Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Symptoms to Watch For

2011-12-05T03:47:00.000-08:00

Prostate cancer is the number one cancer among men in North America. While it rarely affects men under the age of 50, you might still be at risk if you live an unhealthy lifestyle or if there is a history of it in your family. There is no one single cause of prostate cancer, but there are several risk factors.

The main risk factor is age. 80% of men over the age of 80 get cancer of the prostate. If you are overweight or obese, smoke, drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day or have a family history of prostate cancer, then you are at increased risk. Speak with your doctor about the risk factors for prostate cancer since eliminating or reducing those risks can decrease your chance of getting the disease. You may not be able to do anything about ageing and family history, but there are definite lifestyle changes you can make that will reduce the risk.

Your doctor will recommend testing for prostate cancer if you are over the age of 50, or over the age of 40 with higher risk factors. Testing can include a digital rectal examination and/or a prostate-specific antigen test. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should request testing. Early detection is key in curing cancer of the prostate.

-the need to urinate frequently, particularly at night

-painful urination

-an urgent need to urinate (regularly - not one time)

-the inability to urinate

-a decrease in the stream of urine or interrupted stream

-the feeling that the bladder has not emptied after urination

-blood in the urine

-blood in semen

-ejaculation that is painful

If you have any of these prostate cancer symptoms, speak to your doctor about testing. Presence of these symptoms does not mean you have cancer of the prostate - these symptoms can also arise with other health problems as well, but should still be addressed as soon as possible.

Speak to your doctor about the tests you should have, along with the pros and cons and cost of each. Find out what your risks are for contracting the disease and then find out how often you should be tested. The sooner you begin testing, the sooner you can begin treatment if you are diagnosed positively. The good news is that prostate cancer is highly curable in the early stages. In the latter stages, there are few treatment options and less chance of cure.

If tests indicate that cancer tumours exist, you will have to consider your treatment options including traditional treatments like surgery and radiation. There are also newer prostate cancer treatments like HIFU, that offer similar cure rates with fewer significant side effects. HIFU uses High Intensity Focused Ultrasound to destroy cancer tumors. It is a non-surgical, non-invasive treatment appropriate for men with organ confined prostate cancer. Speak to your physician about all of your treatment options and decide which one is the best for your age, health and stage of cancer.

Prostate Cancer - 6 Prevention Tips

2011-11-17T03:46:00.000-08:00

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer for men in Canada and the USA. Men over the age of 65 are most often diagnosed, but men as young as 40 may be at risk. The risk of getting prostate cancer increases with age. While there is nothing you can do about aging, there are other changes you can make that decrease your odds of contracting the disease. Here are 6 steps you can take towards preventing prostate cancer:

1. Eat well. This simple rule holds true to prevent most forms of cancer. Start to eat healthier including 8-10 fruits and vegetables a day. Eliminate or restrict red meat and processed meat and replace it with healthier proteins including soy, fish, chicken, beans, etc. Avoid foods with saturated fat. Reduce salt/sodium intake as well as processed sugars.

   2. Supplement your diet. Increase your intake of vitamins A and E as well as lycopene and selenium. Take a quality multi vitamin each day.
   3. Avoid alcohol. This applies to wine and beer as well. Research shows that the less you drink, the more you decrease your risk for cancer. Men should limit themselves to no more than 2 drinks a day. (This does not mean you can add days you don't drink to days you do!)
   4. Stay active. Even if you don't have time to join a gym, add exercise in your daily routine by taking the stairs, walking a few extra blocks, playing with the kids, etc.
   5. Keep a healthy body weight. If you are obese, you are at increased risk. Begin a healthy weight reduction plan.
   6. Know your family's cancer history. If there is prostate cancer in your immediate family (father, brother, son, etc.) then you may be at increased risk. If more than one close male relative had prostate cancer, then you are at a much higher risk.

It is important to get regular screenings for early detection of prostate cancer. The good news is that early detection means catching any prostate cancer at an earlier stage, where there is a much greater likelihood of cure.

HIFU Prostate Cancer Treatments

2011-11-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

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 urinating
    * Frequent and possibly an urgent need to urinate
    * Urinary 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.

