Prostate Cancer Symptoms Tips What is prostate cancer symptoms? We have tips about prostate cancer symptoms

Prostate cancer is the leading cancer among men in North America. Early detection is important since the outlook for successful treatment is very high with the earlier cancer stages. Prostate cancer can grow very slowly or be very aggressive, so your urologist will want to check your PSA levels and do a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and monitor the disease. Younger men (50-80) faced with prostate cancer are often concerned with significant side effects after treatment. Radiation and surgery can often result in incontinence and impotence. General health, age and the stage of the cancer will also impact the treatment decision.

There are many options for prostate cancer treatment and recovery. The traditional treatments like surgery and radiation are still popular, but urologists are also recommending alternative treatment options including HIFU or High Intensity Focused Ultrasound.

HIFU is a prostate cancer treatment option that uses the heat from the ultrasound waves to kill the cancer in the prostate. The waves are focused and precise up to 1/10thof a millimeter. A specially trained urologist uses a computer controlled rectal probe to recreate a 3D image of the prostate on screen and fires 600-700 pin point accurate ultrasound rays to the targets on the prostate. HIFU can treat the prostate with minimal damage to surrounding tissues and organs. It is also non-invasive and non-surgical, done under a general or local anesthesia.

An outpatient HIFU procedure is beneficial because it helps individuals recover from the disease with fewer significant side effects than other prostate cancer options such as radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy surgery. In fact, no deaths have been reported with the HIFU type of treatment. More quality of life can be maintained after outpatient HIFU treatment is complete as it is much easier on the body.

Generally, individuals who choose this method only need one round of treatment, which can last 2-3 hours. However, more treatments can be scheduled if needed if the cancer is persistent and PSA scores are still elevated months later

Extensive research has been done on outpatient HIFU procedures. Within 48 hours of this treatment the complete destruction of the glandular tissue in the prostate area has begun and by three months it is replaced by a healthier fibrotic tissue. There is a residual effect in the PSA levels of individuals who undergo this treatment. Before beginning the program, these levels are often very high, but begin to regress once treatment has begun until they reach a normal low level.

The HIFU procedure does not require an extended stay. It can conveniently be done in licensed and registered HIFU clinic. The procedure is not available in the U.S., but it is available in Canada and Europe. Worldwide, over 30,000 men have treated their prostate cancer by HIFU.

Most published data and clinical results of more than 10 years of HIFU in Europe and North America are based on the Ablatherm HIFU device. There is one other HIFU device manufactured by a US company called Sonablate. The first North American clinic to offer the procedure was the Maple Leaf HIFU clinic. They began offering the procedure in 2005, shortly after Health Canada approved it in 2003. That clinic, located inside the Cleveland Clinic Canada, is the only North American clinic that offers the Ablatherm treatment. The clinic is staffed by top urologists and is licensed in the province of Ontario.

The HIFU prostate cancer treatment is gaining favor with patients and physicians as it is non-invasive and offers similar success rates to radiation and surgery. Anyone considering treatments should do their research and consider all the options available after discussing treatments with their urologist.

Barb Francis, aka Cooking Queen, is an author, food and health expert. She looks for natural and alternative treatments and foods to promote health and wellness.

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Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer affecting North American men. Over 180,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the U.S. this year alone. In Canada, approximately 25,500 men will be diagnosed. It is estimated that 4,300 of those men will die from the disease, as it is the third leading cause of death among cancers.

The prostate is a chestnut size gland that is located in front of the rectum, behind the bladder. The prostate produces the majority of the seminal fluid that is used to transport sperm. There are no obvious signs of prostate cancer when it is in the early stages, and it may develop slowly at first. Early detection is crucial since the cure rate is much higher for early stages of the disease. Annual screenings are recommended for men over 50 years of age, or earlier for younger men if there is a history of prostate cancer in the family.

Prostate cancer occurs when cells do not follow the normal cycle of dividing, maturing and then dying, but outlive normal cells and form new, abnormal cells. These abnormal cell growths are called tumors. In order to determine the best course of treatment and the likelihood of a successful treatment outcome, urologists will perform a biopsy and assign a stage to describe the cancer. The stages are classified according to T-N-M (tumor-nodal metastasis and other metastasis). The stages indicate the size and number of the tumors, and if the diseases has spread beyond the prostate. The earliest stage (T-1) has a 90% or higher cure rate. The highest stage (T-4) responds poorly to all forms of treatment as the disease is locally extensive. Therefore, early screening and treatment is the key to success.

