Learning the History of Prostate Cancer to Know Its Future

Prostate cancer was first described by anatomist Niccolo Massa in 1536 but was not officially identified until 1853. A the time, prostate cancer was considered a rare disease, due to the shorter life expectancies of the population and poor detection methods.

The first surgical treatment happened in the 1890s and was limited in its success. Removal of the actual prostate gland was first performed in 1904.

Alternative Cancer Treatments

Treatments such as retropubic prostatectomy was developed in 1983 by Patrick Walsh. This surgical approach allowed for removal of the prostate and lymph nodes with maintenance of penile function.

In 1941 Charles Higgens published studies in which he used estrogen to oppose testosterone production in men with metastatic prostate cancer. This discovery of "chemical castration" won Huggins the 1966 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Treatments such as retropubic prostatectomy was developed in 1983 by Patrick Walsh. This surgical approach allowed for removal of the prostate and lymph nodes with maintenance of penile function.

Radiation therapy for prostate cancer was first developed in the early 20th century and initially consisted of intraprostatic radium implants. External beam radiation became more popular as stronger radiation sources became available in the middle of the 20th century. Systemic chemotherapy for prostate cancer was first studied in the 1970s. Brachytherapy with implanted seeds was first described in 1983.

Research into different treatments and complementary treatments is ongoing and important even though as a type of cancer, prostate cancer is one of the easiest to treat, provided it is detected in its early stages. Screening procedures are also under research as there is no one main cause that has been found for prostate cancer.

Learning the History of Prostate Cancer to Know Its Future

Alternative Cancer Treatments