What Is Prostate Cancer ?

What Is Prostate Cancer ?

Prostate cancer is the development of cancer cells in the prostate gland (a gland that produces fluid for semen). It is the most common cancer in men; some cancers grow very slowly while others are very aggressive and spread quickly to other organs.

How Does Prostate Cancer Develop ?

Like all cancers, prostate cancer begins when a mass of cells has grown out of control and begins invading other tissues. Cells become cancerous due to the accumulation of defects, or mutations, in their DNA.

Most of the time, cells are able to detect and repair DNA damage. If a cell is severely damaged and cannot repair itself, it undergoes so-called programmed cell death or apoptosis. Cancer occurs when damaged cells grow, divide, and spread abnormally instead of self-destructing as they should.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms

Symptoms of prostate cancer are variable; some men have no symptoms until the cancer develops over years. However, symptoms that can develop include the following:

• Urinary frequency
• Difficulty starting or stopping urination
• Interrupted or weak or slow urinary stream
• Blood in urine or in semen
• Discomfort (pain or burning sensation with urination or ejaculation)
• Intense pain in the low back, hips, or thighs, often present with aggressive or prostatic cancer spread to other organs

Prostate Cancer or Enlarged Prostate?

Two conditions can cause some symptoms that mimic those seen in prostate cancer described previously.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

BPH results from the prostate growing larger. BPH causes symptoms by creating pressure on the bladder, urethra, or both. BPH commonly occurs in elderly men and is a relatively benign condition.

Prostatitis (inflammation or infection of the prostate gland)

In the case of prostatitis, prostate tissue becomes inflamed, causing the prostate gland to swell. Any bacteria that can cause a urinary tract infection (UTI) can also cause prostatitis, and it may be caused by sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Both conditions are treated medically but some individuals with BPH may require surgical treatment.
Prostate cancer is differentiated from the above conditions by identifying cancer cells in a biopsy of the prostate.

Who Is at Risk of Prostate Cancer ?

Aging in men (beginning at age 50) is the greatest risk factor for both BPH and prostate cancer. In addition, having a father or brother with prostate cancer doubles the risk for prostate cancer; however, African American males have the highest risk for prostate cancer. Research suggests that the majority of men at age 70 have some form of prostatic cancer with most of them showing no symptoms.

Preventing Prostate Cancer

Researchers suggest a diet low in fruits and vegetables but high in meats and high-fat dairy products increases the risk for prostate cancer. The mechanism(s) for this is being investigated, but current speculation suggests meat and high-fat foods contain compounds that augment the growth of cancer cells.

Can Too Much Sex Cause Prostate Cancer ?

There are many myths about why prostate cancer develops. However, there is no evidence that "too much sex," masturbation, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or a vasectomy increases the risk or causes prostate cancer. Current research is investigating if STDs, prostatitis, or alcohol use increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines

Although screening tests are not routinely done for prostatic cancers, the American Cancer Society guidelines suggest some men should be screened.

Screening Guidelines Based on Age and Risk

• Men aged 40 with more than one close relative (father, brother, or son) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age
• Men aged 45 that are African American or have a father, brother, or son diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65
• Men aged 50 or older who have average risk and expect to live at least 10 more years

However, not everyone agrees with these guidelines; clinicians should explain that treatments can have severe side effects, may have little or no effects on the cancer, and that some cancers are so slow-growing.

Digital Rectal Exam and PSA Test

Two tests are particularly helpful in screening for prostate cancer.

Digital rectal exam (DRE)

A DRE is done to determine if the prostate is enlarged and is either soft, has bumps or is very firm (hard prostate). During a digital rectal exam, a doctor checks for prostate abnormalities using a gloved, lubricated finger (digit).

PSA Test

Another test is done on a blood sample to determine the level of a protein (prostate-specific antigen or PSA) produced by prostate cells. The PSA test may indicate a person has a higher chance of having prostate cancer but controversies about the test exist (see following slide). The patient and his doctor need to carefully consider the meaning and the use of these test results.

