Prostate cancer which is otherwise known as prostatic carcinoma is a cancer in a man’s prostate, prostate is a small walnut-sized gland that produces seminal fluid. A man’s prostate produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Prostate cancer mainly affect older men and six out of ten cases are diagnosed in men over 65 and less than 1% in men under 50.
Although uncommon prostate cancer can be seen in men in their 30’s and 40’s. Most cases, men with a family history of prostate cancer are more likely to develop prostate cancer than the general population.
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Once a tumor causes the prostate gland to swell or once cancer spreads beyond the prostate, such person may have symptoms listed below;
- The need to often pee, especially at night
- Difficulties in starting or stopping a stream of urine
- A weak stream of urine or one that starts and stops
- Unconscious leaking of pee when you laugh or cough
- Unable to pee when standing up
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating
- Pain or burning sensation when you ejaculate
- Less fluid when you ejaculate
- Bloody pee or semen
- Pressure or pains in the rectum
- Pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, pelvis, or thighs
- New trouble getting an erection
Note: The above are not symptoms of cancer but it’s because the cancer growth is blocking the prostate.
Symptoms of Advanced Prostate Cancer
Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include;
- Dull, deep pain or stiffness in the pelvis, lower back, ribs, or upper thighs; pain in the bones of those areas
- Loss of weight and appetite
- Fatigue, nausea, or vomiting
- Swelling of the lower limbs
- Weakness or paralysis in the lower limbs, often with constipation
- Bowel problems and other prostate conditions.
Note: These symptoms don’t usually mean one have prostate cancer because some other conditions may have similar signs.
OTHER CONDITIONS INCLUDE;
1. Prostatitis
This is usually a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the prostate gland. At least half of men will have it at some point. Medications can treat it. Prostatitis symptoms include;
- Trouble peeing
- Burning, stinging, or pain when one pee
- An urgent need to pee often
- Chills and fever
- Lower back pain or body aches
- Pain in your lower belly or groin, or behind your scrotum
- Pressure or pain in the rectum
- Sexual problems
- Pain when one ejaculate.
Who should undergo regular screening for prostate cancer? Ages 50 for men who have an average risk for prostate cancer and an expectation of living at least 10 years or more. Age 45 for men in the high-risk group, such as blacks and those with a father, brother, or son that was diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 65. Age 40 for men who have more than one close relative (father, brother, or son) who had prostate cancer at an early age
Note: It is advisable to seek a medical professional if you notice the following symptoms; Difficulty initiating or stopping a urine stream, frequent urination, pain when urinating, pain when ejaculating, blood in your semen.
2. Urinary Tract Infection
Burning pain on urination, urgency, frequent urination, especially with fever
3. Bladder Obstruction
Not urinating or urinating very little despite drinking enough liquid and producing little urine despite straining; pain due to a full bladder
4. Acute Kidney Failure
Not urinating or urinating little, with little discomfort, despite drinking enough fluid
5. Deep Bone Pain
Especially on the back, hips, or thighs, or bone fracture; this is a possible sign of advanced prostate cancer that has spread to the bones.
How Prostate Cancer Spreads and Progresses
Since prostate cancer grows within the prostate gland usually for many years. After a while, the cancer spreads outside the prostate and this happens in one of three ways;
- It grows into nearby tissues (invasion)
- It spreads through the system of lymph nodes and lymph vessels
- It travels to distant tissues through the blood (metastasis)
Test to Identify Prostate Cancer Stages
After a prostate cancer diagnosis, the doctor will conduct a tests to see how far the cancer has spread though not all men need every test so it depends on the results of your biopsy, a test that checks tissue from the prostate gland for cancer. Tests that help the doctor figure out the stage of ones prostate cancer include:
- Digital Rectal Exam (DRE)
- PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) Test
- Transrectal Ultrasound
- MRI of the Prostate
- CT Scan of the abdomen and pelvis to see if the cancer has spread
- Nuclear medicine bone scan to see if the cancer has spread to your bones
- Surgery to check the lymph nodes in your pelvis for prostate cancer spread
Can Women Get Prostate Cancer
Cancer of the female prostate is very rare, an older study estimates that cancer of the skene’s glands accounts for 0.003 percent of cancers in the female genital-urinary tract. It’s also very possible that cancer of the nearby organs like the urethra, can originate in the skene’s glands. In some cases, painless long-term blood in the urine prompted a woman to seek medical attention.