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you will need to consider your treatment options. The best option for you will vary depending on your age, health and personal preferences. The most common traditional options are radiation and surgery (radical prostatectomy). These options can be very hard on the body, with longer recuperation times and possible side effects including impotency and incontinence. Other non-surgical prostate cancer treatment options include hormone therapy, chemotherapy, brachytherapy and cryotherapy. Another one of the newer treatment options that is gaining favor with urologists and patients is HIFU or High Intensity Focused Ultrasound.

With HIFU, ultrasound waves are delivered with pinpoint accuracy to heat and destroy tumors on the prostate. The procedure lasts approximately 2-3 hours and is out-patient based. Since it is non-surgical and non-invasive, recovery is faster and there are fewer side effects. Success rates compare favorably to surgery and radiation. HIFU is not available in the U.S., but it is available in Canada and Europe. The first HIFU clinic was opened in Toronto in 2005, shortly after Health Canada approved the treatment in 2003. The Maple Leaf HIFU clinic in Toronto has treated over 700 patients, more than any other North American clinic. Over 30,000 men have been treated by HIFU worldwide. There are now documented clinical studies and research that date back over the past decade showing success rates for Ablatherm HIFU that are favorable to those of radical prostatectomy or radiation.

The best choice of treatment will also depend on your health, age, any prior treatments and lifestyle, as well as insurance and finances. If you have prostate cancer, learn more about surviving prostate cancer and the treatment options available to you by doing your research online and discussing options with your urologist and loved ones.

Barb Francis, aka Cooking Queen, is an author, health and kitchen expert. Barb believes healthy living can prevent or cure most diseases, and many foods have curative properties that can keep us healthy and disease free. http://www.cookingqueen.wordpress.com/

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Prostate cancer is the leading cancer among men in North America. 80% of men over 80 will get prostate cancer. The prostate is a chestnut size gland which produces proteins and fluids to carry sperm upon ejaculation. Usually, there are no obvious signs or symptoms of prostate cancer, at least not when it is in the early stages. The cure rate is very high when it is in the beginning stages, so early detection is crucial. Treatment in the T-1 and T-2 stages has a 90% or better cure rate, so it is important to know how to take control of your prostate health and what to look for.

All men over theage of 50 should get annual screening, unless there is a history of prostate cancer in the family, at which point they should start screening at 40. The only reliable way to way to determine if prostate cancer exists is by visiting your doctor for a screening. Screening can be a relatively simple procedure which usually begins with a digital rectal examination. Your doctor will check your prostate by inserting a gloved finger into the rectum. The prostate in located below the bladder, in front of the rectum, so your doctor will be able to feel the prostate via the rectum to check for tumors. The other form of screening is a PSA or prostate-specific antigen test. The PSA test gives a reading of protein made by the prostate. A low PSA level of less than 4 ng/mL, would usually mean no further testing is required. If the PSA Levels are high, or rise over time, then your urologist will want to evaluate further.

If the tests lead your physician to suspect that prostate cancer may be indicated, a biopsy will likely be performed. This is the only sure way to diagnose prostate cancer. A local anesthetic is generally given, then an ultrasound probe is inserted to check for abnormalities. A biopsy needle is inserted to take 6 to 12 tissue samples, which are then viewed under a microscope. The tissue samples are compared to normal prostate samples, then given a Gleason score of 1 to 5, with 1 being close to normal and 5 being highly abnormal. Your doctor will determine the stage of the cancer and how far the cancer has spread. High PSA scores indicate a more aggressive cancer, with tumors more likely to grow and spread to other organs. The risk category and the need for treatment will be determined by the size and extent of the tumors, combined with the PSA levels and Gleason score.

