Question

Question 5

:

(a)

With patients with both cases of benign and malignant tumours of the male reproductive system, a common symptom is urinary incontinence or bladder problems. Why would this be the case?

(b) Featured is a specimen of a male with a prostate adenocarcinoma.

Describe two features of malignant tumours.

Answer 1

5(a) The term urinary incontinence means inability to volunatrily control urination. Typical features of urinary incontinence are:-

• leaky urine
• long time to urinate
• sudden urge to urinate and
• continuous/chronic incontinence - not being able to control urine at all

Once urine formation occurs in the kidneys, it flows into the bladder which is a hollow, balloon-like organ. From the bladder, the urine flows down a tube called the urethra and gets released from the body. The sphincter muscles act like a valve that holds urine and controls its releases. The sphincter muscles are regulated by nerves that carry signals of the urge to urinate and thus controls the bladder function.

When a person suffers from cancer - especially prostate cancer, there is enlargement of the prostate itself due to uncontrolled cell division to form a tumor; and this leads to obstruction of the bladder, which leads to primary symptoms of urinary incontinence to develop.

Once the person is diagnosed with prostate (or other forms of cancer - bladder, urethra, colorectal) he is put under

• radiotherapy - that further irritates the bladder and urethra causing inflammation
• chemotherapy - that may cause damage to nerve functioning
• prostatectomy (surgical removal of prostate) - that causes urine to leak, as one of the valve is removed.

5(b) A malignant tumor essentially means that it is metastatic in nature. Malignant or metastatic tumors (cancer cells) have the ability to spread to other organs of the body from its original location. In case of malignant prostatic adenocarcinoma,

• Prostatic cancer cells spread to the bone causing bone pain and tenderness.
• Lymphatic edema (collection of pus) due to obstruction of venuous and lymphatic channels.
• Bladder inflammation due to obstruction