Cancer is something we all must deal with, unfortunately. Whether it is a loved one, a spouse, or even ourselves, cancer can strike and we must take notice and start to do something about it with treatments etc. We at Z Urology deal with a specific type of cancer quite often. That is prostate cancer, and it is actually quite common.
What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer affects the prostate glands of men. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths for men in the United States.
The prostate is a small organ that lies below the urinary bladder and in front of the rectum (part of the large intestine). In men, it is normal for the size of the prostate to increase with age. In younger men, it is about the size of a walnut. The prostate makes a milky fluid, which is a part of semen. This fluid feeds the sperm.
There are two types of growths in the prostate:
Benign growths: Non-cancerous growths and rarely a threat to life like benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Malignant growths: These are cancerous growths that can be life-threatening.
Prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland and may spread to other organs.
What Causes Prostate Cancer?
The exact cause of prostate cancer is primarily unknown. One in three men older than 50 has some cancer cells in the prostate. Luckily, eight out of ten tumors are found to be small and harmless after biopsy. Although the reason for prostate cancer is unknown, there are many risk factors that increase the risk of prostate cancer:
Lack of exercise
Obesity
Over 55 years of age (peak age 65-74)
Ethnicity: More common in African Americans as compared to Caucasians
Genetic/family history
High fat, unhealthy diet
Cigarette smoking
Alcohol intake
Hormonal causes
What are the Five Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer rarely produces symptoms in its early stages. However, few signs can help in detecting prostate cancer. Five potential warning signs of prostate cancer are:
Bone pain (due to spreading)
Symptoms from compression of the spine
Painful urination or ejaculation
Sudden erectile dysfunction (trouble in getting an erection)
Blood in urine or semen
What are Other Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?
Other symptoms of prostate cancer can be:
Weight loss
Frequent urination (particularly at night)
Loss of bladder control
Weak urine flow
Dull pain in the lower pelvic area
Pain in the lower back, hips, or thighs
Loss of appetite
Anemia
Pain and edema in the legs and feet
Neurologic deficit (an altered function of a body area)
Loss of bowel control
How is Prostate Cancer Diagnosed?
Screening asymptomatic men helps identify early prostate cancer.
Screening is recommended in men:
Who are between 55 and 69 years of age
Who are African American
Who have a family history of prostate cancer
Screening methods include:
A digital rectal examination that helps to find prostate problems
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA): Increased PSA levels in the blood can sometimes indicate prostate cancer.
Definite diagnosis is based on the biopsy of the prostate tissue.
Magnetic resonance imaging studies and imaging tests may be used to assess the distant spread (metastasis).
How is Prostate Cancer Treated?
The treatment plan for prostate cancer depends on the following factors:
Age and health
Risk category
Life expectancy
The stage and grade of cancer
Treatment choices for prostate cancer involve:
Surveillance
Active surveillance: Monitoring cancer closely by carrying out PSA and DRE examination
Watchful waiting: Relies mainly on the changing symptoms in men
Localized therapy
Surgery involves the removal of the prostate gland (prostatectomy)
Radiation therapy
Cryotherapy is the use of very cold temperatures to freeze and kill the cancerous cells
Focal therapy
Drug therapies that spread throughout the body to destroy cancer cells involve:
Hormonal therapy
Chemotherapy
Immunotherapy
If you feel you are in need of a urologist in South Florida to aid in helping deal with prostate cancer issues this article highlighted, then contact Z Urology for a group that is dedicated to delivering world-class expertise in urology, along with an unwavering commitment to their patients. The three locations to choose from are located in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, and Pompano Beach.
You can go to the website directly and set up an appointment or you can call 954-714-8200. Either way, you contact, you will be setting up to see the leading urologist office in all of South Florida. With an extremely talented and professional staff of doctors and more, you are in truly good hands with the doctors and nurses at Z Urology. Z Urology is your leader in urological care. Go ahead and call now!
Urinary incontinence is a common problem for men and women throughout the world. Any loss of bladder control is a sign of urinary incontinence. In fact, around 20 million Americans currently have or have had signs of urinary incontinence at some point in their lives. This statistic doesn’t include any of those who have signs, but do not report them to the doctor out of fear or embarrassment. There are many signs, types, risk factors, causes and symptoms of urinary incontinence. We’ll go over them here.
What are the Signs of Urinary Incontinence?
There are many different things that can be seen as a loss of bladder control. The most basic one being that urine leaks through due to an underlying circumstance. Examples of these circumstances are:
Functional Incontinence – This is a term that means a person is unable to make it to the toilet due to a physical or mental disability.
Overflow Incontinence – When the bladder becomes too full and you are unable to empty in time, overflow of urine may cause a small amount of leakage.
Urge Incontinence – When someone has a large urge to urinate and they are unable to withhold it.
Mixed Incontinence – A combination of both urge and stress incontinence.
Stress Incontinence – This term defines a loss of urinary control due to physical contractions. Such as coughing or sneezing.
Narrowing Down the Source
Urinary incontinence is usually a symptom of your lifestyle and underlying health conditions. Here is a list of different things that can lead to urinary incontinence.
