Prostate Cancer

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What You Need To Know About Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the leading cancers in men. Nevertheless, doctors and medical researchers have continued to work on a diagnosis and a cure. There have been optimistic results as researchers announce that they are extremely close to a vaccine though there is still work to be done towards this end. Researchers so far have continued to examine different viruses and compounds in the quest for a cure. There are currently different lines of research being pursued and scientists have attempted to isolate a few viruses namely those that are connected with leukemia in mice.

Nutritionists advise that people eat equal proportions of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 in most western diets is between 30 and 50 to one, which is unhealthy. Research indicates that this is one of the reasons for the higher incidence of prostate cancer among western men as against eastern men who eat more fish than meat. Watchful waiting will normally be used in patients who are 70 years old and older. This type of usually grows at a slow pace, so in older patients many doctors may prefer to use this technique to see what the cancer is going to do and whether treatment is even necessary.

Depending on the patient's personal situation, the physician will recommend one of these treatment options, a combination of two, or give the patient a choice among the best options. If you have any questions about any of the procedures or side effects that are caused by the treatments, ask your doctor prior to the procedure so that you can make an informed decision or know fully what to expect before, during, and after the procedure. Every patient is different and every patient responds differently to treatments. The same goes for cancer. Each case of cancer can be different, grow differently, in each patient. The ultimate decision on treatment is the patient's to make.

With the earliest stages of prostate cancer, the digital rectal exam will not detect anything because the tumor is too small to feel or to be apparent. This is why the PSA blood test is conducted. Since the approval of the PSA blood test, more and more patients are being diagnosed with prostate cancer in the earlier stages. Because of this, treatment is working, which in turn has caused the survival rate to climb and the death rate to decline.

Since it has been said that cancer of the prostate is likely to afflict one in every six men, the malady has received a lot of publicity as men scramble to know what its symptoms are and whether the disease can be prevented. Billions of dollars have gone into prostate cancer research and companies, medical groups and government agencies work towards a cure or a vaccine. Millions of men are also extremely interested in knowing whether there is such as thing as cancer prevention.

The nerve that controls the penile erection lies close with the prostate gland. During Radical Prostactectomy or the complete removal of the prostate and the seminal vesicles, the nerve is usually removed together with the prostate gland resulting to complete impotence. This type of surgery, however, remains to be the typical surgical procedure done to cure prostate cancer. Trans-Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) causes dry orgasms. TURP is done by removing a part of the prostate through the passageway of urine in the penis, in doing so, the constricting valve at the bladder is opened causing the semen to flow to the bladder rather that through the penis.
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10 Important Steps To Beat Your Prostate Cancer

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Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States and it is the second most common cause of cancer death in men over age 55. The incidence of prostate cancer increases dramatically with each decade after 50. Fortunately, prostate cancer tends to be slow-growing compared to many other cancers – the majority of prostate cancers either do not spread or cause any significant harm for decades.

In general, men run a 1-in-6 chance of developing prostate cancer at some point in their lives. More than 230,000 new cases are expected this year in the United States, with about 27,000 deaths.

Most men will choose conventional treatment, often surgery or radiation, but there are life-changing potential side effects they need to be aware of, and discuss with their doctors.

Surgery, called a prostatectomy for the surgical removal of the prostate gland, means impotence for about 75% of the men choosing this path, according to a September 2004 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Also, about 14% of the men were incontinent – could not control their bladder – five years after the operation.

With standard radiation therapy, the odds of impotence are about the same, 73%. The incontinence rate was much lower, just under 5%. There are new radiation therapies we discussed in the new guidebook How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer that have better outcomes.

No matter what conventional therapy a man chooses, if he does nothing else there is a 30% to 40% chance that his cancer or another cancer will recur. That’s because his immune system was not strong enough to protect him from the first cancer, and if he does nothing it will be no stronger the next time it is needed. In addition, radiation and chemotherapy depress the immune system, leaving it weaker than it was before you got treatment. Finally, any cancerous cells that survive the radiation and chemotherapy treatments, or escape the surgeon’s knife – and a few ALWAYS do – must be cleaned up by the immune system. Yet those cells that survived radiation or chemotherapy are, by definition, the strongest mutant cells. Cells that survive chemotherapy even have their own name: Multi-drug resistant. All of this means that if a man’s cancer recurs, the cure rates the second time around are much, much lower – on the order of 5% survival.

