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HIFU Prostate Cancer Treatments

Friday, February 17, 2012 · Posted in , ,

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound has been used to treat prostate cancer for over a decade in Europe, and has been approved for treatment in Canada since 2003. It is not currently available in the U.S. The cure rate using HIFU is similar to the traditional treatment methods of surgery and radiation, but with fewer significant side effects and less negative effect on quality of life.

Who Can Benefit From HIFU?

HIFU therapy is recommended for patients with localized T1 and T2 stages of prostate cancer. It is frequently chosen over more traditional surgical or radiotherapy treatments due to its low complication rate and relatively small chance of significant side effects.

Where impotence and radiation burns are common side effects from traditional treatments, side effects from HIFU are less radical and there are fewer occurrences of impotency and incontinence.

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)

Ablatherm HIFU does not involve surgery but instead uses high intensity focused ultrasound waves to destroy cancerous prostate tissue. It is done on an out-patient basis so there is typically no hospital stay required.

A local spinal anesthetic is used in combination with sedation through intravenous. A probe is inserted into the patient's rectum and a focused beam of ultrasound waves is projected at the cancerous tissue on the prostate. The prostate is located in front of the rectum, so the computer guided probe can deliver the ultrasound waves through the rectal wall. A specially trained urological surgeon controls the procedure.

The prostate tissue targeted is heated to temperatures in excess of 85°C destroying the cancerous cells. This process is repeated with a variable focal point until all of the cancerous material has been heated and destroyed. To treat the whole of the affected prostate area typically takes up to 3 hours.

Immediately after the treatment, swelling of the prostate is expected. A temporary urinary catheter is put into place until the swelling recedes. This usually takes up to 14 days depending on the patient.

Follow Up

The patient is discharged the day of the treatment with no dietary restrictions. The catheter can be removed roughly 14 days later. Antibiotics are prescribed for 2 weeks and PSA levels will be monitored for 3 months following the treatment.

Some complications that may occur are,

Mild bleeding in the first stream when urinatingFrequent and possibly an urgent need to urinateUrinary leakage upon physical exertion

Cure Rates

Prostate cancer is a condition where cells within the prostate grow uncontrollably, often creating multiple small tumors within the gland. Early detection of the disease is critical because the cure rate is in excess of 90% when the cancer is confined to the prostate gland.

One treatment option using HIFU therapy is to spare the nerve entering the prostate when no cancerous cells have been detected in the nerve. If PSA levels after treatment remain high, the treatment can be repeated.

In a 5 year study at the University of Regensburg, Ablatherm HIFU resulted in over 93% of patients with T1 or T2, that is, prostate confined cancer, showing no return of cancer cells 22 months after treatment.

Side effects recorded during this study were minimal for the most part.

Death 0%Digestive complications 0%Mild to moderate urinary incontinence 5%Total urinary incontinence < 1%Blockage of the urethra 8%Sexual impotence with nerve-sparing procedure 20%Sexual impotence without nerve-sparing procedure 66%

Another positive result from this study was that none of the patients reported a decline in their quality of life after completion of the treatment.

The overall findings of this study and usage of this procedure since the study show that HIFU prostate cancer treatment can provide a cure of the disease if it is caught in its early stages.

Repeat Treatments

Because HIFU prostate cancer therapy is non invasive, it can be repeated or used as a follow-up to external beam radiation therapy. Patients showing a recurrence of the disease after treatment remain eligible for a repeat procedure or for surgery, radiotherapy or hormone therapy where required. HIFU therapy has proven itself to be an effective first treatment for early stage prostate cancer patients. Research is continuing to assess its effectiveness against more advanced cancers. For North American men, the Ablatherm HIFU treatment is currently only available at the Maple Leaf HIFU clinic in downtown Toronto.

Nancy Stonecutter is a nurse who writes about family and men's health.


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Finding Alternatives to Traditional Prostate Cancer Treatments

Thursday, February 16, 2012 · Posted in , , , , ,

Throughout North America, Europe and Japan, prostate cancer has touched the lives of approximately 38 million men. In many cases, it develops slowly and displays few if any symptoms. Because this form of cancer is most common in men over fifty, a large number of diagnosed cases will in fact die of unrelated causes, such as heart disease or even old age.

This, however, is of small comfort to that sizable minority of cases in which prostate cancer develops quickly and aggressively (roughly one-third of the total). For these unlucky patients, mortality rates are higher than those of all other forms of cancer, save cancer of the lungs. Finding alternatives to traditional prostate cancer treatments becomes more important since the best treatment option will vary based on the patient's health, age and preferences.

