NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA

FACULTY OF BIOSCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY AND BREWING

COURSE TITLE: SEMINAR IN MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

COURSE CODE: AMB 490

TOPIC:
PROSTATE CANCER
NAME:
JOHN, KELECHI GODWIN

REGISTRATION NUMBER:
2016484011

SUPERVISOR:
MR. I.O. UDEMEZUE
 INTRODUCTION
• Prostate cancer is the single most common cancer in men and remains a significant
public health problem with considerable social and economic consequences

• Prostate cancer tends to develop after the age of fifty in men, but unfortunately many
patients do not have symptoms, they do not take treatment, and eventually die.

• The reasons behind this may be the slow growing cases of prostate cancer, and since
older people may die of other causes such as heart/circulatory disease, pneumonia,
other unconnected cancers, or old age.

• Primarily, surgery, radiation therapy, and proton beam therapy are the current
treatment options of prostate cancer.
 STAGES OF PROSTATE CANCER
 Localised: it is confined to the prostate and does not breach the
capsule of the prostate or invade the seminal vesicles.
 Locally advanced: it has breached the capsule of the prostate or has
invaded the seminal vesicles or local lymph nodes such as the
inguinal nodes.
• Metastatic: distant metastases are present in either bone, soft tissue or
distant lymph nodes
Fig 1. Prostate zonal anatomy
Source: (Kirby and Patel, 2008)
 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF PROSTATE CANCER

• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK,

accounting for nearly 25 per cent of all new male cancer
diagnoses

• The development of prostate cancer is complex, involving

molecular genetics and environmental factors

• Its frequency varies, with the highest rates reported in Western

countries and the lowest rates in Asia
 SYMPTOMS OF PROSTATE CANCER
Patients with prostate cancer may be asymptomatic or they may
have some of the following:
 Urinary symptoms, such as frequency, urgency, poor flow,
difficulty in starting to void or incomplete emptying.
 Haematuria.
 Haematospermia.
 Erectile dysfunction due to local spread.
• Unexplained anaemia or pain in the hip, back or pelvis due to
metastases
 DIAGNOSIS OF PROSTATE CANCER
• History taking,

• Digital rectal examination of the prostate

• Physical examination,

• Prostate Specific Antigen test and

• Prostate biopsy
 TREATMENT OF PROSTATE CANCER
• Active surveillance

• Surgery

• Radiotherapy

• Cryotherapy

• High-intensity focused ultrasound

 CONCLUSION
Prostate cancer remains a significant public health problem in the UK and the
world, accounting for one quarter of all male cancers; the incidence is likely to
increase with an ageing population. It is probable that most nurses in primary and
secondary care will come into contact with men living with prostate cancer at
some stage during their treatment pathway. As such, an understanding of the
disease and its management helps ensure that nurses are well placed to support
patients and their families through their investigation, diagnosis and treatment