The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland present in men and responsible for producing seminal fluids. Commonly, 1 in 8 men often develop prostate cancer, but the severity will vary as age and disease progression.  Prostate cancer is defined as the growth and spread of abnormal tumor cells in the prostate gland. Most of the time, men are unaware of this disease and often present as asymptomatic, which paves the way for the spread of cancer in other parts of the body. Prostate cancer can develop and spread to other parts of the body if untreated properly. 

Advanced Prostate Carcinoma

The cancer cells in the prostate glands multiply and spread to other parts of the body, like tissues around the prostate, seminal vesicles, organs such as the liver, lungs, and even bones sign that the disease has reached the advanced stage. It is also called metastatic prostate cancer. One sign of relief about advanced prostate cancer is that the progression to the advanced stage is rare if it is detected early and treated promptly. Advanced prostate carcinoma is the last stage of prostate cancer.

Stages of prostate cancer 

Prostate cancer can be categorised into three stages based on the TNM system which are given below:

• Tumour (T) stage
• Node (N) stage
• Metastasis (M) stage

Among the above stages, the M stage is the advanced stage in prostate cancer in which the cancer has started to spread to different parts of the body.

Symptoms

People who develop advanced prostate cancer can experience the following symptoms symptoms: 

• Frequent urge to urinate, especially at night
• Reduced urine flow and decreased output
• Dysuria
• Painful ejaculation 
• Erectile dysfunction
• Blood in semen
• Loss of bladder control

As the cancer cells have already spread to various parts of the body, people can also experience pain in bones, hip joints, and chest.

Treatment options for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Based on the severity of the disease and to the extent which it has spread, advanced prostate cancer can be treated by employing either one of the treatment methods or usually a combinational approach is applied. Some of the treatment options are given below:

1. Surgery (Radical Prostatectomy)

This includes the surgical removal of the prostate gland in men who are affected by localized prostate cancer.

2. Radiation Therapy

Radiotherapy involves high-energy rays to kill the cancer cells in the patients. It may be used as the primary treatment or with other approaches.

3. Hormone Therapy

It is used to treat prostate cancer, which is associated with an increase in the hormone (testosterone). Androgens are essential for the production of testosterone, which acts as a fuel for the growth of cancerous prostate cells. This kind of hormonal therapy aims to block the action of this androgen. It shuts down the action of testosterone, thereby eradicating tumor cells. It is the gold standard and often the first-line treatment for advanced prostate cancer. The major advantage hormonal therapy offers is reversibility; if the medications used in this therapy are discontinued, your testosterone levels will return to normal. Some classes of this hormonal therapy include,

• Luteinizing hormone
• LHRH antagonists
• Androgen receptor blockers

Certain medications, like Caluran CP 50mg tablet consisting of the active ingredient Bicalutamide, can be employed for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. It is prescribed along with Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone (LHRH) analog or surgical removal of testicles.  

4. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves medications that help to kill the cancer cells in prostate cancer. In advanced prostate cancer, chemotherapy can be combined with other therapies or treatments.

5. Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy involves medications to stimulate the body’s own immune system. It can be used in combination with chemotherapy or with other cancer treatments. Checkpoint inhibitors are the medications that stimulate the immune system against cancer by specifically targeting proteins on the surface of cancerous or immune cells. 

Conclusion

The advanced stage of prostate cancer usually needs some advanced combinational therapy like hormonal therapy or immunotherapy with effective chemotherapy and radiation therapy . Prostate cancer can be easily managed if it is diagnosed in its early stage. It is recommended to consult with your doctor about symptoms and treatment options before they progress to an advanced stage.