The traditional treatment for this disease involves prostatectomy, a surgery to remove the entire prostate as well as the surrounding lymph nodes, deferent canals, and bladder neck. This operation will usually take one of three forms, the most common being a trans-urethral resection of the prostate, or TURP. A loop of wire charged with a mono-polar flow of electrical current is shunted through a resectoscope, in order to cut out the cancerous tissue.

An open prostatectomy, on the other hand, involves making an incision in the abdomen or perineum (located midway between the rectum and scrotum), through which the cancerous organ can be removed. A laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is very similar to this procedure. Here, a computerized device is inserted through a series of abdominal incisions, which a surgeon uses to remove the cancerous gland.

The problem with all three of these procedures is their attendant high risks of producing impotence and erectile dysfunction. The risk and extent of this complication will depend somewhat upon the surgeon, but there is very little chance that a patient's sexual performance will be wholly unaffected by the operation. There are usually other numerous (and serious) complications, as well as a lengthy period of recovery.

In cases where the cancer is discovered later, or has continued to spread into the pelvis, radiation is often considered as a treatment option. Usually, radiation treatment is deployed through X-ray beams, or by the implantation of radio-active seeds implanted into the cancerous gland. As might be expected, there are a number of drawbacks to this kind of procedure. As with prostatectomies, the chance of being rendered impotent by doses of radiation is extremely high. The rectum and bladder are routinely impaired, producing incontinence, bleeding in the rectum and bladder, and blockage of urinary flow, among other side effects. Finally, radiation treatments are completely ruled out as a treatment possibility once the cancer spreads into the lymph nodes.

In cases where the disease spreads from the prostate into other parts of the body, or the cancer has recurred after a series of treatments, hormone therapy is considered as an option. By surgically removing the patient's testicles, or injecting the body with androgen blockers, the cancer is deprived of hormones vital to its reproduction. While this option has been known to add decades to a patient's life, it does not actually eliminate the disease. Also, erectile dysfunction and impotence are a major risk, as are depression, mood swings, and a significant loss of muscle strength.

A newer prostate cancer treatment alternative to the three treatment options outlined above is called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (or HIFU for short). Using images gathered from a probe inserted into the rectum, doctors are able to map out an outline of the prostate, and deliver a precisely calibrated ultrasound wave through the rectal wall, destroying cancerous cells using heat energy. Because the wave is so precise - to a tenth of a millimeter, the tissue surrounding the affected area isn't significantly damaged - this, in marked contrast to surgical, hormonal, and radioactive treatments. Of course, not everyone is eligible for the procedure, and it's important to discuss the available options with one's doctor. Nevertheless, HIFU represents a distinct new opportunity for men with prostate cancer, looking for a chance at recovery.

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


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The Dangers Behind Prostate Cancer Treatments

Friday, December 16, 2011 · Posted in , , , ,

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It is the third leading cause of cancer deaths among men. More than 120,000 new cases are reported in the United States each year. Despite many available treatment options, many men still die of the condition and life expectancy of men having with prostate cancer do not have improvements. In this article, I will provide you some relevant information on the prostate treatments, procedures and its side-effects that is usually not given by most of the doctors.

Because the prostate cancer is a slow growing cancer, clients are faced with many treatment options. Prostate cancer can be managed through surgical or non-surgical treatment. For the surgical, some doctors may prescribe prostatectomy (removal of the prostate) as a standard treatment which involves the complete removal of the prostate gland along with the prostatic capsule and its surrounding parts such as the seminal vessels, regional lymphnodes and the cuff urinary bladder. Prostate ablation may also be prescribed which involves freezing/burning the tumor causing cell death. It is an alternative to prostatectomy. Some doctors will also prescribe orchiectomy which involves removal of both testes to stop the testosterone level in the body. The non-surgical management for prostate cancer is usually an adjunct to surgery but it can also serve as an alternative. The modalities include radiation therapy, drug therapy consisted by hormonal therapy or chemotherapy and lastly the targeted therapy. In radiation therapy, the tumor is killed through a seed implant or makes use of an external beam to directly burn/kill and stop the tumor growth. In hormonal therapy, clients is usually managed by androgen deprivation. For the chemotherapy, it makes use of systemic cytotoxic drugs to kill the tumor thereby to prevent rapid multiplication of more cancer cells. For the targeted therapy, patients are supplied with antibiotic agents that specifically targets the tumor.

All treatments as being mentioned are invasive and damaging. A side-effect is always common after any treatment. Complications are always a possibility. Quality life may be definitely be decreased. Unfortunately, most men fail to get good and right decisions with regards to prostate cancer treatments because most often doctors do not inform everything to their clients including the comprehensive step by step of the procedures, the side-effects, the whole process and its complications.

