Prostate Cancer- a New Vaccine
Death from prostate cancer is second on the death list for men. So, you see, something had do be done. Researchers have started studying all things related to prostate cancer and new and amazing discoveries are announced. The most recent of them is the vaccine against prostate cancer. The first study was conducted at a University in California. A number of one hundred and twenty seven patients with advanced prostate cancer have participated at this study.
The vaccine against prostate cancer was their only solution, because they all suffered from the most advanced state of prostate cancer. Thy did not respond to any treatment, but these prostate cancer patients still suffered from excruciating pain. Some of these prostate cancer patients were given placebo and the others received the new vaccine against prostate cancer. The study lasted one month and a half, the time they were given the treatment, and then another three years when these people were kept under careful supervision.
The results confirmed what scientists only dared to dream: the people that were given the prostate cancer vaccine lived almost four to five months longer than the others. Furthermore, the side effects of this vaccine against prostate cancer were slim to non. Some mild fever and some chills were all that these patients suffered from after being given the vaccine against prostate cancer. These side- effects also passed in a few days. More studies were then undertaken in many Universities and the results of this vaccine against prostate cancer did not sees to amaze. What this vaccine actually does is to stimulate your immune system to fight against prostate cancer.
This amazing discovery has opened a door for many prostate cancer patients. Not only the effects of this vaccine are amazing, but this prostate cancer vaccine means a new beginning. Hope is in the air for all people that have severe prostate cancer and also for those that are only at the beginning. If this vaccine can do so much for a person that is in the end stage of prostate cancer, then the others can only expect bright times ahead of them. Scientists are also working to find the cause of prostate cancer and a way of preventing it.
For more information about prostate cancer treatment and about prostate cancer please review this web site http://www.prostate-cancer-center.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/prostate-cancer-a-new-vaccine-150646.html
Selenium May Help to Prevent Prostate Cancer
According to a federally sponsored study, published by a Stanford University urologist, men with abnormally low levels of Selenium in their blood are four to five times more likely to develop prostate cancer. Selenium is a trace element that is supplied in certain foods and supplements.
The study suggests that making a point of eating Selenium-rich foods, such as Brazil nuts and tuna, or taking a Selenium supplement, may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Supplementation is especially useful for older men, as Selenium blood content decreases with patient age.
Although there are no solid statistics regarding exactly how much levels of Selenium in the blood are improved by supplementation, head researcher, James D. Brooks, MD is decidedly optimistic about the subject. He believes that supplementation could potentially be of great benefit in preventing prostate cancer, but goes on to comment that more precise research is needed in order to discern exact statistics on the extent of those benefits.
Overall, the researchers who conducted this study believe that they have made some very interesting discoveries, and that increasing levels of Selenium in the blood can significantly reduce a patient's risk of developing the most common form of cancer affecting men.
Article Source:http://www.articles321.com
Jeremy Maddock |
Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of http://www.immunewellness.com - your source for high quality information about a variety of health products, including Selenium (www.immunewellness.com/selenium.htm). |
Drinking Milk and Sunshine Exposure Can Limit the Prostate Cancer
The spread of prostate cancer is caused by the over normal activity of two specific enzymes, proteases called cathepsin and matrix metalloproteinase.
A recent study concluded that Vitamin D can reduce the activity of these enzymes, mainly by increasing the level of counterpart enzymes that inhibit matrix metalloproteinase and cathepsin. This process has two consequences on prostate cancer. On one hand, it creates a limitation in power of prostate cancer cells to invade healthy cells and, on the other hand, it has a positive effect on plasminogen activators, which also are important in uncontrolled prostate cancer spreading mechanism.
For a moment it is unclear whether there are other vitamins and medicines that could increase the anti cancerous effects of Vitamin D. The scientists are now investigating if Vitamin E could be a positive support without increasing the toxic level.
Patients must know that a high dose of Vitamin D has a strong side effect causing kidney problems due of increasing blood calcium levels. For this reason,
it should not be taken without medical prescription and a special monitoring of side effects by a professional health care.
Excepting vitamin pills, the best ways to get Vitamin D into the body are to drink milk and to expose the body to the modest sun (sunshine preferable).
Valerian D is a freelance writer interested in health issues affecting men such as prostate cancer
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Valerian_D.
What is Good For Prostate Health?
I wanted to talk to you about what is good for prostate health. There are a lot of men out there that are running into serious problems with their prostate. Prostate cancer is actually quite common and men seem to be a big victim of this problem that seems to have grown in that last 10 years. Many of these men don't have any sort of prostate exam or even know how to keep their health up, so they don't run into any sort of infections or other complications. This is a serious problem and all men should be scared out the potential for trouble. I'm here to discuss with you what is good for prostate health.
