10 Important Steps To Beat Your Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States and it is the second most common cause of cancer death in men over age 55. The incidence of prostate cancer increases dramatically with each decade after 50. Fortunately, prostate cancer tends to be slow-growing compared to many other cancers – the majority of prostate cancers either do not spread or cause any significant harm for decades.

In general, men run a 1-in-6 chance of developing prostate cancer at some point in their lives. More than 230,000 new cases are expected this year in the United States, with about 27,000 deaths.

Most men will choose conventional treatment, often surgery or radiation, but there are life-changing potential side effects they need to be aware of, and discuss with their doctors.

Surgery, called a prostatectomy for the surgical removal of the prostate gland, means impotence for about 75% of the men choosing this path, according to a September 2004 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Also, about 14% of the men were incontinent – could not control their bladder – five years after the operation.

With standard radiation therapy, the odds of impotence are about the same, 73%. The incontinence rate was much lower, just under 5%. There are new radiation therapies we discussed in the new guidebook How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer that have better outcomes.

No matter what conventional therapy a man chooses, if he does nothing else there is a 30% to 40% chance that his cancer or another cancer will recur. That’s because his immune system was not strong enough to protect him from the first cancer, and if he does nothing it will be no stronger the next time it is needed. In addition, radiation and chemotherapy depress the immune system, leaving it weaker than it was before you got treatment. Finally, any cancerous cells that survive the radiation and chemotherapy treatments, or escape the surgeon’s knife – and a few ALWAYS do – must be cleaned up by the immune system. Yet those cells that survived radiation or chemotherapy are, by definition, the strongest mutant cells. Cells that survive chemotherapy even have their own name: Multi-drug resistant. All of this means that if a man’s cancer recurs, the cure rates the second time around are much, much lower – on the order of 5% survival.

So even if a man chooses conventional treatment, the information and advice on alternative treatments in How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer is very important for his recovery and continued good health.

Here are 5 of the 10 important steps covered in a Free Report by the authors of How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer that have worked for others:

1. Pick a doctor carefully. The numbers above on impotence and incontinence are pretty scary. Top surgeons who perform hundreds of these operations tend to have better numbers, and you should ALWAYS get the statistics in advance from any doctor before you let them treat you. Remember that if you are talking to a surgeon, he probably will want to operate. If your doctor is a radiation oncologist, don’t be surprised if he pushes radiation. A clinical oncologist might counsel chemotherapy. Always consider the source. If you want to try alternative therapy first, since you really are not pressed for time, choose an alternative doctor or health care practitioner just as carefully.

2. Boost your immune system. If you’re going to undergo conventional treatment, you need to boost your immune system to deal with the impact of chemotherapy and radiation. You also need to clean up the remaining cells after therapy, and then build back your immune system so cancer does not recur. If you are going to pursue an alternative treatment path while you have the time, boosting your immune system is Job #1. Several chapters in How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer show you how to do that.

3. Alkalize your internal environment. Cancer cells are highly acidic, and cancer can’t live in an alkaline environment. You can test your pH level with test strips from the pharmacy or health food store. It should be over 7.0, preferably in the 7.2 to 7.4 range. If your internal body environment is acidic, it makes it much easier for cancer to grow and metastasize. Prostate cancer often metastasizes to the bones, making it much harder to beat.

4. Get more oxygen to your cells. Cancer hates oxygen. In the lab, when they are doing an experiment where they want cancerous cells to grow quickly, they simply turn down the oxygen. When they want to stabilize the experiment, they turn the oxygen back up. The same is true of your body.

5. Take vitamins and supplements. If you eat the Standard American Diet, you are eating fruits and vegetables grown on depleted soil, picked too early so they won’t ripen and spoil while they’re in the distribution chain, and then probably overcooked. Even if you are eating organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed pastured meat and raw milk, you still can’t get the massive amounts of vitamins and supplements you need to let your immune system overcome a cancerous tumor that has become established. You must take high-quality vitamins and minerals, digestive enzymes and specific anti-cancer supplements like those recommended in Chapter 7 of How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer.

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The complete Free Report with all 10 important steps a man can take to begin fighting his prostate cancer right away can be obtained from http://www.beat-prostate-cancer.net/.

Michael Murphy is the Executive Director of the Cures Research Institute, an organization dedicated to combining the best of conventioal and alternative medicine to drmatically improve outcomes for people with health problems. © Cures Research Institute 2006

Prostate Cancer Treatments - Restore Hope

For most men, the initial thought after receiving their diagnosis centers on prostate cancer treatments. Fortunately, the options are many, though some therapies respond to various cancer stages better than others.

