What is pain?

We have pain receptors throughout our body, both outside and within. These receptors send electrical messages through our spinal cord to the brain. We only become aware of pain after our brain receives and interprets these electrical messages. In some cases, such as when we touch a hot stove, the body can spring into defensive action even before the brain knows what is happening. That’s because pain messages that reach the spinal cord can cause an automatic reflex response, making muscles near the source of the pain contract to get away from the pain.

Pain receptors and nerve pathways differ throughout the body. Therefore, the sensation of pain differs, too, depending on where the message comes from and how it travels. At times, the source of pain is difficult to locate. For example, some people feel the pain from a heart attack in the neck or jaw. People also differ in their ability to tolerate pain and how they respond to pain medication.

Types of pain

Pain is classified into two types:

Acute pain:

• Usually has a clear source
• Begins suddenly
• Doesn’t last a long time
• Can increase heart and breathing rates and raise blood pressure

Acute pain is generally useful. It’s a clear sign of danger. Examples include touching a hot surface, stubbing your toe or being cut.

Chronic pain:

• Usually lasts a month or more, and could last years
• Can come and go many times or remain constant
• Can disturb sleep patterns, decrease appetite and cause depression
• Often has little or no effect on blood pressure, heart or breathing rates

Chronic or persistent pain is pain that carries on for longer than 12 weeks despite medication or treatment. Chronic pain can outlive its usefulness; the message has been sent and received, but keeps being sent over and over. Examples include arthritis, cancer and back injuries.

Symptoms

Pain is the symptom. Acute pain often has a clear source. Chronic pain is more persistent, lasting months or years, and it may or may not have an obvious source.

Diagnosis

To diagnose the cause of pain, doctors usually try to determine the intensity of the pain and what’s causing the pain. This can be challenging. No laboratory test can prove that pain exists, and describing pain in words can be difficult. Also, each person experiences pain differently.

Your doctor may ask you questions about the history of your pain. He or she may ask you to describe your pain using a scale, such as 0 (no pain) to 10 (unbearable pain), or use other scales and measurements. Once your doctor determines whether your pain is acute or chronic, and uncovers the source of the pain, he or she can determine the best way to treat it. However, doctors often begin treating pain before they identify the cause.

Treatment

Your doctor probably will treat your pain while he or she tries to figure out the cause. Many drugs are helpful, though how well they work depends on the patient and the nature of pain.

Analgesics (painkillers) are the most common pain remedy. Sometimes medications are injected directly into the region of pain or near a nerve to interrupt the pain signal.

Non-drug treatments for pain include:

• Acupuncture
• Massage
• Relaxation
• Psychotherapy
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which uses electrical impulses to stimulate the nerve endings at or near the site of pain

Non-drug treatments may be especially useful for people with chronic pain. In some cases, these treatments may stimulate natural painkillers, called endorphins, which are created within the body. In other cases, non-drug treatments work directly on nerves to interfere with pain messages. Sometimes, it isn’t clear why the pain stops.

What can I do for myself?

There’s a lot you can do to help yourself and have a better life even with chronic pain. Simple changes can often make a big difference to the amount of disability and suffering you can experience. This is called pain management.

To help manage your pain, you might consider:

• Planning your day – Make a plan of things to do and places to be to help you keep on top of your pain.
• Pacing yourself – Don’t push through the pain, stop before it gets worse then go back to whatever you were doing later.
• Learning to relax – Relaxing can be hard when you have pain but finding something which relaxes you will reduce the stress of pain.
• Taking regular enjoyable exercise – Even a small amount will make you feel better and ease your pain. It will also keep your muscles and joints strong.
• Taking pain medicine – Talk to your doctor. Pain medicines work better alongside a plan.
• Talking to others – Tell your friends and family about chronic pain and why you need to do things differently at the moment.
• Enjoyment – Doing things you enjoy boosts your own natural painkillers. Think about what you enjoyed before the pain and introduce it back into your routine.

Activity and exercise

Being active and taking exercise is a good prescription for managing pain. Knowing where to start can be daunting for some people with chronic pain as they often find it hard to do things on some days more than others. Don’t be put off by the word ‘exercise’ – any type of movement is exercise.

To begin with your muscles might hurt so it’s important that you choose a level of exercise that suits you. Learning how to ‘pace’ your activity and exercise can help. Most of all it should be enjoyable.

Walking

This might start off with walk up and down your path or a walk to the end of the street and back. A local park is also a good option, especially if it has benches for you to rest on along the way.