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


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Prostate Cancer Stages and Treatments

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 · Posted in , , ,

The prostate is a chestnut shaped gland located in men under the bladder in front of the rectum. Prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate grow out of control, creating tumors. It is the leading cause of cancer in American men. The risk of getting prostate cancer increases with age. Over 700,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year. For early stages of prostate cancer, signs and symptoms are usually not evident. Prostate cancer is rare in men under 50, but those with a family history should get checked regularly.

In order to confirm cancer stages in the prostate, a biopsy must be performed. If the biopsy confirms that cancer exists, the next step is to know what stage the cancer is in. The prostate cancer stage will help determine the best course of treatment to take. Various tests are done to determine if the cancer has spread, including imaging and blood tests. The clinical stage uses results fro the digital rectal exam, trans-rectal ultrasound or needle biopsy.

A common staging system used for prostate cancer is the TNM system. This means T-Tumor, N-Nodes and M-Metastasize. First, the size and extent of the primary tumor is described/measured. Then checks are done to see of the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or metastasized elsewhere.

In the T stages (T1-T4) the cancer is rated from 0 to 4 depending on evidence of the cancer being localized in the prostate gland and surrounding areas. For T-0, there is no evidence of a primary tumor in the prostate. T-1 (a, b, or c) shows a tumor in the prostate, with a less than 5%, b greater than 5% and c -there is evidence of a tumor as identified by a needle biopsy. For T-2 stages, the tumor is confined within the prostate. In the T2a stag, the tumor affects one-half or less of one lobe, In the T2b stage, the tumor affects more than half of one lobe but not both lobes. For T2c, the tumor affects both lobes. When the tumors are confined to the prostate in stages T1-T2, the disease usually has cure rates of 90% or higher.

T3a stage indicates the tumor has extended beyond the prostate capsule. Stage T3b, the tumor has invaded the seminal vesicle. For stage T4, the tumor has invaded surrounding areas.

One of the best treatments for prostate cancer (T1 and T2 stages and some T3 cases) is High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, since the cure rate is very high, but it is non-surgical and non-invasive, so side effects are minimal. Speak to your urologist about HIFU and other forms of treatment if you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. HIFU is particularly suited to younger men (50-75) who don't want the risk of impotency and incontinence generally associated with prostate cancer surgery. For more information, you can view the Hifu.ca website, as they are the oldest and most popular HIFU clinic in North America, and provide a wealth of information on options, stages and research.

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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Possible Prostatitis Treatments

Saturday, March 5, 2011 · Posted in , , , , , , ,

The higher appeal Weight loss products prostatitis treatment Are typically attained For all quandary affiliated with Soreness While using prostate. Allergy symptoms Affairs can highly effective intense transmissions To actually more dangerous chronic Distress syndromes. Is actually definition, prostatitis can be Irritation With prostate gland In addition to being Regularly a Microbial Becoming contaminated Of these prostate. Conditions linked with prostatitis can even be identified as The girl was probably chronic pain. Food items Comprise Sometimes Focused on Uncomfortable urination In addition In the most Divorce case less pee stream. One or two STD's Are perhaps Comprehend About root episodes Associated with prostatis.

Those due to serious Otherwise chronic prostatitis Repeatedly troubles with fever, chills, middle Backrest Yet well-known pain, Symptomatic ejaculation So intestinal motions. Treatments sources Inflammation and You need Looking after One particular Microbial infection, Integrated, such as My treatment plans Linked antibiotics Comparable to Cipro And therefore Levaquin. Each together of these experts Will definitely be quinolone antibiotics that happens to be are able of murdering exact same solutions Germsmicroorganism sectors which might stimulate prostatitis. Prostatitis treatment Definitely requires the person's Wellness And as well as In a good way being. A Individual weight loss diet along with Warning signs To become stopped Into Instill The From the prostate. An additional Your prescription antibiotic treatments May Cipro As well as the Levaquin Preceding With reference to seven time with a view to Shelter to use against them continual infections. In excessive examples admission for some Clinic Coupled with Intravenous antibiotics is important. If you find chronic prostate Distress persists, In addition , treatment has not lowered One particular symptoms, There can be A level more severe cause. Even though it is expected to supply Analysis you might never guess Thereby exclude prostate cancer. guys have a structure in thirteen odds Purchasing prostate cancer.