There are a lot of symptoms that come along for a problem with your prostate, but not unhealthiness and that is the sad part. You won't end up having a symptom of your negligence, just when you run into a problem. I think an infection is probably a wake up call for a lot of men. You'll notice that you have to run to the washroom all the time and it may even hurt to urinate. At this point it is time to start thinking of the health of your prostate.
What is good for prostate health is anti-oxidants. In recent years it has been proven that free radicals can actually make you unhealthy and even cause cancer. I'll spare you the chemistry, but when you add more anti-oxidants to your body, these free radicals won't happen. Onions work very good for this. They're about the strongest one you can get. There are a lot of other things you could eat to improve your diet, but it is highly unlikely that you'll get all of them. There is just too much variety for the average person, so it is okay to take natural medicine to get everything you need.
Learn more about natural Prostate Medicine. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash |
A Look At Prostate Biopsy Procedures
Taking The Fear Out of having a Prostate Biopsy
If you are showing symptoms that may suggest that you have prostate cancer, such as trouble starting to urinate or prostate pain, then your doctor will recommend a procedure known as a prostate biopsy. A prostate biopsy is a simple procedure that is usually performed by a urologist and is the only way of making a positive diagnosis of prostrate cancer.
Although a prostrate biopsy sounds like a big deal it really isn’t. Most men find that although the procedure is uncomfortable it is relatively pain free and most only feel a small amount of pain following the procedure.
Today, there are a number of ways in which a prostate biopsy can be carried out. The most common procedure is known as the core needle biopsy. In this instance the doctor will use a biopsy gun to remove small samples of tissue from the prostrate. The biopsy gun fires a needle into the sample area and removes the tissue. Once the tissue samples have been collected they are then sent to the laboratory where they will be analyzed to see if cancer is present.
This procedure is usually done under a local anesthetic and normally takes no longer than half an hour.
Another way to do a prostate biopsy is to access the prostate gland via the urethra. As the urethra passes through the prostate gland a lighted scope that has a cutting loop attached to it is inserted into the urethra to collect the tissue samples.
This particular procedure takes 30-45 minutes and although usually done under local anesthetic may sometimes be carried out under general anesthetic.
A less common way to perform a prostate biopsy is to collect the tissue samples with a needle through the perineum. The perineum is located between the rectum and the scrotum and the urologist will keep the prostate steady by inserting a finger into the rectum. He will then use a biopsy needle that will be inserted through a small incision.
Carried out under a local anesthetic this is the quickest way to perform a prostate biopsy as it only takes about 15 minutes but is a procedure that is not often used.
Before your prostate biopsy your doctor should explain any complications that could occur for instance, there may be discomfort and bruising at the biopsy site, there may be prolonged bleeding from the biopsy site or you could have problems urinating.
After a prostate biopsy you may find that you have blood present in your urine or stools for a few days or you may even have red or reddish brown blood in your semen when you ejaculate. This could last a few weeks.
Your doctor should be notified if the amount of blood increases, you continue to have difficulty urinating or you show signs of a fever and chills.
The important thing to remember is that you may suffer some discomfort for a short while but that is far better than the consequences of not having any symptoms checked out.
Finding And Understanding Prostate Cancer Information
How To find Reputable sources
Each year approximately 186,000 men in the United States will receive the diagnosis that they have prostate cancer and, in a bid to beat the second leading cancer that kills men, will begin looking for prostate cancer information. It is estimated that 40,000 men die from prostate cancer every year and 38,000 have their prostates removed either by radiation or surgery.
Searching for prostate cancer information can seem daunting. There is a lot of information out there be it in books or on the World Wide Web. If searching the Internet for prostate cancer information be sure that you check out several different sites. You need to look for websites that are balanced, well-constructed, easy to use and have reputable up-to-date prostate cancer information.
Prostate cancer information on these sites may be in depth or just a general overview but most sites will explain what prostate cancer is, the signs and symptoms and how a diagnosis is made, such as through a Digital Rectal Exam or a prostate biopsy.
Many men when newly diagnosed will be searching for prostate cancer information on the treatment options available for this condition, the prognosis and the chances of recurrence.
For these reasons prostate cancer information needs to be factual, giving no promises but also giving the sufferer hope. When first diagnosed with prostate cancer many men will feel shock and fear and they need to find information that they can understand and is written in such a way that they do not need the help of a medical dictionary to get them through it.
Of course the best source to go to for prostate cancer information will be your health care provider as you will be able to ask questions that are totally relevant for you and your lifestyle. But if you have already done a little research you will be able to ask more informed questions.
There are a variety of organizations that are dedicated to providing up-to-date prostate cancer information such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and The Lance Armstrong Foundation.
You will also find websites that provide chat forums that will give you the chance to communicate with other men who are also dealing with this disease. These can be useful, as each person will have their own story of successes and failures in the coping with their illness. Everyone is an individual and what works for one will not necessarily work for another.
