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

Recently, there has been numerous study reports published that address the benefits of Hormone therapy combined with Radiation therapy in treating prostate cancer. This article wishes to provide readers some helpful updates with regards to the new standard treatment for prostate cancer.

In 1995 to 2005, a randomized study was jointly conducted by the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the United Kingdom Medical Research Council and the Southwest Oncology Group in the United States. 1,205 men with high risk prostate cancer in the United States, Canada and in United Kingdom were part of the study. These men were assigned with either receiving hormone therapy alone or a combined hormone therapy (with external beam radiation treatment). Follow ups were made among patients for an average of at least 6 years and findings from this study presents that adding radiation therapy significantly reduced the risk of death among the study group given with the combined therapy.

In another study report published by Bolla et al from an EORTC study in 1997 showed an increase in the probability of a progression-free and overall survival of European patients diagnosed with a locally advance prostate cancer high risk (T1-2 and T3-4NO-1MO) tumors. Patients who were given external beam radiation therapy plus an adjuvant hormonal therapy for three years showed an increase in survival rates compared to the patients who received external beam radiation therapy alone. Additional data from the American studies show similar results. According to this study, two to three years of hormone therapy combined with radiotherapy improves survival among patients but is accompanied by a number of adverse effects such as impotence, hot flashes and risk of acquiring heart attacks.

Horwitz et al reported a US study (RTOG 92-02) in 2008 that radiotherapy plus extended adjuvant hormone therapy for 28 months increased the probability of the disease-free survival and disease-specific survival rates among its study group. The group who received a combined therapy obtained a lower probability of a local progression of the prostate tumor and biochemical failure rates were also lowered. The combined therapy prevented further metastasis (spread) among its study group compared to the radiation therapy group. Overall the survival rates in this study showed an increase rates among patients with a pre-treatment Gleason score of 8-10 with no metastasis to the lymph node or the pelvis with a PSA level of 150 ng/ml and below.

Prostate cancer is believed to be caused by an exposure to the male hormones testosterone. An increase in the testosterone levels in the body stimulates prostate cancer cells to grow. Hormone therapy is given to patients diagnosed with prostate cancer as a means to decease the testosterone levels in the body, it is also referred as the Androgen Deprivation Therapy (in which production of male hormones are prevented). Radiation therapy is given to directly kill and destroy the cancer cells by using external beam radiation.

Numerous studies conclude that combination of hormone therapy plus radiation therapy promotes good survival rates. Hormone therapy helps by reducing tumor growth. It also potentiates killing of the cancer cells when combined with radiotherapy.

Urieashashlu Ul is an experienced prostate cancer health expert who has been helping people with prostate cancer. You can visit his site to learn more about the prostate cancer treatments.

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Assessing the outcome of radiation treatment for prostate cancer is both confusing and difficult. The ultimate outcome measure for the treatment of all forms of cancer is the number of people who die from it, but prostate deaths may not occur until ten, fifteen, or more years after treatment. Because the average age of men with prostate cancer who are treated with radiation has traditionally been older than that of men treated with surgery, many will die from other causes before living long enough to ascertain whether or not their prostate cancer would have killed them.

In lieu of using death as an outcome measure, most researchers on radiation treatment use a rising PSA level, as do those who measure the outcome of surgical treatment. However, there is a major difference: following surgical removal of the prostate, the PSA level is expected to drop to zero; following radiation treatment, this is not always the case. Radiation is expected to kill all the cancer cells, but not necessarily all the normal prostate cells. The same is true in radiation treatments for cancers of the breast or pituitary gland; radiation is expected to kill all cancer cells but not all normal cells, so the breast and pituitary continue to function after radiation treatments have been completed.

Following radiation treatment for prostate cancer, the PSA is expected to fall, but the level of which it is expected to fall is widely debated. Some researchers say it should become less than 1.0, others 0.5, and other 0.3.

Assessing the recurrence of cancer following radiation treatment is still more complicated, however, because of what is called the PSA bounce. In approximately one third of men treated with radiation, PSA levels increase one to three years after treatments, then return to a lower level. This rise does not signify the recurrence of cancer but is instead thought to be caused by a delayed release of PSA from irradiated cancer cells. The PSA increase associated with the bounce may last for as long as a year. During this time, there is no way tot ell whether the PSA increase is merely a PSA bounce that has no clinical significance, or whether the PSA increase is merely a PSA bounce that has no clinical significance, or whether it indicates a failure of radiation treatment and a recurrence of the cancer. If it is a PSA bounce, it will go back down; if not, it will continue to rise. Despite the problems in assessing the effectiveness of radiation treatment using the PSA, there is a strong evidence that the lower the PSA goes after radiation, the less are the chances of recurrence.

Comparing the outcomes of different studies of radiation treatment also generates problems. Some studies use the ASTRO guidelines, while other studies modify those guidelines or use an absolute PSA nadir, such as 1.0 or 0.5. Statistical problems are abundant: some studies use the actual numbers for the follow up period and other estimate future number based on the follow- up period.

Here you can find all the tips and info on prostate cancer symptoms and Symptoms of Prostate Problems. Whether you are new to the topic or an expert, make sure to learn more about prostate cancer.

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