Treatment options will vary depending on the risk category. Your age, health, race and family history will also be taken into consideration when determining the best course of action, so it is wise to research your options and discuss them with your urologist. For organ confined prostate cancer, one of the best prostate cancer treatment options is HIFU, which minimizes the possibility of risks and complications, including impotency and incontinence. HIFU is High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, where ultrasound waves are used to destroy the cancer tumors. A specially trained physician uses a computer guided Ablatherm HIFU probe which targets the tumors with pinpoint accuracy, without damaging surrounding organs or tissues. Get an annual prostate exam for early detection and learn more about the HIFU prostate cancer treatment if you are diagnosed with the disease. A healthy lifestyle and regular check ups are essential for men over the age of 50, as prostate cancer is the leading cancer for men in North America.

Nancy Stonecutter is a nurse who writes about family and child care. Visit her blog at http://www.nancythenurse.wordpress.com/ for more information.

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Prostate cancer is actually a treatable kind of the disease. Many patients diagnosed with this kind of cancer survive their ordeal because of two things: the early detection of the malignant cells in their prostate and the combination of the treatments that are used.

The early detection of prostate cancer is important because it is in the early stages that the malignant cells are still controllable. They are still low in number and the damage they have done is still minimal. Performing surgery and chemotherapy may still guarantee complete elimination of the cells. On the other hand, if the disease is detected on its advanced stage, recovery is slimmer. Hence, there is a need to employ more aggressive treatment options.

There are several advanced prostate cancer treatment options that a patient can use. These treatments may be more like the ones administered to prostate cancer in its early stages. It can consist of surgery, chemotherapy and even radiation treatment.

However, with advancement of the cancer, one treatment is not enough to lessen the increasing number of cancer cells that come with it. There is a need to combine two or more treatments in order fight the cancer cells aggressively and more effectively. This is also to avoid metastasizing of the cancer cells and affecting other surrounding parts.

The treatments available for advanced form of this cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery and hormone therapy. While these treatments all work to eliminate the cells, prevent its spread and are actually treatments alone, advanced prostate cancer treatment options are combination of these methods. The combinations are known to be more aggressive and more effective. For example, the patient can go for surgical removal of the tumor. As maintenance, chemotherapy can be added as treatment in order to ensure that no more cells will be left to inflict further damage.

As another option, alternative treatments are also used in prostate cancer. These are all natural methods such as diet protocols and concoctions known to possess anti-cancer properties.

Of course, before trying out these treatments available, it is best to consult the doctor first. The doctor will provide a thorough evaluation on the condition of the patient as well as the state the patient is already in. He may advise doing extensive procedures or take several medications both for the extermination of the cancerous cells as well as the other symptoms that come with the disease.

Discover more of the advanced prostate cancer treatment options and pick out which ones will work more effectively.

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The treatment of prostate cancer is complex and depends on a multitude of issues that includes the grade and stage of the cancer along with the age, overall health and the type of treatment that the patient is comfortable with. For elderly men who may have a slow growing tumor or a low life expectancy the treatment may just be watching and waiting, along with keeping the man comfortable. There are three type of treatment for prostate cancer that includes surgery, radiation therapy, and hormone manipulation.

Surgery:

Surgery for prostate cancer includes several types of prostatectomies. For men in the early stages of the disease the cure may be as easy as having a prostatectomy. There are four types of prostatectomies.

• A radical prostatectomy involves removal of the prostate, prostatic capsule, seminal vesicles, and a portion of the bladder neck. Many men experience varying degrees of urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.

• A retropubic prostatectomy is most often performed because it allows adequate control of bleeding, visualization of the prostate bed and bladder neck, and access to pelvic lymph nodes.

• A perineal prostatectomy is often the preferred choice for older men or men who might be poor surgical risks. This approach takes less time and there is less bleeding.

• A suprapubic prostatectomy is used if problems with the bladder are expected, but otherwise is seldom used. It is more difficult to control any bleeding because the surgical approach is through the bladder.

Radiation:

If the cancer is stage 3, or locally advanced beyond the prostatic capsule, treatment by surgery becomes somewhat controversial because of the likelihood of hidden lymph node metastasis and relapse. A prostatectomy, if performed, is used to help relieve urinary obstruction, but not to treat the cancer.

Radiation therapy may be used as a primary treatment for prostate cancer. Long term problems of impotence and urinary incontinence may be avoided and survival rates are comparable to that of surgical treatment.

