Prostate Cancer Symptoms & Treatment: 5 Types of Prostate Cancer Identified

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Medical science has a major breakthrough that can change the way experts diagnose and treat prostate cancer as scientists discover that there are actually five types of the said cancer.

DNA India reports that according to a research conducted in the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and Addenbrooke's Hospital, that checked 250 samples of both healthy and cancerous prostate tissues, the team has been able to isolate five different types from abnormal chromosomes and their 100 different gene activities.

The scientists also revealed that through this method, the diagnosis has shown more accuracy than that of current methods doctors use, including the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test and Gleason score.

Alaistair Lamb, author of the research from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, said that these findings can easily help medical experts to decide which treatment will be best for the patients based on the tumor's features and behavior. Lamb also said that if the study is further tested and developed, then the possibility of coming up with better solutions to fight prostate cancer might be in store for the future.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the US because it progresses slowly without causing any health problems, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although men with prostate cancer may experience having difficulty in urination, weak or interrupted urine flow, frequent night urination, pain during urination, blood in the urine or semen, and painful ejaculation, it is very uncommon and the only way men fully understand what they have is through the use of PSA screening and biopsy for the Gleason score.

Current treatment includes closely monitoring the prostate cancer, prostatectomy, radiation therapy, crytotherapy, chemotherapy, and high-intensity ultrasound.

A clinical trial is yet to be done but through the samples, two have gotten the worst prognosis, two have shown more of a slow growth, and the fifth one has a kind-of in between severity, reports The Daily Mail UK.

Professor Malcolm Mason, a prostate cancer expert, explained that prostate cancer can act like a "pussycat," which means it can grow slowly and unlikely to cause any distress or a "tiger," which means that the cancer can spread rapidly and may require immediate attention.

At the moment, the researchers have no reliable way to distinguish the types but through this, more effective treatment can be developed, which means there are chances of improving the quality of life for thousands, making them help save more lives, the professor concludes.

The study has been published in the online journal EBioMedicine.