Prostate Cancer

Hello and welcome to my blog. This is my very first action project for my STEAM course, Disease. In this unit, Body, we studied different diseases that are very common in our world and country. In class, we thoroughly learned about the 11 body systems of the human body and what's in blood along with other topics. We went on a field experience to the Museum of Science and Industry where we ventured their YOU! exhibit. The exhibit helped us dive deeper into the human body while having an engaging experience. For this action project, we were instructed to interview a family member or friend that had been diagnosed with a disease. We had the choice of who and what disease we wanted to do. I chose to interview my grandfather who once had prostate cancer. I chose this because my grandfather has been negatively impacted by this cancer. While I learned more about the disease, I have become more aware of the seriousness and risks of it.

My grandfather's name is Willy. He is an African-American in his mid-late 60s who lives in Chicago, Illinois. Grandpa Willy began experiencing noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer when he was 62. He started to have pain in his lower back, pelvic area, and knees. He was very active years prior to cancer. He used to shoot hoops with my older brother and me while at the same time living with his asthma. Ever since he was diagnosed with cancer, he has noticeable fewer amounts of energy at times. This disease is included in SDG 3 because the goals focus on influencing healthier lifestyles and advocating for access to health resources such as medical evaluation and immunization in order to catch diseases before they possibly become lethal. Some prevention methods for prostate cancer are maintaining a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables, consuming foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals over vitamin supplements, and sustaining a healthy weight. These prevention methods aren’t applicable to areas that have food deserts and are experiencing malnutrition and food shortages.

I interviewed Willy and asked him 5 questions to get his perspective on the disease and its impact on him. My grandfather was 62 in October of 2015 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He will be 67 years old this year (2020). This year will make his 5th year mark after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Some of his initial questions were, “Is the disease serious meaning life-threatening, will I need surgery for prostate cancer? Grandpa Willy decided to seek treatment the same year he was diagnosed with it. A couple days after his 63rd birthday in late-October of 2015, he started treatment in November. He attended External Beam Radiation Treatment (EBRT) for one year. According to the American Cancer Society, “In (EBRT), beams of radiation are focused on the prostate gland from a machine outside the body. This type of radiation can be used to try to cure earlier stage cancers, or to help relieve symptoms such as bone pain if the cancer has spread to a specific area of bone.” They compare each treatment to getting an x-ray. The radiation becomes stronger in each procedure but is typically painless. Treatment only lasts a few minutes, but preparing for it takes a while. Prostate cancer occurs when malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the prostate. The exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown. It is a multifactorial disease with genetic and environmental factors involved in its make up. It is a non-transmittable disease.

Willy from the interview; “I would usually go for radiation therapy treatment out of a 5 day per week limit. I received treatment in an outpatient center. I had to go for 30 days which was 6 weeks of radiation therapy.” At first, he was terrified after hearing the news, but after getting treatment and good news from the doctor, he was relieved of the burden. Willy was aware of the risk of the disease of killing him. It’s been a couple of years since he beat prostate cancer. It has negatively impacted him because he goes to the doctor once every 6 months to participate in a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. (PSA) is a substance that's naturally produced by your prostate gland. It's normal for a small amount of PSA to be in your bloodstream. In the test, they examined his blood sample and he received his results in two weeks' notice. They look for a test reading between 1-4. It can vary within an increase or decrease in change of the reading which is relatively a red flag of cancer. If a higher than normal level is found, it may indicate prostate infection, inflammation, enlargement or cancer. His symptoms from this disease were the urine flow being stopped at times and having trouble releasing urine from the bladder, and the bladder not feeling emptied or feeling full. I feel that prostate cancer can be considered hereditary in our family because Willy’s grandfather died from it and his uncle currently has it. Prostate cancer is one of many diseases that appear in unpredictable patterns within older black men.

The body systems affected by this disease are the lymphatic, urinary, and skeletal body systems. The lymphatic body system is made up of a network of lymphatic vessels, organs, and tissues. Prostate cancer may metastasize (spread) and form tumors in nearby organs such as the bladder, or travel through your bloodstream or lymphatic system to your bones. Signs of metastatic prostate cancer can include swelling in legs or pelvic area, numbness or pain in the hips, legs or feet, and bone pain that doesn’t go away. The symptoms of prostate cancer often differ from patient to patient. The most common first sign of recurrent prostate cancer is a rise in the PSA level in the blood. Medical organizations recommend men to consider prostate cancer screening in their 50s, or sooner if they fit the risk factors for prostate cancer. Willy says men should get tested for it in their early 40s to be safe.

The risk factors of this disease are your age, family’s history of the disease, race, hormones, folic acid in the body and obesity. Older men, African American men, in particular, are more susceptible to prostate cancer. Women very rarely get this disease. It’s a widespread disease across the United States and common outside the country. Scientists don’t know why black men have it more than white men worldwide. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), “African-American men are nearly 1.6 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men. They are also 2.4 times more likely than white men to die from the disease.”


Diagrams

N.L. Anatomy of Prostate Cancer. 2020.

N.L. Lymphatic System. 2020

Conclusion
I was interested in learning about this disease and the possibilities it holds for me since I am at risk by being an African-American male. I’m not scared but more aware of the importance of my health as I age. I was able to connect with my grandfather and enjoyed the interview with him. I have stored much of my research on this specific cancer in my memory for future references.


Works Cited

“Symptoms of Advanced Prostate Cancer | Cancer Research UK.” Cancerresearchuk.Org, 2019, www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/prostate-cancer/advanced-cancer/symptoms-advanced-cancer. Accessed 31 Jan. 2020.

“Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test.” National Cancer Institute, Cancer.gov, 4 Oct. 2017,
www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/psa-fact-sheet. Accessed 1 Feb. 2020.

“Prostate Cancer In African Men | Prostate Cancer For Black Men.” Spaceoar.Com, 2018, www.spaceoar.com/patients/prostate-cancer-resources-and-articles/prostate-cancer-in-african-american-men/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2020

‌“Prostate Cancer - Diagnosis and Treatment - Mayo Clinic.” Mayoclinic.Org,  , 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353093. Accessed 1 Feb. 2020.

“Prostate Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version.” National Cancer Institute, Cancer.gov, 12 June 2019, www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/patient/prostate-treatment-pdq. Accessed 31 Jan. 2020.