Aug 31
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.
Aug 29
Although there are a number of tests that may be carried out if you suspect the possible presence of prostate cancer, the only certain way to confirm the disease is the prostate biopsy. But just how successful is the biopsy when it comes to confirming this disease?
In the US alone annually there are approximately one million prostate biopsies carried out of which around 25 percent indicate the presence of prostate cancer. But, of the remaining 75 percent of prostate biopsies about one-third produce false negative results. This means that approximately 25 percent of those men undergoing prostate biopsies are cleared by this test, in spite of the fact that they are suffering from prostate cancer.
At first sight therefore it might appear that the prostate biopsy is not a very satisfactory test but these results do not in fact mean that there is anything wrong with the prostate biopsy procedure as a method of confirming the presence of prostate cancer. What it does clearly mean however is the need to identify those patients who, in spite of returning a negative result, are nonetheless at high risk from prostate cancer and ought therefore to have a second follow-up biopsy.
The difficulty is that until now there has not been an easy method of identifying those patients at risk. Luckily, a recent study of more than five hundred men being investigated for prostate cancer may now provide a solution.
All of the men investigated in the study had previously received a negative prostate biopsy result but researchers found that when they looked at the patient’s prostate specific antigen (PSA) test results and these were adjusted for the size of the prostate gland they were able to identify those patients who were more likely to produce a positive result on a second biopsy.
The researchers also discovered that patients with a Gleeson score of 7 or higher were at greater risk from life-threatening prostate cancer and were once again more likely to produce a positive result from a second biopsy. The Gleeson score runs on a scale between 2 and 10 and a patient’s score is derived from a microscopic investigation of prostate biopsy tissue. Low scores point to cancer with a small risk of spread while high scores point to cancer that is more likely to spread.
There are a number of prostate biopsy procedures used today but perhaps the most common procedure is the core needle biopsy. Here a number of very small tissue samples are removed from different areas of the prostrate gland with a biopsy gun that fires a needle into the selected section and removes the sample in a fraction of a second. These samples are then sent off for laboratory analysis to find out whether cancer is present and, if so, to establish just how much of the prostate gland is affected.
A prostate biopsy is a costly procedure and is a test that can be quite upsetting for the patient. It can also be a fairly painful procedure that may involve bleeding and a risk of infection. For these reasons it is important to pinpoint those men for whom a follow-up biopsy would be sensible and to reduce as far as we can the number of needless follow-up biopsies being done every year.
Jul 29
Prostate brachytherapy (pronounced bray-kee-ther-uh-pee), the implantation of radioactive seeds into the prostate gland, is one of the standard methods of successfully treating prostate cancer. The tiny radioactive seeds are smaller than grains of rice.
A prostate seed implant may be the only type of radiation therapy needed by a man with low-risk prostate cancer or it may be prescribed in addition to external beam radiation therapy in men with intermediate- and high- risk prostate cancer. The goal is to eradicate cancer cells while preserving healthy, surrounding tissue, such as the bladder, the urethra (the tube that connects the bladder to the penis), and the rectum.
The advantages of prostate seed implants are significant. Fist, the procedure requires only minor surgery, usually causing fewer side effects than other treatments. Also, it is generally a same day, outpatient procedure. Men usually are able to return to work within several days, as long as they feel well enough. In addition, recent reports suggest that the procedure, when performed on properly selected men, is at least as effective as surgery to cure prostate cancer. Radiation exposure to other people is minimal, so restrictions do not apply unless the man is returning to a setting where a young child or pregnant woman is present.
Treatment Planning
Men undergo a pre-implant ultrasound study to determine where the radioactive seeds (and the needles to implant them) should be placed. A transrectal ultrasound, wherein an ultrasound probe is carefully positioned in the rectum to view the entire prostate, is performed. Images of the prostate are taken and are transferred to a special treatment planning computer, which evaluates the position of the prostate and generates a three-dimensional plan that dictates the precise placement of the seeds.
Preparation for the Procedure
Most candidates for prostate brachytherapy undergo blood tests, a chest x-ray and an EKG several days prior to the implant, in order to be approved for anesthesia. On the morning of the procedure, men receive an enema to help optimize the quality of the transrectal ultrasound images. In addition, blood thinners are discontinued several days prior to the procedure to help diminish the risk of bleeding.
Day of the Procedure
Typically, men who are scheduled to undergo seed placement arrive early in the morning. Next, the man is taken to the operating room for the procedure, where he undergoes either general or spinal anesthesia. Then, the radiation oncologist and the urologist work as a team to implant the seeds into the prostate, using transrectal ultrasound to guide the placement.
The Implant Process
Using the treatment plan and fluoroscopy (real-time x-ray), the radiation oncologist places the seeds within the prostate. The entire procedure usually takes less than one hour. After the seed placement, the urologist performs a cystoscopy (a procedure in which a slender, flexible, fiber optic scope is inserted from the penis into the bladder), to look for and remove any seeds that dislodged in the bladder or the urethra. Within the few next days, a CT scan is obtained to verify the placement of the seeds.