Should you require additional information or would like to make an appointment with our Consultant , Dr. Tarek Sultan,  please call us or e-mail us at info@westminsterclinic.ae

Disclaimer: All contents on this site are for general information and in no circumstances information be substituted for professional advice from the relevant healthcare professional, Writer does not take responsibility of any damage done by the misuse or use of the information.

Reference:

• American Chronic Pain Association
• NHS.uk
• American Pain Society
• health.harvard.edu

A hernia occurs when part of an internal organ or body part protrudes through an opening into another area where it ordinarily should not be located.

A hernia usually develops between your chest and hips. In many cases, it causes no or very few symptoms, although you may notice a swelling or lump in your tummy (abdomen) or groin.

Types of hernia

Hernias occur in various locations. Some hernias are present at birth, while others develop during adulthood. Hernias may enlarge due to increased pressure inside the abdomen, such as during straining, persistent coughing, obesity, or pregnancy.

1. Inguinal Hernia

Inguinal hernias occur when fatty tissue or a part of your bowel pokes through into your groin at the top of your inner thigh. Inguinal hernias account for 75% of all hernias and are five times more common in males than females. They may be present in infants but can develop in adults also.

2. Femoral hernia 

This is a hernia through the passage that contains the large blood vessels (the femoral artery and vein) between the abdomen and the thigh. This type of hernia causes a bulge in the upper thigh just under the groin and is more common in women than men.

3. Umbilical hernia

Umbilical hernias occur when fatty tissue or part of your bowel pokes through your tummy near your belly button. This type of hernia can occur in babies if the opening in the tummy that the umbilical cord passes through does not seal properly after birth.

4. Epigastric hernia 

A small bit of fat bulges through a weakness in the upper abdominal muscles between the navel and breastbone. Most people with such hernias are between ages 20 and 50. These hernias are often so small that they may go unnoticed.

5. Incisional hernia 

Intestine bulges through a weakness in the abdominal wall in an area where there has been previous surgery. The skin has healed, but the underlying muscle has pulled apart, resulting in a hernia. These hernias can be small or quite large.

6. Hiatus hernia 

This hernia involves the stomach rather than the intestine. The stomach slips upward through the normal opening in the diaphragm and passes into the chest. It is often associated with acid reflux, or “gastroesophageal reflux disease” (GERD), which causes heartburn.

Symptoms

Most hernias cause a bulge under the skin (except hiatus hernias). The location of this bulge depends on the specific type of hernia. For example, an inguinal hernia appears as a bulge in the groin, while an umbilical hernia appears as a bulge near the navel. Some hernias can cause twinges of pain or a pulling sensation, but most do not cause pain. Hernias are usually easier to see with coughing or straining. They also tend to be more prominent with standing and often disappear with lying down.

Diagnosis

Most people discover their own hernias by noticing a bulge. Sometimes, however, your doctor will find a small hernia as part of a routine examination. Your doctor makes the diagnosis by physical examination. He or she may ask you to strain or cough (especially while standing), which may make the bulge easier to see or feel.

Rarely, you may have symptoms that suggest a hernia, but the doctor will be unable to find one at the time of examination. In these circumstances, your doctor may recommend a computer tomography (CT) scan or an ultrasound of the abdomen.

When to seek medical advice

You should go to your nearest emergency straight away if you have a hernia and you develop any of the following symptoms:

• sudden, severe pain
• being sick
• difficulty pooing or passing wind
• the hernia becomes firm or tender, or cannot be pushed back in

These symptoms could mean that either: 

• the blood supply to a section of organ or tissue trapped in the hernia has become cut off (strangulation)
• a piece of bowel has entered the hernia and become blocked (obstruction)

A strangulated hernia and obstructed bowel are medical emergencies and need to be treated as soon as possible.

Treatment

Once a diagnosis has been confirmed, the doctor will determine whether surgery to repair the hernia is necessary.

A number of factors will be considered when deciding whether surgery is appropriate, including:

• The type of hernia – some types of hernia are more likely to become strangulated or cause a bowel obstruction than others
• The content of your hernia – if the hernia contains a part of your bowel, muscle or other tissue, there may be a risk of strangulation or obstruction
• Your symptoms and the impact on your daily life – surgery may be recommended if your symptoms are severe or getting worse, or if the hernia is affecting your ability to carry out your normal activities
• Your general health – surgery may be too much of a risk if your general health is poor.

