Having Trouble Pooping A Symptom Of Prostate Cancer
Published on May 26 2010, in the categories: Useful Info
The prostate is a male specific organ, responsible with the making of the semen, so usually, after the age of forty, when all men experience the so-called “andropause” or “male menopause”, any hormonal problems and unbalances may lead to the apparition of some prostate disorders and diseases such as prostatitis, the benign prostatic hyperplasia and cancer.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Cancer is diagnosed only when the existence of cancer cells or a malignant tumor is detected and since there are no early symptoms to make this disease noticeable in its early stages, the screening tests are often recommended.
Every year, all around the world, one in six men gets to be diagnosed with a prostate cancer while in America, the prostate cancer is on the second place, after the lung cancer, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of men.
The prognosis is relevant in the cases when doctors wish to determine the characteristics of a cancer; unfortunately, each cancer is unique and that means that the same type of cancer could develop in different periods of time, at different stages in different patients, with different treatment results, making the prognosis challenging.
The two major prognosis for the outcome of the prostate cancer indicate a challenging treatment or the patient will respond well to the treatment; for the locally advanced cancer the survival rates can be prolonged but the metastatic cancer will prove merciless and the chances of survival, even with a proper treatment such as the hormone therapy or radiotherapy, will drop at low levels.
The results of the screening tests have to be interpreted by doctors because they don’t give an accurate diagnose whether the cancer exists or not or if it is organ confined or locally advanced. For example, with the digital rectal exam the physician will palpate with a gloved finger inserted into the rectum the size of the prostate and determine whether an abnormal lump or hardness is felt on the surface of the presumably infected gland and the prostate specific antigen blood tests can only indicate the level of the prostate specific antigen protein, which should be low in normal circumstances, making this test a tumor and biological marker.
An accurate diagnose can be obtained only with the help of the prostate biopsy complemented by a nomogram or the prostate mapping method.
The spreading process is done through the lymph system and bloodstream until the primary tumor, in the first stage being organ confined, affects the surrounding organs and tissues and gives birth to other secondary and small tumors. These tumors can become metastatic and affect vital organs such as the liver, lungs and brain.
Usually, the common reported signs and symptoms are: ache or abdomen and bone pain, blood in urine or semen, compression of the spine, burning while urinating, painful ejaculation, leg weakness or incontinence, weak or frequent urine stream, burning while urinating, back pains, stiffness, painful ejaculation, pain while urinating.
If you have a problem with pooping that could also mean that you may or may not have a prostate cancer. As I’ve mentioned above, some symptoms can be caused by some other prostate disorders, not only cancer, and the enlargement of the prostate caused by the benign prostatic hyperplasia may affect the activity of pooping.
The best thing is to contact your personal doctors if some of the above mentioned symptoms are reported because detecting the prostate cancer in its early stages can only increase the chances of curing it; the lifetime probability to develop cancer is of sixteen percent and if cancer is detected early there is a ninety eight percent chance of survival at least for five years after the initial diagnose.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Cancer is diagnosed only when the existence of cancer cells or a malignant tumor is detected and since there are no early symptoms to make this disease noticeable in its early stages, the screening tests are often recommended.
Every year, all around the world, one in six men gets to be diagnosed with a prostate cancer while in America, the prostate cancer is on the second place, after the lung cancer, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of men.
The prognosis is relevant in the cases when doctors wish to determine the characteristics of a cancer; unfortunately, each cancer is unique and that means that the same type of cancer could develop in different periods of time, at different stages in different patients, with different treatment results, making the prognosis challenging.
The two major prognosis for the outcome of the prostate cancer indicate a challenging treatment or the patient will respond well to the treatment; for the locally advanced cancer the survival rates can be prolonged but the metastatic cancer will prove merciless and the chances of survival, even with a proper treatment such as the hormone therapy or radiotherapy, will drop at low levels.
The results of the screening tests have to be interpreted by doctors because they don’t give an accurate diagnose whether the cancer exists or not or if it is organ confined or locally advanced. For example, with the digital rectal exam the physician will palpate with a gloved finger inserted into the rectum the size of the prostate and determine whether an abnormal lump or hardness is felt on the surface of the presumably infected gland and the prostate specific antigen blood tests can only indicate the level of the prostate specific antigen protein, which should be low in normal circumstances, making this test a tumor and biological marker.
An accurate diagnose can be obtained only with the help of the prostate biopsy complemented by a nomogram or the prostate mapping method.
The spreading process is done through the lymph system and bloodstream until the primary tumor, in the first stage being organ confined, affects the surrounding organs and tissues and gives birth to other secondary and small tumors. These tumors can become metastatic and affect vital organs such as the liver, lungs and brain.
Usually, the common reported signs and symptoms are: ache or abdomen and bone pain, blood in urine or semen, compression of the spine, burning while urinating, painful ejaculation, leg weakness or incontinence, weak or frequent urine stream, burning while urinating, back pains, stiffness, painful ejaculation, pain while urinating.
If you have a problem with pooping that could also mean that you may or may not have a prostate cancer. As I’ve mentioned above, some symptoms can be caused by some other prostate disorders, not only cancer, and the enlargement of the prostate caused by the benign prostatic hyperplasia may affect the activity of pooping.
The best thing is to contact your personal doctors if some of the above mentioned symptoms are reported because detecting the prostate cancer in its early stages can only increase the chances of curing it; the lifetime probability to develop cancer is of sixteen percent and if cancer is detected early there is a ninety eight percent chance of survival at least for five years after the initial diagnose.
Prognosis For Stage 4 Prostate Cancer
Published on May 24 2010, in the categories: Useful Info
The prognosis is the prediction or determining what are the chances of survival or for a person to recover after being affected and how will the cancer evolve in the next period of time after its initial diagnose.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
The two major prognosis for the outcome of the prostate cancer are: the patient will respond well to the treatment or the treatment will prove to be challenging.
The prognosis depends very much on the cancer survival rates or statistics which identify the percentage of patients who survive a certain type of cancer for a determined amount of time; there is an established survival rate of five years after the initial diagnose and usually, if is detected yearly the chances of five year survival are of about ninety eight percent because of its slow growth, a malignant tumor doubling its size once every four years.
Since there are no early symptoms to make a prostate cancer noticeable in its first stages, doctors recommend the routinely screening tests and the prostate biopsy.
The screening tests involve a digital rectal exam, which is quite unpleasant but it’s the best method for physicians to determine any abnormal size of the prostate or the existence of a hardness or lump on the surface of the prostate; the prostate specific antigen blood tests are considered a tumor marker and even though they don’t determine whether a tumor exists or not, they indicate the level of the prostate specific antigen which in normal conditions should be low. Doctors will have to interpret the obtained screening results and decide if a medical investigation should be continued or not.
If any abnormality is detected, the prostate biopsy would be the best method to give an accurate diagnose; this biopsy can be complemented by a new method of detection, the prostate mapping or even the nomogram. If cancer is diagnosed, the next step will be its grading and staging, relevant for the prescribing of a future and correct treatment.