Healthy Living to Prevent Prostate Cancer

2011-11-05T03:44:00.000-07:00

Prostate cancer is a disease that you should be aware of. It is the most common cancer in Canadian men with a 1 in 7 chance of developing the disease, and the statistics are similar for American men. Your risk of getting the disease increases with age, and if there is a family history of blood relatives with the disease. While there is nothing you can do about the risk factors, you can reduce your cancer risk by making healthy choices each day. Also, know what to look for and be on the lookout for the early signs. The cure rate is very high when prostate cancer is treated in its early stages.

Being On the Lookout

If you're a man over 50 or you develop any of these symptoms, see your doctor and get tested.

    * Frequent urination
    * An intense need to urinate
    * Difficulty in starting urine flow
    * Difficulty in stopping urine flow
    * Inability to urinate
    * Weak urine flow
    * Stoppages in urine flow
    * The sensation that your bladder is not completely empty after urination
    * Pain or a burning sensation while urinating
    * Blood in urine or semen
    * Pain during orgasm

Diet Is Important

Many health problems can be avoided with a healthy diet. Healthy eating may reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer.

Avoid foods that are high in fat. In addition to helping you maintain a healthy body weight, it could help to reduce your chances of developing cancer of the prostate as well as other cancers and heart disease.

    * Choose lower fat content foods more often
    * Avoid margarine, butter and cream
    * Choose leaner cuts of meat or low fat alternatives to meat

Vegetables and Fruit

Choose a variety of vegetables and fruits to eat every day. Cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage have been linked to reduced rates of prostate cancer. In addition, vegetables rich in lycopene such as tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, papaya and apricots are also helpful in reducing the risk.

While it is not yet clear that diet and keeping your weight down can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, it's never a bad idea to stay active and maintain a healthy body weight. It is proven that an unhealthy diet, extra weight and lack of exercise can increase your risk of prostate and other cancers.

Being Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer

Learning that you have a disease like prostate cancer can be devastating news. It is not however an automatic death sentence. In fact, catching the disease in the early stages increases your treatment options and chance of cure - which is why early and regular screening is so important. There are a number of treatment options available.

Brachytherapy is a method where small radioactive seeds are implanted directly into the prostate gland with a series of needles. While effective, recurrence of the disease after treatment is not uncommon.

Another option is Cryotherapy. Your prostate is frozen and thawed, destroying the cancerous tissue. While effective, there can be side effects such as impotence, urinary incontinence and pain in the pelvic region.

Prostate Cancer - Does Eating Tomatoes Help Or Prevent Prostate Cancer?

2011-10-13T03:42:00.000-07:00

Introduction

Many men are concerned about their prostate, especially the development of prostate cancer. Many sources tout the benefits of tomatoes in preventing prostate cancer in men. But is there sound medical research and studies that support this conclusion?

What Is In A Tomato

People who praise the benefits of tomatoes specifically point to the nutrient lycopene that is an antioxidant, as the key to preventing cancer.

Lycopene blocks free radicals that can damage the cells of your bodies. Some scientific studies have determined that people, who consume foods such as tomatoes that have lycopene, have a lower risk of cancer, especially prostate cancer.

Studies

Journal of the National Cancer Institute - In 2005 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that the frequent consumption of tomato-based products could be connected with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.

The study appeared not to be very well controlled because it looked at men who were of Caucasian ancestry and Southern European descent who frequently consumed tomato based products. Based on this they concluded that a diet rich in tomato products reduced the chances of men developing prostate cancer.

But the report goes on to say that lycopene has not been proven to be the main ingredient that reduces your chances of developing prostate cancer. Plus the way I read the study, it was not well controlled, these men also drank a lot of red wine, which also could account for the decrease in prostate cancer.

National Cancer Institute and Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research - A study by the National Cancer Institute and Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research found that eating tomatoes had little if no effect on preventing cancer.

The American Cancer Institute is now saying that these studies are showing that men should focus on a healthy diet rather thank focusing on consuming a certain nutrient like lycopene.

American Cancer Society - A report out by the American Cancer Society says that some studies have shown a reduction in certain types of cancers, but other studies have not shown the same result and more research and study is needed.

They go on to say that a single nutrient may not be the key, but a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, that has many nutrients that when combined together, reduce the chances of you getting prostate cancer.

Conclusion

Though various studies have shown that eating a diet rich in tomatoes reduces your development of cancer, other studies have shown they have little to no effect. The current thinking is that to help reduce your chances of prostate cancer, you should eat a diet that is rich in all fruits and vegetables.