There are 2 main ways surgery for hernias can be carried out:

• Open surgery – where a cut is made to allow the surgeon to push the lump back into the tummy
• keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery – this is a less invasive, but more difficult, technique where several smaller cuts are made, allowing the surgeon to use various special instruments to repair the hernia

Should you require additional information or would like to make an appointment with our Consultant , Dr. Majid Bassuni,  please call us or e-mail us at info@westminsterclinic.ae

Disclaimer: All contents on this site are for general information and in no circumstances information be substituted for professional advice from the relevant healthcare professional, Writer does not take responsibility of any damage done by the misuse or use of the information.

Reference:

• American College of Surgeons (ACS)
• NHS.uk
• health.harvard.edu

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in Women. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50, but younger women can also get breast cancer.

About 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. There’s a good chance of recovery if it’s detected at an early stage. For this reason, it’s vital that women check their breasts regularly for any changes and always have any changes examined by a Doctor.

Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. There are different kinds of breast cancer. The kind of breast cancer depends on which cells in the breast turn into cancer.

Breast cancer can begin in different parts of the breast. A breast is made up of three main parts: lobules, ducts, and connective tissue. The lobules are the glands that produce milk. The ducts are tubes that carry milk to the nipple. The connective tissue (which consists of fibrous and fatty tissue) surrounds and holds everything together. Most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules. Breast cancer can spread outside the breast through blood vessels and lymph vessels. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is said to have metastasized.

Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

Risk Factors You Cannot Change

• Getting older. The risk for breast cancer increases with age; most breast cancers are diagnosed after age 50.
• Genetic mutations. Inherited changes (mutations) to certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Women who have inherited these genetic changes are at higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
• Reproductive history. Early menstrual periods before age 12 and starting menopause after age 55 expose women to hormones longer, raising their risk of getting breast cancer.
• Having dense breasts. Dense breasts have more connective tissue than fatty tissue, which can sometimes make it hard to see tumors on a mammogram. Women with dense breasts are more likely to get breast cancer.
• Personal history of breast cancer or certain non-cancerous breast diseases. Women who have had breast cancer are more likely to get breast cancer a second time. Some non-cancerous breast diseases such as atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ are associated with a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
• Family history of breast or ovarian cancer. A woman’s risk for breast cancer is higher if she has a mother, sister, or daughter (first-degree relative) or multiple family members on either her mother’s or father’s side of the family who have had breast or ovarian cancer. Having a first-degree male relative with breast cancer also raises a woman’s risk.
• Previous treatment using radiation therapy. Women who had radiation therapy to the chest or breasts (like for treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma) before age 30 have a higher risk of getting breast cancer later in life.
• Women who took the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES), which was given to some pregnant women in the United States between 1940 and 1971 to prevent miscarriage, have a higher risk. Women whose mothers took DES while pregnant with them are also at risk.

Risk Factors You Can Change

• Not being physically active. Women who are not physically active have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
• Being overweight or obese after menopause. Older women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of getting breast cancer than those at a normal weight.
• Taking hormones. Some forms of hormone replacement therapy (those that include both estrogen and progesterone) taken during menopause can raise risk for breast cancer when taken for more than five years. Certain oral contraceptives (birth control pills) also have been found to raise breast cancer risk.
• Reproductive history. Having the first pregnancy after age 30, not breastfeeding, and never having a full-term pregnancy can raise breast cancer risk.
• Drinking alcohol. Studies show that a woman’s risk for breast cancer increases with the more alcohol she drinks.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Different people have different symptoms of breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all.

Some warning signs of breast cancer are:

• New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
• Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
• Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
• Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
• Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
• Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
• Pain in any area of the breast.

Keep in mind that these symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer.

Types of breast cancer

There are several different types of breast cancer, which develop in different parts of the breast.

Breast cancer is often divided into either:

• Non-invasive breast cancer (carcinoma in situ) – found in the ducts of the breast (ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS) which has not spread into the breast tissue surrounding the ducts. Non-invasive breast cancer is usually found during a mammogram and rarely shows as a breast lump.
• Invasive breast cancer – where the cancer cells have spread through the lining of the ducts into the surrounding breast tissue. This is the most common type of breast cancer.

Other, less common types of breast cancer include:

• Invasive (and pre-invasive) lobular breast cancer
• Inflammatory breast cancer
• Paget’s disease of the breast

It’s possible for breast cancer to spread to other parts of the body, usually through the blood or the axillary lymph nodes. These are small lymphatic glands that filter bacteria and cells from the mammary gland. If this happens, it’s known as secondary, or metastatic, breast cancer.