The lifetime probability to develop a prostate cancer is of about sixteen percent and usually the survival rates tend to stabilize after a period of fifteen years. The chances of ten year survival rate are of about ninety three percent while the ones for the fifteen year survival rate are of seventy seven percent.
The spreading process is done through the lymph system and bloodstream once the cancerous cells have escaped from the prostate capsule; the malignant tumor, in the first stages, being confined in the prostate, will spread to far distance regions of the body affecting vital organs such as the live, the bone system or the brain once it becomes locally advanced or metastatic.
According to the TNM, tumor, nodes and metastatic, staging system or its alternative, the Whitmore-Jewett staging system, the prostate cancer has four stages, the last one or stage IV or D being the stage of the metastatic cancer. In this stage the cancer had already invaded the surrounding tissues and organs but also some other distanced regions of the organism.
The prognosis becomes challenging when the cancer is locally advanced but with a right treatment the chances of surviving can be prolonged. Unfortunately, these chances drop very low if a cancer is metastatic and the average survival time is one to three years, sometimes patients will die because of some other health complications or causes. If an early cancer had recurred, the hormone therapy is one treatment option to help prolong the survival years but in most of the cases a recurred cancer had already infected the surrounding or far distanced areas of the body.
The progression of a prostate cancer can be different depending on each patient’s medical characteristics; some factors such as age, race, genetic inheritance and the working environment are to be blamed for the evolution and apparition of a prostate cancer.
The prognosis of the prostate cancer can be very difficult because each cancer is unique and that basically means that for each patient the same type of cancer can develop at different stages in different periods of time with different consequences. This is one of the main reasons why you should always consult your doctor if any unpleasant or strange symptoms appear and request for a detailed explanation about the progression of a prostate cancer and what are the available treatment options for it.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
The two major prognosis for the outcome of the prostate cancer are: the patient will respond well to the treatment or the treatment will prove to be challenging.
The prognosis depends very much on the cancer survival rates or statistics which identify the percentage of patients who survive a certain type of cancer for a determined amount of time; there is an established survival rate of five years after the initial diagnose and usually, if is detected yearly the chances of five year survival are of about ninety eight percent because of its slow growth, a malignant tumor doubling its size once every four years.
Since there are no early symptoms to make a prostate cancer noticeable in its first stages, doctors recommend the routinely screening tests and the prostate biopsy.
The screening tests involve a digital rectal exam, which is quite unpleasant but it’s the best method for physicians to determine any abnormal size of the prostate or the existence of a hardness or lump on the surface of the prostate; the prostate specific antigen blood tests are considered a tumor marker and even though they don’t determine whether a tumor exists or not, they indicate the level of the prostate specific antigen which in normal conditions should be low. Doctors will have to interpret the obtained screening results and decide if a medical investigation should be continued or not.
If any abnormality is detected, the prostate biopsy would be the best method to give an accurate diagnose; this biopsy can be complemented by a new method of detection, the prostate mapping or even the nomogram. If cancer is diagnosed, the next step will be its grading and staging, relevant for the prescribing of a future and correct treatment.
The lifetime probability to develop a prostate cancer is of about sixteen percent and usually the survival rates tend to stabilize after a period of fifteen years. The chances of ten year survival rate are of about ninety three percent while the ones for the fifteen year survival rate are of seventy seven percent.
The spreading process is done through the lymph system and bloodstream once the cancerous cells have escaped from the prostate capsule; the malignant tumor, in the first stages, being confined in the prostate, will spread to far distance regions of the body affecting vital organs such as the live, the bone system or the brain once it becomes locally advanced or metastatic.
According to the TNM, tumor, nodes and metastatic, staging system or its alternative, the Whitmore-Jewett staging system, the prostate cancer has four stages, the last one or stage IV or D being the stage of the metastatic cancer. In this stage the cancer had already invaded the surrounding tissues and organs but also some other distanced regions of the organism.
The prognosis becomes challenging when the cancer is locally advanced but with a right treatment the chances of surviving can be prolonged. Unfortunately, these chances drop very low if a cancer is metastatic and the average survival time is one to three years, sometimes patients will die because of some other health complications or causes. If an early cancer had recurred, the hormone therapy is one treatment option to help prolong the survival years but in most of the cases a recurred cancer had already infected the surrounding or far distanced areas of the body.
The progression of a prostate cancer can be different depending on each patient’s medical characteristics; some factors such as age, race, genetic inheritance and the working environment are to be blamed for the evolution and apparition of a prostate cancer.
The prognosis of the prostate cancer can be very difficult because each cancer is unique and that basically means that for each patient the same type of cancer can develop at different stages in different periods of time with different consequences. This is one of the main reasons why you should always consult your doctor if any unpleasant or strange symptoms appear and request for a detailed explanation about the progression of a prostate cancer and what are the available treatment options for it.
What Is The Prognosis Of Prostate Cancer
Published on May 22 2010, in the categories: Useful Info
The prognosis is the prediction of how will the cancer develop and what are the chances for a person to recover after being affected by such a malignant medical condition.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Each year, around the world, one in six men is diagnosed with a prostate cancer. This diagnose can be achieved only with the help of the routinely screening tests and the prostate biopsy.
The screening tests are recommended especially for men over forty because at this age their body will also experience certain changes, especially at the hormonal level. Cancer and other prostate disorders and diseases such as prostatitis and the benign prostatic hyperplasia are caused mainly by the hormonal unbalances reported by men over forty; at this age all men will experience what we all know as the “male menopause” or ‘andropause” or a decrease of the level of testosterone, the male specific hormone responsible for the well functioning of the organism and the sexual activity.
The screening tests include the digital rectal exam which is an unpleasant examination done by inserting a gloved finger into the rectum to palpate the size of the prostate gland or to feel any lumps developed on its surface; the prostate specific antigen blood test is a tumor and biological marker which indicates the level of the prostate specific antigen, in normal circumstances being low. These tests have their flaws and don’t exactly indicate the existence of a malignant tumor but rather doctors will have to interpret the obtained results and determine if a further medical investigation is needed or not.
The prostate biopsy and the prostate mapping, or even the newer detection method known as the nomogram, are to be used for obtaining an accurate diagnose. The grading and staging processes determine the characteristics of the identified cancer and help with the prescribing of a correct treatment.
There are two major prognosis for the outcome of the prostate cancer: doctors expect the treatment to be challenging or they expect the patient to respond well to the treatment.
The cancer survival statistics or survival rates will identify the percentage of patients who survive a certain type of cancer for a determined amount of time and usually for the prostate cancer there is a five year survival rate established after receiving the initial diagnose, even though the cancer is in its early or late stages.
If the cancer is detected early the survival rates or curing rates are of about ninety eight percent, especially since the malignant tumors grown slowly, doubling their size once every four years.
If an early stage cancer had recurred the hormone treatment can prolong survival for years, but unfortunately, in most cases the tumor had already spread to far distance regions of the body.
The survival rates can be prolonged even if the cancer is locally advanced and had already infected the nearby tissues and organs but when the cancer is metastatized the cure rates suddenly drop very low and the average survival time is one to three years, in some cases the patients will die because of some other health complications or causes.
Doctors will refrain of using grand words such as completely cured when referring to a disease such as cancer because the possibility of cancer recurrence will always remain.
