Cancer Information

By Marlon Dirk
Prostate cancer is a specifically male cancer as it involves the prostate gland, which is part of the male reproductive system. The prostate gland is located between the bladder and rectum and is responsible for the production of seminal fluid. Prostate cancer treatment options depend on how advanced the cancer is.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty urinating and erectile dysfunction, although early prostate cancer may cause no symptoms at all. It is most frequent in men of fifty and is most often diagnosed in men in their seventies.

Diagnosis is through a physical examination or by blood tests. One of these blood tests is called the PSA test. PSA stands for prostate specific antigen, and it is this antigen that they are looking for in the blood. A confirmed case of prostate cancer will be confirmed by taking a biopsy.

If the cancer is contained within the prostate gland then there are two treatment options. The cancer can be treated with radiation therapy, which is the use of x-rays to kill cancer cells. The cancer can also be removed by surgery called radical prostatectomy.

A radical prostatectomy involves the removal of the entire prostate gland and usually the nearby lymph nodes, under general anaesthesia. The lymph nodes are then checked to see if the cancer has spread, known as metastasizing. There is a risk with prostate cancer of it metastasizing to other parts of the body, especially to the bones and the lymph nodes.

With both types of treatment there is a chance that the cancer will reoccur, however incidence of reoccurrence are less with the radical prostatectomy than with the radiation therapy. Careful consideration to the benefits and side effects of both treatments must be given so that you get the best treatment option for you.

If the cancer has metastasized beyond the prostate gland then hormone treatment can be given. Male hormones, called androgens, can be associated with accelerated growth of the tumor. Therefore if hormones are restricted the growth of the tumor can be slowed down. Androgens such as testosterone are produced in the testicles, so the testicles are sometimes removed as part of hormone treatment.

The final treatment for prostate cancer is called 'watchful waiting'. This involves regular check ups and monitoring by your doctor to keep a check on the tumor's growth. Your doctor will perform a physical examination and take blood tests, such as the PSA test.

With all types of treatment for prostate cancers the patient will need to weigh up the pros and cons and discuss the side effects of the different treatments with his doctor. A decision can then be taken on which course of treatment to take, or whether to undertake a period of 'watchful waiting' before deciding which of the prostate cancer treatment options to follow.

Prostate cancer is one of the leading health problems of man today especially when he reaches the over-the-hill age. Every man should have more than enough information about this predicament and what the best remedies are for it and here at http://www.a1prostatecancertips.com

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By Mfani Anitche
A prostate tumour is a lump created by an abnormal and uncontrollable growth of cells. It can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Each year about 35 000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK.

The prostate is a gland that produces the liquid part of semen. It is about the size of a walnut and lies at the base of the bladder. The front of the prostate surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine form the bladder and out through the penis. The prostate gland increases slowly with age. Any change of the size of the prostate can narrow this tube, making it difficult to urinate.

Cancerous tumours can grow through the prostate and spread to other parts of the body (through the bloodstream or the lymph system) where they may grow and form secondary tumours. This is called metastasis. The symptoms of prostate cancer include difficulty in starting to pass urine, a weak and sometimes intermittent flow of urine, dribbling of urine before and after urinating, a frequent or urgent need to pass urine, pain when passing, and blood in the urine and/or erectile dysfunction.

The prostate cancer symptoms are similar to those produced by a common non-cancerous disease where the prostate becomes enlarged (benign prostatic hyperplasia). Inflammation of the prostate(prostatitis) can also give you these symptoms. If you have any of these symptoms, it's very important you visit your doctor for advice. If prostate cancer is found early, it can often be cured. It is important to note, however, that most men with early prostate cancer have no symptoms at all.

If prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, other symptoms can develop. The most common site for prostate cancer to spread is to the lower back, pelvis and hips, causing bone pain and tenderness.

The cause for prostate cancer is not fully understood at present. The risk of getting prostate cancer gets higher as you get older. Most men diagnosed with prostate cancer are over the age of 50. Men from the age of about 40 can be affected, but this is less common.

