Narrative – Possible Causes and Treatments of Cancer
Shshana Rust
BIO 1020
South University Online

Prostate and Endometrial Cancer

Prostate cancer is a cancer that forms in the tissues of the prostate, the gland of the male reproductive system, which is found below the bladder and in front of the rectum. This cancer usually occurs in older men. In the United States there are estimated 241,740 new cases and 28,170 deaths in 2012. The cause of prostate cancer is unknown. Prostate cancer is thought to be related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Predisposing factors include advancing age, genetics, hormonal influence, and such environmental factors as toxins, chemicals, and industrial products. The chances increase with age. Prostate cancer under age 40 is extremely rare but is common in men older than 80 years of age. 50% - 80% of men over the age of 80 have prostate cancer, according to some studies. More than 80% of prostate cancers are found in men older than 65 years of age. Treatment options depend of several factors: how fast the cancer is growing, has is spread, overall health, and the benefits and potential side effects of treatment as well. In the early stage of prostate cancer immediate treatment may not be necessary; some may not even need treatment. Doctors will sometimes recommend watchful waiting, also known as active surveillance. Regular follow-up blood test, rectal exams and possibly biopsies may be performed to monitor progression of the cancer during watchful waiting. Other treatments include: radiation, hormone therapy, surgery, cryosurgery, chemotherapy, and alternative medicine. Endometrial cancer forms in the tissue lining the uterus, the small, hollow, pear-shaped organ in the pelvis of the woman where the fetus develops. Most endometrial cases are adenocarcinomas which are cancers that begin in the cells that make and release mucus and other fluids. In the United States there are 47,130 new cases and 8,010 deaths from endometrial (uterine corpus) in 2012. The causes for endometrial cancers are unknown to doctors but what is known is that something occurs to create a genetic