The lifetime probability of developing a prostate cancer is about sixteen percent and the survival rate of ten years is of about ninety three percent while the fifteen year survival rate is of seventy seven percent, but only if the cancer is in its early stages; for the severe forms of prostate cancer the risk of dying is higher so the chances of survival are rather pessimistic. The survival rates tend to stabilize after fifteen years.
The factors blamed for the apparition of cancer are various and it all depends on general characteristics such as age, race, genetic inheritance or the working environment; the fact is that each type of cancer is unique or rather say each cancer is unique even if you are talking about the same type because in different individuals similar cancers can develop differently at different stages in different periods of time. This is one of the reasons why the prognosis can be so difficult.
In America, only the lung cancer causes more deaths than the prostate cancer, so prescribing the right treatment is the best method to delay or even stop the spreading process.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Each year, around the world, one in six men is diagnosed with a prostate cancer. This diagnose can be achieved only with the help of the routinely screening tests and the prostate biopsy.
The screening tests are recommended especially for men over forty because at this age their body will also experience certain changes, especially at the hormonal level. Cancer and other prostate disorders and diseases such as prostatitis and the benign prostatic hyperplasia are caused mainly by the hormonal unbalances reported by men over forty; at this age all men will experience what we all know as the “male menopause” or ‘andropause” or a decrease of the level of testosterone, the male specific hormone responsible for the well functioning of the organism and the sexual activity.
The screening tests include the digital rectal exam which is an unpleasant examination done by inserting a gloved finger into the rectum to palpate the size of the prostate gland or to feel any lumps developed on its surface; the prostate specific antigen blood test is a tumor and biological marker which indicates the level of the prostate specific antigen, in normal circumstances being low. These tests have their flaws and don’t exactly indicate the existence of a malignant tumor but rather doctors will have to interpret the obtained results and determine if a further medical investigation is needed or not.
The prostate biopsy and the prostate mapping, or even the newer detection method known as the nomogram, are to be used for obtaining an accurate diagnose. The grading and staging processes determine the characteristics of the identified cancer and help with the prescribing of a correct treatment.
There are two major prognosis for the outcome of the prostate cancer: doctors expect the treatment to be challenging or they expect the patient to respond well to the treatment.
The cancer survival statistics or survival rates will identify the percentage of patients who survive a certain type of cancer for a determined amount of time and usually for the prostate cancer there is a five year survival rate established after receiving the initial diagnose, even though the cancer is in its early or late stages.
If the cancer is detected early the survival rates or curing rates are of about ninety eight percent, especially since the malignant tumors grown slowly, doubling their size once every four years.
If an early stage cancer had recurred the hormone treatment can prolong survival for years, but unfortunately, in most cases the tumor had already spread to far distance regions of the body.
The survival rates can be prolonged even if the cancer is locally advanced and had already infected the nearby tissues and organs but when the cancer is metastatized the cure rates suddenly drop very low and the average survival time is one to three years, in some cases the patients will die because of some other health complications or causes.
Doctors will refrain of using grand words such as completely cured when referring to a disease such as cancer because the possibility of cancer recurrence will always remain.
The lifetime probability of developing a prostate cancer is about sixteen percent and the survival rate of ten years is of about ninety three percent while the fifteen year survival rate is of seventy seven percent, but only if the cancer is in its early stages; for the severe forms of prostate cancer the risk of dying is higher so the chances of survival are rather pessimistic. The survival rates tend to stabilize after fifteen years.
The factors blamed for the apparition of cancer are various and it all depends on general characteristics such as age, race, genetic inheritance or the working environment; the fact is that each type of cancer is unique or rather say each cancer is unique even if you are talking about the same type because in different individuals similar cancers can develop differently at different stages in different periods of time. This is one of the reasons why the prognosis can be so difficult.
In America, only the lung cancer causes more deaths than the prostate cancer, so prescribing the right treatment is the best method to delay or even stop the spreading process.
Prostate Cancer Metastasis In Bone
Published on Apr 29 2010, in the categories: Test Info, Useful Info
The abnormal condition, which appears when the cancerous cells start to multiply at an abnormal and rapid rate while the normal ones experience a fast growth and die even faster, is known under the name of cancer; cancer determines the spreading of the primary tumor from the primary site to other surrounding areas of the infected part of the body, by growing different small and secondary tumors, until, eventually, the cancer becomes metastasized. The spreading process begins once the cancerous cells enter into the bloodstream or the lymph fluid; these cells travel at an alarming speed through the blood vessels or the lymph system, formed by the lymph nodes and the lymph vessels that carry the lymph, a clear fluid, to the heart. If the cancer is diagnosed as locally advance, left untreated, it will eventually become metastatic, leading to a painful death.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
The cancer is named after the body part from where it starts developing, so, if the primary tumor appears in the prostate gland then the disease will have the name of prostate cancer. If we are talking about the existence of two or more metastatic tumors, doctors refer to this condition as metastases. If the cancer is recurrent and comes back as metastases, this condition is known as distant recurrence; sometimes the cancer has spread so far or the spreading process is so complex that physicians find it hard to identify the exact body part where the primary tumor is: in this situation the medical community name the cancer as cancer of unknown primary. Carcinomas are more likely to metastasize to bone in comparison to the sarcomas and the most common bone sites affected by the metastatic cancer are the spine, the pelvis or the hip, the femur or the upper leg bone, the ribs, the humerus or the upper arm bone and the skull; in most cases the distant bone structures are less likely to get infected by tumors if the patient starts a treatment immediately after the diagnose.
The bones structures are the third most common site affected by the metastatic cancer, either being a breast cancer, a prostate cancer or any other type of cancer and the MRI detection method or the magnetic resonance imaging, is considered as the most sensitive one, allowing the spotting of the cancerous cells long before they reach and affect the bone structures. The other recommended methods of detection are the radionuclide bone scans and the coaxial tomography. The symptoms associated with bone metastasis are pain, hypercalcemia and pathological fractures. The metastasized cancer will cause pain, reported by almost seventy percent of the patients diagnosed with bone metastases; this happens dew to the predilection of the prostate cancer to affect first the bone structures. The pain is caused because of the tumor, responsible for the stretching of the periosteum but also because of the nerve stimulation in the endosteum. The metastatic bone lesions are characterized as osteolytic, osteoblastic or mixed. Osteolytic lesions or tumors can cause an abnormal resorption of bone by the enzymes known as proteolytic and the spreading process outstrips the laying down of the new bone. Osteoblatic tumors cause a secretion of bone extracellular matrix proteins or ECM; in other words the tumor stimulates the bone growth. In most cases the lesions are identified as mixed.
For the advanced forms of cancer, especially when the bone system is affected, the recommended treatments are chemotherapy, a healing procedure used not only for treating cancer but also for cases of leukemia, the radiotherapy or the radiation therapy, a procedure used for damaging the DNA of the cancerous cells and to stop their multiplication; the radiotherapy is works by inserting radioactive seeds into the gland and leave them there to slowly decay or by using the external proton beam radiation. The side effects for both treatment procedures can not be avoided.