When you have close relatives who have had prostate cancer,you are also at higher risk.You are two and a half times more likely to get prostate cancer if your father or brother has been diagnosed. The risk increases more if your relative was under the age of 60 when they were diagnosed, or if more than one relative has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.There has been a suggestion that the risk is also higher if several women in your family who have had breast cancer (you may have inherited a faulty gene which may increase risk of prostate cancer).

If you are Afro-Caribbean or Afro-American you are more at risk. African Caribbean men are three times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than white men. Researchers are looking at what may be the cause of this increased risk, but diet and genes probably play an important part.

Researchers think diet may be responsible for the higher rates of prostate cancer seen in Western countries. The risk is higher if your diet is high in fat and if you are overweight. By reducing the amount of animal fat in your diet and eating more of certain fruits and vegetables, you can improve your overall health and may lower your risk of prostate cancer developing or spreading.

For purposes of diagnosis of prostate cancer, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and will examine you. He or she may ask about your medical history and may do some tests or will refer you to a urologist (a doctor specialising in the urinary system). The examination will involve a digital rectal examination (insertion of a lubricated gloved finger into the rectum) and feel the prostate through the wall of the rectum. If there is prostate cancer it may feel harder than usual and/or knobbly. A blood test called prostate specific antigen (PSA), which tests for the amount of PSA in the blood. PSA is a protein which is released by both normal and cancerous cells of the prostate. A high PSA level can indicate prostate cancer but can be found in other prostate diseases as well, like prostatitis. A sample of tissue called prostate biopsy will be taken and CT,MRI and bone scans to check how far the prostate cancer has spread.

Treatment may include: Active surveillance(cancer observed and treatment offered only when or if necessary, External Beam Radiotherapy - where radiation is used to kill cancer cells, Surgery - where the prostate is removed, Brachytherapy - where radioactive seeds are implanted into the prostate High dose rate Brachytherapy - Where temporary sources of radiation are targeted directly at the prostate

Dr Mfani Anitche is an Independent Medical Practitioner based in London. She works primarily in the private sector providing health services in the Corporate Sector. She currently works in Merril Lynch and worked for Lehman Brothers for four years until the organisation folded on 15th September 2008. She has a keen interest in internet marketing and her ebook website http://www.grab-an-ebook.com has wealth of information on health related subjects including prostate cancer(prostatecancer.grab-an-ebook.com), hyperglycaemia, healthy eating, fibromyalgia and pregnancy related questions. The site also covers ebooks on general subjects

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By Donald Saunders
The prostate gland is a reasonably small gland that is roughly the size of a walnut and sits under the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate is an important gland which manufactures the liquid that helps to carry sperm.

One significant problem that can arise with the prostate is prostate cancer which is a serious and life-threatening condition that can be expected to strike about ten percent of all men and is the second commonest cause of cancer related death in men these days.

So exactly how does this particular disease start?

Cancer of the prostate starts as a malignant tumor in the prostate gland which, if left untreated, is likely to spread into neighboring tissue and organs and then into the lymph nodes and bone.

So what are the risk factors involved when it comes to contracting this form of cancer?

Over 70 percent of men suffering from this condition are over the age of 65.

Men who have close blood relatives such as a grandfather or father who have suffered from this condition are up to eleven times more likely to develop cancer of the prostate gland.

The death rate in men increases with weight and is especially high in men who are obese.

Caucasian men are more than twice as likely to suffer from this problem as are those of African decent.

Is there anything I can do to stop myself getting prostate cancer?

In reality there is nothing which you can do to stop yourself from running into this problem although some people are convinced that eating a healthy diet can lower your risk. At present there is little if any evidence to support this.

Diagnosing prostate cancer.

There are several tests which can be done including the prostate specific antigen test, the digital rectal examination and a biopsy.

The prostate specific antigen test is a blood test which detects the level of a prostate specific antigen in the bloodstream. High prostate specific antigen levels do not mean that you have prostate cancer but are a marker for possible problems that should be investigated further.

