For Prevention and Wellness: Taking the Prostate Cancer Test
For men, it is important as they get older to have regular checkups to make sure they are as healthy as they can be. Even without symptoms, it is still essential to have a prostate cancer test administered to make sure that nothing abnormal is happening. A prostate cancer test can be done in a variety of ways. While most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer never experience any symptoms, those who do may experience frequent urination, high temperature, shaking, difficulty and/or bleeding when urinating. This is usually the sign of an enlarged prostate gland, the glad that is located just below the bladder. The prostate contributes seminal fluid and nutrients to the semen as it passes through the urethra. As time goes on, the prostate usually grows in size
Different Tests
There is not one prostate cancer test, but more than one that is usually done in succession. If you doctor suspects an enlarged prostate, then he will take a blood test to check for the PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels. Another way that your doctor will test your prostate is by digital rectal examination, in which they feel the size of your prostate by inserting two fingers through your rectum.
PSA is produced by cancerous and benign cells. If the PSA level is abnormally high, then your physician will perform a biopsy by inserting a needle through your rectum and taking a sample of your prostate. If the biopsy results in cancerous cells, then your physician may want to administer further tests to see how and much the cancer has grown. Following the prostate cancer test, your doctor will apprise you of your options in regard to treatment of the cancer.
As far as treatment is concerned, if the prostate cancer test results show that the cancer is still located in the prostate, then your doctor will strongly suggest removal of the entire gland. If the cancer has advanced to the lymph nodes, or other parts of the body, then radiation and/or chemotherapy will be strongly suggested to improve your survival rate.
A prostate cancer test can be an unnerving experience for any man, but it is necessary for prevention of the spread of cancer, should you be diagnosed with it, as well as treatment. It is very important that you have the appropriate tests done, at the recommended time. This is the best prevention for fighting cancer.
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