland seen below a man’s bladder that produces fluid for semen. The cancer may spread to other parts of the body like the bones and lymph nodes. It may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, erectile dysfunction and discomfort during sexual intercourse. Prostate cancer tends to develop in men older that 50 years old. Its specific cause is unknown. Prostate cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in the United States in 2004 (From the American Cancer Society, 2004).
Cancer Staging and Grading
A systematic approach to diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer starts with a complete diagnostic evaluation that includes identifying the grade and stage of the tumor. This is done before treatment begins to provide baseline data for evaluating treatment outcomes.
Staging determines the existence of metastasis as well as the size of the tumor. The TNM system is often used (Green, et.al., 2002). In this system, “T” refers to the size of the primary tumor, “N” refers to the lymph node involvement, and “M” refers to the extent of the metastasis.
Grading defines the type of tissues from which the tumor originated. The tumor is assigned a numeric value from I to IV. Grade I tumors – also called as the well-differentiated tumors, closely resemble the tissue of origin in structure and function. Tumors that do not clearly resemble the original tissue in structure and function are described as poorly differentiated and are assigned a grade IV. These tumors are less responsive to treatment and tend to be more aggressive.
TNM Classification System
T The extent of the primary tumor
N The absence or presence and extent of regional lymph node metastasis
M The absence or presence of distant metastasis
Primary tumor (T)
Tx Primary tumor cannot be assessed
T0 No evidence of primary tumor
Tis Carcinoma in situ
T1, T2, T3, T4 increasing size and/or local extent of the primary tumor
Regional Lymph Nodes (N)
Nx Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed
N0 No regional lymph node metastasis
N1, N2, N3 Increasing involvement of regional lymph node
Distant Metastasis
Mx Distant metastasis cannot be assessed
M0 No distant metastasis
M1 Distance metastasis
Signs and Symptoms
Early stage of prostate cancer causes no symptoms. If it does, its symptoms resemble that of benign prostatic hyperplasia. It includes frequent urination, most especially at night, difficulty starting and maintaining a steady stream of urine, blood in urine and painful urination. Biopsy is the only test that can fully confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Weight and Breast Cancer Risk
How cancer can proliferate, if the immune system destroys it from the beginning?
If the immune system recognizes a cell cancer from the beginning, before largely divided, "why can not destroy the cell? If this is naive, because I'm starting to learn about the subject.
Hello Bobby. Your question is excellent and scientific researchers are studying this issue. Note that the response is not scientifically Gary correct. The immune system, through a process called "immune surveillance", recognizes and kill abnormal cells. However, for a tumor cell to survive and become a cancer cell, must "learn" to avoid recognition by the immune system – this is called "escape" from Immune Security. Therefore, cancer develops because cancer cells have mutated into a form that allows them to escape immune attack. Here another key issue affecting the immune system and cancer. If immune surveillance of the works, but the immune response is not to kill any cancer cells, ongoing immune response creates an environment of "inflammatory" to the remaining cancer cells – one that carcinogenesis environnent units. In summary, immune system identify and kill cancer cells, however, cancer cells can learn to avoid bei ng recognized by the immune system (escape surveillance immune). Finally, if the immune system responds to a tumor or cancer cells, but not to destroy, the immune response in inflammatory course creates the ideal half environment for the growth of cancer cells. Best wishes and good luck. Here are links to scientific journals on this topic. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15308095?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSyst... Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_RA linkpos & = 2 & log = & $ relatedreviews logdbfrom = PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2742305 /? tool = pubmed. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18364000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17029030 gov/pubmed/20196816 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih .gov/pubmed/19944963