Before choosing for a treatment, the doctor will advise you and explain what are the consequences of the prostate cancer, so make sure to listen to whatever he says or recommends.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
The cancer is named after the body part from where it starts developing, so, if the primary tumor appears in the prostate gland then the disease will have the name of prostate cancer. If we are talking about the existence of two or more metastatic tumors, doctors refer to this condition as metastases. If the cancer is recurrent and comes back as metastases, this condition is known as distant recurrence; sometimes the cancer has spread so far or the spreading process is so complex that physicians find it hard to identify the exact body part where the primary tumor is: in this situation the medical community name the cancer as cancer of unknown primary. Carcinomas are more likely to metastasize to bone in comparison to the sarcomas and the most common bone sites affected by the metastatic cancer are the spine, the pelvis or the hip, the femur or the upper leg bone, the ribs, the humerus or the upper arm bone and the skull; in most cases the distant bone structures are less likely to get infected by tumors if the patient starts a treatment immediately after the diagnose.
The bones structures are the third most common site affected by the metastatic cancer, either being a breast cancer, a prostate cancer or any other type of cancer and the MRI detection method or the magnetic resonance imaging, is considered as the most sensitive one, allowing the spotting of the cancerous cells long before they reach and affect the bone structures. The other recommended methods of detection are the radionuclide bone scans and the coaxial tomography. The symptoms associated with bone metastasis are pain, hypercalcemia and pathological fractures. The metastasized cancer will cause pain, reported by almost seventy percent of the patients diagnosed with bone metastases; this happens dew to the predilection of the prostate cancer to affect first the bone structures. The pain is caused because of the tumor, responsible for the stretching of the periosteum but also because of the nerve stimulation in the endosteum. The metastatic bone lesions are characterized as osteolytic, osteoblastic or mixed. Osteolytic lesions or tumors can cause an abnormal resorption of bone by the enzymes known as proteolytic and the spreading process outstrips the laying down of the new bone. Osteoblatic tumors cause a secretion of bone extracellular matrix proteins or ECM; in other words the tumor stimulates the bone growth. In most cases the lesions are identified as mixed.
For the advanced forms of cancer, especially when the bone system is affected, the recommended treatments are chemotherapy, a healing procedure used not only for treating cancer but also for cases of leukemia, the radiotherapy or the radiation therapy, a procedure used for damaging the DNA of the cancerous cells and to stop their multiplication; the radiotherapy is works by inserting radioactive seeds into the gland and leave them there to slowly decay or by using the external proton beam radiation. The side effects for both treatment procedures can not be avoided.
Before choosing for a treatment, the doctor will advise you and explain what are the consequences of the prostate cancer, so make sure to listen to whatever he says or recommends.
Prostate Cancer Jokes
Published on Apr 15 2010, in the categories: Useful Info
The title of this article may sound a bit strange and probably offensive but I’d like to state the fact that the prostate cancer is by no means a laughing matter.
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When you confront yourself with a terrible disease such as cancer you’ll find out that it is quite difficult to keep your humorous side.
While there aren’t any scientific evidences to prove that laughter could cure any type of illness or cancer, humor can sometimes be a companion when you follow a treatment for cancer because it can reduce the level of stress and improve the quality of life. At a psychological level, humor can stimulate the immune system, the circulatory system or the other systems of the organism.
When the time comes for you to get the courage of laughing about your situation, and that usually happens only after cancer is treated, below you can find some prostate cancer jokes.
“A man elects to have a prostatectomy (removal of the prostate) and asks the surgeon to try to spare the nerves that produce an erection. Well, he goes into surgery and wakes up in the recovery room and sees his doctor.
Man: So how did it go?
Doctor: I've got good news and bad news.
Man: Give me the good news first.
Doctor: We were able to save the nerves.
Man: That's great news! What's the bad news?
Doctor: They're under your pillow.”
“Doctor: Well, we better discuss treatment now for your prostate cancer. I recommend hormone therapy.
Man: Are there any side-effects?
Doctor: A few. You will have a loss of potency. You might get some hot flashes. And when lost, you will have an inexplicable urge to ask for directions.”
Cancer is a ruthless disease, and there is always the possibility of recurrence. Truthfully, I can only list bad things about this malignant condition, but if you have a dark humor and you are willing to discover the humorous part of the situation, no matter how bleak it may seem, below are some random cancer jokes.
“A religious man discovers that he has testicular cancer, and decides to pray for a miracle. The next day he visits an urologist, who tells him he must have surgery immediately. He tells the doctor: ‘I do not want you to remove my testicle, I am praying to God for a miracle’. Then he visits a radiologist, who tells him that he must begin radiation therapy immediately. He tells the doctor: ‘I do not want you to expose my body to radiation, I am putting my faith in God’. Finally he visits an oncologist, who tells him that he must start chemotherapy immediately. He tells the doctor: ’I do not want you to inject me with caustic chemicals, God will heal me’. A few months later he dies and goes to heaven, where he is very upset and asks God why he didn't give him a miracle. God replies: ‘I gave you three miracles: an urologist, an oncologist and a radiologist, but you chose to ignore them’.”
“When I told a friend that I have cancer, he replied: I thought you were an Aries?”
“Doctor to patient: I'm sorry to have to tell you, but you have a very rare cancer for which there are no treatments and I'm afraid that you only have six months to live.
Patient: What do you suggest I do?
Doctor: Move to Iowa and live with an economist.
Patient: And how will that make me live longer?
Doctor: It won't. Six months will just seem longer.”
“Doctor: I've got your test results and some bad news. You have cancer and Alzheimer's.
Man: Boy, am I lucky! I was afraid I had cancer!”
I really have no idea how much you can see the humor in these jokes but they aren’t written with the intention of being offensive towards those who are affected by cancer.
Cancer is an incurable disease so you can’t stop it but depending on the way you look at it you can change your life and eventually find the right treatment for it.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
When you confront yourself with a terrible disease such as cancer you’ll find out that it is quite difficult to keep your humorous side.
While there aren’t any scientific evidences to prove that laughter could cure any type of illness or cancer, humor can sometimes be a companion when you follow a treatment for cancer because it can reduce the level of stress and improve the quality of life. At a psychological level, humor can stimulate the immune system, the circulatory system or the other systems of the organism.
When the time comes for you to get the courage of laughing about your situation, and that usually happens only after cancer is treated, below you can find some prostate cancer jokes.
“A man elects to have a prostatectomy (removal of the prostate) and asks the surgeon to try to spare the nerves that produce an erection. Well, he goes into surgery and wakes up in the recovery room and sees his doctor.
Man: So how did it go?
Doctor: I've got good news and bad news.
Man: Give me the good news first.
Doctor: We were able to save the nerves.
Man: That's great news! What's the bad news?
Doctor: They're under your pillow.”
“Doctor: Well, we better discuss treatment now for your prostate cancer. I recommend hormone therapy.
Man: Are there any side-effects?
Doctor: A few. You will have a loss of potency. You might get some hot flashes. And when lost, you will have an inexplicable urge to ask for directions.”