Breast cancer screening

Doctors often use additional tests to find or diagnose breast cancer. They may refer women to a breast specialist or a surgeon. This does not mean that she has cancer or that she needs surgery. These doctors are experts in diagnosing breast problems.

• Breast ultrasound. A machine that uses sound waves to make detailed pictures, called sonograms, of areas inside the breast.
• Diagnostic mammogram. If you have a problem in your breast, such as lumps, or if an area of the breast looks abnormal on a screening mammogram, doctors may have you get a diagnostic mammogram. This is a more detailed X-ray of the breast.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A kind of body scan that uses a magnet linked to a computer. The MRI scan will make detailed pictures of areas inside the breast.
• Biopsy. This is a test that removes tissue or fluid from the breast to be looked at under a microscope and do more testing. There are different kinds of biopsies (for example, fine-needle aspiration, core biopsy, or open biopsy).

Treating breast cancer

Breast cancer is treated in several ways. It depends on the kind of breast cancer and how far it has spread. People with breast cancer often get more than one kind of treatment.

• Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue.
• Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.
• Hormonal therapy. Blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
• Biological therapy. Works with your body’s immune system to help it fight cancer cells or to control side effects from other cancer treatments.
• Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer cells.

Doctors from differ different specialties often work together to treat breast cancer. Surgeons are doctors who perform operations. Medical oncologists are doctors who treat cancer with medicine. Radiation oncologists are doctors who treat cancer with radiation.

Living with breast cancer

Being diagnosed with breast cancer can affect daily life in many ways, depending on what stage it’s at and the treatment you will have.

How people cope with the diagnosis and treatment varies from person to person. There are several forms of support available, if you need it.

Forms of support may include:

• Family and friends, who can be a powerful support system
• Communicating with other people in the same situation
• Finding out as much as possible about your condition
• Not trying to do too much or overexerting yourself
• Making time for yourself

Preventing breast cancer

As the causes of breast cancer are not fully understood, at the moment it’s not possible to know if it can be prevented. If you have an increased risk of developing the condition, some treatments are available to reduce your risk.

Studies have looked at the link between breast cancer and diet. Although there are no definite conclusions, there are benefits for women who:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise regularly
• Have a low intake of saturated fat
• Do not drink alcohol

It’s been suggested that regular exercise can reduce your risk of breast cancer by almost as much as a third. Regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle can also improve the outlook for people affected by breast cancer. 

If you’ve been through the menopause, it’s particularly important that you try to get to, and maintain, a healthy weight. This is because being overweight or obese causes more oestrogen to be produced, which can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Reference

• www.nhs.uk
• American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/
• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Disclaimer: All contents on this site are for general information and in no circumstances information be substituted for professional advice from the relevant healthcare professional, Writer does not take responsibility of any damage done by the misuse or use of the information.

A food allergy is when the body’s immune system reacts unusually to specific foods. Although allergic reactions are often mild, they can be very serious. Food allergy symptoms are most common in babies and children, but they can appear at any age. You can even develop an allergy to foods you have eaten for years with no problems.

What causes food allergies?

Food allergies happen when the immune system – the body’s defense against infection – mistakenly treats proteins found in food as a threat. As a result, a number of chemicals are released. It’s these chemicals that cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

While any food can cause an adverse reaction, eight types of food account for about 90 percent of all reactions:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Wheat
• Soy

Types of food allergies

Food allergies are divided into 3 types, depending on symptoms and when they occur.

• IgE-mediated food allergy – the most common type, triggered by the immune system producing an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Symptoms occur a few seconds or minutes after eating. There’s a greater risk of anaphylaxis with this type of allergy.
• non-IgE-mediated food allergy – these allergic reactions aren’t caused by immunoglobulin E, but by other cells in the immune system. This type of allergy is often difficult to diagnose as symptoms take much longer to develop (up to several hours).
• mixed IgE and non-IgE-mediated food allergies – some people may experience symptoms from both types.

