Prostate Cancer Care

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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

Technorati Tags: diagnosis, earlier, for, in men, prostate cancer, signs, symptoms, warning, what is the

Although there is considerable debate about the subject of prostate cancer prevention there is no doubt that the starting point is to clearly understand the risks involved and, having done this, there are then many steps that can be taken to significantly reduce these risks.

Over the years there has been considerable debate about prostate cancer and the subject of prostate cancer prevention in particular remains somewhat controversial. Although, as with many cancers, men do not themselves cause the onset of prostate cancer, there are certainly a number of risk factors for developing the disease and there is a great deal that can be done, if not to prevent it, then certainly to reduce the risk of developing it.

The first step in preventing prostate cancer is to understand that you are at risk of developing the condition and to know just why you are at risk. Here the starting point in understanding the risk is heredity.

There is no doubt that men with a family history of prostate cancer are at greater risk and, in general, the risk for a man with one close relative having prostate cancer is about twice that of a man without any family history. With two close relatives this risk rises to about five times that of someone with no family history and with three close relatives reaches a staggering ninety-seven percent.

The problem here is that many men are unaware of their family history, not least because many grandfathers, fathers or brothers have died from other illnesses and were perhaps never even aware of the fact they have prostate cancer. This happens because prostate cancer will often develop late in life and can be a very slow growing cancer. As a consequence there is a good chance that individuals will develop other conditions alongside their prostate cancer on which attention is focused and which ultimately results in their death.

So, if you are not sure of your family history, then a good starting point is to check things out if you can. If this is not possible, then it’s probably a good idea to err on the side of caution and assume that the risk might be there rather than assume that you’re in the clear.

Another important factor is that of race. African American men for example, and men of African descent, are at a greater risk than Hispanic men who, in turn, are at more risk than Caucasian men. The risk for an African American man is about sixty percent higher than that of a Caucasian man.

The next risk factor is diet and men living in Western countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom are at increased risk because of the high levels of fat in many Western diets. Here for the first time is a risk factor that you can actually do something about and lowering the fat in your diet and eating such things as more fresh fruit and vegetables can lessen your risk quite considerably.

At this point we start to run into difficulty as, beyond the basic principle of reducing fat in your diet, opinions begin to differ when it comes to other aspects of the diet which may be helpful in prostate cancer prevention

There is little doubt that levels of such things as vitamins and minerals in your diet can have a dramatic effect on your health generally and will certainly have a part to play when it comes to prostate health. However, determining just which vitamins and minerals play a part is not an easy matter and is certainly a subject all of its own.

More about prostate cancer prevention here:

Good Nutrition For Prostate Cancer
How To Deal With Prostate Cancer – How To Fight Prostate Cancer And Win The Complete Guide To Prevention, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment And Cure.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer – What to Look Out For
Prostate cancer is the leading cause of death in men dying of cancer in the US. Click here for more about symptoms prostate cancer. You can also learn about prostate cancer prevention and options for treatments for prostate cancer.

Signs And Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is emerging as one of the deadly cancers affecting men. Follow this link to find out more about symptoms prostate cancer. You can also learn about prostate cancer prevention and options for treatments for  prostate cancer

Prostate cancer news report
Their revised model is based on careful analysis of data from the original Prostate Cancer prevention trial. This group of authors again encourages the idea of men undergoing regular prostate cancer screening.

For more information about prostate cancer prevention and the search for a prostate cancer cure please, click here  By Donald Saunders

Technorati Tags: cancer, cause, coffee, diet, earlier, enlarged, health, prostate, risk, signs

The problems of an enlarged prostate will often start in middle age and will be evident in the majority of men by the time they reach retirement.

This article examines the common problem of the enlarged prostate.

Once a man reaches middle age then there is a better than even chance that he will develop an enlarged prostate by the time he retires. This particular problem will normally start to appear in men at about the age of 45 and by the age of 60 will affect 1 in every 2 men. As age continues to increase so too does the problem and by the age of 80 an enlarged prostate will be seen in 9 out of every 10 men.

The prostate gland, which forms a part of the male reproductive system, puts on a spurt of growth during puberty and reaches the size of a walnut by the time a man reaches maturity. It then continues its growth very slowly throughout the remainder of a man’s life.

In middle age however cell growth often accelerates in an area of the prostate known as the transition section or zone of the prostate. This cell growth, which is non-cancerous, is confined to the transition zone of the prostate, which partially surrounds the urethra – the tube which carries urine out of the body from the bladder.

At first the enlargement caused by cell growth in the transition section is slow and many men will not experience any symptoms from it at all, while others will find that the symptoms are so slight that they will dismiss them as nothing more than part of the normal ageing process.

As the prostate enlarges further however it will begin to pinch the urethra causing increasing problems with the flow of urine from the bladder. At this point symptoms will begin to become evident and, while neither painful nor discomforting, they will become increasingly annoying as men experience such things as difficulty in urinating, a week flow of urine, the need to get up during the night to urinate and what is often seen as an embarrassing tendency to dribble urine after they have been to the bathroom.

At this point your enlarged prostate is certainly beginning to impinge upon your lifestyle and you should consult your doctor.

For more information about the problem of an enlarged prostate please visit Prostate Cancer Explained

By Donald Saunders

Enlarged Prostate Benefits From Saw Palmetto
Europe has been using Saw Palmetto to promote prostate health for years. Enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and the herb saw palmetto has been studied in European labs for it’s effectiveness in treating the disorder.

A prostate check list for men.

Men often discover that prostate problems are quite common with age. Preventative measures can assist some in avoiding them, however. A smart prostate check list can help guide men in the right direction.

Enlarged Prostate or BPH: Causes, Symptoms, Tests and Treatments
Approximately 50% of all men experience symptoms of enlarged prostate – also referred to as BPH

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