So even if a man chooses conventional treatment, the information and advice on alternative treatments in How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer is very important for his recovery and continued good health.

Here are 5 of the 10 important steps covered in a Free Report by the authors of How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer that have worked for others:

1. Pick a doctor carefully. The numbers above on impotence and incontinence are pretty scary. Top surgeons who perform hundreds of these operations tend to have better numbers, and you should ALWAYS get the statistics in advance from any doctor before you let them treat you. Remember that if you are talking to a surgeon, he probably will want to operate. If your doctor is a radiation oncologist, don’t be surprised if he pushes radiation. A clinical oncologist might counsel chemotherapy. Always consider the source. If you want to try alternative therapy first, since you really are not pressed for time, choose an alternative doctor or health care practitioner just as carefully.

2. Boost your immune system. If you’re going to undergo conventional treatment, you need to boost your immune system to deal with the impact of chemotherapy and radiation. You also need to clean up the remaining cells after therapy, and then build back your immune system so cancer does not recur. If you are going to pursue an alternative treatment path while you have the time, boosting your immune system is Job #1. Several chapters in How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer show you how to do that.

3. Alkalize your internal environment. Cancer cells are highly acidic, and cancer can’t live in an alkaline environment. You can test your pH level with test strips from the pharmacy or health food store. It should be over 7.0, preferably in the 7.2 to 7.4 range. If your internal body environment is acidic, it makes it much easier for cancer to grow and metastasize. Prostate cancer often metastasizes to the bones, making it much harder to beat.

4. Get more oxygen to your cells. Cancer hates oxygen. In the lab, when they are doing an experiment where they want cancerous cells to grow quickly, they simply turn down the oxygen. When they want to stabilize the experiment, they turn the oxygen back up. The same is true of your body.

5. Take vitamins and supplements. If you eat the Standard American Diet, you are eating fruits and vegetables grown on depleted soil, picked too early so they won’t ripen and spoil while they’re in the distribution chain, and then probably overcooked. Even if you are eating organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed pastured meat and raw milk, you still can’t get the massive amounts of vitamins and supplements you need to let your immune system overcome a cancerous tumor that has become established. You must take high-quality vitamins and minerals, digestive enzymes and specific anti-cancer supplements like those recommended in Chapter 7 of How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer.

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The complete Free Report with all 10 important steps a man can take to begin fighting his prostate cancer right away can be obtained from http://www.beat-prostate-cancer.net.

About The Author

Michael Murphy is the Executive Director of the Cures Research Institute, an organization dedicated to combining the best of conventioal and alternative medicine to drmatically improve outcomes for people with health problems. © Cures Research Institute 2006

4 of the Latest Treatment on Prostate Cancer

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Prostate cancer causes a lot of fear in men throughout the world. However, unlike other forms of the disease, prostate cancer is easily treatable when diagnosed early. Below are 4 common prostate cancer treatments that can improve your quality of life or completely cure you of the disease altogether.

Cryotherapy

When cryotherapy was first introduced it took some time for it to become as popular as it is today. People's views have changed about this treatment and it is now considered a very efficient method of treating prostate cancer. Cryotherapy is administered by treating the affected area with liquid argon. Liquid argon is extremely cold and destroys cancerous cells only, leaving the surrounding living tissue unharmed. This treatment option has very few side effects, but to some they may seem somewhat troubling -- such as sexual dysfunction.

Radiation Treatment

Many years ago, radiation treatment was the most popular prostate cancer treatment. But as technology and knowledge have advanced, this treatment is becoming less common. Radiation treatment comes with a slew of side effects and a relatively low success rate. Another downside to this treatment is the fact that a patient only has one chance at radiation treatment. Otherwise, radiation dosages become too high and can make a patient's health even worse.

Androgen Deprivation Therapy

This treatment option used to be done with the use of a surgical procedure called orchidectomy. However, now it can be administered through the use of a hormone drug. The drug controls the production and release of testosterone, or prevents testosterone in the body from metabolizing into dihydrotestosterone. These hormones can have an adverse effect on prostate cancer, so controlling their production is very important. Because this treatment is so non-invasive, it is very popular among prostate cancer patients.