By gleaning as much prostate cancer information that you can will enable you to make educated decisions on how to deal with your health and to be pro-active in your treatment.
A Few Essential Facts Related To Prostate Anatomy
When it comes to prostate anatomy the first thing you will need to be aware of is that the prostate is a tiny organ that is no bigger in size than a small chestnut and which sits in front a that small bucket called the bladder that in turn is located inside of the stomach. Another part of the body’s anatomy is the urethra that is a tube running from the bucket’s lower side and which runs into the middle of your prostate.
Location Of The Prostate
The bladder holds your urine and when your bladder muscles relax you will need to urinate. However, this relaxation also causes the urine to rush into your urethra that runs through your prostate before being expelled from the penis. Therefore it is necessary that you also understand prostate anatomy in order to know where the prostate is located.
The prostate in fact is located both in front of as well as beneath the bladder and it wraps it around your urethra. By understanding this aspect of prostate anatomy you will be able to understand how problems with your prostate such as enlargement, inflammation as well as infection can interfere with your ability to urinate normally as well as to have normal sex.
It is in fact necessary to understand prostate anatomy because only then will you be able to understand why you are having problems with your ejaculation. In fact, the prostate gland, an essential part of prostate anatomy, is situated beneath the bladder and is wrapped around your urethra and it serves the function of adding certain specific fluids to the sperm prior to ejaculation of the sperm.
Sperm as everyone knows is produced in your testicles from where it moves to your epididymis and there it will mature after which it moves into a pair of small and muscular tubes that are known as vas deferens that are located around your bladder and to what are know as seminal vesicles. By understanding prostate anatomy you can also learn how, when you ejaculate, these seminal vesicles as well as the prostate glands need to contract in order to expel the contents into the urethra, and more particularly its prostate parts after which it goes out from the tip of your penis.
Besides understanding prostate anatomy and its functions, it is also necessary to learn about what main problems affect the prostate gland. Another important issue related to prostate anatomy and prostate cancer is knows the proper prostate cancer cure, which in most cases means undergoing surgery or having hormonal therapy. In fact, prostate cancer is the second most serious form of cancer in males in the developed world and thus needs to be addressed on a war footing.
Surgery And Radiation Therapy Are Two Main Types Of Prostate Cancer Cure
Asians Need Not Worry
If you happen to be living in Asian countries then you won’t need to be worried too much about finding out about prostate cancer cure because prostate cancer is relatively unknown amongst populations in that part of the world. However, for those who live in Europe as well as in the United States, finding out more about prostate cancer cure is very necessary because of the high incidences of prostate cancer in these areas of the world.
Typically, prostate cancer cure requires undergoing surgery or even getting radiation therapy done. Also, prostate cancer cure can be affected through hormonal therapy, proton therapy, chemotherapy as well as cryosurgery and even HIFU or high intensity focused ultrasound. Which form of prostate cancer cure you choose to use will ultimately depend on your clinical scenario as well as the type of outcome you desire having.
Hormonal therapy such as Abiraterone Acetate is an especially promising prostate cancer cure as it helps in reducing PSA levels as well as tumor size in prostate cancer end-stages. However, other aspects that affect the success or otherwise of different prostate cancer cures are the age of the patient, extent of the spread of disease, as well as response to treatment (initial). It must also be stressed that because prostate cancer affects older males, there are many instances of elderly men dying as a result of their affliction – even after having tried out various prostate cancer cures.
Age of course makes success of different prostate cancer cures rather difficult to achieve and whether or not you should have treatment for local prostate cancer depends on how well will the treatment benefit you, which in turn need to be balanced against any harm that you may need to endure. Getting early prostate cancer diagnosis done through prostate cancer screening as well as prostate tests is however recommended.
The bottom line as far as prostate cancer cures are concerned is that you can choose from surgery, radiation therapy, cryosurgery as well as hormonal therapy as too palliative care.
Early Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Minimizes Risk To Your Health
Don’t Panic; Don’t Ignore
Of course, it would be foolish for you to panic when you notice such signs though at the same time it is just as foolish to ignore the warnings. It is always a good idea to ensure that you know one way or the other whether prostate cancer has struck you or not. In order to live life healthily it is necessary to have prostate cancer diagnosis done so that you know at an early stage how best to treat the condition – should it occur. In fact, prostate cancer is a condition that spans a number of stages and the more you allow it to grow without having the condition treated the greater are the risks involved and death will become a very real possibility as well.
Once you have begun to notice symptoms appearing you must then get prostate cancer diagnosis done and not throw up your hands and leave things to drift on their own. It involves checking with your doctor who mostly will begin by performing prostate cancer screening and even performs prostate tests to establish your true health condition. Most often, prostate cancer diagnosis requires that you undergo a digital rectal examination or DRE that checks the texture as well as size of your prostate to establish the presence or otherwise of prostate cancer.