At the outset, two of the most common forms of treatment are surgery and radiation. Surgery effectively removes the cancer cells manually or through the use of less invasive lasers. Radiation therapy involves killing or shrinking the cancer cells with high energy x-rays via an external source or by implanting a radioactive "seed" near the cancer site.

For more advanced or recurring cases of prostate cancer, chemotherapy is frequently used. Though often believed to be the same as radiation, chemotherapy relies on drugs that are typically administered intravenously to destroy the cancer cells.

In addition to chemotherapy, if the prostate cancer spreads to other sites on the body or for fighting advanced or metastatic stages, hormone therapy and biophosphates are commonly employed. Hormone therapy draws on drugs that impede testosterone production, while biophosphate treatments work to offset the bone weakness that hormone therapy can produce.

These are all treatments administered by medical professionals, but complementary therapies, also known as alternative or holistic treatments, have been found to support more traditional methods. Examples of these treatments are herbal medicines and vitamin supplements, therapeutic massage and other forms of healing touch, and harnessing mental energy to aid in healing.

While these treatments are all currently available, patients should remember that new investigational treatments are introduced all of the time. These are therapies or medicines that may be effective, even though they are still in the research phases or not approved for widespread use.

http://prostatehealth-101.com/ is a website committed to providing you with the best information regarding prostate cancer. Whether you're searching for the latest prostate cancer treatments, or you're wondering what the common causes and risk factors of prostate cancer are, we've got you covered!

Latest Treatment on Prostate Cancer

Many people think the latest treatment on prostate cancer involves radiation therapy, chemotherapy or actual removal by a surgeon's hand. And while these are the most popular options, the latest treatment involves a procedure that is so high-tech one would think it came from a science fiction movie or novel. Specifically, this prostate cancer treatment is called robotic prostatectomy, (or in layman's terms, robotic prostate surgery).

The name alone should clue a person in as to why it is considered the latest treatment on prostate cancer. Basically, the procedure involves using a series of robotic arms to remove the entire prostate. Surgeons remain in the room to help guide the arms during the surgery. They are able to see what's going on in the patient's body through a nearby console. Indeed with robotic prostate surgery, surgeons do not have to open the patient's body directly to get a visual of what needs to be done. Of course, a few incisions will have to be made to allow the robotic arms through, but they are much smaller than the type of incisions that would be made through traditional prostate surgery.

So, can robotic prostate surgery earn the distinction as being the latest treatment on prostate cancer when it comes to how it effects the patient? The answer is both yes and no. As a surgical procedure, robotic prostate surgery results in less pain and bleeding than its traditional counterpart. The procedure also allows for a much shorter recovery period. However, it still carries with it the same type of side effects that occur with regular prostate surgery. This includes urinary incontinence and sexual problems. Urinary incontinence occurs because the procedure removes a set of muscles that helps a person hold in their urine. And sexual problems occur because the procedure negatively interferes with nerves that assist in erectile functioning. It also doesn't help that the prostate is removed, since this organ is important in the process of arousal. In fact, for some men the organ is essential for strengthening their orgasms. Still, both side effects tend to be temporary, lasting for a few months. But ultimately, since robotic prostate surgery can't prevent these side effects it really isn't the latest treatment on prostate cancer, at least in this area.

What can a person do if they're looking for the latest treatment on prostate cancer that does not carry with it complications? Unfortunately, at the moment there is not much they can do. All of the medically-accepted treatments for prostate cancer, even the latest ones, carry side effects. Some of them can even cause liver damage, (a consequence that can occur with hormone therapy). So, with that in mind, robotic prostate surgery is probably still the best option. The only downside is that it is so new that it is not widely practiced at every hospital. This means prostate cancer sufferers may have to travel out-of-state to get the procedure performed.

You can learn more about prostate cancer as well as the symptoms of prostate cancer on my website http://www.symptomsofprostatecancer.info/ - My website includes a whole range of articles focusing on the problems caused by prostate cancer, treatments and of course what you should do if you think you have prostate cancer.

Who Else Wants to Know About Natural Help Against Prostate Cancer?

You are probably reading this article as either you, or somebody you know, is suffering from this all too common man's ailment.

Prostate Cancer, or its sister ailment BPH (Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy, or non-cancerous enlarged prostate) affects over 50% of men over 60, and more than 80% of men over 80.

In a quote from Wikipedia "A prostatitis diagnosis is assigned at 8% of all urologist and 1% of all primary care physician visits in the United States."

Being one of those unfortunate sufferers of many years now, I have been on medication from my doctor for at least two years. Although the symptoms have not got any worse, they definitely have not gone away, or reduced the problems.

Having done some of my own research (you know what they say - a little knowledge is a dangerous thing...) I came across a couple of instances where drugs commonly prescribed for prostate issues, and in particular a drug called Proscar frequently provided in the States, would seem to be highly dangerous, and according to the US Veterans Association, is no more effective than sugar pills.

Well, totally assured by that, and other articles I had seen, I decided to look at more of a natural remedy, if indeed such a remedy existed.

The first scare that I came across was that of the side effects of mercury used in the amalgam filling of our teeth. Mercury is such a dangerous metal to the human body that it is a felony in the States to put one drop of the stuff in the ground, but many of us have many of our teeth stuffed full of this stuff. And, as you may or may not be aware, with all of this metallic compound in our mouths, which is then covered in salvia, our mouths become small electrical batteries, with the result that mercury will be leached out in to the body. And guess what effect mercury has on the prostate - it encourages cancerous cell growth. There was an instance reports in the press of a patient suffering with prostate cancer who was so ill, he was sent home to die. After having a biological dentist remove all the mercury based filling s from his mouth, and a course of some of the natural drugs mentioned later in this article, he slowly made a miraculous recovery.

Now, there are two things you can do to immediately reduce the risk of prostate issues.

The first is regular daily exercise. Not too much is needed, but a brisk 40 minute walk, or a workout down the gym, will improve your chances of fighting off prostate cancer tremendously.

The second is to drink copious amounts of water every day - at least 8 to 10 glasses a day. Oh! and watch out you don't include too much alcohol in that water!

Thirdly, anything that raises your cholesterol levels increases your chances of getting prostate cancer, so watch your diet as a matter of course.

There are a lot of natural products that can not only reduce the risk of prostate cancer, there are some natural products that can actually seek out and destroy prostate cancer cells. The technical term for that is to induce apoptosis, or cell death, to the malignant cells.

You should look at natural ingredients to include in your diet such as garlic, tomatoes, green peppers, apricots, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and supplements that contain Selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, Zinc, Corn Oil, Soy products.

Armed with this information, if you have a prostrate issue, please discuss these ideas with your physician. As I said earlier, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing but if you are aware that there are natural products out there to help you, make sure your doctor discusses them with you.

Can you achieve anything if you don't put your mind to it? Geoff Morris as been looking using Your Mind with Natural Health for topics like Beauty, Heart Health, Children, Men's Health, Women's Health, even Financial Health. Here's how it can work for you. http://www.natural-health-for-all.com

How To Handle Impotence Caused By Your Prostate Cancer Treatment

It can be very depressing for you if you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and as a result of your treatment, have to combat impotence as well. You have feelings of inadequacy and feel as if you have lost your manhood.

Prostate cancer treatment has been known to cause impotence. This is because the prostate gland is in close proximity to the nerves that control and enable erection and any nerve damage sustained during surgery or radiotherapy can cause penile dysfunction. You should therefore discuss about the chances of developing impotence with your oncologist before you start your prostate cancer treatment.

Fortunately, many of the impotence cases that are caused by prostate cancer treatments are only temporary. Normal erections do return within 6-12 months. Even so this is a long time to be impotent and many men worry how their inability to have sex will affect their relationships. If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer and your chosen form of treatment is known to affect the functioning of the penis, then you must talk to your partner and explain that it is what you want to do. You really should have little to worry about as most partners would prefer you to be alive and impotent than not alive at all.

There are drugs available that can cause an erection and these can be prescribed until normal functioning returns. Talk to your doctor about this and find out if there are any side effects from taking the tablets.

Alternatively you and your partner can find other ways to pleasure each other so that sexual intercourse is no longer the main part of your sex life.

In addition to impotence there is a chance that your prostate cancer will also make you sterile. The prostate gland adds the fluid part to semen and so removal of the gland means that ejaculate is no longer produced. This makes it virtually impossible to impregnate a female as the fluid is needed to carry the sperm. This complication should also be a factor when considering which prostate cancer treatment to choose, especially if you are still young and want children in the future.

Sterility is often only temporary with radiation and chemotherapy treatments for prostate cancer however surgery to remove the entire gland will ultimately result in permanent sterility.

Discussing the various options with your partner will help to put things in perspective. Your prostate cancer affects her as much as you. So you should not remain silent about your suffering. It is crucial that you talk about your prostate cancer treatment as you will need her support during this tough period.

