Cancer is a very frightening word as it is very commonly associated to death. Cancer corresponds to the development of malignant or cancerous tumor in the cells. In the case of the prostate, it develops specifically in prostate glands and unfortunately is a very common form of cancer affecting the American male population.

Cancer is known to generally develop when the genes of a person’s cells become injured and when these damaged cells break from an outgrowth and spread it can lead to very serious consequences. The sad part about prostate cancer is that this form of cancer is known to develop within a patient’s prostate and may remain there for many years without giving any warning symptoms leaving the patient unaware that he or she has prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer also develops slowly and is not something that occurs overnight and the reason for this form of cancer is that many changes take place in the structure as well as behavior of cells. African Americans are more likely to develop this disease as compared to other racial groups and even for men in whose family there are members suffering from prostate cancer; they will be more at risk of themselves developing this condition even before they have attained fifty years of age.

No two cases are the same, and as such, there is no general rule as a treatment. Normally, using antibiotics and non-steroid anti-inflammatory agents are of help. There also cases where muscle relaxants can prove to be useful as too can certain medications taken to treat chronic pain.

As in any cancer, the early detection and start of treatment is key. Even if there is no cure for the condition, you can gain years of life and also find relief from much of the agony caused by this disease. The treatment does not involve any painful procedures; however, you may end up experiencing diarrhea as well as dry skin and some problems with urination as a consequence of being treated for prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer surgery is often recommended to treat the condition and though you may baulk at going under the scalpel it can, under certain circumstances, prove to be the best treatment option.

Fortunately, however, prostate cancer is not always aggressive and it very rarely affects people under the age of fifty. Prostate cancer is also different than other forms of cancer in that it grows very slowly and though it may lead to deaths; it is mostly not a deadly disease.

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 Mutant Gene Linked To Aggressive Cancer Of The Prostate

US researchers have found that men with prostrate cancer have an increased risk of aggressive tumor if they are carriers of a gene mutation which is normally linked to breast cancer in women.

This finding could have major implications in treatment options for prostrate cancer

If a patient carries the mutated gene, he may want to opt against watchful waiting of prostrate cancer, where it is just monitored and not treated.

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Surgery or radiation treatment may be the best option here.

It is difficult to distinguish between aggressive tumors and the ones that may stay without spreading or enlarging. The researchers examined 979 men with prostrate cancer and 1251 men without the cancer. They looked at whether the men carried the mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. These are the genes that cause an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women.

Only Ashkenazi Jews were included in the study because they are five times more likely to carry the mutation in the genes than the general population. The study found that the mutations did not increase the risk of a man getting prostrate cancer, but those who already had the cancer stood a higher risk of having a more aggressive tumor.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, after skin cancer, in America. It affects one in six men

Statistically, more than 192000 men are likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009. More than 27000 men also die from it. Every 2.7 minutes one new case occurs and a patient dies from the disease every 19 minutes.

More than 2 million Americans are estimated to have this disease currently. Old age, family history of prostrate cancer and African American race are factors that increase the likelihood of this disease.

As men grow older, the risk of developing prostrate cancer increases exponentially

1 in 10,000 under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with prostrate cancer. From the ages of 40 to 59, this rate shoots up to 1 in 39. From 60 to 69 years of age, it is 1 in 14. More than 65% of prostate cancer diagnoses are made in men above the age of 65.

African American men have 56% more likelihood to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men. They are also 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease.

If the father, brother or son has a history of prostrate cancer, the man is twice as likely to develop the disease. If two or more relatives have prostrate cancer history, the likelihood increases to four times.

Now the study conducted on gene mutation and prostrate cancer, estimates that participants with aggressive tumors had 3.2 times more likelihood of carrying the BRCA2 gene mutation than the men in control group.

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Here are some more informative articles about prostate cancer and genetics…

Control the Epstein Barr, Hepatitis, and Herpes Viruses With Gene 

The release mentions Dr. Illa R Singh from the University of Utah who said about his recently published research that “for the first time we have analyzed prostate cancer and normal prostate tissue and found cancers are much more likely to … According to Dr. Polansky, chronic viruses are genetic parasites, which “starve” human genes and cause them to behave as if they have been mutated. Now, we all know that mutated genes cause cause cancer

Virus Infection May Cause Some Cases of ‘Fatigue Syndrome 

The RNASEL gene, a strong candidate for the hereditary prostate cancer 1 allele (HPC1), encodes a single-stranded specific endoribonuclease involved in the antiviral actions of IFNs. … A mutation can be good or bad or indifferent. The results shift over time. Genes for one situation can become very bad in another situation. Exposure to many different genetic agents both alien and domestic can cause swift and huge changes inside the organism even leading to death. 

