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Prostate cancer - Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

What Causes Prostate Cancer?


Though prostate cancer is common cancer in men, medical professionals are unsure about its exact causes. However, after having studied its risk factors, they believe that all cases of prostate cancer are caused by mutations which cause specific oncogenes to be turned on and certain tumour suppressor genes to be turned off. 


Oncogenes are genes which stimulate the growth of individual cells in the human body, including the prostate. Tumour suppressor genes control cellular growth, repair damage to DNA structures in cells, and contribute to strategic and targeted cellular death.


The mutations which cause the oncogenes to be activated and the tumour suppressor genes to be turned off at the wrong times can be either genetic or acquired.


Inherited genetic mutations


Doctors attribute inherited genetic mutations to 10% of all prostate cancer cases. If a male has inherited the following genetic mutations, you are more likely to develop prostate cancer:


● BRCA1 and BRCA2


● CHEK2, ATM, PALB2, RAD51D


● MSH2, MSH6, MLH1, PMS2 and other DNA mismatch repair genes


● RNASEL


● HOXB13


Remember that the mutations, as mentioned above, are just a few of the inherited genetic mutations, which can cause prostate cancer. They are explained in more detail below.


BRCA1 and BRCA2


These are the genes that cause most types of breast cancer. Because they are genes which cause mutations in the tumour suppressor genes which usually fix mutated DNA ensuring that the resulting malformed cells die immediately. The result is uncontrolled growth of the rogue cells that cause the tumours that are a reason for the occurrence of breast cancer (in women) and prostate cancer (in men!)


ChEK2 ATM, PALB2, and RAD51D


These are genes which repair cells. If they mutate, it can lead to prostate cancer.


DNA mismatch repair genes


Their job is to fix gene pairs that don’t line up correctly immediately before a cell is getting ready to divide. 


RNASEL


This is a gene suppressor gene which kills cells the minute they become dysfunctional. If these genes are turned off, abnormal cells can grow into prostate cancer tumours quickly.


HOXB13


This gene develops prostate gland. Mutations in the HOXB13 gene have been attributed to a higher incidence of prostate cancer.


Acquired genetic mutations


These develop in your lifetime - you don’t inherit them from your parents or ancestors. According to the latest research, acquired genetic mutations cause most prostate cancer cases. When genes divide, they copy the DNA of the original cell (mother cell) into the second cell (daughter cell.) If there are mutations in the DNA during meiosis (cell division), they tend to become permanent and accumulate - hence the higher prevalence of prostate cancer.

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Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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