The other step involved in undergoing prostate cancer diagnosis is to have a Prostate Specific Antigen or PSA blood test taken that will measure how much protein is present in the blood and it pays to understand that it is this protein level that is referred to as prostate-specific antigen. When prostate cancer occurs, the production of PSA is on the high side leading to greater amount of it in the blood. You need to also be well informed about how best to deal with prostate disease in general and it is not only prostate cancer that you need to be concerned about.
As far as prostate cancer diagnosis is concerned, one piece of good news is that most often the signs and symptoms that you notice will generally lead to diagnosis of prostatitis and not prostate cancer.
Prostate Disease Can Turn Into A Major Physical And Mental Problem
Not Much Interest
Prostate disease is a subject that often fails to elicit any real interest in the minds of most people who somehow seem to be able to continue living life without experiencing too many difficulties. However, for the less fortunate, a prostate disease can become quite disruptive to their normal functioning and it also becomes bad enough to warrant getting the condition treated. If you are among those who are suffering from a prostate disease you will, in all probability, find that there is blood in your urine and you will also feel like urinating even after just having finished urinating. Such conditions obviously give rise to a lot of worry and can have adverse mental connotations for most men that are so affected.
One of the more serious types of prostate disease is prostate cancer which, besides other problems, can also lead to trouble having sex as witnessed in pain filled ejaculation and also in not being able to hold an erection for any appreciable period of time. Such form of prostate disease is extremely detrimental to a person’s well being and it also disturbs the mental equilibrium as well.
By tradition, man considers him to be aggressive sexually and when something (such as prostate disease) upsets his balance he will suffer from a lot of anguish – most of it being mental. The sad truth is that prostate disease is one disease that cause to a lot of mental strife in the minds of men, especially when it leads to male sexual dysfunctionality. It is imperative therefore that healthy prostate condition be maintained and for this there are several tips available that will ensure that prostate disease does not become a major problem with you.
A good diet is essential to preventing prostate disease and so too is maintaining a proper lifestyle that requires, among other things, needing to exercise regularly.
Eat Properly, Exercise Regularly If You Want To Enjoy A Healthy Prostate
Best Interests
It should be quite self-evident that maintaining a healthy prostate is in your best interests. In essence, the prostate is a gland that is the size of a small chestnut that is situated just below your bladder and it also wraps it around your urethra. Mostly, a prostate is not called upon to do much other than, when having an erection; it needs to close the urethra. Also, the prostate comes into play when ejaculating and in addition the prostate acts by adding a certain kind of fluid to your sperm before it is allowed to exit from your penis while ejaculation is taking place.
To maintain a healthy prostate requires that you ensure that it does not become infected, or does not get enlarged and it also must not be affected by cancer. Infection or prostitis causes much pain as well as leads to fever and several problems with urination. To ensure you are able to regain a healthy prostate you might, when experiencing such problems, need to take medicines as well as use therapies and also ensure taking certain diets that will promote good body health.
Enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hypertrophy (BHP) is not cancerous but it does ensure that you are not able to keep a healthy prostate and it also causes hesitant urination, makes urine ooze out prior to as well as post urination, causes frequent urge to urinate, makes you strain to get urination started and also results in having urgent need to urinate.
Prostate cancer can certainly cause you major problems and unless you take measures to ensure a healthy prostate, you may well end up requiring undergoing prostate tests as well as PSA blood testing.
The best way to ensure a healthy prostate is of course to do your best to eat a healthy diet as well as live a life that is free of stress. Eating fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fresh fruit will go a long way in ensuring a healthy prostate. It also pays to learn about pertinent prostate cancer information in order to prevent, or if you become afflicted by prostate cancer, to treat the problem at the earliest.
By exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet and staying free from stress, you can easily ensure a healthy prostate and so, not have to worry about paying for costs of treatment.
Essentials about Prostate Cancer
Although prostate cancer is a lethal disease if left unchecked, there are several different methods of treating and screening. It’s essential to get this cancer treated before it becomes too advanced and spreads throughout the body. This can be done by advanced screening to prevent other symptoms. It’s a very common thing for men with prostate cancer to end up dying of other symptoms, such as heart and circulatory disease or pneumonia, because the prostate cancers are for the most part very slow to develop. Also, men who develop it are over fifty, and the cancer really doesn’t start acting until the man reaches the age of sixty. Hence, it’s possible for it to go unnoticed – some men, especially in the United Kingdom, end up developing prostate cancer but never exhibiting any symptoms from it.
