Cancer treatment

The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man’s reproductive system; it wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body - because of this can cause various urinary problems. Early prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland itself; most of the patients with this type of cancer can live for years without any problems. Detected in its early stages, prostate cancer can be effectively treated and cured.

Prostate cancer is deadly, but because it’s slow-growing can be cured if it’s caught early enough. Like other cancers, the cause of prostate cancer is not known; it appears to be more common in African American men and men with a family history of the disease. I suspect there is a dietary connection to prostate cancer; I cured myself naturally of breast cancer and others have cured themselves of all types of cancer using a living food diet.

Some men will experience symptoms that might indicate the presence of prostate cancer. There are other symptoms that may not be mentioned here. Having one or more cancer symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have prostate cancer.

Because prostate cancer symptoms can mimic other diseases or disorders, men who experience any of these symptoms should undergo a thorough work-up to determine the underlying cause of the symptoms. Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease are bone pain or tenderness, and abdominal pain. Other symptoms might include unintentional weight loss and lethargy.

There is a newer test called AMACR that is more sensitive than the PSA test for determining the presence of prostate cancer. Urine or prostatic fluid cytology may reveal unusual cells. Another test usually used when prostate cancer symptoms are present is a digital rectal exam (DRE) performed by the doctor, proctologist or oncologist.

A PSA test with a high level can also be from a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. CT scans may be done to see if the cancer has metastasized (spread). There are several potential downsides to PSA testing; for example a high PSA does not always mean a patient has prostate cancer.

The approaches to treatment include: just ever watchful waiting to see whether the cancer is growing slowly and not causing any symptoms. An oncologist, a cancer specialist, will usually recommend treating with a single drug or a combination of drugs. What you can do now is begin to understand what exactly your treatment options are and where you’re going to begin.

Besides hormonal drugs, hormone manipulation may also be done by surgically removing the testes. Hormone manipulation is mainly used as a treatment to relieve symptoms in men whose cancer has metastasized (spread). Prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) may be treated conventionally with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, chemotherapy or nothing at all.

Some drugs with numerous side effects are being used to treat advanced prostate cancer, blocking the production of testosterone, called chemical castration; it has the same result as surgical removal of the testes. OHSU is beginning a study of acupuncture as a treatment for hot flashes for men with prostate cancer or prostate cancer survivors. Medications can have many side effects, including hot flashes and loss of sexual desire.

Treatment options can vary based on the stage of the tumor. Other medications used for hormonal therapy, with side effects, include androgen-blocking agents, which prevent testosterone from attaching to prostate cells. Be aware that some men chose natural treatment options and forgo any surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.

Eat a lot of fruits and veggies every day, not just a token banana or apple. For natural treatment for the prostate make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor, called a naturopath; ask around for referrals. Eat foods that contain the essential fatty acids.

If possible eliminate all hormone-containing foods like meat and dairy from your diet. Studies done on antioxidant vitamins question their value when not contained in food; it’s clearly better to consume these antioxidants in living foods because they may also need to work with other nutrients present in the foods to work properly. Put two tablespoons of unbleached, unrefined and undeodorized coconut oil in your smoothies; coconut oil is plant-based, not animal-based and is actually good for us.

Get familiar with juicing and juice every day for an extra phytonutrient boost. If you’re not already doing so, make a serious effort to watch your diet closely. A good dietary, natural treatment approach is to avoid all acidic inflammatory foods; those are foods that aren’t alive.

If you’ve already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, essential the option that’s best suited to you and your continuing good health. If you haven’t been diagnosed but are concerned about symptoms you should call for an appointment to see your doctor; and if you’re a man older than 50 who has never been screened for prostate cancer (by rectal exam and/or PSA level determination) or not had a regular annual exam, or have had a family history of prostate cancer, make an appointment soon. While the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer remains high, survival rates are also greatly improving; perhaps because of dietary improvement.

Get some answers to commonly asked prostate cancer questions:

How Common Is Prostate Cancer?