The digital rectal examination requires a doctor to wear a glove and insert a lubricated finger into the anus to feel the prostate for signs of enlargement or irregularity.

In the case of a biopsy your doctor will take several tissue samples from your prostate which will then be examined under a microscope for any signs of cancer cells.

Call in at The ProstrateProblemCenter.com for much more prostate information including everything from enlarged prostate symptoms to the PSA test

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By Elliott Campbell
Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the Western World, typically striking males over the age 40, with those in their sixties and onwards being most at risk. Prostate cancer falls into the category of a "silent killer" form of cancer, as this form of the disease rarely shows itself till it has spread out with the area of the gland. Once it has done it is much more difficult to treat, and can prove fatal.

The prostate gland is situated at the base of the bladder and covers the urethra, a tube that allows urine to flow from the male penis. In younger men, the prostate gland plays an important function in the producing the male sperm. The prostate gland in young and healthy men is walnut shaped and around the same size. However with age the prostate gland expands. Conventional medicine is largely unaware what causes prostate cancer, knowing only that it can be spread through testosterone, the male sex hormone.

What role does genetics play?

Genetics play a very major part in onset of prostate cancer, with African-American males being two and a half times more susceptible to pick up the disease than their Caucasian counterparts. Also males who have a relative diagnosed with cancer of the prostate are twice as likely to be diagnosed, and proportionally upwards.

While genetics seems to play a major role in the outset of prostate cancer it is far from being the only contributory factor. Overweight people seem to be particularly prone to being affected this form of cancer and due to an imbalance of antigen in their blood levels, also take a long time to be diagnosed with the disease.

Screening can save your life

In recent years, increase awareness of the risks of prostate cancer has led to a very beneficial practice, especially for males whose profiles appear to be pointing at the probability of the onset of prostate cancer. Males who fall into risk categories are invited for screenings, which are held at either their local health clinic or doctor's surgery. The screening is quick and painless and highly effective. If it is ascertained that cancer cells exist, yet still within the prostate gland, they can be very quickly removed often without the need for any form of invasive surgery. This is known as stage one or stage two cancer of the prostate gland, and statistics show that the screening process has reduced many of the cases to remain at this level, where survival rates are encouragingly high. If the cancer remains undetected for too long, it may well spread out with the prostate. If this occurs then a more invasive form of surgery needs to be carried out, inevitably followed by a course of chemotherapy, with all of its well known side effects.

Males should never shy away from their responsibilities of keeping their health in order and prostate gland cancer has now fallen into the category of a disease that while it is difficult to prevent can be treated.

Elliott Campbell owns and operates http://www.CancerProstateGuide.com

Cancer Of The Prostate

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By Darren R Sturridge
The prostate is an organ located close to the bladder in men. Unfortunately it is very susceptible to genetic damage with age and many men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.

It is recommended that all men above the age of 40 are tested for the condition every 5 years, and tested once a year from the age of 50. The initial tests usually take the form of prostate specific antigen testing and a procedure known as a digital rectum examination. If the doctor feels that there is any likelihood that the patient has cancer then he will recommend a biopsy. A specialist will take a look at the biopsy samples under a microscope and report the results to a doctor using a system known as Gleason grading.

The specialist will give a grade of between one and five to each sample depending upon how advanced the cancer is. A Gleason grade of one indicates that the cells in the tissue look close to normal, whereas a grade of five indicates very abnormal cancerous cells are seen.

As it is a multi focal condition it is usual to take 12 samples during a prostate biopsy. The specialist will look at all of these and report the results of the two samples with the largest areas of cancerous cells. He will give the results in a form of a Gleason Score, which is made up of two grades as determined in the method outlined above. The results are given with the sample with the largest area of cancer first, and a total. For example Gleason score 3 + 2 = 5, is more advanced than 2 + 3 = 5.

