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Archive for the ‘Cancer’ Category

There are 5 relevant prostate cancer stages that one must be aware of to understand the full scope of the disease. Prostate cancer is one of the deadliest cancers affecting men today. More men die from Prostate Cancer then any other form of cancer. Yet, Prostate cancer is one the few cancers that, if it is caught early enough, can be corrected or controlled.

The first of the 5 prostate cancer stages is usually only found through a blood test or biopsy in the affect region of the body. It is usually found through a prostate-specific antigen level in the blood test. This stage is called T-1, professionally. It consists of a microscopic tumor that is only in the prostate itself. It is undetectable by rectal exams and ultrasounds and usually presents no symptoms. T-1 cancers are usually local cancers.

The second stage of prostate cancer is called T2, professionally. This stage is one where the tumor can be felt through a digital rectal exam. It can also be viewed through ultrasound. The tumor is still confined to the prostate area. T2 cancers are usually local cancers.

The third stage of prostate cancer is a spreading tumor. This stage is professionally known as stage T3. The cancer at this stage will now start to move to the seminal vesicles and close-by tissues. It has not spread yet to the lymph nodes in the body. T3 cancers usually are regional cancers that affect areas just beyond the prostate.

The fourth stage of prostate cancer is afflicting the organs and tissues that reside nearest the prostate. This stage is professionally known as T4. T4 cancers are usually cancers that are regionally located. They reach just beyond the prostate area of the body.

The fifth stage of prostate cancer is afflicting the whole of the body. It can affect any organ, bone or lymph node. This stage is professionally known as N+ or M+. The N+ portion means that it is affecting the pelvic lymph nodes. The M+ portion of this stage means that the cancer is affecting the other lymph nodes, organs and bones that are distant from the prostate area of the body. All the parts that are mentioned for Stage M+ do not have to be afflicted with cancer in order to be classified as M+. At this stage, the cancer is considered to be a metastatic cancer, meaning that the cancer is reaching lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Prostate cancer stages are hard to diagnose without the help of your doctor. Early detection can save your life or the life of someone you know. The National Cancer Center for Health Statistics stated that of prostate cancer sufferers on record, 99.9% had survived 5 years. Though there were people who had lived considerably longer than that, the study didn’t indicate any further life expectancies beyond this one.

These days there are several men who suffer from prostate health problems or worse prostate cancer that can cause anyone thousands of bucks to undergo treatment in the form of surgery. It’s a good thing there are natural ways of preventing yourself from suffering this condition. Treatments and several various expensive medicines can be converted into herbal medicines that may include zinc, selenium, lycopene, and saw palmetto.

Prostates in a male can be found in their sex organ, it is just about a size of a walnut that surrounds the urethra at the neckline of the urinary bladder. Therefore, most of the symptoms of this condition can affect your urination activities. In fact symptoms of this condition can be very annoying in times of your sleep since you can feel often urgency to urinate. Another symptom of this condition is you will find it difficult to urinate. Once you are suffering from these symptoms, you have to pay attention on visiting your doctor immediately.

But since men sometimes are hard headed and used to ignoring what they are feeling with the belief that it anything will just pass in a couple of days, result is that conditions become severe due to their ignorance and negligence. On the other hand, one great and natural way to treat prostate cancer is by taking regular foods that have lycopene, a carotenoid that makes the prostate healthy. Several studies have shown that the antioxidant function in lycopene may greatly eliminate the growth of the cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute also figure out that men who use to consume tomato goods are more likely the men that are not prone to prostate cancer.

It is because of the fact that tomato products especially the cooked one can provide more healthy benefits. Nevertheless there are other sources of lycopene that you can eat such as guavas, water melons, and pink grapefruits.

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

Because of its nature, prostate cancer is a disease suffered only by men. In fact, the American Cancer Society has found that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. While this statistic may seem the disease dooms a man to death, the prognosis isn’t as bleak as the facts seem to indicate.

While one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, only one of every 34 will actually die as a result of the disease. Depending on how far the cancer has spread and how early it is diagnosed the prognosis for prostate cancer is actually very good. Most people do not die of the cancer itself, but of other causes.

Prostate cancer is generally a disease that affects older men, the majority of men diagnosed with this type of cancer are over the age of 65. It is partially because of this age of onset that most who develop this type of cancer do not die from it. They generally die from other causes associated with old age.

Risk factors for developing prostate cancer are a combination of hereditary and social factors. Having one or more first generation relatives who suffers with prostate cancer seems to be the best identifying factor of any particular man developing the disease.

African American men seem to be slightly more likely than Caucasian men to be diagnosed with the disorder. Along with genetics, social features also play a role in the development of this condition. These social factors can include diet and general overall healthiness.

Like most cancers, prostate cancer has no symptoms in its earliest stages. This is why screening is so important. If you are at risk for developing this cancer because of your family history, your doctor can perform a blood test that will detect if the cancer is developing. In fact, your doctor will usually conduct both a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test as well as a digital rectal exam. If both these tests indicate you may suffer with cancer, he may suggest a biopsy to be sure.