PSA Test Results

In general, a PSA level less than 4 nanograms per mililiter (ng/mL) of blood is considered a normal level while a PSA greater than 10 ng/mL suggests a high risk of having cancer. Unfortunately, some men have intermediate levels (5 to 9 ng/mL), making their situations more difficult to judge. To make matters worse, some men have prostate cancer despite showing PSA levels of less than 4 ng.

PSA Test False Positives

BPH and prostatitis can increase PSA levels resulting in a false positive test.

PSA Test False Negatives

Some drugs may lower PSA levels and result in a false negative PSA test. Your doctor can help decide the meaning of both the PSA test and the digital rectal exam results and determine if additional tests need to be done.

Prostate Cancer Biopsy

If your doctor determines that the PSA and digital rectal exam suggest prostate cancer, the physician may suggest that a biopsy of the prostate is warranted, depending on your age, medical condition, and other factors. A biopsy is done by inserting a needle through the rectum or between the rectum and scrotal junction and then removing small samples of prostatic tissue that can be examined under a microscope for cancer tissue. The biopsy may detect and determine the aggressiveness of prostatic cancer cells.

Prostate Cancer Gleason Score

Biopsy samples from the prostate gland are examined by a pathologist. The pathologist makes determinations based on the samples as to the aggressiveness of the cancer. This determination is called the Gleason score.

How the Gleason Score Is Determined

The pathologist gives the prostate biopsy tissue a grade of 1 to 5, with 5 as the worst grade of tumor pattern. Then the pathologist looks at the individual cells in the tumor pattern and grades the cell types from 1 to 5 with 5 being the most aggressive cancer cell type. The Gleason score is based on the sum of these two numbers (tissue grade and cell type grade). A Gleason score of 5 + 5 = 10 indicates a highly aggressive prostate tumor while a low score (2 + 2 = 4) indicates a less aggressive cancer.

Prostate Cancer Imaging

The spread of prostate cancer may be detected by several different tests such as ultrasound, CT, MRI, and a radionuclide bone scan. Doctors will help determine which tests are best for each individual patient.

Prostate Cancer Staging

Prostate cancer staging is a method that indicates how far the cancer has spread in the body and is used to help determine the best treatment method for the patient. Cancer that has spread to other body sites or organs is termed metastatic cancer.

The Stages of Prostate Cancer

In terms of prostate cancer, the cancer stages are as follows:

• Stage I: The cancer is small and still contained within the prostate gland.
• Stage II: The cancer is more advanced, but is still confined within the prostate gland.
• Stage III: The cancer has spread to the outer part of the prostate and to the nearby seminal vesicles.
• Stage IV: The cancer has spread to lymph nodes, other nearby organs, or tissues such as the rectum or bladder, or to distant sites such as the lungs or bones.
• Aggressive prostate cancer often reaches stage IV but others that are less aggressive may never progress past stage I, II, or III.

Prostate Cancer Survival Rates

In most individuals, prostate cancer progresses slowly through stages; about all individuals diagnosed with stage I through III prostate cancer survive 5 years or longer and with current treatments, the outlook is even better for future survival.

Stage 4 Prostate Cancer

Even stage IV has a 5-year survival rate of about 31% and this figure may also increase with advancement in treatment methods.

Prostate Cancer Treatment: Watch and Wait

"Watch and wait," is a phrase that is being used more frequently to describe a program of active surveillance without other cancer treatment for some patients with prostate cancer. It means that if your cancer is not aggressive (based on the Gleason score and the cancer stage), treatments may be deferred and your condition periodically checked. This approach is used because the risks of urinary and sexual problems inherent in most prostate cancer treatments are serious and may be put off or avoided if the cancer is not aggressive. However, aggressive prostatic cancer is usually treated even if secondary complications of treatments are serious.

Prostate Cancer Treatment: Radiation Therapy

Radiation, focused as a beam, can be used to kill cancer cells, especially those cells that have migrated (metastasized) from the prostate gland. Beams of radiation can be used to reduce bone pain caused by invasive cancer cells.

