prostate cancer

Question 1

PSA testing+ normal range

Answer 1

PSA (prostate specific antigen) will leak out into the blood if there’s damage to prostate- above 4ng/ml is unusualy

Question 2

surgery for treating prostate cancer and other treatments

Answer 2

surgery (radical prostatectomy) usually occurs when less than 10ng/ml+ less than 70 yrs- also external beam radiotherapy and hormone therapy

Question 3

other treatments

Answer 3

external beam radiotherapy, and hormone therapy

Question 4

hormone therapy- leuprorelin mechanism

Answer 4

LEUPROLIDE is an agonist at the GNRH receptor- overstimulates and DESENSITISES receptor, hence less LH released= less testosterone+DHT, which prevents stimulation of prostate gland

Question 5

hormone therapy- flutaminde mechanism

Answer 5

ANDROGEN RECEPTOR antagonist (ie those present on prostate)

Question 6

how does the cancer relapse even with the anti-androgen therapy

Answer 6

cancer becomes ANDROGEN INDEPENDENT- may be due to overexpression of androgen receptors/ more signalling proteins/mutations of androgen receptor/decreased co-repressors

Question 7

gleason scoring system- what is moderate, and what is severe

Answer 7

once PSA test done and rectal exam done, two areas of tumour located and are summated- above 7 severe, 5-7 moderate