Cancer Gene BRCA 2  The Word Is Hope

So if a test shows the mutated gene is present there are certain steps you can take. Ob fef viously regular screening is essential. Remember that the best cancer is no cancer but if it does occur, early detection gives you the greatest chances

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Technorati Tags: aggressive, cancer, of, prostate, prostrate, radiation, surgery, treatment, tumor, waiting, watchful

This blocks the flow of urine, making it difficult to pass urine

There are thousands and quite possibly millions of men who are suffering with an enlarged prostate at this very moment. Also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, this condition affects most males over the age of 40, and more commonly over the age of 60.

It is known that men produce a male hormone called testosterone, which is also the most important chemical in their body. Men also produce a very small amount of the female hormone estrogen. As a man ages, his amounts of active testosterone will decrease. The ending result is a higher level of estrogen.

Some research studies have shown that when there is a higher amount of estrogen, it might promote more growth of cells in the prostate, which later results in BPH. There is another theory that suggests that when dihydrotestosterone accumulates within the prostate, cell growth is also promoted.

Risk Factors

It has been studied and revealed that a man’s age plays an important role in determining if he will have an enlarged prostate. This is one of the most common risk factors associated with BPH. There have also been studies that have proven that if other men in your family have had an enlarged prostate, then you are at a higher risk as well.

Even after you have your enlarged prostate treated, there will be a certain amount of risk factors that follow you through the rest of your life. Many men have complained of having a larger amount of urinary tract infections after being diagnosed with an enlarged prostate, frequent urination problems, and other bladder related issues.

In order to prevent certain risk factors from coming true, it is important for each man to have annual check-ups of the prostate as well as tests. The proper precautions are much smarter than waiting until a complication occurs to have your prostate checked. There are many health insurance companies that require their patients to have annual prostate check-ups if they are over a certain age or else they could have a higher premium. It is best to go ahead and have the evaluation conducted instead of taking the risk.

The good news is that if you have all of the risk factors and you are diagnosed with an enlarged prostate, there are two types of medication to help reduce the size of the prostate and alleviate the pains of an enlarged prostate. Finasteride helps reduce the size of the prostate while Alpha-blockers help relax the muscles at the neck of the bladder to make urination a simpler task.

There are natural ways to help prevent and treat enlarged prostate problems too

        <  Find out more about natural Prostacet treatment here  >

When the medication does not work, there are two types of surgical procedures that can be conducted. One procedure involves scraping away at the prostate to reduce the size. Since this can be painful after the anesthetics wear off, many men are opting for another procedure. This involves making a few small cuts around the prostate to help alleviate the pressure on the bladder. There are many factors that are involved with an enlarged prostate. Make sure that you are taking the necessary precautions to prevent yourself from going through this painful situation, visit Prostate Problems for more information and useful tips.

By Allen Gelb

Technorati Tags: causes, difficult, drugs, enlarged, for, gland, of an, prostate, surgery, symptoms, to pass, treatment, treatments, urine

The prostate, an organ found only in men, is an important part of the uro-genital system. It is located below the bladder and surrounds the urethra, which connects to the bladder and allows for the evacuation of urine. The prostate, like any other organ, is susceptible to carcinoma and the need for new treatment is overwhelming. While many researchers focus on prevention, there are others who do focus on treatment. While prevention is important, for those already diagnosed with prostate cancer new treatment is necessary.

One new treatment for prostate cancer is HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound). This treatment destroys the cancerous tissue by using sound waves. Sound waves are aimed directly at the cancer and focused until they heat the tissue to approximately 90 degrees Celcius and literally cook the tumor away. The procedure takes 1 – 4 hours to complete and it is done under spinal anesthesia. As with many new treatments, High Intensity Focused Ultrasound is, for now, only available outside of the United States. It does however, show great promise. Internationally, over 6000 men have had this procedure performed successfully.