What Is Prostate Cancer and How Curable Is It?

2011-10-10T03:43:00.000-07:00

What is cancer? Our bodies are made up of millions of cells that form our muscles, bones, organs and tissues. The cells generally follow the orders of the genes within and follow a regular cycle of growing, working, reproducing then dying. With cancer, the instructions go awry and the cells multiply -forming lumps or tumours

Formed tumours can be benign, which are non-cancerous and tend to stay in one place in the body. Or, the tumours can be malignant, which means they are cancerous. The cancer will be named based on the part of the body where the cancer begins.

What is Prostate Cancer? For prostate cancer, the tumours form on the prostate gland. This walnut sized gland is part of the male reproductive system, producing fluids that form part of the semen. The prostate is located in from of the rectum, just below the bladder. The urethra, a tube that carries semen and urine through the penis, is surrounded by the prostate. The prostate can help control urine flow.

The size of the prostate will increase as a man ages, and the size of the prostate can vary from man to man. An enlarged prostate can restrict the flow of urine. Tumours in the prostate can result in symptoms such as painful urination, a strong urge to urinate, a need to urinate more often, or decreased urine stream. Other factors or health problems can also cause these symptoms, so it is best to get tested to determine the cause.

How is it diagnosed? The 2 main tests for prostate cancer are the and the digital rectal examination and the prostate-specific antigen test. For the rectal exam, your doctor will insert a gloved finger into the rectum to feel for any lumps, hardness or change in size in the prostate. Most prostate cancers form in the part of the prostate that is closest to the rectum. If the doctor feels it necessary, he/she will order a PSA test, which is a blood test that measures a prostate-specific antigen. Higher levels of PSA may indicate a problem with the prostate, but does not necessarily mean it is cancer. Further testing will be done. The only way to be sure tumours are cancerous is to conduct a biopsy.

Why is screening so important? Men over the age of 50 should get regular screenings for prostate cancer as the likelihood of getting prostate cancer increases with age. Men with a history of prostate cancer in their immediate family (father, brother, son) should get screened even earlier. Early detection is key, since there are many effective treatments when prostate cancer is in the early stages.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms and Detection

2011-10-08T03:41:00.000-07:00

Physiology

Prostate cancer begins in the prostate, a chestnut shaped gland located in the base of a man's bladder just in front of the rectum. The prostate forms part of the male reproductive and urinary system and surrounds the base or neck of the bladder. It has two lobes that surround the urethra. The urethra carries urine from the bladder, through the prostate and then out through the penis. The size of the prostate will vary from one man to another and will range from the size of a walnut to that of a small apple. The size of a man's prostate usually increases with age. The prostate itself is covered in a layer of connective tissue called the prostatic capsule.

It is responsible for producing seminal fluid, the liquid that a man's semen is carried in during orgasm. It also plays a part in controlling the flow of urine. The lobes that surround the urethra contain muscle fibres that contract to slow or stop the flow of urine through the urethra.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer will be found in almost 26,000 men this ye`r. Twenty six thousand more men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer next year and another 26,000+ the year after that. In fact, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canadian men.

While there is no known single cause of prostate cancer, some indicators figure larger than others. What is known is the risk of a man developing prostate cancer increases significantly with age. Few men under the age of 50 have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Most prostate cancers are found in men around the age of 65 and higher. Another factor is whether any blood relatives have developed prostate cancer. Your chances of developing this disease increase markedly if family members have developed it.

In addition, men of African descent are 60% more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men while Asian men are least likely to develop it. The reasons for the disparity are not known.

Early Signs and Detection

Early detection of the disease is critical. This disease does not have many symptoms in its early stages. Symptoms become more serious and numerous as the cancer advances. Because other conditions can have similar symptoms, having any of the symptoms listed below does not necessarily mean you have cancer. What is important is having yourself checked if they develop.

The first sign may be a change in bladder habits:

    * Do you find you need to urinate more frequently?
    * Do you have to get out of bed to urinate once, twice or even three times a night?
    * Do you find your need to urinate is sometimes intense
    * Do you ever have difficulty in getting your urine flow started?
    * Do you have trouble in stopping your urine flow?
    * Do you find you sometimes cannot urinate at all?
    * Is your urine flow weak or decreased?
    * Have you experienced a stoppage in urine flow?
    * Have you had the sensation that your bladder has not completely emptied after urination?
    * Have you experienced pain or a burning sensation while urinating?
    * Other signs may be blood in your urine or semen or pain during orgasm.

