NURS 201 Lecture Notes - Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Rectal Examination, Prostate Cancer
28 Apr 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (bph) is prostate gland enlargement due to increased epithelial cells and stromal tissue. Bph results from endocrine changes associated with the aging process. The compression of the urethra leads to clinical symptoms including decrease in caliber and force of the urinary stream, difficulty in initiating voiding, intermittency and dribbling. Conservative and initial treatment is watchful waiting when there are no symptoms or only mild ones. Invasive treatment of symptomatic bph involves prostate resection or ablation. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, excluding skin cancer. Risk factors include family history, age, and ethnicity. Symptoms of prostate cancer are similar to those for bph, including dysuria, hesitancy, dribbling, frequency, and urgency. Elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (psa) indicate prostatic pathology, although not necessarily prostate cancer. The conservative approach to management is watchful waiting. Treatment may also include drugs, hormones, chemotherapy, and radiation.