In conclusion, prevention is the key for those with a significant family history but who have not yet been diagnosed. For those who are currently living with the diagnosis of prostate cancer new treatment brings a ray of hope. There is constant research being performed in the area of prostate cancer and High Intensity Focused Ultrasound is the most recent breakthrough in the treatment of this terrible disease.

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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.

Technorati Tags: cancer, care, choices, cure, davinci, diagnosis, non-surgical, options, prostate, prostatectomy, robotic, surgery, treatment, urologist, urology

There are a few  options for treatment once prostate cancer is diagnosed. One option for localized prostate cancer is surgery and here we look at just what such surgery involves.

The normal approach for surgery in the case of localized prostate cancer is to remove the entire prostate gland and surrounding tissue in an operation known as a radical prostatectomy. The operation is usually performed as a retropubic prostatectomy, in which access is achieved through the lower abdomen, or a perineal prostatectomy, in which access is gained through the perineum which lies between the scrotum and the anus.

During a radical prostatectomy the prostate gland is removed, together with the seminal vesicles, the ampullae (the lower sections of the tubes which carry sperm from the testicles to the prostate gland) and some other adjoining tissue.

In addition, that part of the urethra which passes through the prostate gland, as well as the neck of the bladder and a part of the sphincter muscle that controls urine flow is also removed.

From this you will see that a radical prostatectomy is not minor surgery, but is a demanding procedure which generally lasts anywhere from about 2 to 4 hours. It is also an operation which generally requires a stay in hospital of about 3 days followed by 10 days to 2 weeks at home during which time you will need to use a catheter to drain urine.

In the past a radical prostatectomy almost always resulted in impotence, but today improvements in surgical techniques and the introduction of what is known as ‘nerve sparing’ surgery means that an increasing number of men are now spared from impotence. When nerve sparing surgery is performed the two sets nerves and other vessels that run along the side of the prostate gland are carefully preserved in order to retain the erectile function. This technique is unfortunately not suitable in all cases of prostate cancer.

One of the commonest results of prostate surgery is a degree of incontinence. Almost all patients will experience some loss of control following their operation and this can vary from occasionally dribbling to a complete loss of urinary control. Fortunately, some men are suitable for further surgery to ease this problem and it is sometimes possible to surgically implant an artificial urinary sphincter or to use collagen injections to narrow the opening of the bladder.

Some men will also suffer muscle damage during surgery leading to fecal incontinence, which is essentially a problem caused by a reduction in the elasticity of the rectum. This too can be corrected surgically in some cases. Radiation therapy can also sometimes be used to stiffen the rectal muscles.

Of course surgery is just one of the  treatments available for localized prostate cancer today and, while many men favor it because it involves the immediate and complete removal of cancer cells from the body, you should not automatically assume that this is the best treatment for you. Take some time to look at all of your options and discuss each with your physician before coming to any decision.

Find more information on a range of prostate problems and solutions including the therapeutic practice of milking the prostate.

By Donald Saunders

Answers to Your Prostate Cancer Questions

Outcomes after radical prostatectomy, for example, are better when a surgeon has done 250 procedures and is likely doing more than 50 per year. Experience is important. 

The Commonly Performed Nerve Sparing Total Prostatectomy

The Journal of Urology, Volume 181, Issue 3, Pages 1076-1081, March 2009, Authors:Karl-Dietrich Sievert; Jörg Hennenlotter; Ines A. Laible; Bastian Amend; Udo Nagele; Arnulf Stenzl.

Report Regarding Continence And Erectile Function

There are few published reports on changes in continence and erectile function beyond 2 years after radical prostatectomy. A newly published, prospective study has reported on continence and erectile function between 2 and 4 years after

Artificial Urinary Sphincter Versus Male Sling

Early outcomes of the male sling to correct post-prostatectomy incontinence have been promising in select patients. Long-term data are lacking to determine whether the male sling is as effective as the artificial urinary sphincter.

Trial Needed To Compare Prostatectomy, Radiotherapy

Results of an interactive feature on the web site of the New England Journal of Medicine suggest a need for a large, rigorous, decisive head-to-head clinical trial comparing radiotherapy and surgery for the treatment of prostate cancer. 

Disseminated Tumor Cells In Prostate Cancer Patients After Radical

Purpose: Men with apparently localized prostate cancer often relapse years after radical prostatectomy. We sought to determine if epithelial-like cells identified from bone marrow in patients after radical prostatectomy

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