Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, as announced by the former president’s office yesterday.

But what is prostate cancer, what are the symptoms and what are the causes?

Following is an explanation for this disease:

What is prostate cancer?

The prostate is a small gland in the walnut size of the male reproductive system just below the bladder. It produces and stores a milky, dense liquid, which accounts for 20-30% of the sperm, along with the sperm produced by the testicles and the sperm fluid. Also produces a protein called special prostate antigen

Prostate cancer begins with the growth of cells in the gland which, if not treated in time, can spread to other parts of the body and become metastatic or develop into advanced prostate cancer.

What is “aggressive” prostate cancer?

The Gleason grading system is used to evaluate prostate cancer prognosis and ranges from 6 to 10 depending on the appearance of cancer cells compared to normal cells. Score 6 or 7 in the system is considered less aggressive, with cells looking healthy (well -differentiated) or somewhat healthy (moderately differentiated). These cancers may spread more slowly.

A score of 8 or higher indicates a higher degree of aggression. The cells are slightly different or indifferent to healthy cells. Biden’s office said his score was 9, indicating that his cancer is one of the most aggressive.

What are the symptoms?

All forms of prostate cancer, including the most aggressive forms, may not develop symptoms until the tumor is growing. When this happens, symptoms may include blood in the urine and sperm, the need for more frequent urination, especially at night, and difficulty at starting urination.

Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer may include urinary incontinence, back pain, bone pain, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, weight loss and weakness in the hands and feet.

What are the causes?

While advanced age, obesity, racial origin and family history of the disease are considered risk factors, the exact causes have not been determined. Cancer begins when prostate cells develop changes in their DNA that make them grow and multiply very quickly.

How is prostate cancer detected?

Blood tests that measure PSA levels (especially prostate antigens) and rectal fingerprints are common screening tests. The most invasive diagnostic tests include a prostate section biopsy, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Other tests can be performed, especially in more advanced or aggressive cases, such as bone tomography, CT scan (CT) of the prostate or other organs and urine analysis.

What are the treatments?

Treatments vary depending on the severity of cancer and depend on the needs and preferences of the patient. In early, small, slowly evolving prostate cancers, monitoring can be sufficient. Developed cancers may require surgery to remove prostate, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, targeted drugs such as PSMA proteins (special membrane prostate antigen) and immunotherapy.

Metastatic cancer is much more difficult to treat than localized cancer because it can be difficult for drugs to reach all tumors and completely uproot cancer cells.

What is the survival rate?

Many factors determine the rate of survival, including cancer stage, age of the patient and overall health. According to the US Cancer Society (ACS), there are almost 36,000 deaths per year from prostate cancer.

The five -year survival rate for men diagnosed under 65 is about 98%, compared to 85% for men over 80 years. If cancer has metastasized to other parts of the body, the survival rate is significantly reduced to 30-40% after five years.

Prostate cancer is usually diagnosed early and often develops slowly. Most people with prostate cancer are cured.

How common is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, with an estimated percentage of diagnosed cases in one in eight men during their lifetime. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 236,659 new cases in the US, while ACS estimates that 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2025.

While rates increase, regular control and prevention lead to more successful results, with ACS reporting that 3.3 million men in the US who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer is still alive.