Prostate Seed Implants: Recovery
Because prostate implants do not involve major surgery, side effects are rarely severe. The most common side effects reported by men after prostate seed implants are:
o Urinary frequency (60-70%)
o Urinary burning (50%)
o Urinary urgency (50%)
o Erectile dysfunction (30%)
o Blood in the urine (20-30%)
o Increased bowel movements and bowel urgency (5%)
o Fatigue (20%)
o Pelvic pain (20%)
o The need for temporary catheter placement (10-15%)
o Urinary incontinence (less than 1%)
In addition, up to 20 percent of men are found to have seed migration into their lungs. However, no detrimental effects have been reported. Infrequently, men have required trans-urethral resection, the “scraping” of the prostate gland via the penis, to relieve urinary obstruction after the seed placement.
Follow-Up
Men who undergo prostate brachytherapy report for follow-up visits four weeks after the procedure and every three months thereafter. A PSA blood test and a physical exam are performed to assess the status of the prostate.
The good news is that prostate seed implants are usually successful at controlling prostate cancer within the gland. Such local control of disease correlates with rendering men free from prostate cancer.
Jul 23
The treatment of prostate cancer varies depending on what stage the cancer is at. The Gleason score is a scale given to the tumor which helps decide the best course of action. Other factors involved in the decision of treatment include age of the patient and their physical and mental health condition.
The Gleason scale is a number given to the tumor, where the lower the score the less likely the cancer will spread to other part of the body.
A Gleason scale score or 6 or less means that the cancer is not likely to spread around the body.
A Gleason scale score of 7 means there is a reasonable chance of the cancer spreading around the body.
A Gleason score of 8 or more means there is a good chance that the cancer will spread around the body.
Once a Gleason number has been assigned, then the doctor or specialist will recommend the best course of action, although the final decision for treatment always lies with the patient. Treatments range from “passive watching “, to “active watching” and then onto actual treatment such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and Brachytherapy.
The cause of prostate cancer is still not known at this time, although treatment has been getting more and more successful over the last twenty years. If the cancer has not spread to the bones, then it can often be treated successfully. However if it has spread to the bone then it may not be curable, and treatment will revolve around prolonging life. the prostate cancer scale known as the Gleason scale provides a method to determining the correct treatment for the patient.
Jul 19
Prostate cancer is often treated successfully if it is caught early, but in its very early stages there may not be any visible symptoms. Prostate cancer early symptoms often don’t become apparent until the cancer has progressed enough to put pressure on the urethra. When this happens it may cause symptoms such as pain when urinating and pains in the pelvic area, although these may be caused by something completely different so do not mean you have cancer.
Some of the early prostate cancer symptoms are:
Sudden need to urinate, often at night Painful urination and/or ejaculation Irregular urine flow Blood in urine (in some rare cases) Pain in hip or pelvic area
Again, these symptoms do not mean you have cancer, as they can be caused by many other conditions. However if you do start to have these prostate cancer early symptoms occurring, then you should contact your GP who will be able to advice you whether a test or scan is required. This will be able to determine whether you have cancerous cells in the prostate gland.
If cancerous cells are detected, then depending on your age, health and progression of the tumour (which is rated using the Gleason scale) a treatment program will be recommended by your doctor. The final say in what treatment is performed is always down to the patient however. As prostate cancer is a relatively slow growing cancer that affect predominantly older men, in many cases the man dies of other causes before the prostate cancer takes effect.
Jun 08
When being treated for a disease as serious as cancer, it is very important to focus on getting adequate nutrition. However, it may be quite difficult for you to adapt a cancer diet that’s both balanced and adequate.
According to a report published by the World Cancer Research Fund in November 2007, foods containing lycopene and selenium probably protect against prostate cancer. Foods containing calcium are a probably cause of prostate cancer.
Here, you need to emphasize on repairing damaged cells due to the side effects caused by cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. Most effective cancer treatments such as chemotherapy tend to give you loads of fatigue and even sap your otherwise healthy appetite.
Hence, it is very important to make sure that you are getting all the adequate nutrients, minerals and vitamins that are required to keep a cancer diet balanced enough to keep you in a healthy state.
Southern Mediterranean diet and Japanese diet are often related to a long and healthy life. These also worked towards reducing the overall risk of Prostate cancer. These diets are rich in green tea, fish, vegetables, tomatoes, fruits, garlic, red wine, olive oil and soy and low in fat and calories. These diets are low in red meat.
Include the following and focus of principles given below when reevaluating daily diet:
o Exercise regularly. Walking is the best exercise you can adopt. Make it a daily habit.
o Restrict your calorie intake. Taking more calories than required would be really bad for cancer growth. You must eat what requires you to get to the next meal. Avoid all type of junk food.
o Make sure you include a variety of items in the meal you take. You must focus on increasing the diversity.
o Supplements should never be replaced with other things in your diet. Nutrients from natural food are always the best.
o Make regular controls by your health care professional; preferably every three months. Be proactive.
o Reduce animal fat in your diet as much as you can. According to several studies, it has been proved that excess amount of fat such as those found in high-fat dairy and red meat tend to stimulate the growth of Prostate cancer.
o Take special care to avoid trans-fatty acids. These are helpful in promoting cancer growth. These foods are rich in margarines, fried as well as baked foods.
o Increase your in-take of fresh fish. The food ingredient is high in alpha omega-3 fatty acids. You must eat cold-water fish ideally such as sardines, trout, salmon and mackerel at least twice or thrice a week. The fish must be baked, grilled or poached.
o Increase your intake of herbs, fresh fruits and vegetables. Include leafy green vegetables, seeds, nuts, fresh herbs, berries, colorful veggies and fruits in your diet.