About the Author
Your prostate health is important for cancer prevention. For more information, resources and support, please click http://www.prostate-cancer-treatment-hub.com/.

Can A Prostate Cancer Diet Work For You

Many people think that once they have been diagnosed with cancer, there is nothing they can do except seek medical treatment. While medical treatment is extremely important, it is wrong to think that you cannot aid your healing at home. Did you know that if you suffer from prostate cancer, a prostate cancer diet can help you heal faster? You need to take care of your body when you have cancer and one of the best ways to do this is to eat a healthy diet and exercise.

Men that suffer from prostate cancer should do everything that he can do aid his body during the healing process. This is important throughout treatment and once he goes into remission. A diet rich in healthy foods can certainly help a man through his prostate cancer treatments. Here are some ways that you can follow a prostate cancer diet and make sure that you are healing in no time flat.

•Take your vitamins: Cancer takes a lot out of your body. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you will want to make sure you are getting adequate amounts of the necessary vitamins and minerals everyday. Your doctor can recommend a good vitamin supplement to take during your treatment.

•Go low fat: It is always important to eat a diet that is low in fat, but it is even more important to do this if you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. When you follow the prostate cancer diet, stick to foods that are low in saturated fats and avoid any food with trans-fat. Eat lean meats such boneless, skinless chicken breast, and turkey. Also, remember to stay away from fried foods.

•Get plenty of fruits and vegetables: The rule of thumb when it comes to following a good prostate cancer diet is to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Dark green veggies are rich in iron, while orange veggies are good anti-oxidants. This is what you want to look for when you add these types of foods to your diet.

•Legumes and Dairy: It is also important that you follow a diet that contains legumes (peas and beans) and plenty of low fat dairy. Low fat string cheese, yogurt and skim milk are ideal when following prostate cancer diet. Soy is also an excellent option for anyone that is suffering from cancer.

In addition to eating correctly while you are following the prostate cancer diet, you also need to make sure that you are getting the proper amount of exercise. This cannot only help you feel rejuvenated; you will also help your body heal faster. As you can see, following the proper diet and exercising are the keys to helping your body heal from prostate cancer.

About the Author:

You can also find more info on Prostate Cancer New Treatment and Prostate Exam

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options: Selecting What Is Best

Being diagnosed with prostate cancer nowadays is by no means a death sentence however it is imperative that you get treatment without delay. There are a number of prostate cancer treatment options available and the best one for you will depend on your individual case. You need to speak with your oncologist and decide what you want to achieve from your prostate cancer treatment so that the right course of treatment can be selected for you.

This can initially be quite difficult to do, especially when you are first diagnosed and in a state of shock however your oncologist will be able to answer any questions you may have and will be able to give you very beneficial advice. You might want to consider taking a family member with you to your consultation so that they can ask any questions that you might forget because of the stress associated with the situation.

Ask your oncologist if he/she has any leaflets about the various prostate cancer treatments because as you go back over your conversation at a later date you will undoubtedly forget important aspects that require consideration. Also ask your oncologist to explain the different prostate cancer treatment options to you in easy terms. Medical jargon can be overwhelming and confusing to a stressed mind so try to make things as easy as possible.

Simply put there are three major forms of prostate cancer treatment; surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Hormone therapy is also often used as a complimentary therapy and any combination of the three main treatments can be used together or in conjunction with hormone therapy. The type of prostate cancer treatment that you receive will depend to a large extent on the cancer itself and how far it has progressed.

When the initial cancer spreads to the surrounding tissues and then to other sites in the body, the type of prostate cancer treatment used will become more palliative than curative i.e. the treatment will slow down the growth of the cancer and help control the side effects rather than actually curing the disease.

In addition factors such as your age, general health and what you want to achieve from the treatment will also be taken into consideration. The elderly may suffer from surgery much more than they would suffer with prostate cancer and so they may choose to do nothing except slow down the growth and spread of the disease. Younger men however may want to get rid of the cancer entirely and so opt for surgery and then probably radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancerous cells.

There are a lot of things to consider when you choose your form of prostate cancer treatment and the decision should not be rushed. Prostate cancer is one of the slow growing cancers and so a few weeks of deliberation will, in most cases, have no major effect on the size of your cancer or the symptoms experienced. Take your time and weigh up all the options before deciding to do anything; after all, you cannot turn the clock back and decide again.

About the Author
There are several factors to deciding on your prostate cancer treatment. Please visit http://www.prostate-cancer-treatment-hub.com/ for more information and resources.

