Prostate Cancer Treatment in Salt Lake City, UT

The prostate is a gland that is only found in men that is used to assist in reproduction and sperm cell growth and production. Any diagnosis of prostate cancer can deliver uncertainty and fear. Fortunately, a prostate cancer diagnosis is just a stepping stone to state-of-the-art treatment options that will help you regain your health and maintain prostate function. Dr. Steven Gange has a successful track record of treating prostate cancer. Call (801) 993-1800 today for your consultation.

Prostate Cancer Overview

The most common type of prostate cancer is adenocarcinoma, which is cancer that starts in the gland cells. There are other, more rare types of prostate cancer such as small cell carcinoma, sarcomas, and neuroendocrine tumors, but most of the time a prostate cancer patient suffers from adenocarcinoma.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in men. Approximately 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the U.S. Luckily, 5-year survival of prostate cancer is up to over 99% and deaths have reduced greatly due to overall awareness and advancements in treatment.

Prostate Cancer Signs and Diagnosis

Many patients don’t experience any symptoms, especially in early stages. More severe prostate cancer patients can experience:

• Blood in the urine
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Urinary Incontinence
• Pain in the spine or hips

Some of these symptoms can also just be symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), so it’s really hard to detect. Therefore, it’s extremely important to get screened by either digital rectal exam (DRE) or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.

PSA – This method is usually for men in early stages without symptoms and is the first test done most of the time.

DRE – In this method, Dr. Gange will probe for lumps on the prostate with a lubricated glove. If you do have prostate cancer, this way is good to detect which side the cancer may be on, rather than just knowing whether you have cancer or not.

There are a few other less common ways to diagnose prostate cancer, so check with Dr. Gange to see what might be appropriate for your case.

What are Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer?

While the exact causes of prostate cancer are not fully understood, there are certain risk factors that have been identified that can increase a man’s chances of developing this disease. The American Cancer Society has listed the following risk factors that can increase the likelihood of developing prostate cancer:

Age – Prostate cancer is most common in men after the age of 50, and 60% of cases are men over the age of 65. There’s not a lot of reason to get examined before the age of 40-50.
Race – Prostate cancer is more prominent in African Americans
Family History – Some evidence suggests that prostate cancer may be a genetic factor and inherited. Having a direct relative with prostate cancer increases your risk
Diet – It’s not a definitive factor, but some studies link men who eat a lot of red meat and high-dairy products and eat fewer fruits and vegetables have more of a risk to develop prostate cancer.

How is Prostate Cancer Treated by Steven Gange, MD?

Once you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, it is important to work closely with Dr. Gange to go over your case and discuss the best treatment option for you. CDC has listed out some of the most used treatments for prostate cancer:

• Active surveillance to monitor cancer growth or lack thereof
• Surgery to remove the cancerous cells
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Cryotherapy for early stages
• Vaccine treatment
• Bone-directed for cases where the cancer has spread to the bones
• High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)

Treatment is done entirely on a case-by-case basis. Consult with Dr. Gange after you’re diagnosed to discuss what the best option may be. Prostate cancer can be easily treatable if detected early and avoided altogether if the right precautions are taking. Visit www.cancer.org for specific information on prostate cancer prevention on treatment.