Symptoms

Symptoms of an allergic reaction may involve the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, the cardiovascular system and the respiratory tract. They can surface in one or more of the following ways:

• Vomiting and/or stomach cramps
• Hives
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Repetitive cough
• Shock or circulatory collapse
• Tight, hoarse throat; trouble swallowing
• Swelling of the tongue, affecting the ability to talk or breathe
• Weak pulse
• Pale or blue coloring of skin
• Dizziness or feeling faint
• Anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction that can impair breathing and send the body into shock; reactions may simultaneously affect different parts of the body (for example, a stomachache accompanied by a rash)

Most food-related symptoms occur within two hours of ingestion; often they start within minutes. In some very rare cases, the reaction may be delayed by four to six hours or even longer. Delayed reactions are most typically seen in children who develop eczema as a symptom of food allergy and in people with a rare allergy to red meat caused by the bite of a lone star tick.

Diagnosing Food Allergies

A food allergy will usually cause some sort of reaction every time the trigger food is eaten. Symptoms can vary from person to person, and you may not always experience the same symptoms during every reaction. Allergic reactions to food can affect the skin, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system. It is impossible to predict how severe the next reaction might be, and all patients with food allergies should be carefully counseled about the risk of anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal reaction that is treated with epinephrine (adrenaline).

To make a diagnosis, allergists ask detailed questions about your medical history and your symptoms. Be prepared to answer questions about:

• What and how much you ate
• How long it took for symptoms to develop
• What symptoms you experienced and how long they lasted.

After taking your history, your allergist may order skin tests and/or blood tests, which indicate whether food-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies are present in your body:

• Skin-prick tests provide results in about 20 – 30 minutes. A liquid containing a tiny amount of the food allergen is placed on the skin of your arm or back. Your skin is pricked with a small, sterile probe, allowing the liquid to seep under the skin. The test, which isn’t painful but can be uncomfortable, is considered positive if a wheal (resembling the bump from a mosquito bite) develops at the site where the suspected allergen was placed. As a control, you’ll also get a skin prick with a liquid that doesn’t contain the allergen; this should not provoke a reaction, allowing comparison between the two test sites.
• Blood tests, which are a bit less exact than skin tests, measure the amount of IgE antibody to the specific food(s) being tested. Results are typically available in about a week and are reported as a numerical value.

Your allergist will use the results of these tests in making a diagnosis. A positive result does not necessarily indicate that there is an allergy, though a negative result is useful in ruling one out.

Management and Treatment

The primary way to manage a food allergy is to avoid consuming the food that causes you problems. Carefully check ingredient labels of food products, and learn whether what you need to avoid is known by other names.

Avoid making any radical changes, such as cutting out dairy products, to your or your child’s diet without first talking to your Doctor For some foods, such as milk, you may need to speak to a dietitian before making any changes.

Antihistamines can help relieve the symptoms of a mild or moderate allergic reaction. A higher dose of antihistamine is often needed to control acute allergic symptoms. Adrenaline is an effective treatment for more severe allergic symptoms, such as anaphylaxis.

People with a food allergy are often given a device known as an auto-injector pen, which contains doses of adrenaline that can be used in emergencies.

Do you suspect you’re suffering from a food allergy? Dr. Shahid Abbas, Consultant – Allergy and Immunology can evaluate your symptoms and determine the source and treatment.

Reference

• www.Nhs.uk
• American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Types of Allergies: Insect Stings. http://acaai.org/allergies/types/insect-sting-allergies
• CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. FastStats: Allergies and Hay Fever. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/allergies.htm 

Disclaimer: All contents on this site are for general information and in no circumstances information be substituted for professional advice from the relevant healthcare professional, Writer does not take responsibility of any damage done by the misuse or use of the information.

The prostate is a small walnut shaped gland in the pelvis of men. It is located next to the bladder and can be examined by getting a digital rectal exam. Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate gland. 

Growths in the prostate can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Prostate cancer cells can spread by breaking away from a prostate tumor. They can travel through blood vessels or lymph nodes to reach other parts of the body. After spreading, cancer cells may attach to other tissues and grow to form new tumors, causing damage where they land.

Causes

The exact cause is not known, although a number of things can increase your risk of developing the condition.

Age

As men age, their risk of getting prostate cancer goes up. It is rarely found in men younger than age 40. Damage to the genetic material (DNA) of prostate cells is more likely for men over the age of 55. Damaged or abnormal prostate cells can begin to grow out of control and form tumors.

Ethnicity

Age is a well-known risk factor for prostate cancer. But, smoking and being overweight are more closely linked with dying from prostate cancer.

African American men have, by far, the highest incidence of the disease. One in six African American men will get prostate cancer. African American men are more likely to get prostate cancer at an earlier age. They are also more like to have aggressive tumors that grow quickly, spread and cause death. The reason why prostate cancer is more prevalent in African American men is unclear yet it may be due to socioeconomic, environmental, diet or other factors. Other ethnicities, such as Hispanic and Asian men, are less likely to get prostate cancer.

