About 17,000 new cases of prostate cancer every year… High calorie-excessive consumption of meat, genetics, etc.
There are cases in which middle-aged women who are unable to sleep at night because of their husband’s snoring use different rooms. Frequent going to the bathroom in the middle of the night also disrupts sleep. I wake up to the sound of rustling and dripping water. However, it can be a symptom of cancer. It is prostate cancer, a “male cancer”. The sooner you recognize the symptoms, the easier it is to treat. It’s good for families to know too. Learn more about prostate cancer.
◆ Prostate cancer?… 17,000 new patients every year
The prostate, also known as the ‘prostate gland’, is a walnut-sized male reproductive organ located just below the bladder, responsible for producing and storing some of the semen. Cancer that occurs here is prostate cancer. It is one of the three major cancers in men with a high number of patients, with about 17,000 new patients every year. It is expected to continue to increase along with colorectal cancer as the diet changes to a western style.
◆ Symptoms?… Frequent urination day and night, discomfort remains
Prostate cancer also has no symptoms in its early stages. When the cancer progresses to a certain extent, it invades the surrounding organs and causes symptoms related to urination. The urine does not come out well, the stem becomes thin, and there is a sense of residual urine as if urine is left after seeing it all. There are also symptoms of an urgent urge to urinate or an unbearable urge to urinate. Frequent urination day and night, and in some cases, acute urinary retention in which urine does not come out at all. Occasionally, there may be blood in the semen or hematuria that can be seen with the naked eye.
◆ Prostate hyperplasia with similar symptoms… . Prostate cancer is life threatening
Prostate hypertrophy, in which the size of the prostate gland increases, has symptoms similar to those of prostate cancer. BPH is a benign tumor in which tumor cells grow slowly and do not migrate to other sites. However, prostate cancer is a malignant tumor that threatens even life. Cancer cells grow rapidly and spread to surrounding tissues and other parts of the body. If you have symptoms related to urination, you should consult a urologist as soon as possible to check for cancer.
◆ What are the risk factors? High calorie-excessive consumption of meat, genetics, and male hormones
Prostate cancer is related to high calorie-excessive consumption of meat, genetics, and the effects of male hormones. It is rare under the age of 40, but increases rapidly in the age of 50 or older. The family history of prostate cancer is as high as 9%. If a sibling has prostate cancer, the risk is three times higher. Family members with a family history of prostate cancer are eight times more likely to develop prostate cancer than those without a family history.
◆ Prevention?… . Reduce risk factors and help with tomatoes and beans
A representative ingredient that lowers the risk of prostate cancer is a lot of lycopene in red tomatoes, which acts as a powerful antioxidant (to suppress oxidation of cells). The National Cancer Information Center in Korea also mentions tomatoes as a good food to prevent prostate cancer. The genistein component found in soybeans and the catechin component in green tea are also helpful. It is good to reduce risk factors such as abstaining from high-calorie foods and to have regular prostate cancer screenings if there is a family history.