Low Dose Rate Brachytherapy

In another type of radiation therapy termed low dose rate brachytherapy, radioactive pellets about the size of a grain of rice are inserted into the prostate.

High Dose Rate Brachytherapy

High dose rate brachytherapy applies more radioactive sources temporarily into the cancerous prostate gland.
Both methods have side effects that can include erectile dysfunction, urinary tract problems, diarrhea, and other side effects.

Prostate Cancer Treatment: Prostate Cancer Surgery

Radical prostatectomy is the surgical removal of the prostate gland. Usually, this treatment is performed when the cancer is located only in the prostate gland. New surgical techniques help avoid damage to nerves, but the surgery may still have the side effects of erectile dysfunction and impaired urinary control. However, these side effects may gradually improve in some patients. Surgeons today may use robotic technique to assist in the operation.

Tips: Coping With Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a common complication for men following prostate cancer surgery, and this problem can persist even five years after the surgery takes place. In one survey of 111 men published in 2003, 69% reported incontinence after prostate surgery. Most of these men used pelvic muscle exercises (Kegel exercises) to help. Many used containment devices, including pads, special underwear, and sanitary napkins to manage incontinence.
Here are some post-surgical incontinence tips:

• Keep a diary of how much you drink, and when and how often you use the bathroom. Note when you leak, and consider whether something could have caused the leak, such as bending in a certain way or drinking too much coffee or soda. The diary can give your doctor powerful in formation to help further your treatment.
• Practice double-voiding, meaning that after you finish urinating, wait a minute and try again.
• Drink less caffeine and alcohol. Both of these drugs can irritate the bladder and increase your need to go. Reducing or eliminating them from your diet can help stave off the frequent need to urinate.
• Avoid food triggers that for some men include chocolates, artificial sweeteners, spicy, or acidic foods. Other men find that food plays a small role or no role at all in their incontinence problems.
• Quit smoking. Along with all of its other many health hazards, tobacco has been linked with aggravated urinary incontinence in men.

Prostate Cancer Treatment : Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy is designed to use drugs to shrink or slow the growth of prostate cancer cells, but it does not kill the prostate cancer cells. It is used to reduce the symptoms of prostate cancer and to slow the spread of aggressive prostatic cancers by blocking or reducing the production of male hormones (androgens) like testosterone.

Hormone Therapy Side Effects

• Impotence
• Breast tissue growth
• Hot flashes
• Weight gain

Prostate Cancer Treatment: Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is designed to kill fast-growing cancer cells anywhere in the body so it is often used when aggressive prostate cancer cells metastasize to other body sites. Usually, chemotherapy is given through a special intravenous line in a series of treatments over several months. There have been new advances in both the hormonal and chemotherapy treatment of prostate cancer. Unfortunately, chemotherapy often kills other fast-growing body cells like hair cells, mucosal cells, and cells that line the gastrointestinal tract. This can result in several unwanted side effects.

Prostate Cancer Chemotherapy Side Effects

• Hair loss
• Mouth sores
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Other body ailments

Prostate Cancer Treatment: Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is a treatment that kills cancer cells by freezing the cells which break apart when they are rewarmed. The treatment is less invasive than surgery, but the long-term effectiveness is still under study.

Prostate Cancer Cryotherapy and Impotence

Unfortunately, freezing damages nerves, sometimes including those near the prostate that control erections. Many men (up to 80%) become impotent after cryotherapy. Erectile dysfunction is a more common side effect following cryotherapy than following a radical prostatectomy.

Prostate Cancer Treatment: Prostate Cancer Immune Therapy

Please note that the term prostate cancer immune therapy has been called a vaccine, but that is somewhat misleading because it does not prevent prostatic cancer from developing in men. The prostate cancer “vaccine” is a highly individualized treatment method, designed to provide immune cells derived from a single patient's own cells. These cells are laboratory enhanced immune cells that become capable of killing or damaging the patient's own prostate cancer cells.

Like hormone therapy, this "vaccine" does not kill off all cancer cells and is currently used to slow the progression of aggressive cancers, especially those unresponsive to other treatments. Research is ongoing and perhaps this or similar methods may be developed to be more effective in the future.