Family History

Men with a family history of prostate cancer also face a higher risk of also developing the disease. A man is 2 to 3 times more likely to get prostate cancer if his father, brother or son had it. This risk increases with the number of relatives diagnosed with prostate cancer. The age when a close relative was diagnosed is also an important factor.

Smoking

Studies show prostate cancer risk may double for heavy smokers. Smoking is also linked to a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer. However, within 10 years of quitting, your risk for prostate cancer goes down to that of a non-smoker the same age.

World Area

Prostate cancer numbers and deaths vary around the world but are higher in North America and Northern Europe. Higher rates may be due to better or more screening procedures, heredity, poor diets, lack of exercise habits, and environmental exposures.

Diet

Diet and lifestyle may affect the risk of prostate cancer. It isn’t clear exactly how. Your risk may be higher if you eat more calories, animal fats, refined sugar and not enough fruits and vegetables. A lack of exercise is also linked to poor outcomes. Obesity (or being very overweight) is known to increase a man’s risk of dying from prostate cancer. One way to decrease your risk is to lose weight, and keep it off.

Symptoms

In its early stages, prostate cancer often has no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they can be like those of an enlarged prostate.

Symptoms of prostate cancer can be:

• Dull pain in the lower pelvic area
• Frequent urinating
• Trouble urinating, pain, burning, or weak urine flow
• Blood in the urine (Hematuria) 
• Painful ejaculation
• Pain in the lower back, hips or upper thighs
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of weight
• Bone pain

Diagnosis

Screening

“Screening” means testing for a disease even if you have no symptoms. The prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examination (DRE) are two tests that are used to screen for prostate cancer. Both are used to detect cancer early. However, these tests are not perfect. Abnormal results with either test may be due to benign prostatic enlargement (BPH) or infection, rather than cancer.

PSA Blood Test

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is one way to screen for prostate cancer. This blood test measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a protein made only by the prostate and prostate cancers.Very little PSA is found in the blood of a man with a healthy prostate. A low PSA is a sign of prostate health.

A rapid rise in PSA may be a sign that something is wrong. Prostate cancer is the most serious cause of a high PSA result. Another reason for a high PSA can be benign (non-cancer) enlargement of the prostate. Prostatitis, inflammation of the prostate, can also cause high PSA results.

 Digital rectal examination

The digital rectal examination (DRE) helps your doctor find prostate problems. 

Treatment

Treatment for prostate cancer will depend on your individual circumstances. For many men with prostate cancer, no treatment will be necessary.When treatment is necessary, the aim is to cure or control the disease so it affects everyday life as little as possible and does not shorten life expectancy.

Some cancers grow so slowly that treatment may not be needed at all. Others grow fast and are life-threatening so treatment is usually necessary. Deciding what treatment you should get can be complex. The treatment plan will depend on:

• The stage and grade of the cancer (Gleason score and TNM stage) 
• Risk category (whether the cancer is low, intermediate or high risk)
• Age and health
• Preferences with respect to side effects, long-term effects and treatment goals 

Treatment choices for prostate cancer include:

Surveillance

• Active Surveillance

Active surveillance does not actively treat prostate cancer. It monitors the cancer growth with regular PSA tests, DREs and periodic biopsies. A schedule for tests will be set with your provider. To help your provider do these biopsies, a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (pmMRI) exam might be done. With active surveillance, your doctor will know very quickly if the cancer grows. 

• Watchful Waiting

Watchful waiting is a less involved system of monitoring the cancer without treating it. It does not involve regular biopsies or other active surveillance tools. It is best for men with prostate cancer who do not want or cannot have therapy. It is also good for men who have other medical conditions that would interfere with more aggressive forms of treatment.

Localized Therapy

• Surgery
• Radiation Therapy
• Cryotherapy
• Focal Therapy

Systemic Therapy 

• Hormonal Therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy

Should you require additional information or would like to make an appointment with our Consultant Dr. Noor Buchholz , please call us or e-mail us at info@westminsterclinic.ae

Reference

• www.Nhs.uk
• Amecian Urological Association
• UrologyCareFoundation.org

Disclaimer: All contents on this site are for general information and in no circumstances information be substituted for professional advice from the relevant healthcare professional, Writer does not take responsibility of any damage done by the misuse or use of the information.