Prostate Cancer Discovery
There are several ways to discover prostate cancer, which is the first step toward beginning to administer prostate cancer treatment. Many people think that the prostate is physically examined, but there are other methods, such as the prostate specific antigen test (PSA), Ultrasound tests can also be done, or a biopsy can be taken from the prostate itself. A biopsy is a small sample of living tissue from a specific organ. Biopsies are more popular as of late, because medical professionals are questioning the accuracy of the PSA test. There are also several methods to treat prostate cancer, such as surgery and radiation therapy. Surgery is only used when the tumor is too advanced to be destroyed via radiation therapy.
Prostate cancer requires regular checkups to spot, especially in men over forty, so it’s essential to make regular visits to a physician to get prostate exams. This is a disease that can easily be prevented with regular checkups and a healthy lifestyle, and also it’s been linked to alcohol and cigarette use.
Types of Prostate Cancer Treatment
Prostate cancer treatment can be done mainly by radiation treatment or surgery. Also, prostate cancer treatment is done by prevention – regular checkups coupled with a healthy, low-stress lifestyle can cause help to prevent prostate cancer. Radiation treatment for any type of cancer is more commonly known as chemotherapy, and this type of prostate cancer treatment involves exposing the cancerous tissue to a lethal dose of radiation, usually via X-ray or other similar methods. This prostate cancer treatment has its own complications, such as loss of hair and other things associated with exposure to radiation.
If the cancer becomes too advanced, chemotherapy as prostate cancer treatment is no longer an option because the cancer has metastasized too far into the body, and other organs would be damaged by the radiation. Instead, the patient can be put under surgery so the infected parts can simply be removed. Removal of the prostate will cause a man to no longer be able to ejaculate after sex, because the prostate gland is what creates semen. Sometimes, the prostate cancer treatment isn’t effective, especially if it’s gone beyond the prostate gland into the bones or lymph nodes.
Eliminating the Need for Prostate Cancer Treatment
Even though the two listed prostate cancer treatment options are effective if done properly, it’s best to keep a watch on the prostate to check for uncontrolled growth or infection. These are telltale signs of cancer, and they preclude the need for more advanced prostate cancer treatment steps.
Prostate cancer can be stopped by going to get regular checkups from a physician, because the disease grows slowly, there’s plenty of time to actually get treated. However, it’s best to do so as soon as possible, rather than wait. The longer treatment is delayed, the more the cancer grows and the more dangerous it is to remove. Once a year, men should get their prostate examined.
What is an Available Prostate Cancer Treatment Option?
The first prostate cancer treatment option is surgery, in which the patient is cut open and the surgeons simply physically remove the infected tissue by cutting it out. If the cancer hasn’t become too advanced, this is usually the most effective approach, because the cells can no longer infect surrounding cells. Surgery as a prostate cancer treatment option can be the simplest way, but it doesn’t always work, just in case a small bit of cancerous tissue was missed. If the prostate cancer is caught in time, the tissue can simply be removed, which makes surgery the first and simplest prostate cancer treatment option
A More Advanced Prostate Cancer Treatment
The next prostate cancer treatment option is radiotherapy, or chemotherapy, to be used when surgery fails. It involves firing a stream of ionized radioactive particles into the infected tissue to destroy it or to break it apart. This is usually an advanced cancer treatment option, when surgery fails the next step is to try to destroy the remaining tissue. However, radiotherapy and chemotherapy have problems of their own, usually sickness, weakness, loss of hair and other symptoms that are associated with overexposure to radiation.
In the event that no prostate cancer treatment option, there is palliative care, in which the patient is made as comfortable as possible to deal with the symptoms of prostate cancer. This is advanced stage prostate cancer, and is terminal – there is no cure as of present from the stage of cancer. Palliative care is simple the easing of the patient’s remaining lifespan.
These are several things that serve as a prostate cancer treatment option. Usually, regular checkups and other lifestyle changes should be enough to prevent the need for any treatment. Men over fifty are the most likely demographic to develop prostate cancer, and men over sixty are the most likely to die from it. Prostate cancer is easily prevented if caught in time.
Methods of Advanced Prostate Cancer Treatment
Hormonal therapy is the first method of advanced prostate cancer treatment. Its purposes it to prevent the cancer cells from getting dihydrogen testosterone, which is the hormone prostate cancer cells need to grow and metastasize. However, this is not a method used to actually cure prostate cancer. Instead, it’s used on cases where the cancer has spread to other organs, so they can be kept from becoming more infected. This advanced prostate cancer treatment is also given in conjunction with radiation therapy to keep the cancer from returning if possible.
The Latest Treatment on Prostate Cancer
One of the other options of prostate cancer treatment is cryosurgery. Cryosurgery is the application of cold temperatures to the infected tissue, thus freezing the water in the infected cells and killing them. Cryosurgery as an advanced prostate cancer treatment is done by inserting hollow metal rods through the perineum into the prostate, and then supercooled argon gas is pumped through the rods. The gas cools the cells to -320 degrees Fahrenheit. The urethra is protected by a current of warm water flowing through a catheter. The main problem with this treatment is impotence because of the freezing of the prostate. However, cryosurgery carries much less of a chance of reoccurring cancer than do other types of treatment, such as radiation surgery.
