Prostate Cancer Care

Posts Tagged ‘diagnosis’

Cancer prostate incidence rates are much more advanced in the  African American male than in Caucasian men. Cancer of the prostate is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, with an estimated 28,660 in 2008.

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According to specialist doctors cancer of the prostate appears without any obvious symptoms. Prostate cancer can distribute to the bones, which causes pain to the hips, spine, ribs and other areas.

Approximately 65% of all cancer prostate cases are diagnosed in men of 65 years of age or older. Various evidence shows that the danger of dying from prostate cancer may perhaps rise with fatness.

Taking the PSA blood test is maybe fine for American Society to detect the protein made by the prostate and digital rectal examination. More than 90% of all cancer prostates are discovered generally at the regional stages.

Cancer of the prostate is a male disease connected with men’s gland, which is part of the mans reproductive system. Cancer prostate remedy options depend on how complicated the cancer is. Cancer prostate might possibly cause pain, problems urinating and erectile dysfunction, although in the early stages time there may perhaps be no symptoms at all.

A Doctor might want to confirm by taking a biopsy. If the cancer is restricted within the prostate gland there are two usage options.

One of radical prostatectomy surgery. The lymph nodes are subsequently checked to ensure if the cancer has spread or, as metastasized. If the cancer has metastasized beyond the prostate gland hormone medication can be given. Male hormones, called androgens, can be associated with accelerated growth of the tumor.

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The final remedial used for cancer prostate is called watchful waiting . With all these types of medication  and treatments the patient may wish to weigh up the pros and cons and discuss the side effects of the various treatments with his doctor before decising upon his options

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Are there any early signs of prostate cancer that can indicate there is a problem?

Early symptoms of prostate cancer are rare and the disease has usually spread by the time the person has experienced them.

Thus if you feel you have these signs and symptoms of prostate cancer that are discussed in this article, you should see your doctor to make sure that these are not symptoms of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is usually found in African American men and men over 70. Some of the risk factors for prostate cancer are uncontrolled consumption of alcohol; leading an inactive lifestyle, heavy metal exposure (for example cadmium), a diet high in saturated fat, smoking, family history, certain races (African American).

What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is cancer in a gland (otherwise known as adenocarcinoma) in the prostate which is a gland in the male sexual organs. The main risk for this cancer is age.

Men over 70 are most likely to get prostate cancer. There is also a genetic link and therefore family history is also a concern in addition to those with a diet that is higher in fat. So men with these risk factors need to make sure that they are seen and checked on a regular basis. This is especially important since early symptoms of prostate cancer are rare and might the cancer might not be detected until it has spread to other organs in the body and then more drastic measures would need to be taken.

Most of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer can be confused with other disorders so any urinary tract problems or back or upper leg pain need to be discussed with a doctor immediately. Some of the symptoms of prostate cancer are lower back pain and stiffness, this pain and stiffness can also be found in the thighs, hips and pelvic areas. In addition there are difficulties in the urinary tract in addition to sexual difficulties like pain and blood in the ejaculate or urine.

Signs and symptoms of prostate cancer
Determining prostate cancer by signs and symptoms alone is difficult because they are similar to other prostate disorders and therefore other tests such as a PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen, usually higher in those with cancer) and a DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) definitely will need to be carried out in order to definitely confirm cancer. However these are the usual symptoms of prostate cancer:

1. Difficulty urinating.
2. Pain or burning sensation when urinating
3. Frequent urination
4. Interrupted flow or weak flow of urination
5. Blood in semen or in the urine
6. Pain upon ejaculation
7. Difficulty starting urination or holding it in.
8. Pain in thighs, lower back, pelvic areas, or hips

Symptoms like pain in other areas than the groin or prostate area are an indication that the cancer has already spread to nearby areas such as the lymph nodes, bones, or other areas of the body. This symptom alone is a very serious one and you should see a doctor immediately should you experience this symptom.

Of course as noted earlier, these are also symptoms of other benign growths of the prostate, but still need to be checked by a doctor no matter what the cause.