Among men of a certain age bracket prostate cancer is very common. The risk of having the disease increases with age. Men between the ages of 45 to 80 account for 95% of diagnosed prostate cancer cases. This type of cancer rates 2nd as the most common cancer among men, the first being lung cancer. Heredity plays a large part in the chances of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Diagnosing Prostate Cancer

To diagnose prostate cancerseveral methods are used including PSA Blood Test, x-rays, biopsies and digital rectal examinations. The PSA method is the most common method of diagnosis. All testing for prostate cancer requires multiple tests to confirm a positive result that one indeed has the illness.

Treating Prostate Cancer

The good news is that in many cases prostate cancer grows slowly and does not usually require treatment. Since prostate cancer is more commonly found in elderly men, a patient will die from other causes before the prostate cancer fully develops. Since many patients develop prostate cancer slowly, they are placed on “watchful waiting”, where the patient undergoes routine observation and testing. If the prostate cancer becomes an actual threat to the life of the patient, other courses of treatment are then employed including: surgery, hormone therapy and radio therapy.

Radiation treatment (radio therapy), involves high energy waves to kill the individual prostate cancer cells. This kills the tumors and results in reduction of the patient’s pain due to the cancer effecting the surrounding bones.

Another treatment uses radioactive pellets placed into the tumor itself, this is called brachytherapy. This treatment has had mixed results but also produces fewer side effects for the prostate cancer patient.

Inhibiting the androgens produced by the blood is called hormone therapy. Androgens are what make prostate cancer cells grow and inhibiting them also inhibits the cancer cells. Problem: after awhile prostate cancer tumors start to grow again without androgens, so other forms of treatment must be employed.

Removing the prostate gland surgically, a procedure called prostatectomy, has several variations, including:

–Transurethral prostate reconstruction.

A portion of the prostate is removed with the use of a long, thin device which the surgeon inserts through the urethra. Blockage of urine is also relieved using this method.

–Radical perineal prostatectomy.

Complete removal of the prostate and surrounding lymphnodes begins where the surgeon makes a long cut in the abdomen.

–Pelvic lymphadenectomy.

Here, the lymph nodes in the pelvic area are removed and checked for cancerous growth.

Prostate Cancer And Your Sex Life

Erectile dysfunction, or impotence, sometimes accompany prostate cancer treatments. Urinary incontinence, lower sex drive, reduced ejaculation, bowel problems and excessive fatigue are some possible side effects of some treatment methods. Careful consideration should accompany deciding on any particular methods of prostate cancer treatment since each method carries its own set of side effects.

Many men are diagnosed with prostate cancer when they are in their retirement years. Some of them are not employed and do not have to worry about work issues while going through prostate cancer treatment. These days, many men continue to work well into their 70’s just to cover the rising expenses of healthcare, medicines and insurance, since social security does not come close to covering normal monthly expenses.

If you are working and dealing with prostate cancer, you will want to talk with your employer about your condition. Be honest about various issues that might be effecting your work in the coming months. A little time spent now will help smooth the way if you must be off work for any prolonged periods of time. Be sure to think through a plan of action before approaching your employer about your prostate cancer. Your boss will want to know what your plans are concerning various work related issues.

Do you want a leave of absence? Will you be working through your prostate cancer treatments? Thinking through these things in advance will cause a lot less stress for both you and your employer. Be sure to discuss these issues with your family as they are directly involved too. Your employer and family will have a better understanding of what to expect during treatment. The fewer surprises, the better for everybody.

Maybe you are just going to reduce your working hours. Some jobs allow reduced or part-time hours in consideration of individual circumstances. You cannot be sure as to the effects prostate cancer treatment will have on your body. Some people can work through treatment with little problem; others become too ill and can’t work at all. You must evaluate your own situation as time goes by.

Your co-workers with whom you have a closer relationship, will want to know what is going on, so you might consider telling them about your condition and the up-coming events. You might be surprised at how supportive and helpful they can be!

Getting through your prostate cancer treatment might take less time than you think and you will be back to work quickly. You must also understand that good health is worth whatever you need to do to achieve it. Don’t rush back to work too soon, give yourself time to heal and regain your strength.

There are many causes of prostrate cancer and testosterone is one of them. It is also often misunderstood. When testosterone is metabolized in the body it produces Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is responsible for muscles and erections. In other words, DHT is either burned up in the gym or during sex.