Alcohol
Too Many Fluids
Caffeine
Bladder Irritation
Medications
Pregnancy
Childbirth
Age
Hysterectomy
Interstitial Cystitis
Inflammation of the Prostate Gland
Bladder Stones
Bladder Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Obstruction
Neurological Disorders
Obesity
Smoking
All of these can be an underlying cause of urinary incontinence and it is important to be honest with your doctor about everything you’re involved with and even slight symptoms or signs you notice. Once the source of the urinary incontinence is located, then treatment will begin. Again, urinary incontinence is not a disease, but a symptom of behaviors and personal health.
One of the most sensitive subjects for all men is their sexual health. Most people don’t like to admit that they have a sexual dysfunction issue. For men, it consists of being unable to obtain an erection, maintain an erection or even an overall lower sexual desire. This lower sexual desire is sometimes reinforced by the mindset of the man going through the erectile dysfunction symptoms. Erectile Dysfunction (ED) actually effects around 30 million men through the United States. However, there are solutions to fixing the issues with ED and it all comes to narrowing down the cause of it all.
What are the Symptoms and Causes of ED?
In order for a healthy erection to take place, there must be properly functioning nerves to the penis, adequate blood circulation into the penis, a stimulus from the brain and the veins within the penis must be able to hold onto the blood circulating. If any of these processes are incomplete, then you may have difficulty obtaining and maintaining an erection. Now, the causes of ED may be very vast. Your sexual health traces back to your physical and psychological health as well. Therefore, if you are experiencing any problems with any of these, then that may be the cause of erectile dysfunction. For example:
Physical Causes
Obesity
Diabetes
Alcohol or Tobacco use
Heart Disease
Psychological Causes
Stress
Depression and/or Anxiety
Relationship Problems
What are the Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction?
Once the source of the issue is slightly narrowed down, action may be taken to treat ED. There have been all types of successful treatments for erectile dysfunction including:
Penile Prosthesis
Medications
Testosterone Therapy
Psychological Therapy
Penile Injections
These are a few of the different ways that Urologists will treat a patient with erectile dysfunction. If you are suffering from, or believe to be having symptoms of ED, then contact a Z Urology as soon as possible!
What do you know about Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)? One thing, is that it is also called prostate gland enlargement, and is a common condition as men get older. An enlarged prostate gland can cause uncomfortable urinary symptoms. These symptoms include blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder. It can also cause bladder, urinary tract or kidney problems.
The good news is that there are several effective treatments for prostate gland enlargement, including medications, minimally invasive therapies, and surgery. To choose the best option, Z Urology will consider your symptoms, the size of your prostate, other health conditions you might have and your preferences of treatment.
Here we go over the symptoms and causes of BPH.
Symptoms
The severity of symptoms in people who have prostate gland enlargement varies. Symptoms tend to worsen gradually over time.
The common signs and symptoms of BPH include:
Frequent or urgent need to urinate
Weak urine stream or a stream that stops and starts
Increased frequency of urination at night (nocturia)
Dribbling at the end of urination
Inability to completely empty the bladder
Difficulty starting urination
The less common signs and symptoms include:
Urinary tract infection
Inability to urinate
Blood in the urine
The size of the prostate doesn’t necessarily determine the severity of symptoms. Interestingly, some men with only slightly enlarged prostates can have significant symptoms, while other men with very enlarged prostates can have only minor urinary symptoms.
In some men, symptoms eventually stabilize and might even improve over time.
Other Possible Causes of Urinary Symptoms
Conditions that can lead to symptoms similar to those caused by enlarged prostate include:
Urinary tract infection
Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis)
Narrowing of the urethra (urethral stricture)
Scarring in the bladder neck as a result of previous surgery
Bladder or kidney stones
Problems with nerves that control the bladder
Cancer of the prostate or bladder
When to See a Doctor
If you’re having urinary problems, discuss them with your doctor. Even if you don’t find urinary symptoms bothersome, it’s important to identify or rule out any underlying causes. Untreated, urinary problems might lead to obstruction of the urinary tract.
Causes
The prostate gland is located beneath the bladder. The tube that transports urine from the bladder out of the penis (urethra) passes through the center of the prostate. When the prostate enlarges, it begins to block urine flow.
Most men have continued prostate growth throughout their life. In many men, this continued growth enlarges the prostate enough to cause urinary symptoms or to significantly block urine flow.
It isn’t entirely clear what causes the prostate to enlarge. However, it might be due to changes in the balance of sex hormones as men grow older. Most men with an enlarged prostate don’t develop these complications.
Having an enlarged prostate is not believed to increase your risk of developing prostate cancer.
If you think you might have Benign prostatic hyperplasia, call one of our offices or book an appointment with Z Urology to discuss. Having a urologist can help in your treatment of BPH. If you think this is an issue, don’t delay. Instead, pick up the phone and call Z Urology, with offices in South Florida. Call today!
We provide state-of-the-art urologic care in the South Florida area with a focus on both male and female urology. Our practice specializes in all urologic procedures, specifically, minimally invasive methods. Our three locations to choose from are located in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Pompano Beach.
We at “Z” specialize in bladder issues, erectile dysfunction (ED), prostate issues, urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction, stone disease, BPH, male infertility, nocturne, Peyronie’s disease, and ureteral reimplantation.
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