Cancer is a ruthless disease, and there is always the possibility of recurrence. Truthfully, I can only list bad things about this malignant condition, but if you have a dark humor and you are willing to discover the humorous part of the situation, no matter how bleak it may seem, below are some random cancer jokes.
“A religious man discovers that he has testicular cancer, and decides to pray for a miracle. The next day he visits an urologist, who tells him he must have surgery immediately. He tells the doctor: ‘I do not want you to remove my testicle, I am praying to God for a miracle’. Then he visits a radiologist, who tells him that he must begin radiation therapy immediately. He tells the doctor: ‘I do not want you to expose my body to radiation, I am putting my faith in God’. Finally he visits an oncologist, who tells him that he must start chemotherapy immediately. He tells the doctor: ’I do not want you to inject me with caustic chemicals, God will heal me’. A few months later he dies and goes to heaven, where he is very upset and asks God why he didn't give him a miracle. God replies: ‘I gave you three miracles: an urologist, an oncologist and a radiologist, but you chose to ignore them’.”
“What do you call a person who has a compulsion to get lymphoma over and over again? A lymphomaniac.”
“When I told a friend that I have cancer, he replied: I thought you were an Aries?”
“Doctor to patient: I'm sorry to have to tell you, but you have a very rare cancer for which there are no treatments and I'm afraid that you only have six months to live.
Patient: What do you suggest I do?
Doctor: Move to Iowa and live with an economist.
Patient: And how will that make me live longer?
Doctor: It won't. Six months will just seem longer.”
“Doctor: I've got your test results and some bad news. You have cancer and Alzheimer's.
Man: Boy, am I lucky! I was afraid I had cancer!”
I really have no idea how much you can see the humor in these jokes but they aren’t written with the intention of being offensive towards those who are affected by cancer.
Cancer is an incurable disease so you can’t stop it but depending on the way you look at it you can change your life and eventually find the right treatment for it.
Who Discovered Prostate Cancer
Published on Apr 12 2010, in the categories: Useful Info
The prostate cancer is a common but terrifying disease affecting a great part of the male population, especially those with the age over forty.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Humans are not immune to diseases, so it is very important to understand the “enemy” to find a cure. If you can not prevent then you must fight the sickness which is affecting the good functioning of your body.
The prostate cancer is a horrible disease not only because of its frequency but also because there are no early symptoms to indicate its existence in the human body and unfortunately when symptoms do appear the prostate cancer is in an advanced form.
These things were not known until very recently when medical research studies gathered enough information about the prostate cancer to offer some potential treatments for it.
Several decades ago, when the prostate cancer was discovered people did not know about this disease, they only remarked the common symptoms.
Ever wondered who discovered this type of cancer?
Well the first attempt in describing the prostate and the prostate disease symptoms was made by Niccolo Massa, a Venetian anatomist, in the late 1530’s; some illustrations of it dating back from 1538 and made by Andreas Vesalius, a Flemish anatomist, are still available.
Despite all of this, the prostate cancer was not officially identified until 1853, in the last years of the ninetieth century still being considered a rare disease probably because of the short life expectancies and poor medical information.
The beginning of the twentieth century was that period of time when medical experiments were conducted regularly and all sorts of new treatments were made available, including for the prostate cancer. As a result in 1890’s, with little success, the first surgical operation was attempted by removing the testes, a procedure known as orchiectomy. In 1904, at John Hopkins Hospital, Hugh H. Young performed for the first time a procedure called radical perineal prostatectomy described as a surgical removal of the gland.
This extreme method was replaced by the transurethral resection of the prostate and in 1941 the “chemical castration” was discovered by Charles B. Huggins, after conducting several research studies using estrogen to oppose the production of testosterone.
The prostate cancers were classified as adenocarcinomas, developing in the glandular tissue and neuro-endocrine cancer, which spreads earlier but doesn’t produce the prostate specific antigen also known as PSA.
The brachytherapy procedure was invented back in 1901, when Pierre Curie and Henri-Alexandre Danlos decided to experiment a little by inserting the radioactive source into the tumor. The result was the obvious shrinking of the tumor. In parallel, in New York, at St. Luke’s and Memorial Hospital, Robert Abbe tried to develop new application techniques for brachytherapy, but for the treatment of the prostate cancer it was used much later in time, only since 1983.
Chemotherapy was also considered as an option for treating the prostate cancer in the 1970’s.
Since its discovery several centuries ago attempts of curing this horrible disease are still being made, some with little success, but some with encouraging results. The important fact is that life is precious and you have to preserve it no matter the cost.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Humans are not immune to diseases, so it is very important to understand the “enemy” to find a cure. If you can not prevent then you must fight the sickness which is affecting the good functioning of your body.
The prostate cancer is a horrible disease not only because of its frequency but also because there are no early symptoms to indicate its existence in the human body and unfortunately when symptoms do appear the prostate cancer is in an advanced form.
These things were not known until very recently when medical research studies gathered enough information about the prostate cancer to offer some potential treatments for it.
Several decades ago, when the prostate cancer was discovered people did not know about this disease, they only remarked the common symptoms.
Ever wondered who discovered this type of cancer?
Well the first attempt in describing the prostate and the prostate disease symptoms was made by Niccolo Massa, a Venetian anatomist, in the late 1530’s; some illustrations of it dating back from 1538 and made by Andreas Vesalius, a Flemish anatomist, are still available.
Despite all of this, the prostate cancer was not officially identified until 1853, in the last years of the ninetieth century still being considered a rare disease probably because of the short life expectancies and poor medical information.
The beginning of the twentieth century was that period of time when medical experiments were conducted regularly and all sorts of new treatments were made available, including for the prostate cancer. As a result in 1890’s, with little success, the first surgical operation was attempted by removing the testes, a procedure known as orchiectomy. In 1904, at John Hopkins Hospital, Hugh H. Young performed for the first time a procedure called radical perineal prostatectomy described as a surgical removal of the gland.
This extreme method was replaced by the transurethral resection of the prostate and in 1941 the “chemical castration” was discovered by Charles B. Huggins, after conducting several research studies using estrogen to oppose the production of testosterone.
The prostate cancers were classified as adenocarcinomas, developing in the glandular tissue and neuro-endocrine cancer, which spreads earlier but doesn’t produce the prostate specific antigen also known as PSA.
The brachytherapy procedure was invented back in 1901, when Pierre Curie and Henri-Alexandre Danlos decided to experiment a little by inserting the radioactive source into the tumor. The result was the obvious shrinking of the tumor. In parallel, in New York, at St. Luke’s and Memorial Hospital, Robert Abbe tried to develop new application techniques for brachytherapy, but for the treatment of the prostate cancer it was used much later in time, only since 1983.
Chemotherapy was also considered as an option for treating the prostate cancer in the 1970’s.
Since its discovery several centuries ago attempts of curing this horrible disease are still being made, some with little success, but some with encouraging results. The important fact is that life is precious and you have to preserve it no matter the cost.
Late Stages Of Prostate Cancer
Published on Apr 10 2010, in the categories: Stages of disease, Useful Info
The prostate cancer is a disease affecting the prostate gland, and if left untreated it could eventually lead to death.