Radiation may be delivered either by an external beam or interstitial implants of radioactive seeds of iodine, gold, palladium, or iridium. Interstitial radiation has a lower risk of impotence and rectal damage than external beam radiation.

Radiation has a palliative role for men with metastatic prostate cancer, reducing the size of bone metastasis, controlling pain, and restoring function, such as continence.

Hormonal Therapy:

Androgen depravation therapy is used to treat advanced prostate cancer. Many cells in the growing tumor are androgen dependent and either stop growing or die if deprived of androgens. Other cancer cells, unfortunately, thrive without androgen and are unaffected by therapy to reduce circulating androgens. The effects of hormone therapy can vary from complete but temporary regression of the tumor to no response at all.

The key to successful prostate cancer treatment is early detection and treatment. This is why it is so important for men in their 40s and older to go to their doctor for regular prostate exams. Cancer of the prostate can be successfully treated if caught in its early stages of development.

To learn more about Prostate Health please visit the website Prostate Health Answers by clicking here.

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With the expectation of finding a cure for mesothelioma, which none of the traditional methods were able to provide, new mesothelioma treatment ways have been researched and studied. Mesothelioma experts are optimistic that new and more effective ways of treating this rare cancer will soon become available to the victims of this asbestos induced disease. Some of the studies that are currently being conducted include the following concepts:

Anti-angiogenesis; this method is using special drugs that are targeted to prohibit tumor growth, by preventing them from building blood vessels. Unlike other treatments, anti-angiogenesis does not target cancer cells directly but impacts the blood supply which is crucial for the survival and growth of existing tumors and the development of new ones.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT); this is a new approach which is specialized on the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. However, studies indicated that patients with metastasized mesothelioma do not respond to PDT, whereas there are some moderately encouraging results in patients where the disease has not spread yet. By using the energy of light, PDT can target cancer cells to destroy them.

Immunotherapy; also known as biological therapy. Via this method, the body's own immune system is being strengthened in its fight against the cancer. The immune system plays an important role in the fight against any kind of cancer. But especially for mesothelioma, where the conventional treatments cannot provide a cure, researches have high hopes that immunotherapy could be the next major breakthrough in the treatment of this rare asbestos related health condition.

Immunotherapy for mesothelioma can be subdivided into two main categories:

1. Active Immunotherapy - in this process, cancer cells are being removed from the patient and then further evaluated in a laboratory, with the goal to develop a vaccine that can be then injected back to the mesothelioma victim In theory and unscientific terms, the immune system will recognize the vaccine as a danger and subsequently will do the same regarding the actual cancer cells.

2. Passive Immunotherapy; this procedure utilizes substances such as cytokines or similar agents to influence the body's immune system as to how it responds to cancer cells.

Gene Therapy; this method involves genetic substances to target cancer cells distinctively and increase their susceptibility to chemotherapy agents. One of the most promising gene therapies in the new mesothelioma treatment studies is the so called 'suicide gene therapy'. It basically forces the cancer cells to commit suicide.

All of the aforementioned new mesothelioma treatments are currently only available through clinical trials for patients who are interested.

The author Tony Ulrich was diagnosed with kidney cancer in October of 2009. In his research on what his cancer could have been caused by, he came across with data that suggests a strong link to environmental toxins, such as asbestos. Please visit his Kidney Cancer and New Mesothelioma Treatments website for more details.

The body is not able to fight asbestos inhalation or ingestion because of the nature of the asbestos dust and its fibers. The extent of internal damage strongly depends on when the diagnosis is made (at which phase) and the available and affordable treatment of mesothelioma. The chances of a better life expectancy are possible if the diagnosis is made early. The tumors spread throughout the body when a late diagnosis is made and then there is no alternative but to go in for pain relief treatment which is also one of the main treatment options.

Malignant mesothelioma is caused due to constant exposure to asbestos contained materials. The affected person may display obscure health problems once affected. With the advancement of the disease, the treatment becomes very difficult and life expectancy gets shortened. To improve mesothelioma life expectancy, early diagnosis and treatment becomes indispensable.