Hope for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Follow-up of diagnosed prostate cancer is important. Whether the decision is to use the "wait and see" approach or any of the above-mentioned treatment methods, the prostate cancer may advance so additional tests like the PSA test or treatments may be necessary. In addition, follow-up can monitor how changes in the patient's lifestyle (appropriate diet and exercise, for example) can lower the risk of death from prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer: Coping With Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Erectile dysfunction (ED or failure obtain or sustain an erection) is a very common side effect of most prostate cancer treatments. In some men, especially those under age 70, improved erectile function may occur within about 2 years after surgery. Additionally, the patient may benefit from various ED medications and therapies, including several types of devices specific for men with ED. Men with ED should discuss the various options with their doctor and partner to determine the best individual treatment method(s).

Cancer-Conscious Diet

As stated previously, a good diet and lifestyle may help lower the risk for prostate cancer; the same is true for those men diagnosed with prostate cancer in terms of cancer recurrence. Consequently, it is appropriate to review diet and lifestyle changes.

Diet Tips to Avoid Recurring Prostate Cancer

• Increase frequency and portion sizes of fruits and vegetables. A 2014 study of more than 40,000 Japanese men found that fiber (found in abundance in fruits and vegetables) may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
• Eat whole grains and avoid processed grains and white flour. As with fruits and vegetables, whole grains provide more fiber than their processed counterparts. Adding more fiber may help reduce prostate cancer risk.
• Reduce or stop eating high-fat dairy products and meats, especially processed meats like bacon, sausage, and baloney. The World Health Organization found in 2015 that diets high in red meat were linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. Consuming a lot of high-fat dairy products seems to slightly elevate prostate cancer risk as well.
• Some research suggests that spinach, orange juice, and other foods may decrease the risk of cancer; prostate cancer patients may get additional diet and lifestyle recommendations when they follow up with their doctors.

Prostate Cancer: Beware of Supplements

Prostate cancer patients and other cancer patients should be very cautious about taking supplements and other items marketed as cancer preventives or cures. Before taking any such compounds, the person should discuss the compound with their doctor. In addition, cancer patients are advised not to self-medicate or change medication dosages without first conferring with their doctor(s).

Additional Information on Prostate Cancer

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Understanding Cancer

What Is Cancer?

In the most basic terms, cancer refers to cells that grow out-of-control and invade other tissues. Cells may become cancerous due to the accumulation of defects, or mutations, in their DNA. Certain inherited genetic defects (for example, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations) and infections can increase the risk of cancer. Environmental factors (for example, air pollution) and poor lifestyle choices—such as smoking and heavy alcohol use—can also damage DNA and lead to cancer.
Most of the time, cells are able to detect and repair DNA damage. If a cell is severely damaged and cannot repair itself, it usually undergoes so-called programmed cell death or apoptosis. Cancer occurs when damaged cells grow, divide, and spread abnormally instead of self-destructing as they should.

Malignant Tumors Vs. Benign Tumors

A tumor is an abnormal mass of cells. Tumors can either be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Benign Tumors

Benign tumors grow locally and do not spread. As a result, benign tumors are not considered cancer. They can still be dangerous, especially if they press against vital organs like the brain.

Malignant Tumors

Malignant tumors have the ability to spread and invade other tissues. This process, known as metastasis, is a key feature of cancer. There are many different types of malignancy based on where a cancer tumor originates.

Cancer Metastasis

Metastasis is the process whereby cancer cells break free from a malignant tumor and travel to and invade other tissues in the body. Cancer cells metastasize to other sites via the lymphatic system and the bloodstream. Cancer cells from the original—or primary—tumor can travel to other sites such as the lungs, bones, liver, brain, and other areas. These metastatic tumors are "secondary cancers" because they arise from the primary tumor.

What Is Metastasized Cancer ?

