Prostate Cancer Guide | prostate cancer signs

I recently attended a meeting of surgeons, physicians, research scientists and concerned individuals for the Pacific Prostate Cancer Conference. Representatives of Oregon Health Sciences University spoke about their state-of-the-art prostate cancer research department. Every man reading this article can benefit from the advances made in detection, prevention and treatment of this disease.

Let’s begin with a brief review of our anatomy. The prostate gland is located around the bottom portion of a man’s bladder and is positioned behind the pubic bone as well as in front of the rectum. The prostate’s primary function is to produce most of the fluids in semen. Tiny ducts within the prostate convey this fluid to the urethra, the channel that drains urine from the bladder. This fluid is then released through the penis during ejaculation.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in America. It’s estimated that by age 50, up to 1 in 4 men have some cancerous cells in the prostate gland. By age 80, the ratio increases to 1 in 2. So, your risk of cancer of prostate increases as you grow. The average age at diagnosis is 71.

Prostate cancer also is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men. Yet unlike other cancers, you’re more likely to die with prostate cancer than you are to die from it. On average, an American man has about a 30 percent risk of having prostate cancer in his lifetime, but only about a 3 percent risk of dying of the disease.

The risk of prostate cancer is dramatically higher among blacks, intermediate among whites, and lowest among native Japanese. However, this increase in risk may be due to factors other than those associated with race. Studies have shown a link between levels of testosterone and prostate cancer risk, with black men having the highest levels.

Symptoms of prostate cancer include frequent urination, inability to urinate, blood in urine or semen, or painful ejaculation. Frequent low back pain, burning urination or a weak urine flow are also very common.

There is another condition of the prostate known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH. This is basically an enlarged prostate with no cancerous lesions. Symptoms for this condition are similar in many respects to cancer of prostate. For example, Prostate-Specific Antigen or PSA levels can become elevated in both BPH and prostatic cancer.

Chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery are the three most common approaches to treatment of prostate cancer. The selection of which method is used depends largely upon the extent of the disease. With the surgical removal of the prostate, there is an increased risk of osteoporosis similar to that of menopause in women. This problem is most often handled by using hormone replacement therapy postoperatively. Supplements of Calcium and Vitamin D have also been shown to be helpful in reducing this type of bone loss.

By: Zallhack Froontier

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer, has overtaken lung cancer as the leading cancer affecting all men and followed by colorectal cancer.

Statistically, 80 percent of prostate cancers occur in men over the age of 65. Although this cancer can also occur in younger individuals, it is very rare under the age of 50. As males age the prostate can develop issues.

According to prostate cancer survival rates, one out of six American men will develop it in the course of his lifetime. Little did we aware the fact a man is 33% more likely to develop prostate cancer than a woman is to get breast cancer.

In 2004, it is estimated that 234,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnose in the United States. That makes it the most common cancer among males in America, right after the skin cancer. More than 27,000 deaths due to prostate cancer are expected to occur annually.

One new case every 2 1/2 minutes. One new case every 150 seconds.

While in UK, nearly 35,000 men are diagnosed and about 10,000 men die from prostate cancer annually. This means over one man die every hour in UK.

Today, about two million men are fighting prostate cancer, and over the next decade, as baby boomer men reach the target ripen age for prostate cancer, about three million more will be compelled to join the battle. It is estimated that by 2012, the number of new cases in the U.S. is expected to increase to more than 280,000 new cases per year by 2012.

One new case every 100 seconds. One man dead every 13 minutes.What is cancer of prostate?

What is prostate?

Prostate is a male sex gland, the size of a walnut, located behind pubic bone in front of the rectum that encompasses lower part of a bladder. The tube that carries urine (urethra) runs through the prostate. At birth the gland size is small like a pea and it continue to grow until age of 20 when a man reaches adulthood. Male hormones (called androgens) is responsible for this growth. The gland size will not change until 45, when it starts to grow again.

Its primary function is to produce thick fluids that nourish the sperm, as well as helping propel sperm through the urethra and out of the penis to reach and fertilize an egg. Even though prostate is not a primary component of urinary tract, but it is very important for urinary health.

In older men, the part of the prostate around the urethra may keep on growing. This causes BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) which cause problems passing urine. BPH is a problem that must be treated, but it is not cancer.

The body is made up of different types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide and then die. Sometimes, cells mutate and begin to grow and divide more quickly than normally. Instead of dying, these abnormal cells clump together and lead to tumors. If these tumors are cancerous or so-called malignant tumors, they can invade and kill healthy tissues in the body. From these tumors, cancer cells can metastasize (spread) and form new tumors in other parts of the body. In contrary, non-cancerous tumors or so-called benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.

Cancer of prostate is abnormal cells grow out of control forming small nodules or bumps (overgrowth tissue) on the surface of in the prostate gland. In some cases, the overgrowth tissue is benign and this prostate condition is called Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH). Other times, abnormal cancerous cells characterize the overgrowth of tissue, and this is referred to as a malignancy or prostate cancer.

As its close proximity to the bladder, prostate disorder might interfere with urination and leading to bladder or kidney problems. It is also located immediately next to the nerves responsible for erections hence it might interfere with sexual function as well.

Although more than 70% of all prostate cancer cases are diagnosed in men over the age of 65, doctors recommend that every man above the age of 50 should have a PSA test and a rectal exam. According to statistic African-American have almost twice as much prostate cancer incidence rates as Caucasian American, hence they should start getting tested at age 40. The same is true if you have a family history of prostate cancer.

We know that starting at age 40, the levels of the by-product prolactin of testosterone of males increases, stimulating the production of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase that causes the conversion of testosterone to gihydro-testosterones DHT triggering prostate enlargement and Prostate cancer. Therefore in order to prevent the symptoms of enlarged prostate and prostate cancer are to naturally impend the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Unfortunately, aging is not the only causes of enlarged prostate as well as prostate cancer. In this article, we will discuss other causes of prostate enlargement, prostate cancer survival rates, and prostate cancer.

I. Causes of enlarged prostate and prostate cancer

1. Genetics
Genetics may also play a role in enlarged prostate since study shows that prostate cancer and enlarged prostates can be inherited from generation to generation.

2. Hormone imbalance
The outward appearance of a typical middle-aged person shows increased abdominal fat and shrinkage of muscle mass, which is the main factor causing hormone imbalance. Hormone imbalance is also caused by depression, stress, and anxiety that are the most common psychological complications of hormone imbalance.

3. Cell-growth factor
For whatever reason, some people have implicated in enlarged prostate that is a growth factor.

4. Mineral deficiency
Our prostate contains high amounts of zinc to function normally. Zinc deficiency causes the prostate to enlarge. This may be due to aging or uncontrolled diet with excessive alcohol drinking.

5. Obesity
Study shows that uncontrolled diet that is high in saturated and trans fats are the main cause of hormone imbalance that results in prostate enlargement. Experts suggest that excess calorie consumption could somehow directly stimulate prostate enlargement because the excess body fat that accumulates causes an imbalance of hormone levels.

6. Testosterone
Testosterone deficiency may be caused by high amounts of the by-product prolactin of testosterone of men in the body that stimulates even higher productions of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase resulting in a high amount of the conversion of testosterone to gihydro-testosterones DHT thus triggering prostate enlargement. Excess estrogen seems to be the culprit in prostate enlargement that leads to the pathology and favors the development of prostate cancer.

As with all cancers, early detection provides the best chances at survival and recovery. Affecting over 230,000 men nationwide, prostate cancer, considered the most curable cancer, has an nearly 100% chance for cure if found in the early stages. Unlike some cancers, there are some simple screening tests that can provide very early information, even before any symptoms arise.

For most men prostate screening is recommended at age 50 and annually thereafter. For individuals with one or more risk factors, being African-American or having any family history of prostate cancer, (relatives such as father, brother or son), routine prostate screens are recommended starting at age 45.

For a thorough screening, two procedures are conducted.

The Prostate Specific Antigen (PSPA) Test is a simple blood test measuring a biological indicator. During a routing physical, men have a rectal exam that checks for physical signs of enlargement in the prostate area. Physicians may counsel men on the importance of understanding risk factors and submitting to an annual prostate screening.

In cancer of prostate, cells in the prostate grow and regenerate in an uncontrolled manor, which damages surrounding tissue and can interrupt normal prostate function. When these cells spread to other parts of the body, it is still referred to as prostate cancer, after its place of origin.

Treatments – Conventional and Unconventional

Surgery to remove a cancerous prostate is often performed. The use of laparoscopic surgery has eliminated the need for a large incision and an extended recovery period. An even newer technology, robotic surgery, can be the next leap ahead in minimally invasive surgery. With the margin of error between the cancerous cells and the prostate being only millimeters, the precision of robotics is ideal. Important quality-of- life issues associated with prostate surgery are preservation of sexual and urinary function, and reducing the possibility of surgical damage to key nerves is important.

Most patients with prostate cancer die when the cancer spreads to the bones. In an effort to increase survival and prolong remission for patients whose cancer has spread to the bone, studies are investigating chemotherapy in combination with insertion of a radioisotope (radiation emitting agent) directly into the bone. Though traditional chemotherapy is the standard treatment, remission is short. The use of the radioisotope with chemotherapy treatment targets bones with the isotope compound and radiates the tumor inside the bone.

When bone cancer can be subdued, and pain is reduced, patients report a better standard of living. This combination prolongs survival for some months, but as important, gives the patient a much better quality of life.

Some chemotherapeutic agents are so specific they can cut the blood supply to the tumor, trigger programmed cancer cell death.

Just like some breast cancers in women, the majority of prostate cancers are hormone-affected. Prostate tumors use the male hormone, testosterone, to fuel tumor growth. Of the 240,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States, about one-third need hormone therapy, removal all testosterone from the body, to shrink the tumor.

Though treatment of onset stage of prostate cancer is highly successful, the need for early diagnosis is just as critical. PSA testing has made early diagnosis and cure rate for prostate cancer the highest of any cancer.

Cancer of the prostate is generally a slow progressing cancer and symptoms often do not arise for many years. If the cancer is caught at an early stage, there might be no noticeable symptoms. Some men, however, will experience symptoms that could indicate the presence of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer can often be discovered at an early stage by testing the amount of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. Prostate cancer can also be detected early by your doctor performing a digital rectal examination (DRE). Since the prostate gland is situated close to the rectum, a doctor can physically detect if there are any cancerous signs in your prostate.

Unfortunately the PSA and DRE tests are not totally accurate and conclusive. This can lead to anxiety and confusion, or even to a false sense of security. So important things to consider are your general health, your age and your lifestyle. If you are young and develop cancer of prostate, if not caught early enough, it could shorten your life. If however you are in poor health or older, then cancer of prostate might never become a serious problem due to its slow-growing nature.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men commence having the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examination (DRE) annually from the age of 50. Those at higher risk, such as African Americans and those with close relatives who developed prostate cancer at an early age are recommended to commence testing at 45.

The prognosis for prostate cancer sufferers has improved dramatically in recent years. In the past twenty years the overall survival rate for all stages of prostate cancer has increased from 67% to 97%. Thus more men are living significantly longer after diagnosis. In all likelihood this is due to early detection programs, increased public awareness, particularly of prostate cancer symptoms, as well as the adoption of healthier lifestyles.

By: Zallhack Froontier