Another method of advanced prostate cancer treatment is ultrasound. This is when sound waves are directed at the cancerous cells, thus heating them up and destroying them. Sound waves don’t normally do this, but they do if focused on a small point like the beams of the sun through a magnifying glass. Ultrasound therapy has very little risk of recurrence or side effects as compared to other methods.
These methods of advanced prostate cancer treatment are other options than the standard surgery and radiotherapy, and have different levels of success. Generally, it seems that ultrasound therapy is the most effective in terms of preventing a return of the cancerous tissue.
Best Latest Treatment on Prostate Cancer
The most common of the latest treatments on prostate cancer are ultrasound therapy, cryosurgery and hormone therapy. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but all are effective to some degree. Ultrasound therapy, the first alternative prostate cancer treatment, uses heat waves to heat up and destroy the damaged and infected tissue. It’s somewhat like focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass. Sound waves are focused onto a single point, which excites the molecules of the tissue and causes it to heat up. This is widely considered to be one of the most effective treatments, because it prevents recurrence without too many side effects.
Cryosurgery as the Latest Treatment on Prostate Cancer
Cryosurgery works opposite from ultrasound – it freezes the tissue by pumping argon gas through hollow metal rods. The freezing causes the water in cells to expand and burst the cells, thus killing the tissue. Cryosurgery is an effective way to keep the cancer from recurring, but it does often cause impotence due to the prostate being frozen. However, there is little risk of the future need for latest treatment on prostate cancer. In the hands of an experienced cryosurgeon, this is one of the more effective methods, but not as much as ultrasound.
Another method is hormone therapy. The purpose of hormone therapy to cancer cells is to prevent them from spreading or growing any further than they have. In some case, the growth can even be caused to shrink. This is effective only in the very early stages of latest treatment on prostate cancer, because after a while the cancer becomes resistant to the attempts to deprive it of dihydrogen testosterone. Generally, this is considered to be a method only used early on. It’s really meant more to do damage control than it is to work with curing the cancer itself. However, as a technique to stop the spreading of cancer, it’s effective.
What are Some Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatments?
Hormonal therapy is one of the alternative prostate cancer treatments to prostate cancer radiation treatment. Hormonal therapy disrupts the feedback loop that involves the hypothalamus gland, the testicles and the prostate gland, which all act to control the bloodstream’s levels of dihydrogen testosterone. Other methods of prostate cancer treatments to disrupt this loop are orchiectomy (removal of the testicles) or the administering of antiandrogens, which are medications that stop or decrease the production of testosterone. Many men, for obvious reasons, choose the antiandrogen treatments rather than orchiectomy. This is one alternative prostate cancer treatment.
Ultrasound as Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatment
Ultrasound waves are another treatment – they act as heating agents to heat the surrounding tissue to temperatures that would disintegrate the cancerous tissue. This is widely thought to be one of the most effective methods of treatment, because there are few side effects and very little risk of the cancer actually returning even after treatment is finished. However, this type of alternative cancer treatment can be rather expensive, so if the patient’s health insurance won’t cover this particular treatment it really isn’t an option. However, the cost is well worth it – it’s the most effective, with no real side effects to offset effectiveness.
Cryosurgery, the other alternative prostate cancer treatment, is the opposite of ultrasound in its methods. Rather than heating the cells to destroy them, it freezes them by sending supercooled argon gas through the perineum into the prostate. There is a risk of impotence, but overall, cryosurgery is an effective technique for preventing the return of a cancer. It works by freezing the cells and thus causing them to burst from the expanding frozen water in the cells.
These methods of prostate cancer treatment are other ways to treat or cure prostate cancer, should radiation therapy or surgery not be an option due to medical concerns that would cause complications.
How Prostate Cancer Radiation Treatment Works
The Alternative to Prostate Cancer Surgery
Prostate cancer radiation treatment is also called radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and is used when surgery fails or during any stage of the cancer. This works by sending a wave of ionized radioactive particles. This radiation is absorbed into cells, which mutates the DNA and increases the likelihood of that cell dying. There are two main types of prostate cancer radiation treatment – beam therapy and brachytherapy. Radiation treatment is the most commonly used method for treating prostate cancer aside from surgery.
Beam therapy is done by placing the patient into a linear accelerator to send beams of radioactive particles firing directly at the prostate. The latest techniques enable the beam to match the shape of the prostate so that other tissue isn’t damaged. Usually, beam therapy is done over a period of several weeks daily. There are fewer side effects with newer forms of prostate cancer radiation therapy, however.
