Testosterone And Prostate Cancer

Published on May 07 2010, in the categories: testosterone and prostate cancer

The prostate cancer is a disease which affects mostly men over forty due to an increase of the level of dihydrotestosterone or DHT, a testosterone variant that causes the enlargement of the prostate.

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The adrenal glands, located near the kidneys produce ten percent of the body’stestosterone while the testicles produce almost ninety percent of the body’s hormones.
Cancer, more specific, the prostate cancer, is an abnormal condition which occurs when malignant tumors develop in the primary site of the organism, this being the prostate gland; if the cancerous cells enter the lymph vessels or the lymph fluid and the bloodstream, the spreading of the cancer to the surrounding areas, tissues and organs, is a certain thing.
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When the primary tumor, in the first stage being organ-confined, reaches outside the prostate capsule, the cancer becomes locally advanced and in the worst case, metastatic.
That tumor gives birth to other small but secondary tumors in all the regions of the internal body, but sometimes the spreading process is so complex or far advanced that physicians find it hard to identify the primary site of the cancer; one example could be the transitional cell carcinoma, which is a rare type of cancer developing in the prostate gland but the primary tumors are found in the urethra or the bladder. When the primary site is not identified, doctors refer to this situation as cancer of unknown primary.
If cancer is diagnosed with the help of the screening tests or the prostate biopsy and mapping, the grading and the staging of the cancer will be the next important step in prescribing the right treatment for that cancer stage.
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Should be underlined the fact that cancer is treatable, but I’ll refrain of saying curable, only if it is identified in its early stages and if the person responds well to the treatment.
There is always the possibility of recurrence and in the worst case scenario, the cancer comes back in the form of one or two metastatic tumors: doctors refer to this stage as metastases.
The prostate cancer is not noticeable in its early stages because it has no early symptoms, but once it starts spreading, the common reported signs are: prostatitis, blood in urine or semen, prostate-related urinary dribbling, urine odor, frequent urination or weak urine stream, prostate blockage, bacterial prostatitis, prostate inflammation, burning or pain while urinating, painful ejaculation, compression of the spine, leg pain, abdomen and chest pain, stiffness, ache, enlarged prostate, back pains, prostate pain.
Testosterone is the male hormone responsible for the growth of the prostatic cells because it can’t make any difference between the healthy tissues and the cancerous ones; usually the hormone therapy or the androgen deprivation therapy is used to remove the chemical blamed with the alimentation of those cells.
A part of our brain called the hypothalamus monitors if the level of testosterone in the body is normal; usually when this level drops, that part of the brain reacts by releasing two chemicals: the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone or the LHRH and the gonadotropin releasing hormone or the GnRH which stimulates the production of hormone in the testicles.
There is also one type of testosterone named free testosterone and defined as the level or amount of testosterone found in the blood stream and not bound to any other chemical such as albumin or globulin.
The levels of free testosterone can be identified with the help of the blood tests; those levels will indicate whether the hormones are functioning normally or if there is a hormonal unbalance. These tests are recommended to both men and women, because measuring the levels of the free testosterone is one way to measure the level of the SHBG or the sex hormone biding globulin; a low level of this SHBG is to be blamed for the reduction in thyroid performance and/or obesity while a high level indicates hyperthyroidism or cirrhosis.
When the life of a patient is affected by hormonal problems doctors often recommend testosterone injections to improve the process of memorizing and to increase the energy; sometimes injections are replaced by testosterone supplements, but physicians will know better what to prescribe when a certain health problem is identified. That is the precise case if prostate cancer is diagnosed.

Free Testosterone And Prostate Cancer

Published on May 06 2010, in the categories: testosterone and prostate cancer

The prostate cancer is a type of cancer that affects only the male specific seminal fluid gland; cancer is considered an abnormal condition of the body resulting after the uncontrollable growth process and multiplication of the cancerous cells, in the first stages the developed tumor being named primary or organ-confined because it is found only in the primary site, here being the prostate organ.

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There is a situation when the spreading of the tumor was so fast and complex that doctors find it hard to identify the primary site of the cancer: this is what we call cancer of unknown primary. 
When cancer is metastasized that basically means that the chances to cure this disease are almost zero. If the cancer is treated by comes back in the form of two or more metastatic tumors then this stage is called metastases.
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If cancer is diagnosed the grading process and after it the staging process will help doctors make the right decision when prescribing a treatment; each treatment will be prescribed depending on the personal preferences of the patient, his medical and metabolic characteristics and the stages of the cancer.
Since this type of cancer has no early symptoms or signs to make it noticeable, doctors recommend for men over forty to routinely do the screening tests or the prostate biopsy for an accurate result.
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When the cancer becomes locally advanced or metastatic the symptoms often reported are: prostate inflammation, burning or pain while urinating, prostate blockage, bacterial prostatitis, urine odor, frequent urination or weak urine stream, prostatitis, blood in urine or semen, prostate-related urinary dribbling, back pains, stiffness, ache, enlarged prostate, prostate pain, painful ejaculation, compression of the spine, leg pain, abdomen and chest pain.
This spreading process is done through the lymph vessels and the blood vessels, the cancerous cells traveling at a high speed through the bloodstream and the lymph fluid until they reach far distanced tissues and organs and develop secondary and small tumors.
The testicle produce almost ninety percent of the body’s hormones, the other ten percent of testosterone being made by the adrenal glands, located near the kidneys.
Testosterone is responsible for fueling the growth of any prostatic cell without making a difference between cancerous tissues and healthy tissues; the hormone therapy removes the chemical responsible with the feeding of those cells.
The part of the brain called hypothalamus is responsible with the monitoring of the levels of testosterone, and when that level drops the hypothalamus releases two chemicals: the GnRH or the gonadotropin releasing hormone that stimulates the production of the hormone in the testicles or the LHRH or the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone.
The free testosterone refers to the amount or the level of testosterone found in the bloodstream that is not bound to any other chemicals such as globulin or albumin.
The levels of free testosterone are usually measured by blood tests and they indicate if a person’s hormones are functioning normally. To detect any hormonal unbalance, the tests for free testosterone are recommended to both men and women.
An indirect way to measure the level of the sex hormone biding globulin or SHBG in the bloodstream is by measuring the levels of free testosterone. Low levels of SHBG are responsible for obesity or the reduction in thyroid performance while high levels of SHBG indicate estrogen use, hyperthyroidism and cirrhosis.
The free testosterone may also be responsible for the lack of energy, mood problems or for a decreased libido.
When health or hormonal problems affect the life of a patient it is necessary to measure the level of the free testosterone, and if abnormal levels are detected doctors usually prescribe testosterone injections to increase the energy and improve the memory or supplemental testosterone.