Treatment
Upon further examination should these symptoms indicate advanced stages of cancer, and then there is little a doctor can do. They can remove all the cancer that they can find and give the patient a little more time. However, if caught early enough then there are several options either used separately or in conjunction that can be used to eliminate the cancer completely and thus lengthen a man’s life.

Surgery: Radical Prostatectomy, which is a complete removal of all of the prostate and nearby tissue that could also have been affected. In addition there is a type of surgery that is used to allow enough nerve tissue so that erections remain possible and thus not terminate the sexual life of the person involved.

Radiation: This entails using either an external beam of radiation upon the prostate or implantation of a radioactive seed in the prostate by way of a needle. These are generally outpatient surgeries.

Observation-This approach is often used if the man with early prostate cancer and is elderly or has other medical conditions. The doctor will give regular exams and will wait and observe and unless there are obvious changes then nothing will be done immediately. Again, this is usually done if there is no immediate danger to the patient.

Choosing a treatment
This is done by discussing with the patient, one or several doctors, and the family. Each procedure and the side effects along with what benefits can be expected are discussed and a choice is made based upon the best results with the least amount of negative aspects. This can be a difficult, but necessary choice for all involved.

By Jayashree Pakhare

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A diagnosis of prostate cancer can be devastating, but here we take a moment to think about your situation before rushing into any treatment decisions

Nearly all men will run into some form of prostate problem during their middle or later years and, thankfully, in most cases these problems will be relatively minor or, if they are more severe, at least not life threatening.

For some men however the problem will be prostate cancer and a diagnosis of cancer can literally turn your world, and that of your family, upside down.

Hopefully, more and more men will begin the process of screening for prostate cancer and their problem will be caught at an early stage when there are several treatment options available and the possibility of curing the disease completely is good.

But, whether this is the case or not, a diagnosis of prostate cancer can still be devastating and you need to consider carefully just how you are going to deal with it.

As with so many things in life these days dealing with prostate cancer can be complicated and there are many different opinions about just what the best course of action is. For this reason it is always wise to take a step back for a moment and educate yourself about this disease before rushing into any decisions. Your doctor will be able to give you advice and also to furnish you with some literature and of course there is probably no better place to research the condition today than right here on the Internet.

Many people panic when they are diagnosed with cancer but, unless your prostate cancer is a particularly aggressive form of cancer and is spreading rapidly, which is rare, you do not need to do anything today and can take a few days to let things sink in and to do your homework. This is also a good time to get a second opinion. Many people worry about getting a second opinion thinking that they are in some way doubting their doctor’s competence. This however is not how your doctor will see it if he is worth his salt and it is very sensible to get another view on your condition and opinion about how best to treat it.

You will find that there are usually several treatment options open to you depending upon several factors such as your age and general state of health, as well as whether or not you are suffering from any additional problems arising out of an enlarged prostate, such as kidney damage or bladder infection. In the vast majority of cases however, even when your options are narrowed because of your age or health, you will still have several routes which you can follow.

However, before you get involved in the details of different treatment options it is also a good idea to sit down and consider just how you feel about having cancer. This may seem an odd thing to say, but people react very differently to a diagnosis of prostate cancer and just how you feel about will be an important factor in your treatment decision.

For example, do you feel strongly that you want to do whatever it takes to get this ‘thing’ out of your body and that you couldn’t possibly stand the thought of living with cancer for a moment longer than is absolutely necessary. Or do you feel that you have lived to a ripe old age and that you wish to pass your remaining days in comfort and certainly do not want to put yourself through surgery or the side-effects or radiation treatment and chemotherapy.

Take the time to think carefully about your own situation and that of your family and weigh your own personal circumstances carefully. If you are alone and in your late seventies you may feel differently from a relatively young man in his forties with two young children to care for.

Medical treatment is not simply a matter of science but is something which is very personal to you and should always focus on your needs and, most importantly, on your wishes.