Brachytherapy, however, is done by infusing a series of small rods with radiation and inserting them into the cancerous tissue. These rods act as a permanent emitter of low-grade radiation. The X-rays are only able to travel a short distance, so there’s little chance of damage to the other surrounding tissues of the body. This treatment tends to have a better outcome as far as preventing recurring cancer. Also, there’s little chance of the radiation being exposed to other men.
Prostate cancer radiation treatment is most commonly used in men who wouldn’t really be able to have surgery safely. Prostate cancer radiation treatment is one of the most effective methods of treatment for prostate cancer, but there are some side effects, such as hair loss, sickness and overall loss of energy.
Although prostate cancer is a very deadly disease, it can be easily dealt with if it’s caught on time with regularly scheduled checkups and a healthy lifestyle.
What to Know about Prostate Cancer Surgery
Types of Prostate Cancer Surgery
There are several different types of prostate cancer surgery, all of which involve removal of the prostate. For this to work, the cancer cannot have metastasized beyond the prostate gland. Radical retropubic prostatectomy is the most common method of prostate cancer surgery. The prostate gland is removed via an incision in the abdomen. All types of prostate cancer treatment are used in the early stages, or when there isn’t any response to radiation treatment.
There are several other types of prostate cancer surgery, such as perineal prostatectomy, which is much like abdominal prostatectomy except the incision is in the perineum rather than the abdomen. There are several factors that determine the effectiveness of prostate cancer surgery, such as how far the cancer has spread. If it’s gone too far it can cause damage to the surrounding nerves and tissues to try to remove the prostate. Complications can arise from surgery, however, such as impotence or incontinence. The prostate gland is responsible for ejaculation and some sexual arousal, and it’s also responsible for urine control and other excretory control.
Prostate cancer surgery is also done sometimes when the urethra is blocked by the prostate being enlarged. It involves the blocking section of the prostate is cut away and the rest of the prostate is left to heal. This, however, isn’t meant as a definitive treatment for prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer surgery is effective for the most part, just in case radiation treatment doesn’t work. The best way to determine whether prostate surgery is needed is to have regular prostate exams and speak to a physician about the options of prostate cancer treatment if these are needed despite all efforts of preventing it.
What to Do About an Enlarged Prostate
An enlarged prostate can cause several problems on its own even without cancer symptoms. Because the prostate is situated against the bladder, when it enlarges it can press against the bladder, making the need to urinate occur more often. Also, it affects ejaculation. The prostate is responsible for control of ejaculation and urination mainly. It also can compress the urethra, making it more difficult to urinate. The prostate, when infected, can also stretch and rupture rectal tissue or tissue in the urethra, causing the man to urinate or defecate bloody excrement.
How to Use Tests to Check for Enlarged Prostate
The PSA, or prostate specific antigen test, is used to detect the presence of the enzyme that liquefies semen after ejaculation making it easier to navigate through the cervix. To test for PSA, a biopsy is taken of the prostate, and a level of PSA is gauged. Usually, from 4 – 10 nanograms per milliliter are a standard level of PSA. If there’s less than this level, it’s generally a sign of an enlarged prostate. However, this isn’t always accurate – in fact, scientists are questioning the validity of this method, as it can bound to other proteins and not really detectable.
Prostate cancer surgery or radiation treatment can be used to treat n enlarged prostate, either by destroying any of the cancer-infested cells, or by simply cutting away the infected portion to prevent it from blocking off the urinary or rectal tracts.
An enlarged prostate can be detected early on only be regular checks and visits with a physician. To prevent problems without needing to have regular visits is to live a low-stress lifestyle and have a healthy diet. Also it’s commonly thought that frequent ejaculation is linked to preventing prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is deadly, but it can easily be prevented if the right steps are taken.
What Is a PSA Test?
It’s important to have a proper PSA level. A PSA test measures the amount of enzyme present by taking a biopsy of the prostate, comparing the amount of PSA in the sample and comparing it to an ultrasound scan of the prostate to determine if it’s the size it should be. Generally, the accepted healthy level of PSA is between 4 and 10 nanograms per milliliter. Any more than this is linked to an increase in the likelihood of prostate cancer. The best way to keep these levels in an acceptable level is to ejaculate frequently – it’s commonly accepted that men who ejaculate at least five times a week are a third less likely to develop prostate cancer. A low-stress lifestyle, with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is another possible preventive measure.
Causes of PSA Increase
PSA isn’t just at high levels because of an enlarged prostate – it also can be at high levels before and after ejaculation, and also if the prostate gland itself is infected. The prostate, when infected, can cause there to be many of the same symptoms of an enlarged prostate because of the inflammation.
PSA tests are debated as to whether or not they’re really a good measure of how large the prostate gland is. This is because, as stated, the prostate can be enlarged for several reasons, and the PSA levels can be free-roaming in the blood, rather than bound to a specific protein. Even so, it’s still necessary to have so form of regular examination to see that the prostate gland hasn’t become too enlarged and isn’t infected.