Radical Prostatectomy

Radical prostatectomy is the most successful treatment option. However, this treatment surgically removes the entire prostate from the patient's body. It is therefore usually considered as a last resort since it very likely results in total impotence and urine incontinence. If the cancer has not yet spread to other parts of the body, this procedure is almost guaranteed to work, but the extreme side effects of it are also guaranteed.

Are you looking for information about latest treatment on prostate cancer? For more important information on prostate cancer, the prostate gland, and prostate cancer prevention and treatments, please visit http://www.onlineprostatehealth.com for more information

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Landrum

How Can Prostate Cancer Be Treated With Brachytherapy?

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Radiation therapy for prostate cancer is one of the more common alternatives to a radical prostate removal. It involves sending a beam of radiation directly into the prostate gland to kill cancerous cells and hopefully not affect the surrounding normal tissue. However there is a less drastic alternative for localized cancer confined only to the prostate gland. Known as prostate cancer brachytherapy, this treatment consists of injecting small, rice-sized grains of radioactive material, usually iodine or palladium, directly into the prostate gland. This article will examine the brachytherapy procedure, its details, and possible side effects.

The seeds that are used in brachytherapy are about the size of a grain of rice and consist of either iodine or palladium. Both of these are radioactive materials which slowly decrease in radioactivity over 3 to 6 months. These are positioned inside the prostate gland to irradiate the cancerous cells. However, to know exactly where to place them, some preparation work must be done first.

The patient will first be given an enema, and then under general anesthetic be given an ultrasound. The ultrasound is used to take a "snapshot" of the prostate gland so positioning can be planned before the treatment is actually performed. Once the planning is completed, the injection can be done safely.

Injection is via a long, fine needle. The seeds are inserted through the piece of skin between the testicles and the anus, known as the perineum. Once placed inside the prostate gland, the radioactivity goes to work. It will remain active for several weeks, then slowly die down.

After the treatment, there are a few side effects that may develop. The most common is pain the perineum directly attributable to the needle insertion. Some men feel a dull ache in this area for several days. This can be easily managed through simply non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, and the knowledge that it will heal quickly. After a few weeks, side effects from the radiation itself may present themselves. These are usually urinary problems, such as a weak stream and a burning sensation upon urination. These will generally subside over time. There can also be as much as a 50% chance of impotence, which is high, but not as high as with radical prostate removal surgery.

Prostate brachytherapy can be seen as a very viable alternative to the more drastic prostate cancer treatments that can take a long time to heal from. Surgery can mean weeks of recuperation, and traditional beam radiation therapy can mean severe side effects and possible damage to surrounding tissues. Cancer that is contained within the prostate gland does not always need to be treated with such life-altering consequences, and brachytherapy is a possible answer to that need.

James Culp is a prostate cancer survivor and runs a free newsletter tracking the latest developments in disease of the prostate as well as advances in prostate cancer treatment. His newsletter can be subscribed to at http://www.prostaide.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Culp

"Prostate Cancer Surgery Expectations" featuring Dr. Schlegel (ProstateCancerMD)

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"The outcomes from surgical treatment of prostate cancer are dependent on the patient's age, on the extent of the tumor, and to some degree the experience and results that an individual surgeon gets." Dr. Schlegel, of the Dept. of Urology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, explains common expectations for patients entering into prostate cancer surgery and what factors those expectations are founded upon.

What is an Available Prostate Cancer Treatment Option?

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There is a different prostate cancer treatment option, depending on the stage to which the cancer has advanced. Although prostate cancer is especially slow-growing, it is still very lethal to men in the United States over fifty. It infects the prostate first – the organ that’s responsible for the production of semen, and spreads to the lymph nodes and bones. It’s often not spotted at first unless under a very diligent eye. The right prostate cancer treatment option is determined by the scope of the disease.

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.

Different Types of Prostatectomy and What to Know

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Even though there is a correlation between a healthy lifestyle and the lowered risk of prostate cancer in men over fifty, it’s still possible for a man to develop prostate cancer because of genetics or uncontrollable factors in lifestyle. Even if a man get checked regularly by a physician to be sure that the prostate is in good working health, prostate cancer grows slowly, so it’s hard to catch it even with the most advanced methods. This is when a prostatectomy is needed. A prostatectomy is one of the most common methods of stopping the further progress of prostate cancer. There are several methods of a prostatectomy.

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.