ProstateProblemCenter.com focuses on a wide variety of prostate problems including enlarged prostate treatment.

By Donald Saunders

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A major study of patient satisfaction and regret following open prostatectomy and robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy provides some important lessons for surgeons …

… and opens up the debate about  alternative prostate cancer care

The research, recently published in the European Journal of Urology, shows 19 per cent of patients regretted their treatment choice and patients who had robot-assisted surgery were most likely to be dissatisfied.

The authors suggest the regret is “possibly because of higher expectation of an ‘innovative procedure’”.

Their conclusion is one for all urological surgeons to note.

“We suggest that urologists carefully portray the risks and benefits of new technologies during preoperative counselling to minimise regret and maximise satisfaction.”

In recent years, the treatment of prostate cancer has been a rapidly developing field, providing patients with a  wide range of different cancer care choices .

Brachytherapy and HIFU offer non-surgical options and for those who want surgery, there are open, laparoscopic and nerve-sparring options, depending upon your diagnosis and treatment provider.

At the same time, patients are becoming increasingly proactive, using the internet to research and consider the different  prostate cancer treatment options themselves, as well as the traditional consultation with the urologist.

Increased choice is without doubt a positive benefit for patients, but as urology centres – both private and NHS – seek to attract patients, we have a responsibility to carefully counsel them about the advantages and disadvantages of treatments.
There is a distinctive risk when a procedure is perceived to be new and especially “innovative”. The media will always be interested in the next “pioneering operation”, particularly one which involves robots.

A newspaper article will tend to portray the new procedure as an immaculate solution, which corrects all the risk and disadvantages of other procedures.
As surgeons, we have a responsibility to provide patients with a more sober and informative picture, acknowledging limitations as well as benefits.

The patient satisfaction study was based on the responses of 400 men who had undergone retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) or robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy between 2000 and 2007 in the US.

The report’s authors also examined patients urinary domain scores, hormonal domain scores and found scores were independently linked with regret.

It is still early days for robotic surgery in the UK. In prostate cancer surgery, there are currently six Da Vinci robotic machines in the UK, compared with 350 in America.

There is no current evidence that robotic surgery provides better outcomes for patients, in terms of urinary symptoms, post operative sexual function or post-operative risks and complications. It seems certain that robotic surgery will increase within the UK during the next decade, with NHS and private centres purchasing the Da Vinci machines.

This will provide even more choice for patients, which is in principle, a positive development.

It is however vital that patients are given accurate and comprehensive information to enable them to make an informed choice, rather than simply being over-sold on a new product.

By: Alan Doherty

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Alan Doherty is a Consultant Urologist and Medical Director of The Birmingham Prostate Clinic. A centre of excellence for Prostate Cancer Treatment.

Here are some related posts about prostate cancer treatment options

Prostate Cancer – Causes And Treatment

The treatment options for organ-confined prostate cancer or locally advanced prostate cancer usually include surgery, radiation therapy , hormonal therapy, cryotherapy, combinations of some of these treatments, and watchful waiting. 

Chemotherapy  Treating Prostate Cancer

It is really up to the patient and his doctors to decide whether on balance the advantages outweigh the risks. D.Valerian is a freelance writer interested in items such as prostate cancer treatment 

Preventing Prostate Cancer

In addition, this report discusses the strides made in prostate cancer prevention, and why this cancer in particular should be a target for prevention, rather than treatment. 

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

Radical prostatectomy is one of the most invasive prostate cancer treatment options. This procedure will remove the prostate and the affected lymph nodes. This is to prevent the spread of cancer cells from reaching other parts 

Prostrate Cancer Awareness Campaign

Many people are now agreed on the need for a broader prostate cancer awareness campaign and images that create more consciousness in the fight against the disease and the against the ignorance about the disease.

New Prostate Cancer Treatment Options Prostate Cancer Support

The most common therapies for prostate cancer are surgical removal of the entire prostate gland, radiation treatment, and hormonal therapy.

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