Although prostate cancer is a lethal disease if untreated, it can be taken care of if the disease is detected early on with a PSA test.
The Most Common Prostate Cancer Symptoms
An enlarged prostate is one of the most common prostate cancer symptoms. Although it’s not possible for a man to normally see whether his prostate is enlarged, it’s noted by the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. The prostate controls urination and ejaculation mainly, and these two functions, if disrupted, are signs of an enlarged prostate. If the man has trouble urinating, it usually means the prostate has enlarged and is pressing against the urethra. Frequent need ot urinate is a sign of an enlarged prostate, when it presses against the bladder. Also, rectal tissue and other tissue can be damaged or ruptured by the prostate enlarging and rupturing that tissue.
PSA Tests for Prostate Health
PSA tests are a measure of how large the prostate is, by taking a biopsy of the prostate and comparing the level of prostate specific antigen and comparing it to the whole of the prostate. PSA levels that are too high are linked to increased risk of prostate cancer.
Another prostate cancer symptom is impotence. Damaged or infected prostate tissue can damage the glades that produce semen, or press against the seminal vesicles. This can also cause pain during sexual intercourse or difficulty ejaculating or maintaining an erection.
These are the most common prostate cancer symptoms, and if they are detected and reported early enough, prostate cancer treatment can be administered to prevent the cancer from progressing too far and keeping it from recurring. Also, one method of preventing prostate cancer is to ejaculate frequently. It’s been shown in studies that prostate cancer is a third less likely to occur in men who ejaculate at least five times a week, either by sexual intercourse or masturbation.
Getting regular prostate exams is vital to prevention of prostate cancer, because the disease grows too slowly to really be detected otherwise.
Maintaining Prostate Health
The prostate gland is important for proper functioning of the male reproductive and urinary tracts. It acts as the gland that creates semen and helps to make it into a liquid form – more suitable for the spermatozoa to travel unhindered through the cervical canal and impregnate the woman. Prostate health can be maintained in one method via frequent ejaculation. The PSA, or prostate specific antigen, is responsible for the liquification of the semen that exits the body through ejaculation. Too much or too little of this enzyme causes the prostate to be enlarged, and causes potential cancerous growth of the cells. This in turn can cause prostate cancer. It’s generally recommended to ejaculate at least five times per week, either through sex or masturbation. Men who do this regularly are a third less likely to develop prostate cancer.
Healthy Diet and Prostate Health
An unhealthy prostate requires a prostatectomy. To keep a healthy prostate gland, it’s wiser to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and lighter on grains/meats. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and other enzymes that act as antioxidants to prevent cancerous growth. Also, a low-stress lifestyle helps. Smoking, consumption of alcohol and a high-stress lifestyle all contribute to a more likely chance of prostate cancer later in life. At least one day a week should be devoted to relaxing, because there is a correlation between low stress and less cancer symptoms. It’s unknown as to the exact mechanism that causes this.
Prostate health is vital to a long and healthy life, and to avoid prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is one of the most deadly diseases to men, but it can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle and regular visits to a physician. Healthy diet, regular exercise and a healthy sex life with a low-stress lifestyle are the best health precautions to take against the onset of prostate cancer in men over fifty and even before starting in the younger years.
Different Types of Prostatectomy and What to Know
A prostatectomy is either a whole or partial removal of the prostate gland when cancerous tissue grows and radiotherapy or chemotherapy is failing to deliver results. It’s necessary to get a prostatectomy to simply cut the infected tissue free and make certain no more spreading of the cancer can occur. A prostatectomy can only work if the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the prostate, and even then, there is still risk of surrounding tissue and nerve damage. A prostatectomy has to be done early on, before the cancer spreads. However, there are side effects of this procedure, namely impotence and incontinence. This occurs because the prostate gland controls ejaculation and urination, The prostate gland is responsible for producing semen.
Prostate Removal Methods
The prostatectomy methods are either a radical abdominal prostatectomy, during which the prostate is removed through an incision of the abdomen, or a perennial prostatectomy, during which the prostate is removed through an incision in the perineum. Depending on existing medical complications and health, either procedure can be done. Most often, the abdominal method is done. Another method is known as the prostate bypass surgery, which is used when the prostate is enlarged and blocking part of the urethra. The section blocking the urethra is cut away for it to heal normally and allow the urethra to resume its normal function.
The prostate gland is an important to the proper functioning of the male reproductive system, and there are methods to keep the prostate healthy be healthy lifestyle and diet. If it’s still cancerous despite the best efforts to keep healthy, a prostatectomy is one of the most effective ways to ensure the prevention of cancerous growth in the prostate. Regular checkups are also highly necessary and wise to do at least once a year.