The cancer in her prostate gland was treated with radiation and the symptoms cleared. Surgery also may be used to treat cancer of the skene’s glands but it depends on the type of cancer and how far it has spread.
What is Skene’s Glands
Skene’s glands consist of two small ducts located side by side of the urethra, in the front part of the vaginal wall, it is also known as the “female prostate,” though this glands are not actually the same because prostate glands in male nevertheless, the nickname prevails due to similarities with the male prostate gland, including the ability to drain fluids into the urethra. It is also suspected that skene’s glands influence or make up a portion of the female G-spot because they are also composed of the same tissues as the clitoris. Other names for skene’s glands include;
- Skene’s ducts
- Vestibular glands
- Paraurethral glands
- Periurethral glands
Symptoms that indicate an issue with the female prostate
Because this type of cancer called prostate cancer is rare in women, there are not many of such case studied. So, recognizing symptoms of this type of cancer may be difficult. If you experience bleeding out of the urethra, it is wise to see a doctor because that may be a symptom of cancer of the Skene’s glands or it’s may likely be a symptom of another issue with the urethra.
The bleeding may not be accompanied by any pain and it may happen on and off over a period of time so its always best to see a doctor if you notice any abnormal symptoms, especially if they reoccur. Early diagnosis can be very helpful in improving the outlook for most conditions. One should see a doctor if they have any of these symptoms, which could indicate other conditions;
- Painful or frequent urination, or if it’s difficult to pass urine
- Blood in the urine or passing blood from the urethra
- Painful sexual intercourse
- Feeling of pressure behind the pubic bones
- Abnormal menstrual cycle or sudden changes to ones menstrual cycle.
There are conditions other than cancer that may be related to the Skene’s glands, and which may cause noticeable symptoms:
1. Prostatitis is a condition that causes swelling of the prostate gland in men. In women, female prostatitis has been diagnosed as an infection of the urethra, but may actually be an infection of the Skene’s glands. Doctors are increasingly aware that the female prostate can be a separate site of infection that should be treated separately. Symptoms of infection of the Skene’s glands may include;
- Pressure behind the pubic bones
- Frequent, painful, or difficult urination
2. Untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can also spread to the female prostate. Some STIs, like gonorrhea usually do not have any noticeable symptoms and may be more likely to spread to other areas of the female genitalia;
i. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
In women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), reproductive hormones are out of balance also usually an excess of male hormones. The size of the female prostate appears to be larger in women who have PCOS.
ii. Cysts
Cysts usually appear on the Skene’s glands in women of all ages including newborn babies, uncomplicated cysts can be drained and will heal with no further treatment.
iii. Adenofibroma
An adenofibroma is a noncancerous growth its mainly found on fibrous and glandular tissue. In a case report of an adenofibroma of the female prostate and the tumor causes pain during sexual intercourse and surgery to remove the tumor relieved the pain.
Purpose of the Female Prostate
In recent years, MRI has helped to verify the appearance and function of the female prostate. More research is needed though but researchers are starting to get a better understanding of these glands. In men, the prostate gland is suspected to being able to store infection in the body and this fact makes researchers wonder whether the Skene’s glands serve a similar function.
Conclusion
Prostate cancer can spread to nearby organs or travel through your bloodstream or lymphatic system to your bones or other organs. The most common site of bone metastasis in prostate cancer patients is the spine. Eventually, pressure from the vertebrae or the tumor at the spine will result in compression of the spinal cord. Spinal cord compression is a true emergency and may be the first sign of cancer.