Chemotherapy:

Chemotherapy is one form of treatment for improving mesothelioma life expectancy. Two or more drugs may be administered at the same time. Cancer cells get destroyed in chemo treatment. Chemotherapy is also used to help shrink a tumor and also destroy cancer cells that almost always remain after surgery. It also helps subsequent immunotherapy and radiation to work better. Sometimes surgery is not an option and if the cancer cells have spread from the original tumor to the rest of the body, chemotherapy is the only way out. However, there are various discomforting side effects of chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy:

Radiation is another treatment to improve mesothelioma life expectancy and is given in a very high dose. It destroys tumors and reduces the spread of malignant mesothelioma. Several types of radiation are used in different ways to help in the treatment of the cancer. Radiation is also used for pain relief while treating other cancers, but not without its side effects.

Surgery and other therapies:

Parts of the body which are cancerous due to malignant mesothelioma have to be removed through surgery. The limitations and implications of surgery also depend upon where the cancer is primarily present. Along with the other treatment options, surgery is popularly used in conjunction. Before the cancer spreads throughout the body, surgery may be an effective option.

There are a number of therapies adopted in the research and trial stages. Immunotherapy is being investigated, where the immune system of the body is stimulated to fight back. The cancer vaccine is the main support of the active immunotherapy procedure. Passive immunotherapy involves the administration of immune system components outside of the body.

Another important development at the research stage is gene therapy. Mesothelioma causes a lot of damage to the DNA and this only complicates the methods of finding specific genes hat could actually help in tracking and killing the mesothelioma cancer cells. Nevertheless, research is on and it does show some promise.

Photosensitizing drugs are administered into the body intravenously in the photodynamic treatment option. To treat the cancerous cells, a fixed frequency light is used and the drugs are targeted at the cancerous cells. There are certain side effects to this treatment too.

Sometimes, but not always, mesothelioma life expectancy and malignant mesothelioma is caused due to exposure to asbestos containing materials. Exposure could take years to manifest - literally 20 to 40 years for the first signs to surface.

Before we go into details of peritoneal and abdominal mesothelioma, we should briefly discuss the history of asbestos use.

This material is the single proven cause for the development of all forms of mesothelioma. For a whole spectrum of different purposes, asbestos has been used by many different cultures. For instance, it was processed into lotions which were used by the Egyptians and Persians to prepare the bodies of their dead people.

Asbestos was believed to come from the hair of a small and mysterious animal, that lived by fire and could not get in touch with water. All throughout the past centuries and decades, the material found widespread use in a wide array of products and items. One of the reasons that made is so popular was the fact that it was very easy to mine and manufacture. For example, here are a few items that can contain asbestos: floor tiles, ceiling tiles, house sidings, roof shingles and pipe insulation. And we still see many public buildings as well was regular homes made of or using asbestos materials to some extent.

Now, let's look into abdominal and peritoneal mesothelioma in more detail. There is no difference between the two expressions. 'Abdominal' is the more casual term, but it means 'peritoneal', which is derived from peritoneum. The peritoneum is a lining that functions as a membrane, and it covers a number of internal organs in the human abdomen. The vast majority of new peritoneal mesothelioma diagnoses is for men between the age of 50 and 70. Less than 20% of all registered patients are women. The diagnosis of this type of cancer is just as difficult as it is for all variations of mesothelioma in general. After a thorough physical examination, the patient will undergo an x-ray, Cat-Scans and PET-Scans. But eventually, the only way to diagnose abdominal mesothelioma conclusively is via a biopsy and the pathology.

A patient who has been diagnosed with peritoneal or abdominal mesothelioma, should see an asbestos lawyer as soon as possible. This might be the last thing anyone who just received a cancer diagnosis wants to do, but it is important. Because chances are that there might suffice evidence that the asbestos induced disease was caused by another party's misconduct or neglect. Make sure that you find a mesothelioma lawyer who focuses on asbestos cases. And absolutely check whether he's licensed or not. The Internet is a great starting point to conduct your on background check on the lawyers you have identified, prior to arranging a face to face meeting with them.

Further to that, a good lawyer will offer to meet with you for no charge to give you advice on your legal grounds in filing a compensation claim for your asbestos injuries.

The author Tony Ulrich was diagnosed with kidney cancer in October of 2009. In his research on what his cancer could have been caused by, he came across with data that suggests a strong link to environmental toxins, such as asbestos. Please visit his Kidney Cancer and Asbestos website for more details.