If a person is found to be suffering from prostate cancer then there are many ways in which the condition can be treated, if it is treated at all. As it is slow growing it is often the case that the patient will die of other things first and so the condition will be monitored as opposed to treated. If treatment is required then it is good to know that many methods such as radiation and hormonal therapy are often very successful.

My name is Dean, I am a developmental biologist and owner of the prostate cancer guide. In it you will find useful advice on the condition such as Prostate Biopsy and the Gleason Scale

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By Peter Dawson
Have you ever heard of Resveratrol? If you get spam email you probably have but may not know much more. But for men the good news is that Resveratrol and prostate cancer cures seem to be linked.

Resveratrol is a substance found in grapes. Have you heard that red wine is good for you? One of the reasons is that it has Resveratrol in it, from the grapes. And the Resveratrol prostate cancer link is getting stronger.

Studies are showing that a daily supplement of Resveratrol may be a protection against prostate cancer in men, according to the researchers at Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Resveratrol has other properties beneficial to us, including protection against heart disease and is a strong anti oxidant that helps reduce inflammation too. But it is the Resveratrol and prostate cancer link that is producing much excitement.

Prostate cancer is one of the leading cancers in men, similar to breast cancer in women.

Studies of the link between Resveratrol and prostate cancer have including injecting human prostate cancer cells into rodents and the use of Resveratrol to kill those cancer cells or to halt their growth. And it seems that although Resveratrol may be a good form of attack against cancer cells, it doesn't attack healthy cells.

With results like this it seems clear that the intake of Resveratrol every day could be useful for men approaching the prostate cancer age group, over about 50. And there is Resveratrol in most dark red wines, so it's a good reason to drink some wine.

However the worlds best supplement companies are now also working to produce supplements that contain a beneficial form of Resveratrol. One in particular is producing a highly effective total health supplement which contains not just Resveratrol but a total of 77 different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and various other substances known to be of benefit to the health in one daily supplement. It's cutting edge health science, and results have been impressive.

So if you're worried about prostate cancer, or are just looking for a solid way to protect yourself against a range of lifestyle related health problems, you may well find that taking daily health supplements that include Resveratrol may well be the best thing you ever did for your health.

But beware, there are many health and dietary supplements that are worthless. The worlds best dietary supplements are extremely effective, but there are plenty of scams. Find out more about the best dietary supplements on my website.

Want to find the worlds best dietary supplements? Visit Peter's Website Natural Health-Natural Skin Care and find out more about high quality nutritional supplements at http://naturalskinhealth.com/health-supplements/

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By Joshua McCarron
My grandfather had prostate cancer. Actually, he still does. I can remember him telling me about how when he went in for radiation, the technicians would get him all set up and then bolt from the room before they were zapped too. It kind of makes you wonder how something that is so dangerous that people would run from the room is supposed to heal your body. Although, like I mentioned above, he still has it. It's just been kept at bay for the past fifteen years or so. He goes in for a bi-yearly needle that costs $1500 a pop. Does that sound like an effective prostate cancer treatment?

It sure doesn't sound so great to me. Sure, he's still alive which is wonderful, but wouldn't a more effective treatment be to just get rid of it altogether with something that won't cause harm to other parts of the body?

And that is the main problem when it comes to conventional medicine's approach to prostate cancer treatments. They are ineffective, and all cause harm to other parts of the body. Pumping deadly poison into your body or blasting it with radiation can hardly be considered "healing." To really find the most effective prostate cancer treatments it's best to get out of the lab and back to nature. There are literally hundreds of gentle, non-toxic treatments that will actually get rid of your prostate cancer without harming any other parts of your body.

All I can say is that if you're really interested in the most effective prostate cancer treatments don't let yourself be led astray. Effective means killing cancer cells without harming healthy cells. Effective means getting rid of your cancer permanently rather than being strung along for years and years. The answers are out there. The choice is yours. All you have to do is take action.

If you or someone you care about is dealing with any type of cancer and are looking for the most effective treatments available, go take a look here: http://killcancernow.blogspot.com

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