Most common medical conditions involving the prostate gland
Prostate gland is a male reproductive organ which secretes prostate fluid in semen. Muscles of the prostate help to propel seminal fluid into the urethra during ejaculation. It is situated just below the bladder, allowing passage of first part of urine tube through it to the outside.
Two most common and important medical conditions involving the prostate gland are non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate causing obstruction to urine flow and cancer of the prostate gland.
Prostate enlargement happens to almost all men as they get older. As the gland grows, it can press on the urethra and cause urination and bladder problems. An enlarged prostate is often called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
This is a disease of aging men and normally seen above 50 years of age. Not all prostate enlargement needs to be treated; the best outcome of treatment occurs in patients who have definite obstruction to urine flow.
Surgical treatment of prostate enlargement is one of the most commonly performed operations in urology and is quite effective. Moreover, this is an endoscopic operation without making any cuts in the body and has very short hospital stay.
Cancer of the prostate is a widespread problem in the aging population world-wide. The number of new cases of prostate cancer was 119.8 per 100,000 men per year in the United States with number of deaths at 20.1 per 100,000 men per year.
There are three risk factors for prostate cancer: increasing age, ethnic origin, and genetic predisposition. A hospital based survey carried out in 2003 in the UAE reported low incidence of prostate cancer with annual incidence of prostate cancer estimated at 4.5/100,000 male population. Majority of patients (77.7%) presenting with advanced disease. This clearly indicates that in population based study in the UAE, one would expect higher incidence of prostate cancer.
A 2015 study by Health Authority Abu Dhabi revealed that prostate cancer is fourth most prevalent cancer in adult men in UAE.
Prostate cancer can then be risk-categorised into low, intermediate and high-risk categories. Unlike other cancers, prostate cancer is relatively slow growing disease and readily treatable with surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy agents.
Surgical removal of the prostate can be accomplished through open or keyhole surgery. Once prostate cancer has spread beyond the confines of the prostate and regional lymph glands, control and not cure would be the goal of management.
Early diagnosis is the key to survival benefits in prostate cancer. As far as proper balance can be maintained between benefits versus unnecessary overt-treatment by adhering to guidelines and protocols, medical fraternity will go a long way in improving men’s health in this group of patients.
(Ref: https://seer.cancer.gov/ statfacts/html/prost.html/ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/15190657) / ameinfo. com/prostate-cancer-is-4th-mostprevalent-cancer-in-adult-menin-uae/)
Dr Abraham Vinod Peedikayil, Consultant Urologist, International
Modern Hospital