Metastatic cancer retains the name of the primary cancer. For example, bladder cancer that metastasizes to the liver is not liver cancer. It is called metastatic bladder cancer. Metastasis is significant because it helps determine the staging and treatment. Some types of metastatic cancer are curable, but many are not.

What Causes Cancer ?

Certain genes control the life cycle—the growth, function, division, and death—of a cell. When these genes are damaged, the balance between normal cell growth and death is lost. Cancer cells are caused by DNA damage and out-of-control cell growth. The following is a partial list of factors known to damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer:

Mutations Cause

Genetic mutations may cause cancer. For example, mutations of genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 (linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers) can inhibit the body's ability to safe-guard and repair DNA. Copies of these mutated genes can be passed on genetically to future generations, leading to a genetically-inherited increased risk of cancer.

Environment Cause

Cancer may be caused by environmental exposure. Sunlight can cause cancer through ultraviolet radiation. So can air pollutants like soot, wood dust, asbestos, and arsenic, to name just a few.

Microbes Cause

Some microbes are known to increase cancer risks. These include bacteria like H. pylori, which causes stomach ulcers and has been linked to gastric cancer. Viral infections (including Epstein-Barr, HPV, and hepatitis B and C) have also been linked to cancer.

Lifestyle and Diet Causes

Lifestyle choices can lead to cancer as well. Eating a poor diet, inactivity, obesity, heavy alcohol use, tobacco use including smoking, and exposure to chemicals and toxins are all associated with greater cancer risk.

Causes of Cancer: Treatment

Medical treatment with chemotherapy, radiation, targeted treatments (drugs designed to target a specific type of cancer cell) or immunosuppressive drugs used to decrease the spread of cancer throughout the body can also cause damage to healthy cells. Some “second cancers”, completely separate from the initial cancer, have been known to occur following aggressive cancer treatments; however, researchers are producing drugs that cause less damage to healthy cells (for example, targeted therapy).

Cancer Symptoms and Signs

There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Every cancer and every individual is unique. Cancer symptoms and signs depend on the size and location of the cancer as well as the presence or absence of metastasis.

Common Cancer Symptoms and Signs

Symptoms and signs of cancer may include:

• Fever
• Pain
• Fatigue
• Skin changes (redness, sores that won't heal, jaundice, darkening)
• Unintended weight loss or weight gain

Other more obvious signs of cancer may include:

• Lumps or tumors (mass)
• Difficulty swallowing
• Changes or difficulties with bowel or bladder function
• Persistent cough or hoarseness
• Short of breath
• Chest pain
• Unexplained bleeding or discharge

6 Types of Cancer

Cancer can occur anywhere in the body. Broadly, cancers are classified as either solid (for example breast, lung, or prostate cancers) or liquid (blood cancers). Cancer is further classified according to the tissue in which it arises.

What Is Carcinoma?

Carcinomas are cancers that occur in epithelial tissues in the body. They comprise 80% to 90% of all cancers. Most breast, lung, colon, skin, and prostate cancers are carcinomas. This class includes the two most common skin cancers, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Also in this class is the glandular cancer adenocarcinoma.

What Is Sarcoma Cancer?

Sarcomas occur in connective tissue like the bones, cartilage, fat, blood vessels, and muscles. This class of cancers includes the bone cancers osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma, Kaposi sarcoma (which causes skin lesions), and the muscle cancers rhabdomyosarcoma and leiomyosarcoma.

What Is Myeloma Cancer?

Myelomas are cancers that occur in plasma cells in the bone marrow. This class of cancer includes multiple myeloma, also known as Kahler disease.

What Is Leukemia?

Leukemias are a group of different blood cancers of the bone marrow. They cause large numbers of abnormal blood cells to enter the bloodstream.

What Is Lymphoma Cancer?

Lymphomas are cancers of the immune system cells. These include the rare but serious Hodgkin lymphoma (Hodgkin's lymphoma, also Hodgkin's disease) and a large group of white blood cell cancers known collectively as non-Hodgkin lymphoma (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma).

What Is Mixed Cancer?

Mixed cancers arise from more than one type of tissue.