Since this disease has no early symptoms, a proper diagnose is necessary and the screening tests are recommended to be done on a regular basis by all men who had reached the age of forty or more.
The prostate biopsy is performed only in case the screening tests had shown an abnormal result. If cancer is detected, the staging process will be the next step for a better understanding of the patient’s situation.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
The Gleason scale is used to classify the stages of the cancer: scores from two to four indicate a slow growing tumor, scores from five to six indicate an intermediate aggressiveness of the tumor, while scores from seven to ten indicate the rapid growth of the cancerous tumor; the staging process or the TNM system indicates how spread is the disease, and there are usually four stages: stage I, stage II, stage III and stage IV. There is another staging system known under the name of Whitmore-Jewett staging, very similar to the TNM system, one obvious difference being the replacement of the roman numerals with Latin letters.
In stage A, the tumor is not clinically detectable, in stage B the tumor is organ-confined and can be detected after medical examinations, in stage C the tumor began spreading outside the prostate organ and in stage D, the tumor has already infected other organs.
According to the Whitmore-Jewett staging process, the late stages of the prostate cancer are obviously C and D.
In stage C, the tumor is still in the surrounding area of the prostate but chances are that it probably also entered the seminal vesicles. In substage C1 the cancerous cells have spread through the capsule containing the prostate and in substage C2 the cancer already began to block the urine flown from the ureters or the bladder outlet.
In stage D, the cancer has spread far from the prostate gland and is known as the stage of metastatic cancer. In substage D0 the blood tests indicate that the cancer has spread in the body even though the imaging tests and examination show otherwise; in substage D1 the cancer is found in the lymph nodes; in substage D2 the cancer has spread to the other organs surrounding the prostate and to the bones; in substage D3, by following the prescribed treatment, the cancer is similar as in stage D2, without further advancing.
In these last stages the patients present the following symptoms: weakness in the legs, fecal an urinary incontinence, bone pain; if the cancer had spread to the lungs and liver it will cause breathing problems, chest and abdomen pains; if the spinal cord is affected it can cause the compression of the spine, metastatic cancer will gravely affect the pelvis, the ribs and the vertebrae.
Advanced prostate cancer has a treatment, even though it is less effective in this stage comparing to the other early ones. This is probably the reason why doctors strongly recommend to take good care of you body after you reached a certain age and always seek for their counseling if strange symptoms do appear.
Since this disease has no early symptoms, a proper diagnose is necessary and the screening tests are recommended to be done on a regular basis by all men who had reached the age of forty or more.
The prostate biopsy is performed only in case the screening tests had shown an abnormal result. If cancer is detected, the staging process will be the next step for a better understanding of the patient’s situation.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
The Gleason scale is used to classify the stages of the cancer: scores from two to four indicate a slow growing tumor, scores from five to six indicate an intermediate aggressiveness of the tumor, while scores from seven to ten indicate the rapid growth of the cancerous tumor; the staging process or the TNM system indicates how spread is the disease, and there are usually four stages: stage I, stage II, stage III and stage IV. There is another staging system known under the name of Whitmore-Jewett staging, very similar to the TNM system, one obvious difference being the replacement of the roman numerals with Latin letters.
In stage A, the tumor is not clinically detectable, in stage B the tumor is organ-confined and can be detected after medical examinations, in stage C the tumor began spreading outside the prostate organ and in stage D, the tumor has already infected other organs.
According to the Whitmore-Jewett staging process, the late stages of the prostate cancer are obviously C and D.
In stage C, the tumor is still in the surrounding area of the prostate but chances are that it probably also entered the seminal vesicles. In substage C1 the cancerous cells have spread through the capsule containing the prostate and in substage C2 the cancer already began to block the urine flown from the ureters or the bladder outlet.
In stage D, the cancer has spread far from the prostate gland and is known as the stage of metastatic cancer. In substage D0 the blood tests indicate that the cancer has spread in the body even though the imaging tests and examination show otherwise; in substage D1 the cancer is found in the lymph nodes; in substage D2 the cancer has spread to the other organs surrounding the prostate and to the bones; in substage D3, by following the prescribed treatment, the cancer is similar as in stage D2, without further advancing.
In these last stages the patients present the following symptoms: weakness in the legs, fecal an urinary incontinence, bone pain; if the cancer had spread to the lungs and liver it will cause breathing problems, chest and abdomen pains; if the spinal cord is affected it can cause the compression of the spine, metastatic cancer will gravely affect the pelvis, the ribs and the vertebrae.
Advanced prostate cancer has a treatment, even though it is less effective in this stage comparing to the other early ones. This is probably the reason why doctors strongly recommend to take good care of you body after you reached a certain age and always seek for their counseling if strange symptoms do appear.
Prostate Cancer And Impotence
Published on Apr 08 2010, in the categories: Useful Info
The erectile dysfunction, also known under the name of male impotence, is defined as the inability to maintain or develop an erection of the penis, even when aroused, for a satisfying sexual performance.
There are multiple causes for this body condition, including past traumas or drug side effects.
Prostate cancer treatments are another major factor responsible for the developing of temporary or even permanent impotence. No matter how good are those results in treating the cancer, there is always a ten percent risk of impotence as a side effect because patients will always receive treatments depending on how far advanced the tumor is: organ-confined, locally advanced or metastatic.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Patients who have undergone prostate radiation therapy, surgery or cryotherapy may experience impotence as a side effect.
Since prostatectomy is the most common type of prostate treatment procedure, it can also include the risks of local bleeding, one per cent among men with ages between sixty five and sixty nine die because of the operation, anesthesia or incontinence, in four point five per cent of the cases. Impotence can develop in about thirty six per cent of the cases but there are recommended treatment such as the Viagra or sildenafil tablets, devices to help stiffen the penis, injections with Caverject or the penile prosthesis.
For the androgen deprivation therapy, also known as hormone therapy or chemical castration, the doctors use two types of drugs, the anti-androgenic drugs and the LH-RH agonists; usually this treatment has some serious side affects like impotence and gynecomastia or breast enlargement, but there is also the risk of developing cardiovascular disorders or incident diabetes, and sometimes causing even death. In some cases, this therapy treatment may not cause impotence but can change the sexual desire because the level of testosterone is being limited, as a form of treating the prostate cancer.
Cryotherapy is the newest treatment method among the three mentioned earlier and is defined as the insertion through a needle of a freezing liquid such as argon or liquid nitrogen into the prostate gland, procedure accomplished only with the help of ultrasoundimages. Unfortunately the side effects can be devastating, because there is a high risk of developing infections, fistulas that leak urine or blockage of the urethra and sometimes impotence.
The radiation therapy with its two procedures, brachytheraphy or internal beam radiation and the external beam radiation therapy, can cause incontinence and impotence but this side effects are less frequent in comparison to the surgery’s effects.
This problem is not only affecting men but also couples. Your beloved partner should be the one responsible for making things a bit easier for you. In frequent cases men will avoid the sexual contact and as a result the partner will feel inadequate or rejected. In these kind of situations, intimacy should effectively replace sex or decrease its role in maintaining a relationship.
It is a frustrating situation but things may not be so dark after all, because there are treatments available out there to help improve your erectile function and this can only be done after consulting a doctor.