If you have experienced one or more of these symptoms, you should speak to your doctor and get checked.

Later Signs and Symptoms

Prostate cancer is typically a slow-growing cancer. Symptoms usually begin to appear after the tumour becomes large enough to affect the surrounding tissues and organs. As the cancer progresses, other late signs and symptoms may appear.

You may experience pain in your bones or joints, especially in your back, hips, thighs and neck. You might experience weight loss or feel a general fatigue. You may also feel weakness or numbness in your legs or feet. Another sign is a low red blood cell count or anemia. This will be detected by blood tests carried out by your doctor. And finally, you may experience a loss of bladder control or bowel control.

Running Away From Prostate Cancer - Part 12

2011-10-03T03:39:00.000-07:00

Whoever first used the analogy "life is like a roller coaster ride" was on target. Just when things seem to be going along smoothly, a steep drop or wide turn can throw you off balance and it sometimes hurts, really bad. Unfortunately, life doesn't have those rails to bring you back to normalcy. You have to fight your way back.

In the fall of 2008, I was staying in good shape, running 4-5 times per week and mountain biking occasionally. At a holiday party in my backyard, I injured my right knee when my overzealous brother-in-law knocked me to the ground playing basketball. Several doctor appointments later, I was preparing to have cartilage repaired in my right knee. I had to deal with another setback to my running exploits. But this one really hurt because I couldn't run to relieve stress. To add to this situation, I had to sit on the sidelines and watch the Manchester Road Race because I was still healing from the surgery. I had only missed the race twice since 1978, both times because of illness.

Again, with my down time, I was able to spent more time writing and supporting the UCONN men's and women's basketball teams, just getting into the regular season schedules, in between my physical therapy sessions. I did learn one thing around the holidays though. Drinking beer had a negative effect on my ability to control my bladder. More than once, I found myself in the bathroom drying my underwear and pants when sometimes out of nowhere I would feel a leak. I didn't want to back pedal and start wearing pads again. So I had to make sure when I felt the urge to pee, I didn't hesitate. I also would wait to make sure my payload was entirely spilled because premature zip-up was a sure way to end up having to use paper towels or hair dryer. I starting doing my Kegel exercises again too.

Thirty years ago, in 1988, the worst year of my life, my wife and I had to deal with the loss of our first son, who was born three months premature and didn't survive because his lungs weren't developed enough. Talk about your downturns, we hit rock bottom during this time and we almost didn't make it. These situations put an incredible amount of stress in your life and many couples end up getting divorced. I guess you could say that this tragedy perhaps helped me in some small way to deal with the uncertainty of my cancer diagnosis. To be honest, I couldn't help saying to myself, why us again? Hadn't we been through enough? But that's not the way life works. Not that I want to wish these things on anyone, but some people seem to skate through life without these types of problems and I just don't think it's fair.

While I'm clearing my chest of issues, one year earlier my wife's doctor found a suspicious growth during some routine testing and we didn't know that it was benign until she had surgery to remove it one week after my cancer surgery. Believe it or not, our insurance company thought we might be trying to scam them, with the two surgeries less than a week apart. We received several calls from the insurance company about this issue. I was mad about the calls too. As you can see from this article, we literally had to fight our way back. We were fortunate to have a very good insurance policy, which covered almost all of our expenses. It also helped tremendously when in 1989, our second son was born perfectly healthy. But we were very nervous throughout the process. Can you blame us?

By the time spring arrived in 2010, I had pretty much figured out how to use Viagra effectively. Sometimes I didn't need to use it at all, while other times I used a pill or two for insurance. I did notice that after using it, I tended to have a little heartburn and dry mouth. However, these symptoms did not worry me at all. Most of the time, I would sleep it off since it was usually late at night when I took the medication. I strongly believe that two important factors were pivotal to my sexual function recovery. One, I had finally gotten that old confidence back. I felt I could get aroused with not much effort. This really reduced my performance stress levels. Two, we had learned to be patient about my progress, which also relieved our stress and frustration levels. To conclude, I'd like to quote one of my old baseball coaches, who used to say, "Practice makes perfect". That helped a lot too.