7 Common Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. The most common cancers diagnosed in the U.S. are those of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and rectum, and bladder. Cancers of the lung, colon and rectum, breast, and pancreas are responsible for the most deaths. The prognosis of different cancers is highly variable. Many cancers are curable with early detection and treatment. Cancers that are aggressive or diagnosed at a later stage may be more difficult to treat, and can even be life threatening.

What Is a Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and one of the deadliest. About one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in her life. Though death rates have decreased since 1989, more than 40,000 U.S. women are thought to have died from breast cancer in 2015 alone.

What Is Lung Cancer?

Lung cancer is the second-most-common cancer in the United States, and it is the deadliest for both men and women. In 2012, more than 210,000 Americans were diagnosed with lung cancer, and in the same year more than 150,000 Americans died from lung cancer. Worldwide, lung cancers are the most common cancers.

What Is a Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men. In 2013, more than 177,000 Americans were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 27,000 American men died from prostate cancer.

What Is a Colorectal Cancer?

Of the cancers that can impact both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second-greatest killer in the United States.

What Is a Liver Cancer?

Liver cancer develops in about 20,000 men and 8,000 women each year. Hepatitis B and C and heavy drinking increase one's risk of developing liver cancer.

What Is a Ovarian Cancer?

About 20,000 American women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. For American women, ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death.

What Is a Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. Of the roughly 53,000 Americans diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, only 8 percent will survive more than five years.

How Stages of Cancer Are Determined

Doctors use the stages of cancer to classify cancer according to its size, location, and extent of spread. Staging helps doctors determine the prognosis and treatment for cancer. The TNM staging system classifies cancers according to:

• Tumor (T): Primary tumor size and/or extent
• Nodes (N): Spread of cancer to lymph nodes in the regional area of the primary tumor
• Metastasis (M): Spread of cancer to distant sites away from the primary tumor

Some cancers, including those of the brain, spinal cord, bone marrow (lymphoma), blood (leukemia), and female reproductive system, do not receive a TNM classification. Instead, these cancers are classified according to a different staging systems.

What Are The Stages of Cancer?

The TNM classification of a cancer usually correlates to one of the following five stages.

• Stage 0: This refers to cancer that is "in situ," meaning that cancerous cells are confined to their site of origin. This type of cancer has not spread and is not invading other tissues.
• Stage I – Stage III: These higher stages of cancer correspond to larger tumors and/or greater extent of disease. Cancers in these stages may have spread beyond the site of origin to invade regional lymph nodes, tissues, or organs.
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• Stage IV: This type of cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes, tissues, or organs in the body far away from the site of origin.

Diagnosing Cancer

Various tests may be performed in order to confirm a cancer diagnosis. Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography (PET-CT) Scans and other similar tests can highlight “hot spots” of cancer cells with high metabolic rates.
The most common test and procedures used to diagnose cancer include:

• Mammogram
• Pap Test
• Tumor Marker Test
• Bone Scan
• MRI
• Tissue Biopsy
• PET-CT Scan

The Role of Lymph Nodes in Cancer Diagnosis

Cancer that originates in the lymph nodes or other area of the lymphatic system is called lymphoma. Cancer that originates elsewhere in the body can spread to lymph nodes. The presence of metastasized cancer in the lymph nodes is may mean the cancer is growing quickly and/or is more likely to spread to other sites. The presence of cancer in lymph nodes often affects prognosis and treatment decisions. Many diagnostic tests look at the lymph nodes as an indicator.

What Are Treatment Options ?

The treatment is highly variable depending on the type and stage of a cancer as well as the overall health of the patient. The most common treatments are surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Other treatments include targeted/biological therapies, hematopoietic stem cell transplants, angiogenesis inhibitors, cryosurgery, and photodynamic therapy.
Every treatment has potential risks, benefits, and side effects. The patient and his or her care team, which may include an internist or other specialist, surgeon, oncologist, radiation oncologist, and others, will help determine the best and most appropriate course of treatment.

Is There a Cure for Cancer ?