There are multiple causes for this body condition, including past traumas or drug side effects.
Prostate cancer treatments are another major factor responsible for the developing of temporary or even permanent impotence. No matter how good are those results in treating the cancer, there is always a ten percent risk of impotence as a side effect because patients will always receive treatments depending on how far advanced the tumor is: organ-confined, locally advanced or metastatic.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Patients who have undergone prostate radiation therapy, surgery or cryotherapy may experience impotence as a side effect.
Since prostatectomy is the most common type of prostate treatment procedure, it can also include the risks of local bleeding, one per cent among men with ages between sixty five and sixty nine die because of the operation, anesthesia or incontinence, in four point five per cent of the cases. Impotence can develop in about thirty six per cent of the cases but there are recommended treatment such as the Viagra or sildenafil tablets, devices to help stiffen the penis, injections with Caverject or the penile prosthesis.
For the androgen deprivation therapy, also known as hormone therapy or chemical castration, the doctors use two types of drugs, the anti-androgenic drugs and the LH-RH agonists; usually this treatment has some serious side affects like impotence and gynecomastia or breast enlargement, but there is also the risk of developing cardiovascular disorders or incident diabetes, and sometimes causing even death. In some cases, this therapy treatment may not cause impotence but can change the sexual desire because the level of testosterone is being limited, as a form of treating the prostate cancer.
Cryotherapy is the newest treatment method among the three mentioned earlier and is defined as the insertion through a needle of a freezing liquid such as argon or liquid nitrogen into the prostate gland, procedure accomplished only with the help of ultrasoundimages. Unfortunately the side effects can be devastating, because there is a high risk of developing infections, fistulas that leak urine or blockage of the urethra and sometimes impotence.
The radiation therapy with its two procedures, brachytheraphy or internal beam radiation and the external beam radiation therapy, can cause incontinence and impotence but this side effects are less frequent in comparison to the surgery’s effects.
This problem is not only affecting men but also couples. Your beloved partner should be the one responsible for making things a bit easier for you. In frequent cases men will avoid the sexual contact and as a result the partner will feel inadequate or rejected. In these kind of situations, intimacy should effectively replace sex or decrease its role in maintaining a relationship.
It is a frustrating situation but things may not be so dark after all, because there are treatments available out there to help improve your erectile function and this can only be done after consulting a doctor.
Prostate Cancer Information
Published on Mar 31 2010, in the categories: Useful Info
The organ known as the prostate is a gland with the size of a walnut, found only in the male reproductive system, storing and making the seminal fluid; its location is below the bladder, near the rectum and surrounding the urethra.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Niccolo Massa, a Venetian anatomist, made the first attempt to describe the prostate gland and the symptoms of the prostate disorders, in the late 1530’s, while illustrations of it, dating from the same period of time, are being attributed to Andreas Vesalius, a Flemish anatomist. Strangely enough, because of the lack of medical information and the short life expectancies, the prostate cancer was considered a rare disease and was not officially recognized until 1853.
We can’t talk about the early symptoms of the prostate cancer because they do not exist.
Still though, if the tumor began spreading, symptoms tend to appear shortly afterwards: frequent urination or weak urine stream, burning or pain while urinating, blood in urine or semen, painful ejaculation, back pains, stiffness, ache, frequent bone pain, pain in the abdomen, compression of the spine resulting in leg weakness or incontinence.
Recent studies concluded there are several causes standing behind the development of cancerous cells in the prostate: age, is the first and most important factor because usually after the age of forty men experience internal body changes, race and genetic background, cancer being an inherited disease, and the high diet in animal fats or junk food, alcohol and smoking, increasing the exposure of developing cancer.
Since we know that cancer is not the only disease affecting the prostate gland, screening testes are recommended for an early diagnosing. These screening tests include two procedures: the digital rectal exam or DRE, when the doctor searches for hardness or lumps on the surface of the prostate gland by inserting a gloved finger into the rectum and the prostate specific antigen blood tests or PSA using as an indicator for the spreading of the cancer the prostate-specific antigen.
Depending on the result of these screening tests, being either normal or abnormal, the doctor decides if further medical investigations are needed or not.
If the result is normal, consider yourself lucky for the moment, and come again to the hospital for some other screening tests as soon as it is recommended.
If the result is abnormal, a prostate biopsy will provide better and relevant results. This procedure is done by withdrawing of one or two small pieces of the prostate tissue, using a needle trans-rectally, under the guidance of ultrasound images of the prostate area.
If cancer is diagnosed, a pathologist uses the Gleason scale to classify the stages of the cancer: scores of two to four indicate a slow growing tumor, scores of five to six indicate an intermediate aggressiveness of the tumor while scores from seven to ten indicate the rapid growth of the cancerous tumor.
There is also the staging process which indicates how spread is the disease, and there are usually four stages: stage I, stage II, stage III and stage IV.
The next step is prescribing a proper treatment; doctors recommend the conventional treatment, but the alternative treatment should not be ignored and be regarded as another available option. It all depends of how far has the tumor spread into the organism.
Into the conventional treatment list we include surgery, done by removing the malignant tumor or parts of infected tissues, radiation therapy, done by damaging the DNA of the cancerous cells with implanted radioactive seeds or an external beam radiation, cryotherapy or the freezing of the prostate, chemotherapy, hormone therapy also known as androgen deprivation therapy, limiting the release of the testosterone in the organism.
The alternative type of treatment, known as Complementary and Alternative Medicines Treatments (CAM) involves homeopathy, herbal therapy, hydrotherapy, exercises for the relaxing of the mind and magnetic fields therapy.
There is another form of treatment, reclaimed by both conventional and alternative treatment and is known under the name of watchful waiting or expectant management, described as monitoring the evolution of the prostate cancer without prescribing any treatment to it and based only on maintaining a strict nutritional diet. This is a procedure recommended for elderly men since the cancer growth is rather slow, doubling once every four years.
The last and most nerve-wrecking step is to wait and see if the treatment you chose has an effect. It can be a painful wait but life is valuable and any means to prolong it are necessary.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
Niccolo Massa, a Venetian anatomist, made the first attempt to describe the prostate gland and the symptoms of the prostate disorders, in the late 1530’s, while illustrations of it, dating from the same period of time, are being attributed to Andreas Vesalius, a Flemish anatomist. Strangely enough, because of the lack of medical information and the short life expectancies, the prostate cancer was considered a rare disease and was not officially recognized until 1853.
We can’t talk about the early symptoms of the prostate cancer because they do not exist.
Still though, if the tumor began spreading, symptoms tend to appear shortly afterwards: frequent urination or weak urine stream, burning or pain while urinating, blood in urine or semen, painful ejaculation, back pains, stiffness, ache, frequent bone pain, pain in the abdomen, compression of the spine resulting in leg weakness or incontinence.
Recent studies concluded there are several causes standing behind the development of cancerous cells in the prostate: age, is the first and most important factor because usually after the age of forty men experience internal body changes, race and genetic background, cancer being an inherited disease, and the high diet in animal fats or junk food, alcohol and smoking, increasing the exposure of developing cancer.
