April 5, 2008

Prostate Cancer Patients Have A Brighter Future With Ketoconazole

No doubt, you are confused and feel helpless when you are diagnosed with cancer of the prostate gland, but today there's hope for millions suffering from this type of cancer in the form of the wonder drug Ketoconazole. Earlier the fear of surgery and castration had huge psychological effects but now it has been found that therapy depriving the patient of androgen can be administered in a much more humane way. Ketoconazole can work magic by way of combating prostate cancer.

To lower androgen levels, what medical specialists now prescribe is the application of HDK or High-Dose Ketoconazole. The substance acts as a barrier and controls secretions from the endocrine glands. In this way, the production of testosterone is diminished and logically it works like Androgen Deprivation Therapy or ADT, as it is commonly called. The previous custom of performing surgery on the genital area to deprive the prostate of the hormone androgen can thus be avoided.

Ketoconazole hinders the enzyme P450. Laboratory experiments have proven the ability of Ketoconazole to kill cancer cells. However, a more complete treatment is to administer doses of the combination of Ketoconazole and Hydrocortisone. They complement each other. While the Ketoconazole hinders the secretion of testosterone, the synthetic Hydrocortisone is a substitute for the cortisol in the body.

If the body rejects High-Dose Ketoconazole, LDK or Low-Dose Ketoconazole may be administered instead. This, as the name suggests, is a lower dose of Ketoconazole. It has been found that the results are as good as those after treatment with HDK.

Medical specialists advise HDK to be taken three times a day in the first week. The recommended strength is 200 mg. The dosage of HDK is then raised to double the strength. However, the timings don't alter. To be efficacious, Ketoconazole is best taken on an empty stomach. The ideal time is midway between meals. That would be approximately two hours after one meal and two hours before the next. The reason is that absorption of Ketoconazole is much faster on an empty stomach, without the interference from other substances in medications such as histamines.

Hydrocortisone on the other hand is best taken with food. Take great precautions as to the dosage. Stick to what the doctor has prescribed. An overdose of Hydrocortisone could result in edema, especially around the ankles. If such a manifestation should occur, don't under any circumstances stop taking the drug abruptly. The dosage should be gradually tapered off.

Ketoconazole is the answer to the prayers of millions of people suffering from prostate cancer. It has the potential to give the sufferer another chance at life, as it curbs the malignant cells through efficiently preventing enzymes from degenerating. Medications that have the generic name Ketoconazole is what you should talk to your doctor about.

Milos Pesic is an expert in the field of Prostate Cancer and runs a highly popular and comprehensive Prostate Cancer web site. For more articles and resources on Prostate Cancer related topics, treatment options and much more visit his site at:

=> http://prostate.need-to-know.net/

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

0 Comments: