Archive for the ‘Prostate Cancer’ Category

Prostate cancer is any abnormal growth of cells in the prostate area of a man. As men go over the age of 40 the levels of a by-product prolactin of testosterone in man increases. This in turn stimulates the production of an enzyme known as 5 alpha-reeducates which causes the conversion of testosterone into gihydro testosterone (DHT). This DHT is what which causes enlargement of the prostate or prostate cancer.

The causes of prostate cancer can many ranging from genetic factors to hormonal imbalance. Some people may have a naturally enlarged prostate or even mineral deficiency like that of zinc deficiency can be a cause of prostate cancer. Obesity is another cause of prostate cancer as studies show that a high trans fat rich diet leads to hormonal imbalance which is one of the leading causes of the disease. Deficiency of testosterone and an over active production of estrogen is also another factor responsible for prostate enlargement or cancer.

The common symptoms of prostate cancer include nocturia. This is the condition of being awakened in the middle of the night to urinate more than one or two times. Another symptom is dysuria. Dysuria is a complication connected to genitourinary infections which cause painful urination. This is because the infection has spread to the urinary tract which further causes urinary tract infections. Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis may also be diagnosed when there is the presence of infection fighting cells which cause common symptoms of prostatitis which are painful urination, fever, lower back and pelvic pain.

There are many natural foods which can prevent the condition of that cancer. Increasing your intake of tomatoes can help as tomatoes can higher levels of lycopene which can help protect the prostate and keep it healthy. Soya bean and legumes are also known to be good for prostate because they contain isoflavenos. It prohibits the growth of all types of cancerous cells and prevents enlargement of prostate.

Grapefruit contains high levels of Vitamin C, minerals and bioflavonoid and various other plant chemicals which prevent enlargement of the prostate and also protect against prostate cancer and other types of cancer as well. Leafy green vegetable like spinach and broccoli also are recommended for prevention of prostate cancer. Other foods like green tea, cold water fish, and beans also help in the prevention of enlargement of the prostate and cancer.

It is important to detect the symptoms of prostate cancer. A gradual enlargement in the prostate of men as they age is natural. Always keep track of the common symptoms like excessive urination in the night, painful urination, fever and urinary tract infections which recur. If you do notice any of these symptoms then consult your doctor or specialist at once. There are tests to determine if the enlargement of the prostate is leading to cancer or not.

Cancer if detected is definitely curable. There are radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the elimination of cancer from the body. Along with undergoing treatment for cancer it is important to stay positive and be happy. A positive attitude and a cheerful personality can go a long way in curing any kind of cancer not only prostate cancer.

Controversy abounds on this topic; however, numerous studies over the past decade have shown a solid connection between the risk of prostate cancer and dairy consumption. A cohort study just published in mid 2005 by the American Journal of Nutrition showed that men with the highest dietary intake of dairy foods were 2.2 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than men with the lowest dietary intake of dairy foods.

Prior theories circled around the increase in IGF-1 (insulin growth hormone) seen in milk drinkers. High levels of IGF-1 have been directly linked to various hormonal cancers. Although this theory may still hold some validity, research has uncovered a potential cause that has further heated the debate on dairy and prostate cancer, calcium. The same study referenced above showed a 2.2 times increase in prostate cancer risk for men with the highest dietary calcium intake over those with the lowest. Another study in 2001 observed over 20,000 men, and concluded that men who consumed more than 600mg of daily calcium from dairy products had a 32% higher risk of prostate cancer than men who consumed less than 150mg of daily calcium from dairy products. This came as quite a shock, since the USDA recommends a minimum of 1200mg of daily calcium for men over 50, and 1000mg for men aged 19 to 50. These studies have spurred more medical research into this possible dairy calcium-prostate cancer connection.

Luckily, the news on prostate cancer isn’t all that bad. Several other nutrients, vitamins, and minerals have been given a gold star for their potential to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Fructose (fruit), selenium (seafood, mushrooms, grains), vitamin D (sunshine), vitamin E (nuts, seeds, & greens), lycopene (tomatoes), soy…wait a minute…did we just mention soy in a discussion of men’s health? Oh yes, it seems that a prospective study in the US indicated a 70% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer among men who consumed more than one serving of soy milk per day.

As long as the medical community remains uncertain, there will be no shortage of clinical trials and interpretations addressing the subject of diet and prostate cancer. Below is a list of our resource articles and publications on this subject for more in depth reading:

“Harvard Researchers Link Prostate Cancer and Dietary Calcium” – CNN – http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/cancer/04/04/prostrate.cancer/

Vegan Diet ‘Cuts Prostate Cancer Risk’ – BBC News – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/782959.stm

Nutrition Action Health Newsletter – Preventing Prostate Cancer – http://www.cspinet.org/nah/07_01/

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – “Dairy, calcium, and vitamin D intakes and prostate cancer risk in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Epidemiologic Follow-up Study cohort” – http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/5/1147

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – “Dairy, calcium, and vitamin D intakes and prostate cancer risk in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Epidemiologic Follow-up Study cohort” – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10189040&dopt=Citation

The Adventist Health Study – “Does high soy milk intake reduce prostate cancer incidence?” – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10189040&dopt=Citation

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – “Dairy products, calcium, and prostate cancer risk in the Physicians’ Health Study” – http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/74/4/549

National Library of Medicine – “Long-term dietary habits affect soy isoflavone metabolism and accumulation in prostatic fluid in caucasian men” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=1593044

Harvard School of Public Health – “Calcium & Milk” – http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium.html

What you need to know about the stages of prostate cancer:

* Stage of prostate cancer depend on tumor size, its characteristics, and possibly spread.
* On system Dzhyuit-Whittemora prostate cancer is classified by stages A, B, C and D.
* Cancer stages A and B restricted most prostate gland.
* In addition, for classification of prostate cancer is used and applied and the international system TNM (tumor size, nature and the presence of lymph node metastases).

Thus, the physician classifies the stages of prostate cancer tumor size, its characteristics and the presence of metastases. As already mentioned, for the classification of stages of prostate cancer used two systems: a system Dzhyuit-Whittemora and the international system of TNM.

System Dzhyuit-Whittemora

In this classification system for prostate cancer allocates stage A, B, C and D. Stages A and B are treatable. Stages C and D are treated, but their adverse prognosis. In order to clarify certain conditions of each stage are used substages, which are indicated by numbers. For example, stage B1 cancer is characterized by a single node, which is located in one lobe of the prostate.

Stage A

This is the earliest stage, it does not show any symptoms. Cancer cells are located in the prostate.

* A1 – cancer cells are well differentiated, marked their moderate anomaly.
* 2 – moderately or poorly differentiate cancer cells in several locations of the prostate.

In Stage

The tumor is located within the prostate, but it is palpable (ie, detectable finger doctor) and / or determined by elevated levels of PSA.

* B0 – a tumor within the prostate, nepalpiruetsya; PSA level increased.
* B1 – a single tumor site in one lobe of the prostate.
* B2 – extensive growth of tumors in one or both lobes of the prostate.

Stage C

Cancer cells were found outside the prostate capsule (membrane that covers the prostate). Tumor extends to adjacent organs and / or seminal vesicles.

* C1 – tumor grow beyond the prostate capsule.
* C2 – blocks a tumor of the urethra or bladder.

Stage D

It is noted metastases in regional lymph nodes or to distant organs and tissues (liver, lungs, bones).

* D0 – metastases, clinically detectable, it increases the level of PSA.
* D1 – affected regional lymph nodes.
* D2 – affects the distant lymph nodes, organs and tissues.
* D3 – metastases after treatment.

TNM system

T – Primary tumor.

* TX – insufficient data to assess the primary tumor.
* T0 – the primary tumor is not determined.
* T1 – tumor clinically manifested, not palpable nor visualized by special methods
- T1a – tumor accidentally found during histological examination and less than 5% of resected tissue.
- T1b – tumor accidentally found during histological examination and is more than 5% of resected tissue.
- T1s – a tumor is diagnosed via needle biopsy (produced in connection with high level of prostate-specific antigen).
* T2 – tumor limited to prostate or distributed in the capsule.
- T2a – tumor affects half of one share or less.
- T2B – cancer affects more than half of one share, but not both lobes.
- T2c – tumor affects both share. Note. The tumor, diagnosed using needle biopsy in one or both lobes, but palpable and nevizualiziruemaya classified as T1s.
* T3 – tumor extends beyond the capsule of the prostate gland.
- T3a – tumor extends beyond the capsule (one-or two-sided).
- T3b – tumor extends to the seminal vesicle (s). Note. The tumor on the tip of the prostate gland or in the capsule (but not beyond) the prostate is classified as T2, not T3.
* T4 – nesmeschaemaya tumor or tumor spread to neighboring structures (but not the seminal vesicles): bladder neck, external sphincter, rectum, muscle that lifts the anus, and / or pelvic wall.

N – regional lymph nodes.

Regional lymph nodes for prostate cancer are lymph nodes in the pelvis below the bifurcation of common iliac arteries. Category N does not depend on the localization of regional metastases.

NX – insufficient data to assess regional lymph nodes.

* N0 – Metastasis in regional lymph nodes are absent.
* N1 – has metastasized into regional lymph nodes.

M – distant metastases.

* MX – to determine the presence of distant metastases is not possible.
* M0 – no evidence of distant metastasis.
* M1 – distant metastases.
* M1a – the defeat neregionarnyh lymph nodes.
* M1b – the defeat of the bones.
* M1c – other sites of distant metastases.

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

There are different types of prostate cancer treatment options for men who have different stages of tumor development. There is low, intermediate and high risk localized and locally advanced prostate cancer and then tumors that return after initial treatment. Due to advancing research there is a lot of prostate cancer information on hand for patients to further their knowledge of the condition.

Firstly, low risk localized cancer of the prostate is highly unlikely to develop or grow for years. Patients are usually offered active monitoring (or active surveillance) which keeps track of the tumor and its development. However, sometimes symptoms of prostate cancer are never caused because it develops incredibly slowly. If it does start to develop, then treatments for prostate cancer will likely be surgery to totally excise the prostate gland or radiotherapy.

With intermediate risk the cancer can start to develop after a several years and so internal radiotherapy (brachytherapy) or active monitoring are likely to be offered plus surgery to excise the prostate gland or external radiotherapy to the prostate.

High frequency ultrasound and cryotherapy may be offered under clinical trials but they are not standard treatments for prostate cancer.

High risk sufferers normally have surgical treatment for prostate gland removal or external radiotherapy focused on the prostate. Internal radiotherapy is not normally used as, in high risk cases the cancer has slightly spread and has grown through the capsule enclosing the prostate gland. So external radiotherapy is used to make sure all the cells are reached. Surgery, radiotherapy are normally used in conjunction with hormone treatments.

Locally advanced cancer is where the cancer has grown through the prostate gland’s surrounding capsule. Surgery and external radiotherapy along with hormone treatment are offered. Metastasis means the spread of cancer cells. Metastatic prostate cancer means that cancer cells have spread away from the original tumor perhaps into the blood stream and lymph glands.

If the cancer returns after the first treatment it can be treated with hormone therapy. If the initial treatment was surgical then radiotherapy is unlikely. If it has spread then it cannot be cured however, with the use of hormone therapy to lower testosterone levels, it can be controlled. There are a lot of treatments available for this and doctors will explain all these at appointment.

Different treatments come with different side effects, risks and benefits which medical professionals will explain in full before commencement of treatment.

The prognosis depends on the grade and stage (Stage I to IV) of the cancer rather than the treatment choice. Men with slow growing, well differentiated, smaller tumors usually have the best prognosis. The good news is that these comprise around three quarters of tumors (stage I or II).

Staging means that the doctor ’stages’ the cancer based on the character of its cells, the tumor size and extent of metastasis. For this type of cancer, two staging systems are used namely, TNM (tumor, node, metastases) system and the Jewett-Whitmore system.

New clinical studies are improving prostate cancer treatment options and therefore the survival rate is increasing all the time.

What is PSA?

PSA or prostate-specific antigen is produced by the prostate gland; it is essentially a protein and is found in the blood. Men with prostate cancer have higher antigen blood levels than normal. This type of test is done to measure the level of this antigen in the blood. The use of this test is approved by the FDA to detect the presence of prostate cancer in older men. The cancer test for prostate cancer is also approved by the FDA for patients with prostate cancer history in order to check if there is recurrence of the cancer.

If a man’s level of this particular particle is very high it is possible that cancer is present though there could be other reasons for the elevation. Several factors are taken into account by doctors while taking the cancer of the prostate testing. Blood samples are usually taken during the this type of cancer testing and the antigen amount is measured in a lab. Prostate-specific antigen is also called a “tumor marker” or a “biological marker” because it is utilized to detect diseases and is produced by body cells.

Men usually have a low level of this particle in the blood but cancerous or benign tumors can increase the man’s PSA level. As a man gets older prostate cancer levels are common. Some of the harmless and benign cancer conditions are:
o Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis)
o Enlargement of the prostate (BPH – benign prostatic hyperplasia).

These levels alone do not give the doctor enough information to determine whether the patient has a benign prostate condition or cancer. However, a test such as this and the results will be taken into consideration when checking for signs of prostate cancer.

Why are these tests done?

Doctors use the DRE (Digital rectal exam) and the PSA tests to help detect the presence of prostate issues in men that show no symptoms. If a man’s PSA levels begin to rise then it could be a sign of recurrence of cancer especially if the man has a history of this type of cancer. However, just one high PSA test level does not necessarily mean that the cancer has returned. A man with a history of this type of cancer should see his doctor about his increased level that has been detected during a cancer of the prostate PSA test. The doctor most probably will recommend that a second cancer test be taken to confirm a recurrence.

A man receiving hormonal therapy for prostate cancer is bound to have these levels that are low soon after or during his treatment. This may not be an accurate measure of his PSA level and thus the man should consult his doctor who may then advise waiting for a period after undergoing hormonal treatment before taking a prostate cancer test.

Recommendations by doctors for taking these types of tests vary. While some encourage men over 50 years of age to have yearly screening others advise high risk men for prostate cancer to start screening at 40 to 45 years. Still others advise against any type of routine screening. Every man must be aware of the benefits and risks involved in these types of tests.

Cancer that arises in the prostate gland is referred to as prostate cancer. The prostate gland is one of the organs of the body that is found at the neck of the canal that passes the urine i.e. just below the bladder. A part of urethra is surrounded by the prostate gland.

Prostate gland helps in controlling the flow of urine by pressing the area with which it surrounds. Another function of the prostate gland is to produce some of the semen agents like sugars and minerals that transport sperm. The prostate gland will be in a size of a wall nut in young people and it grows larger as the age progresses.

The primary source for this tumor is the prostate cells. The tumor slowly develops and hides for a very long time before it can produce any symptoms. These small tumors can also escape the physical examinations.

What are the causes of this type of cancer?

The exact cause for the formation of the this type cancer is not known. The main causes for the prostate cancer are the environmental factors, aging, genetics and hormonal influences. It has been commonly observed that the younger people do not develop the cancer until it is an extraordinary case.

On the other hand, the people who are aged above 40 are known to have under a greater risk of developing prostate problems than the younger people. Environmental factors such as the exposure of the body to some harmful radiation for a prolonged time can result in the formation of the cancer cells.

Genetics influences the development of prostate to a greater extent. If a father had suffered from prostate cancer, then the son runs a high risk factor of developing the breast cancer. Certain hormones are also known to influence the cancer.

It is known that testosterone which is the male reproductive hormone is directly linked with the growth of the prostate gland cells. Hence, these cell growths under certain circumstances can produce tumors.

What are the symptoms of cancer in the prostate?

Like the other cancers, the prostate cancer also does not show any symptoms at the early stages. It may remain in the body for several years before a simple symptom can show up. The prostate cancer is usually diagnosed by the abnormal blood test results. Some of the symptoms of later stages of the cancer are pain in the abdominal region and jaundice.

Screening tests for prostate cancer

The screening tests are the tests that are done in order to detect a cancer at an early stage. The screening tests for prostate cancer are digital rectal examination and prostate specific examination which is a blood test. These are the tests that can be helpful in diagnosing the tumor at an early stage.

If you have just been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your doctor may have given you a choice of treatment options. But what to choose and how?

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men, with over 200,000 cases diagnosed each year in the United States. It occurs when cells in the prostate, a gland located under the bladder that is necessary for proper sexual function in men, becomes cancerous due to a flux in testosterone. Most cases don’t occur until after 50 years of age, but in recent years the percentage of men in their 30s and 40s diagnosed with this disease and other prostate problems has been steadily rising.

Conventional treatments include surgery to remove the prostate gland or radiotherapy. These are aggressive options and complications including impotence and urinary incontinence can result from surgery, and the risk of secondary cancers is a concern since science already knows radiation exposure causes cancer. 

The PSA blood test is another area of confusion. A report published in the June 2009 issue of “A Cancer Journal for Clinicians” shows routine PSA blood tests often result in over diagnosis of prostate cancer, which then results in unnecessary treatments. The PSA test can be deceptive and elevated PSA levels can also be due to benign prostate enlargement, inflammation, infection, age and race.

In the United States over one million prostate cancer tissue biopsy procedures are performed. Approximately 25% are reported as positive, indicating the presence of prostate cancer. The remaining 75% are reported negative. But the alarming fact is that one-third of the men who originally had prostate tissue biopsies that reported negative actually do have prostate cancer but it was missed by the biopsy. There is also concern biopsies can spread cancer.

Prostate cancer is typically slow growing and is very much a disease that can be managed…if you make the appropriate lifestyle changes. Early detection is important and there are natural and nutritional agents that can help you to prevent and treat this disease. 

1.   Get lots of sun exposure to drive up your vitamin D levels. A recent study found men with prostate cancer are seven times less likely to die if they have high levels of vitamin D. 

2.   A study conducted at the University of Illinois found a relationship between cancer of the prostate and the daily consumption of broccoli and tomatoes. These are natural lycopene foods, as are raspberries and watermelon, which contain compounds that can fight cancer.   

3.   Keep your insulin levels below three as high insulin levels drive and promote cancer.

4.   Free radical damage from oxidative stress acquired through aging or exposure to cancer-causing substances is associated with an increase in a man’s risk for prostate cancer. Taking certain antioxidants, such as vitamin E, selenium and lycopene are thought to lower this risk.

5.   We know that our diets are intimately linked to the formation of cancer, and yet most of us continue to eat poorly. One reason that a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables is cancer-preventative is due to its rich glyconutrient and phytochemical content. Studies in numerous scientific journals, including “Molecular Urology”, have shown that glyconutrients not only retarded human prostate cancer cell growth, but also encouraged their destruction. It is also believed that glyconutritional supplementation may enhance the effects of chemotherapy.

If you would like to know more about natural and alternative means for fighting cancer read below and click on the link.

The prostate gland is a walnut-sized gland that is attached to the bottom of the bladder deep in the male pelvis. The prostate gland wraps around the male urethra as it arises from the bladder, and several ducts that run between the prostate gland and the urethra allow the prostatic secretions to be expelled into the urethra at the time of ejaculation. These prostatic secretions, which constitute about 20 percent of the volume of semen, help to create the optimal chemical environment for sperm to thrive and migrate within the female genital tract, thereby enhancing sperm function.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer that occurs in men, and the second most common cause of cancer death in men. In 2009, an estimated 192,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed, and approximately 27,000 men will die of this disease. Prostate cancer afflicts 1 out of every 6 American men during their lifetimes, and accounts for 25 percent of all cancer diagnoses in men (similar to the percentage of breast cancer cases among all cancer cases diagnosed in women). As with the great majority of breast cancer cases, most prostate cancers appear to be stimulated to grow and spread by sex hormones produced by the gonads (and, specifically, by testosterone and other androgens produced by the testes, and by other tissues in the body).

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote about the emergence of cryoablation as a treatment for prostate cancer (Cryoablation and Prostate Cancer). Cryoablation uses slender probes to freeze tumors and surrounding normal tissue, and has been proposed as an alternative to surgery or radiation therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. In July of 2008, I noted that, in most respects, cryoablation appeared to compare favorably with surgery and radiation therapy, although the incidence of impotence appeared to be much higher with cryoablation than with standard prostate cancer treatments. I also noted, at the time, that there was no prospective, randomized clinical research data available with which to make a credible and direct comparison between cryoablation and other more established treatments for prostate cancer. Now, a new prospective, randomized clinical research trial comparing cryoablation with radiation therapy has reported its early results in the journal Cancer.

In this Canadian study, 244 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer localized to the prostate gland were randomly assigned to undergo either standard external beam radiation treatment or cyroablation. These volunteers with prostate cancer were then followed for 3 years after completing their treatment. Because it is still too early to draw conclusions about cancer recurrence and survival in this group of prostate cancer patients, this preliminary report addresses quality-of-life issues related to these two forms of cancer therapy.

The men who underwent cryoablation reported more difficulties with urination than the men who were treated with radiation early after treatment, although these symptoms resolved over time. The cryotherapy group also reported significantly higher rates of long-term impotence when compared with the men who received radiation therapy. In fact, 3 years after treatment, there was a 13 percent greater incidence of moderate-to-severe sexual dysfunction among the cryotherapy group of men when compared to the radiation therapy group.

The preliminary results of this prospective, randomized clinical research trial suggest that the main long-term quality-of-life difference between cryotherapy and radiation therapy is a significantly greater incidence of long-term sexual dysfunction following cryotherapy.

As I concluded in my last update of cryotherapy for prostate cancer treatment, one year ago, the long-term benefits and risks of this form of treatment are not fully understood at this time, as we lack mature long-term prospective, randomized clinical research data with which to make prudent decisions about this treatment modality. Aside from a higher incidence of sexual dysfunction following cryotherapy, it is still too soon to tell if the long-term survival outcomes with cryotherapy will compare favorably with radiation therapy and surgery. Therefore, for now, I can only recommend cryotherapy for prostate cancer if it is performed within an approved clinical research trial. Stay tuned for further updates on this topic as they become available.
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Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity
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Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, a professor of surgery, a widely published author, and a Surgical Oncologist at the Kaiser Permanente healthcare system in Orange County, California

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With the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer amongst men. It affects around 35,000 men each year with around 66% of these diagnoses being amongst men who are aged 50 and over. It begins when the prostate cells start to multiply in a rapid and uncontrollable way leading to the formation of a cancerous tumour. This can then lead to a number of undesirable symptoms including difficulty urinating properly and pain in the hips, groin and lower back. If you suspect that you may have prostate cancer for the above reasons or for any other reason you should go see your doctor for further testing. In this article I will be discussing four of the tests that they may use.

1) PROTEIN SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA) TEST:- Your prostate produces a protein called PSA. A PSA test quite simply measures the level of PSA that is in your blood. A small amount of PSA is normal but high levels of blood PSA are often linked with prostate cancer. The PSA test is not 100% accurate because other factors such as your age can influence PSA levels.

2) DIGITAL RECTAL EXAM (DRE):-This prostate cancer test involves your doctor placing a gloved finger inside your rectum. They will then feel your prostate gland to see if it has changed shape or increased in size. The DRE also has its limitations because a cancerous prostate may still feel normal from the outside.

3) TRANS RECTAL ULTRASOUND SCAN (TRUS):- This test uses sound waves to build an image of your prostate. Your doctor can then use this picture to measure your prostate and see if it looks abnormal. Again the TRUS is not the perfect prostate cancer test because a normal sized, normal shaped prostate can still turn out to be cancerous.

4) BIOPSY:- This test involves a tissue sample being taken from the prostate and examined in the laboratory. The laboratory tests can then be used to determine if the cells in the prostate are cancerous. Although a biopsy is one of the best prostate cancer tests available there are instances when a prostate biopsy comes back negative despite cancerous cells being present.

Prostate cancer affects 35,000 men every year. Therefore, if you have any reason to believe you may have contracted this disease go and see your doctor right away and ask them about getting yourself tested. Whilst each of the tests has its limitations, collectively they provide a good indicator as to whether your prostate has become cancerous.

Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Prostate cancer is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.

Prostate cancer is a specifically male cancer as it involves the prostate gland, which is part of the male reproductive system. The prostate gland is located between the bladder and rectum and is responsible for the production of seminal fluid. Prostate cancer treatment options depend on how advanced the cancer is.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty urinating and erectile dysfunction, although early prostate cancer may cause no symptoms at all. It is most frequent in men of fifty and is most often diagnosed in men in their seventies.

Diagnosis is through a physical examination or by blood tests. One of these blood tests is called the PSA test. PSA stands for prostate specific antigen, and it is this antigen that they are looking for in the blood. A confirmed case of prostate cancer will be confirmed by taking a biopsy.

If the cancer is contained within the prostate gland then there are two treatment options. The cancer can be treated with radiation therapy, which is the use of x-rays to kill cancer cells. The cancer can also be removed by surgery called radical prostatectomy.

A radical prostatectomy involves the removal of the entire prostate gland and usually the nearby lymph nodes, under general anaesthesia. The lymph nodes are then checked to see if the cancer has spread, known as metastasizing. There is a risk with prostate cancer of it metastasizing to other parts of the body, especially to the bones and the lymph nodes.

With both types of treatment there is a chance that the cancer will reoccur, however incidence of reoccurrence are less with the radical prostatectomy than with the radiation therapy. Careful consideration to the benefits and side effects of both treatments must be given so that you get the best treatment option for you.

If the cancer has metastasized beyond the prostate gland then hormone treatment can be given. Male hormones, called androgens, can be associated with accelerated growth of the tumor. Therefore if hormones are restricted the growth of the tumor can be slowed down. Androgens such as testosterone are produced in the testicles, so the testicles are sometimes removed as part of hormone treatment.

The final treatment for prostate cancer is called ‘watchful waiting’. This involves regular check ups and monitoring by your doctor to keep a check on the tumor’s growth. Your doctor will perform a physical examination and take blood tests, such as the PSA test.

With all types of treatment for prostate cancers the patient will need to weigh up the pros and cons and discuss the side effects of the different treatments with his doctor. A decision can then be taken on which course of treatment to take, or whether to undertake a period of ‘watchful waiting’ before deciding which of the prostate cancer treatment options to follow.