If your cancer is not caught in the early stages when it is most treatable, you may start to experience some symptoms. These symptoms include pain or stiffness in the lower back, blood in the semen or urine, difficulty having an erection, painful ejaculation, difficulty urinating or feeling the need to urinate frequently.

Once prostate cancer is detected, there are several ways it can be treated. These include the traditional methods of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to remove the cancerous gland. Because this gland is part of both a man’s urinary tract and sexual organs, there are many side effects of these treatments the man may find unpleasant. These include the inability to achieve erection as well as urinary leakage.

Even though prostate cancer is common, survival rates are good, especially is the condition is caught in the early stages. It is important to discuss your risk factors with your doctor to see if you need to be screened for the disease.

There are many different types of cancer that affect many people no matter what age, ethnicity, or gender they are. Unfortunately there is one form of cancer that only affects men, it is prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is a form of cancer which begins when the cells of the prostate become abnormal. After time, especially if untreated, the cells begin to grow and form tumors. Once the formation of tumors begins they can spread to other areas of the body. Because only men have a prostate gland, prostate cancer is a very real disease that all men need to be concerned about. As with any other type of cancer, if it is not treated prostate cancer can be life threatening. On the bright side, prostate cancer, much like many other forms of cancer, if found early on there is the chance that it can be treated in order to avoid any further complications that it might cause.

If you are wondering if there is anything that causes prostate cancer there are some identified contributing factors, but nothing that does or does not cause prostate cancer. Some of the attributing factors to this disease are age and diet. It seems that as men get older their chances of developing prostate cancer increase. This has been found especially in men who are 65 or older. Diet seems to be the other contributing factor to this disease. It has been observed by the medical community that men who tend to take part in diets that are rich in fat seem to be more at risk for prostate cancer that those who have a different type of diet. Of course another health factor for those who eat fatty foods is also obesity. If you are trying to lower your risk for prostate cancer as well as improve your overall health, it is wise to eat a diet that is high in fiber and low in fat. Another factor that is linked to prostate cancer is genetics. A man’s chances of this can be increased if the disease is hereditary.

Unfortunately it is not that easy to detect prostate cancer by yourself. There are not always evident symptoms that might cause you to suspect that you have the disease. Even if you don’t see the symptoms yourself, your doctor can identify them with a simple routine checkup. This is why that the medical community stresses to men who are over 50 to schedule regular checkups to their doctor. There are a few common symptoms that you should see a doctor if you experience such as any pain and burning during urination, any blood in your semen, and also if you experience problems when having an erection. Not only is it smart to have a regular check up with your doctor, it could also save your life if you are suffering from prostate cancer. With all of the developments and new treatment options for cancer it is quite possible that you can make a full recovery if your prostate cancer is detected early.

Prostate Gland – an organ at the base (neck) of the urinary bladder that surrounds the first part of the urethra. From the urinary bladder, urine passes through the urethra to exit from the penis. The prostate gland aids in controlling urination by pressing directly against the portion of the urethra that it surrounds.

Another duty of the prostate gland is to yield some of the substances that can be seen in normal semen, such as minerals and sugar. Semen is the fluid that transports the sperm cells. A man can still survive even without prostate gland when it is omitted by the surgical treatment for prostate cancer.

The normal size of the prostate gland in a young man is like the size of a walnut. During the normal aging, the gland grows bigger. Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) occurs when the prostate gland enlarges because of aging. This condition is not associated with cancer of the prostate. Both BPH and cancer of the prostate can cause the same problems in the aging men.

Difficulty in urination is caused by enlarged prostate gland because it can squeeze the outlet of the bladder or the urethra. The resulting symptoms also include the slowing of the urinary stream and repeated urination particularly at night.

Cancer of the Prostate – it is a malignant growth that is made up of cells from the prostate gland. The tumor grows slowly and stays at the gland for numerous years. During these years, the growth makes little or no symptoms or outward signs (abnormalities n physical test). As the cancer develops, it can scatter outside the prostate tissues around.

Furthermore, the cancer can spread even farther part of the body like bones, lungs and liver. Signs and symptoms are more often associated with advanced prostate cancer.

Cancer of the prostate is the most common malignancy in American men and the second leading cause of mortality from cancers, lung cancer as the first. Because of this, most experts in this field suggest that beginning the age of 40, all men must submit for a yearly test for prostate cancer.

Causes Prostate Cancer

The causes of prostate cancer are not yet known. The risk factors for the prostate cancer include old age, heredity (genetics), influence on hormones and factors around such as toxins, chemicals and industrial products.

Genetics – plays a role in the influence of developing the cancerous disease. Prostate cancer is prevalent among family members of persons with the cancer disease. Until now, there is no specific prostate cancer gene that id identified or verified.

Testosterone`- the sex hormone of men, directly stimulates growth of both normal prostate tissue and cancer cells. This hormone is thought to be involved in development and growth of the prostate cancer. The vital implication of the role of this hormone in decreasing the level of testosterone and should be effective in inhibiting growth of cancerous cells.

Environmental Factors – include the cigarette smoking and food intakes that are high in saturated fats.