Problems arise when all the DHT present in your body is not burned up. It has been stated that the leftover DHT is the main cause of prostrate problems. However, one cannot burn up all the DHT present in the body no matter how much you work out or how much sex you have.

Misconceptions

Relating testosterone to prostrate cancer in this way has generated a lot of misconceived notions. There is a group of people who believe that more sex will solve prostrate problems. The fact is that prostrate cancer is the leading cancer killer of males and all these men cannot have been celibate. Most of them would have had an active sexual life.

One might thus conclude that prostrate cancer has little to do with sex or testosterone. Understanding of prostrate cancer is linked with our understanding of how we deal with the excessive DHT in our bodies. One of the reasons for excessive DHT in our system is the meat and hormone-filled diets that we live on. You might be aware that the pro-hormone supplementations are not recommended for men with prostrate problems.

Remedies

One should learn to manage the DHT in our bodies. What we eat determines to a great extent the level of DHT in our bodies. One should cut down on animal fats. A proper diet would include a lot of fiber, which is available in fruits and vegetables. Doctors also recommend anti-prostrate foods, like soy products, rice, green and yellow vegetables, oysters, bran, pulses, garlic, pumpkin seeds, etc. To protect against and deal with prostrate cancer, one should cut down on alcohol and meat and maintain a healthy weight.

Cutting down on the risk of prostrate cancer means eliminating the levels of DHT in the body. Prepare for a management of DHT and you can lead a cancer-free existence.

A very deceptive cancer that affects the prostate, does not start early, but does grow fast once it does start. This cancer like many can be life threatening as well as very damaging. Many people afflicted with this type of cancer do not even realize anything is wrong until it becomes a nightmare.

Prostate cancer affects men and their sexual performance as well as the other sexual functions. More so, older men should be concerned about developing prostate cancer, although it does affect young men as well. Surgery is a choice many have problems dealing with, as it will change their lives forever.

Surgery happens to be the only known treatment of prostate in the medical field. However, this procedure does take your ability to perform sexually, which leaves many with psychological problems. Although people who have the surgery can live long lives, many live with depression. You never have a guarantee that the cancer cells have not moved to other parts of the body.

Herbal treatment for prostate cancer has offered an alternative for people suffering from prostate cancer. This method of treatment is not backed by any medical profession, but mostly by believers in herbal cures. Many believe that early detection of cancer and continued herbal treatment of prostate cancer, you can skip any groups that help you deal with prostate cancer.

Listed below are a few options for herbal treatment for prostate cancer:

• Lycopene- this helps to fight the risk of developing cancer. Tomatoes, watermelons and grapefruits are a good source for lycopene. Lycopene goes deep into the body and helps to reverse the malignant process. Therefore, this herb works well on prostate cancer.

• Saw Palmetto- this helps to inhibit the 5-alpha-reductase and interferes with the DRT as well as working as a phytoestrogen. This helps fight prostate cancer. This herbal treatment for prostate cancer comes from the plant known as saw palmettos.

• Selenium- this is provided from garlic, chicken, grains and shellfish. There has been links to selenium deficiency and cancers. When you take this herb, you build a wall against cancer.

By having, regular check ups and taking a herbal treatment for prostate cancer prevention as well as treatment will allow you a long life. You have to follow the guidelines for how much you need daily for any treatment to work.

Prostate cancer is a serious diagnosis. When you find out your have prostate cancer, you want to make sure that you get the right treatment for the type of cancer you have. In order to do this, you will need to work with your doctor and understand your options for the latest treatment on prostate cancer.

Understanding your Options:

There are several options you have when it comes to find the right cancer treatment. Some possibilities range from the “watchful waiting” all the way to the most radical—removing the testes. It is important to understand that there are side effects to all prostate cancer treatment and some forms of treatment work better for some men than other. Here are some of the options you have for the latest treatment on prostate cancer

• Watchful Waiting: This is the least invasive form of cancer treatment and simply is a method of waiting to see what happens over a period of time. This is often the best option for early stages of tumors and prostate cancer.

• Brachytherapy: This is one of the latest treatment on prostate cancer options. This is also a minimally invasive way to treat prostate cancer. It involves implanting radiation “seeds” in the prostate is an excellent choice for young patients or those that are in very good health otherwise. This latest treatment on prostate cancer has less side effects than other treatments and usually has very good outcomes for many men.

• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is probably the most common when it comes to treating prostate cancer. This is almost always used when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, or for late stages of prostate cancer. There are side effects associated with using chemotherapy, however, this may be the only treatment option for some men that suffer from prostate cancer.

• Hormone therapy: This form of treatment is designed to block or suppress the growth of cancer cells in the prostate. It does not kill the cancer, but does prevent it from spreading and growing. There are side effects from using this latest treatment on prostate cancer.

• Prostatectomy: This latest treatment on prostate cancer requires the surgical removal of the prostate. This is often the best way to ensure that the cancer cells do no spread to other parts of the body. This is one treatment that is often recommended for those that are in good overall health and can overcome surgery well. There are very few side effects, other than those associated with surgery.

There are other ways that your doctor may choose to treat your prostate cancer. There are always changes when it comes to treating cancer and if you use a well-qualified cancer specialist, you can be certain that your doctor knows and understands the lasted treatment on prostate cancer options. Only you and your health care provider can decide which type of treatment is right for you.

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you want to make sure the diagnosis is completely accurate so that you can pursue the right type of treatment. One of the best ways of determining whether or not you have prostate cancer is with a prostate biopsy procedure. This procedure is the most thorough way of detecting cancer cells, even at its earliest stages. The goal behind a prostate biopsy procedure is to take a small amount of tissue from the area and examine it to see whether or not cancer cells are present. Here is how a prostate biopsy procedure is performed.

• Preparing for the biopsy: The first thing that you will do before you have a prostate biopsy procedure is to prepare for the medical test. By now you have already had an initial physical examination and your doctor suspects that something is abnormal. When a biopsy is performed, it can look at the cells to see if cancer is present. Your doctor will inform you of the procedures before it takes place. Your doctor may ask that you have an enema before the procedure to clean out the intestines beforehand. The doctor will also mostly likely prescribe antibiotics. This will help ensure that there are no infections present before the prostate biopsy procedure is performed. In addition, your doctor may ask that you do not take any medications prior to the procedure.

• Determining the type of prostate biopsy procedure: Before your appointment, your doctor will have already determined which procedure is right for you. There are several different biopsy procedures that can be done. The most common is the needle in the perineum. A needle in inserted and cells are taken for examination. About 6-12 samples are taken. This procedure takes about 20 minutes and there are little to no difficulties from the procedure. Other common procedures are the needle in the rectum and the cytoscopy.

• Care after the procedure: Depending on which procedure you have, your doctor will recommend that you slow your daily activities and that you watch for swelling or bleeding. There is usually a little pain and discomfort, but it should not last more that two days. You should contact your doctor if you have problems urinating after 24 hours or have bleeding, swelling or fever.

There are usually little to no side effects of the prostate biopsy procedure except for mild pain and discomfort. Side effects can include difficulty urinating, bleeding from the rectum, a lowered sperm count and infection.

Prostate cancer is more prevalent in North American and Western European men over fifty. African American men are more than fifty percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than their Caucasian counterparts. What makes this interesting is that men in Africa only rarely contact this cancer. This is similar for Asian men who have lower risks of prostate cancer until they come to live in North America where it rises. These two factors make researchers wonder if it may be diet related.

Men are at a higher risk if they have an immediate relative, a father or brother, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at any age before sixty-five. If this is the case, then yearly testing should begin at no later than age forty-five. There are two types of tests that can be done at a man’s yearly check-ups that could save his life. One is a test called a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. The other is a rectal examination, which can determine if the prostate feels hard, which is often a first sign of prostate cancer.

It is important for all health care providers to explain to their male patients both the benefits and the damage of performing early detection tests as well as the treatments available should prostate cancer be detected. Nonetheless, early testing should be encouraged.

Oddly, prostate cancer is one of the slower growing cancers we know of. This was reveled by autopsy studies done on men over seventy since as many as fifty percent of autopsies on men over seventy showed latent prostate cancer. It was not enough to cause symptoms or be responsible for any adverse affects or illness, but it was there. It was also found in forty percent of men over sixty. Statistics show that more men die with unknown prostate cancer than because of it.

