PROSTATE CANCER MEDICINE, TREATMENT, AND SUPPORT IN ANCHORAGE, AK

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT OUR PROSTATE CANCER SERVICES

When it comes to prostate cancer treatment, you’ve come to the right place. Alaska Oncology and Hematology, LLC in Anchorage, AK, is a name you can trust when it comes to prostate cancer support.

WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER?

The male sex gland is the prostate. It encircles the urethra and is situated in front of the rectum, beneath the bladder. A capsule encloses three zones that make up the prostate. The prostate is isolated from the body's other organs by the prostatic capsule.

As men age, their prostate glands usually expand. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the term for this gland growth that mostly affects the prostate's transition zone, which encircles the urethra. The growth of the prostate in this region might obstruct the urethra or bladder, making it difficult for urine to pass. Males may have lower back stiffness or pain, blood in the urine or semen, and frequent or painful urination. These symptoms could indicate malignancy or be brought on by BPH.

When the cells in the prostate gland proliferate uncontrollably, prostate cancer results. When cells proliferate uncontrollably, they start inside the prostate and expand into surrounding organs through the capsule that protects it, or they separate and go to other areas of the body via the lymphatic and circulatory systems. Both extremely aggressive and relatively innocuous prostate cancers are possible. Certain prostate tumors grow slowly and don't show many symptoms. In these situations, the patient frequently passes away from prostate cancer as opposed to prostate cancer itself. Rapid metastasis of aggressive tumors to the lymph nodes, other organs, and particularly the bone occurs.

A digital rectal exam (DRE) or an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood level test are typically the first signs of prostate cancer suspicion. The prostate gland typically secretes and excretes the protein known as PSA. Elevated PSA values can occasionally suggest the existence of cancer; however, more testing is required to validate this hypothesis. A doctor does a DRE by sticking a gloved finger into the rectum to measure the prostate's size and texture.


A biopsy is required to confirm the presence of prostate cancer if the results of a DRE, PSA blood test, or both point to it being possible. One or more prostate gland biopsies are necessary to identify prostate cancer. The results of the biopsy will reveal whether the patient has cancer, BPH, or another illness. A biopsy involves passing a needle through the rectum to extract several tiny fragments of prostate tissue. After that, these tissue samples are inspected under a microscope to check for the presence of cancer cells.

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