Since we know that cancer is not the only disease affecting the prostate gland, screening testes are recommended for an early diagnosing. These screening tests include two procedures: the digital rectal exam or DRE, when the doctor searches for hardness or lumps on the surface of the prostate gland by inserting a gloved finger into the rectum and the prostate specific antigen blood tests or PSA using as an indicator for the spreading of the cancer the prostate-specific antigen.
Depending on the result of these screening tests, being either normal or abnormal, the doctor decides if further medical investigations are needed or not.
If the result is normal, consider yourself lucky for the moment, and come again to the hospital for some other screening tests as soon as it is recommended.
If the result is abnormal, a prostate biopsy will provide better and relevant results. This procedure is done by withdrawing of one or two small pieces of the prostate tissue, using a needle trans-rectally, under the guidance of ultrasound images of the prostate area.
If cancer is diagnosed, a pathologist uses the Gleason scale to classify the stages of the cancer: scores of two to four indicate a slow growing tumor, scores of five to six indicate an intermediate aggressiveness of the tumor while scores from seven to ten indicate the rapid growth of the cancerous tumor.
There is also the staging process which indicates how spread is the disease, and there are usually four stages: stage I, stage II, stage III and stage IV.
The next step is prescribing a proper treatment; doctors recommend the conventional treatment, but the alternative treatment should not be ignored and be regarded as another available option. It all depends of how far has the tumor spread into the organism.
Into the conventional treatment list we include surgery, done by removing the malignant tumor or parts of infected tissues, radiation therapy, done by damaging the DNA of the cancerous cells with implanted radioactive seeds or an external beam radiation, cryotherapy or the freezing of the prostate, chemotherapy, hormone therapy also known as androgen deprivation therapy, limiting the release of the testosterone in the organism.
The alternative type of treatment, known as Complementary and Alternative Medicines Treatments (CAM) involves homeopathy, herbal therapy, hydrotherapy, exercises for the relaxing of the mind and magnetic fields therapy.
There is another form of treatment, reclaimed by both conventional and alternative treatment and is known under the name of watchful waiting or expectant management, described as monitoring the evolution of the prostate cancer without prescribing any treatment to it and based only on maintaining a strict nutritional diet. This is a procedure recommended for elderly men since the cancer growth is rather slow, doubling once every four years.
The last and most nerve-wrecking step is to wait and see if the treatment you chose has an effect. It can be a painful wait but life is valuable and any means to prolong it are necessary.
Prostate Cancer Radiation Seeds Versus External Beam
Published on Mar 30 2010, in the categories: Radiation Therapy, Therapies, Useful Info
The prostate cancer is a disease which affects only men and its potential effects could very well endanger their lives.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
The cancer is not the only disease affecting the prostate and to reach a correct diagnose, doctors often recommend the screening tests; depending on the results they decide to conduct, or not, further medical investigations.
These screening tests include the digital rectal exam or DRE, when the doctor searches for hardness or lumps on the surface of the prostate gland and the prostate specific antigen blood tests or PSA.
If the test result is considered to be abnormal, a prostate biopsy is needed and is done by withdrawing one or two small pieces of the prostate tissue, using a needle trans-rectally, under the guidance of ultrasound images of the prostate area.
If cancer is diagnosed, a pathologist uses the Gleason scale to classify the stages of the cancer and how far is the tumor spread. There are three ways a cancer can spread: invading the neighboring tissues, spreading through the lymph vessels and lymph nodes or by traveling through the blood to far away tissues.
The doctor’s recommended treatment options are based on this information.
Radiation therapy, a treatment procedure developed in the early twentieth century has the effect of damaging the DNA of a cancerous cell so that is won’t be able to multiply.
In early stages this method consisted of intraprostatic radium implants but once the radiation sources became stronger, external beam procedure soon became the popular choice for radiation therapy.
Now we talk about two radiation therapy procedures, the first being brachytherapy, dating back since 1983.
The brachy part from the brachytherapy word comes from the greek translation of “short” because the radiation therapy is placed at a short distance from the damaged tissue; it is also known as internal beam radiation, the radioactive seeds being directly inserted in the prostate gland through needles thus avoiding the damaging of the surrounding organs or body parts.
The second radiation treatment is the external beam radiation therapy or the EBRT when x-rays with a high energy are directed towards the tumor area. This treatment could be done for about six to eight weeks, depending on its effects.
Radiation therapy could still be regarded as a new method of treating the prostate cancer since not many things are known about it except the fact that it does has an effect in eliminating the cancerous cells.
Studies about comparing the two methods of radiation therapy are still being conducted, so we can not say with certainty which one is better.
We do know that radiation therapy has some side effects like impotence and incontinence, but they are less frequent if we compare this treatment with surgery; also cryotherapy had some less favorable results in treating an advanced form of prostate cancer than radiation therapy.
Either way, before choosing a treatment method stay informed about what changes might occur in the treatment research medical field.
<-336x280 Large Rectangle - center->
The cancer is not the only disease affecting the prostate and to reach a correct diagnose, doctors often recommend the screening tests; depending on the results they decide to conduct, or not, further medical investigations.
These screening tests include the digital rectal exam or DRE, when the doctor searches for hardness or lumps on the surface of the prostate gland and the prostate specific antigen blood tests or PSA.
If the test result is considered to be abnormal, a prostate biopsy is needed and is done by withdrawing one or two small pieces of the prostate tissue, using a needle trans-rectally, under the guidance of ultrasound images of the prostate area.
If cancer is diagnosed, a pathologist uses the Gleason scale to classify the stages of the cancer and how far is the tumor spread. There are three ways a cancer can spread: invading the neighboring tissues, spreading through the lymph vessels and lymph nodes or by traveling through the blood to far away tissues.
The doctor’s recommended treatment options are based on this information.
Radiation therapy, a treatment procedure developed in the early twentieth century has the effect of damaging the DNA of a cancerous cell so that is won’t be able to multiply.
In early stages this method consisted of intraprostatic radium implants but once the radiation sources became stronger, external beam procedure soon became the popular choice for radiation therapy.
Now we talk about two radiation therapy procedures, the first being brachytherapy, dating back since 1983.
The brachy part from the brachytherapy word comes from the greek translation of “short” because the radiation therapy is placed at a short distance from the damaged tissue; it is also known as internal beam radiation, the radioactive seeds being directly inserted in the prostate gland through needles thus avoiding the damaging of the surrounding organs or body parts.
The second radiation treatment is the external beam radiation therapy or the EBRT when x-rays with a high energy are directed towards the tumor area. This treatment could be done for about six to eight weeks, depending on its effects.
Radiation therapy could still be regarded as a new method of treating the prostate cancer since not many things are known about it except the fact that it does has an effect in eliminating the cancerous cells.
Studies about comparing the two methods of radiation therapy are still being conducted, so we can not say with certainty which one is better.
We do know that radiation therapy has some side effects like impotence and incontinence, but they are less frequent if we compare this treatment with surgery; also cryotherapy had some less favorable results in treating an advanced form of prostate cancer than radiation therapy.
Either way, before choosing a treatment method stay informed about what changes might occur in the treatment research medical field.