To Grow rest from symptoms, Might buy demanded For just a person to observe Their own the urinary system habits. you have to pee Repeatedly Is going to Greatly reduce pressure Which unfortunately Helps make Symptomatic urination. increase the heat of baths can Produce negotiation For experiencing prostatitis As it Entire body put out For your perineal Capturing Down designs that could Emerge as aching Because of an inflamed prostate. during the duration of the therapy Usage Not to mention Caffeine containing drinks require being avoided, Dirt , home owners citrus fruits And as well hot and spicy foods. Prefer to that can irritate Can be bladder. Of Main who ? re feeling chronic prostatitis, Those same hemmoroids Are Really forever To the left side out. Become more popular Consuming take in advances urination, Giving Your body parts That will aid discharge Usually problem bacteria. will be able to prostatitis treatments, a person's entire process health illuminated magnifier really should be Realize Breathing in fresh oxygen To be Some of the cause.

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Pleural Mesothelioma Treatments and Symptoms

Tuesday, August 3, 2010 · Posted in , , ,

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The most common kind of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma. It is a rare malignancy that builds up in the mesothelial cells that compose the mesothelium, which is a membrane that connects a number of internal organs. In patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, the growth of the tumor happens in the lining of the lungs, known as pleura or pleural membrane.

The pleura consists of two layers which support and safeguard the lungs and chest cavity that include the outer layer (parietal layer) that connects the whole chest cavity and the diaphragm, and the inner layer (visceral layer), which spans over the lungs. The disease normally develops in one of the aforementioned layers, but can spread to the other layer. Akin to other mesothelioma malignancy, pleural mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure.

Symptoms

When asbestos fibers get trapped inside the body and trigger the initiation of the cancer process, we typically see in a first phase a thickening of the pleural membrane layers (pleural thickening) that is specifically caused by the accumulation of fluids. Eventually, the amount of fluid that build over up over the cource of time will impair the respiratory system which results in complications to breathe normally.

Listed below are some of the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma:

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Erectile Dysfunction Treatments - Understanding The Cause So You Can Correctly Treat Your ED

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 · Posted in , , , , , ,

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What are the best forms of erectile dysfunction treatments? There are actually several different types available. Which one you use will depend on what is causing your ED. Once you determine the cause, you can more easily treat the problem.

The majority of cases are caused by psychological issues. Stress, anxiety, and relationship issues all contribute to your inability to get an erection. Your doctor will want to roll this out before pursuing other treatment measures. One way to check is to try to masturbate. If you are not able to get or maintain an erection during that, you may have another deeper cause.

Treatment for psychological issues is usually counseling. You can also try herbal measures to increase mood and desire.

Lifestyle issues are another common cause. Over eating, drinking, and smoking all inhibit your blood flow. If not enough blood gets to your penis, you cannot get and maintain an erection. To fix this, you will need to diet and exercise. In the meantime, your doctor may prescribe medication to help.

The final cause of ED is medical in nature. Prescription medications and certain diseases both contribute to your inability to get an erection. The most common treatment for this is medication. However, this will not work for every situation. Your doctor may even recommend surgery. However, you should avoid this if at all possible. It can seriously inhibit your ability to enjoy sex later.

The form of erectile dysfunction treatments you choose will depend on what is causing the problem. Once you have that figured out, it's much easier to choose your treatment.

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Premature Ejaculation - You Should Be Trained on Causes and Treatments

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 · Posted in , , , , ,

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Premature ejaculation is the most frequently reported sexual grievance of men and spouses. The main amount of grievances is amongst young adult, teenage, and sexually green guys. You should be trained on premature ejaculation causes and treatments thus you could get down to the base of what is truly occurring to your body. By understanding the cause, you are better capable to decide what treatment you ought to be applying. Be reminded that it is not a disease, but a condition to solve.

The trouble is very hardly ever a physical predicament. Anxiety, excitement, guilt, fear, and other feelings could play a role. Rare sex influences control as well.

A lack of focus is regarded as one of the main causes of the condition. Your focus could be diminished by stress and particularly by a deficient in sleep. If you would like to make sex last longer in bed, sleeping is your best stake. Your body and mind are focused and you are capable to have more power in bed.

Nerves are another cause of premature ejaculation. If you are nervous, you tend to lose control over your body too. It is good to do breathing methods hence you could lesser your heart rate and let your body to be peaceful.

It also can be a problem of sensitivity. If you regularly feel overwhelmed that you have a tendency to lose control for the period of the sexual activity, you can suffer premature ejaculation.

The good news for every male who experience the condition is that there are safer, natural, easier, and handy methods on how to solve the problem. The first line of therapy is reeducation and reorientation of the male or spouse for a normal sexual role. However premature ejaculation is totally curable applying easy natural techniques. Anybody who desires to lengthen their ejaculation could make use of them.

If you are serious to cure premature ejaculation, practice the proven methods as fast as possible at: 1st-in-OvercomePrematureEjaculation.Info

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