Death by the Result of Prostate Cancer is one of the Most Preventable deaths that can occur.
Because Men for some reason or another,Don’t get checked for it.Fear perhaps Fear of impotence,
Fear of having the Rectal Examination whatever the reason it’s not worth Losing your Life over.

Every Man over the age of 40,Should at Least have his Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Check
upon every Physical Examination. According to the Level Of PSA the Doctor can determine if further
test are needed.

Because of its nature, prostate cancer is a disease suffered only by men. In fact, the American Cancer Society has found that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. While this statistic may seem the disease dooms a man to death, the prognosis isn’t as bleak as the facts seem to indicate.

While one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, only one of every 34 will actually die as a result of the disease. Depending on how far the cancer has spread and how early it is diagnosed the prognosis for prostate cancer is actually very good. Most people do not die of the cancer itself, but of other causes.

Prostate cancer is generally a disease that affects older men, the majority of men diagnosed with this type of cancer are over the age of 65. It is partially because of this age of onset that most who develop this type of cancer do not die from it. They generally die from other causes associated with old age.

Risk factors for developing prostate cancer are a combination of hereditary and social factors. Having one or more first generation relatives who suffers with prostate cancer seems to be the best identifying factor of any particular man developing the disease.

African American men seem to be slightly more likely than Caucasian men to be diagnosed with the disorder. Along with genetics, social features also play a role in the development of this condition. These social factors can include diet and general overall healthiness.

Like most cancers, prostate cancer has no symptoms in its earliest stages. This is why screening is so important. If you are at risk for developing this cancer because of your family history, your doctor can perform a blood test that will detect if the cancer is developing. In fact, your doctor will usually conduct both a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test as well as a digital rectal exam. If both these tests indicate you may suffer with cancer, he may suggest a biopsy to be sure.

If your cancer is not caught in the early stages when it is most treatable, you may start to experience some symptoms. These symptoms include pain or stiffness in the lower back, blood in the semen or urine, difficulty having an erection, painful ejaculation, difficulty urinating or feeling the need to urinate frequently.

Once prostate cancer is detected, there are several ways it can be treated. These include the traditional methods of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to remove the cancerous gland. Because this gland is part of both a man’s urinary tract and sexual organs, there are many side effects of these treatments the man may find unpleasant. These include the inability to achieve erection as well as urinary leakage.

Even though prostate cancer is common, survival rates are good, especially is the condition is caught in the early stages. It is important to discuss your risk factors with your doctor to see if you need to be screened for the disease.

I am not a doctor, so I am writing this to the best of my ability to explain things so that other people can ask questions they might not have asked and explore areas of concern they might not have known to be concerned about. I thank-you in advance for sharing this article with as many people as possible so that more will know it’s details. I am blesses that my husband survived the Prostate Cancer and that I can open up with you about sex.

My husband has been Cancer -free for more than six years. He is lucky because first, he procrastinated in going to a doctor when he was experiencing a change in his ability to have erections.

He wanted more sex and better functioning and finally went to the doctor to ask about how to improve his sexual capabilities. To his horror, he was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and required surgery to have the prostate removed.

His doctor told him that first and foremost concern was to remove all the Cancer, then if at all possible, to spare the nerves in the surgery to give at least the possibility that his body would return to normal over time and our sex lives would be much closer to normal.

When he asked how long it could take, he was told to expect between three and five years. Also, he would experience the need for protective pants due to urine leakage for about six months. Sex, would be different. Actually, to his shock, no longer any messy ejaculation, because there would not be any ejaculation. Feeling of the orgasmic experience could return but you wouldn’t see the result if you know what I mean.

Frustration filled many hours of the three years. The first signs of returns to normalcy were a decline in the frequency of the urine leakage. At first, it was noticeable that sex would be influenced by how tired or stressed he was feeling. If he was tired, his body would cooperate very well.

Initially, after being rested, in the mornings, upon waking. His body was ready and responded. It took almost another six months from that point and then evening activities were much better.

We learned that sensuality was so important. We learned to hug more, touch more, take more time, and to cater more to each other in pampering. loving, sensual ways. Thanks for letting us share.