Despite enormous effort and funding, no one cure has been found yet to eliminate cancer. In 2016, the United States announced a $1 billion investment into creating such a cure, named the “National Cancer Moonshot” by President Barack Obama.
Until a cure can be found, prevention through a healthy lifestyle is the best way to stop cancer. Some ways to help protect yourself from cancer include eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, abstaining from tobacco, drinking only in moderation, exercising, avoiding sun damage, getting immunizations, and getting regular health screenings.

Surgery

Surgery is often performed to remove malignant tumors. Surgery allows for the determination of the exact size of the tumor as well as the extent of spread and invasion into other nearby structures or lymph nodes – all-important factors in prognosis and treatment. Surgery is often combined with other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and/or radiation.
Sometimes, cancer cannot be entirely surgically removed because doing so would damage critical organs or tissues. In this case, debulking surgery is performed to remove as much of the tumor as is safely possible. Similarly, palliative surgery is performed in the cases of advanced cancer to reduce the effects (for example, pain or discomfort) of a cancerous tumor. Debulking and palliative surgeries are not curative, but they seek to minimize the effects of the cancer.
Reconstructive surgery can be performed to restore the look or function of part of the body after cancer surgery. Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy is an example of this kind of surgery.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation is a very common cancer treatment. About 50% of all cancer patients will receive radiation treatment, which may be delivered before, during, or after surgery and/or chemotherapy. Radiation can be delivered externally -- where X-rays, gamma rays, or other high-energy particles are delivered to the affected area from outside the body -- or it can be delivered internally. Internal radiation therapy involves the placement of radioactive material inside the body near cancer cells. This is called brachytherapy.
Systemic radiation involves the administration of radioactive medication by mouth or intravenously. The radioactive material travels directly to the cancerous tissue. Radioactive iodine (I-131 for thyroid cancer) and strontium-89 (for bone cancer) are two examples of systemic radiation treatments.
Typically, external radiation is delivered 5 days a week over the course of 5 to 8 weeks. Other treatment regimens are sometimes used.

Chemotherapy Procedure

Chemotherapy, or "chemo," refers to more than 100 different medications used to treat cancer and other conditions. If eliminating all cancer cells is not possible, the goals of treatment may be to slow the growth of the cancer, keep the cancer from spreading, and/or relieve cancer-associated symptoms (such as pain).
Depending on the type of chemotherapy prescribed, the medications may be given by mouth, injection, intravenously (IV), or topically. IV chemotherapy may be delivered via a catheter or port, which is usually implanted in a blood vessel of the chest for the duration of the therapy. Sometimes chemotherapy is delivered regionally, directly to the area that needs treatment. For example, intravesical therapy is used to infuse chemotherapy directly into the bladder for the treatment of bladder cancer.
The chemotherapy regimen a patient receives depends upon the type and stage of the cancer, any prior cancer treatment, and the overall health of the patient. Chemotherapy is usually administered in cycles over the course of days, weeks, or months, with rest periods in between.

Other Treatments

In addition to surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, other therapies are used to treat cancer. These include:

Targeted or Biological Therapies

Targeted or biological therapies seek to treat cancer and boost the body's immune system while minimizing damage to normal, healthy cells. Monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulating drugs, vaccines, and cytokines are examples of targeted or biological therapies.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants

Hematopoietic stem cell transplants involve the infusion of stem cells into a cancer patient after the bone marrow has been destroyed by high-dose chemo and/or radiation.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors

Angiogenesis inhibitors are medications that inhibit the growth of new blood vessels that cancerous tumors need in order to grow.

Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery involves the application of extreme cold to kill precancerous and cancerous cells.

Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves the application of laser energy of a specific wavelength to tissue that has been treated with a photosensitizing agent, a medication that makes cancerous tissue susceptible to destruction with laser treatment. Photodynamic therapy selectively destroys cancer cells while minimizing the damage to normal, healthy tissues nearby.

Ongoing Research

Ongoing cancer research continues to identify newer, less toxic, and more effective cancer treatments. Visit the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to see a list of ongoing clinical trials

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