4 of the Latest Treatment on Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer causes a lot of fear in men throughout the world. However, unlike other forms of the disease, prostate cancer is easily treatable when diagnosed early. Below are 4 common prostate cancer treatments that can improve your quality of life or completely cure you of the disease altogether.

Cryotherapy

When cryotherapy was first introduced it took some time for it to become as popular as it is today. People's views have changed about this treatment and it is now considered a very efficient method of treating prostate cancer. Cryotherapy is administered by treating the affected area with liquid argon. Liquid argon is extremely cold and destroys cancerous cells only, leaving the surrounding living tissue unharmed. This treatment option has very few side effects, but to some they may seem somewhat troubling -- such as sexual dysfunction.

Radiation Treatment

Many years ago, radiation treatment was the most popular prostate cancer treatment. But as technology and knowledge have advanced, this treatment is becoming less common. Radiation treatment comes with a slew of side effects and a relatively low success rate. Another downside to this treatment is the fact that a patient only has one chance at radiation treatment. Otherwise, radiation dosages become too high and can make a patient's health even worse.

Androgen Deprivation Therapy

This treatment option used to be done with the use of a surgical procedure called orchidectomy. However, now it can be administered through the use of a hormone drug. The drug controls the production and release of testosterone, or prevents testosterone in the body from metabolizing into dihydrotestosterone. These hormones can have an adverse effect on prostate cancer, so controlling their production is very important. Because this treatment is so non-invasive, it is very popular among prostate cancer patients.

Radical Prostatectomy

Radical prostatectomy is the most successful treatment option. However, this treatment surgically removes the entire prostate from the patient's body. It is therefore usually considered as a last resort since it very likely results in total impotence and urine incontinence. If the cancer has not yet spread to other parts of the body, this procedure is almost guaranteed to work, but the extreme side effects of it are also guaranteed.

Are you looking for information about latest treatment on prostate cancer? For more important information on prostate cancer, the prostate gland, and prostate cancer prevention and treatments, please visit http://www.onlineprostatehealth.com for more information.

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options With High Grade PIN

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options Improve Survival Rates

As treatment options improve, the survival rates for prostate cancer also improve. This is true for all stages except distant stage (metastasized) prostate cancer (National Cancer Institute Prostate Cancer Trends).

When prostate cancer is detected at the earliest stages, patients have the greatest chance for high survival rates.

One of the best tests for early detection is a biopsy for PIN or prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. PIN is generally considered the first detectable form of precancerous cells in the prostate, and can lead to adenocarcinoma. This test is independent from a PSA screening of the blood.

The PIN biopsy removes cells from different areas of the prostate and examines them for areas of increased cells or cellular proliferation that resemble cancer, and "architectural" patterns like tufting, neuroendocrine and mucinous patterns. HGPIN spreads slowly through the prostatic ducts similar to the development of prostatic cancer.

If the biopsy results are high grade PIN or HGPIN, it is considered one of the most reliable predictors of prostate cancer at this time.

What Are The Prostate Cancer Treatment Options With High Grade PIN?

Most researchers recommend follow-up biopsies at three to six month intervals for several years, then every year for life. Additional treatment is based on gathering information about the patient's individual risk. Many therapies are being tested, including preventive androgen therapy. Most invasive therapies like surgery and radiation are not considered unless there are rapid changes in the PIN biopsies.

Early detection of prostate cancer has the added advantage of opening the door for chemoprevention as one prostate cancer treatment option. Chemoprevention involves changes in the patient's lifestyle to avoid or postpone the progress of cancer.
One study using green tea extract found 90% prevention of prostate cancer in patients with HGPIN after one year of treatment. Drug studies have found 20-25% prevention of prostate cancer during five-year studies.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men after skin cancer. It is diagnosed in approximately 220,000 new patients and kills almost 30,000 each year in the United States alone. African-American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world, running 60% higher than other American men (American Cancer Society, SEER National Cancer Institute).

Prostate cancer has been detected in men as young as 20 years old and by age 80 at least 80% of men have this cancer. Because it can take decades to proliferate, considering chemoprevention as part of a patient's prostate cancer treatment options offers more pro-active and positive pathways to health.

Men should consult with their primary health care provider for their best prostate cancer treatment options and early detection procedures.

You can find more information on green tea and drug studies on prostate cancer prevention at http://www.green-tea-health-news.com/prostate-cancer-prevention.html
Sharon Jones has over 40 years training and experience in science, mainstream health care, and alternative health care. Her website is http://www.green-tea-health-news.com/

3 Steps for Increasing Prostate Cancer Survival Rates

Prostate cancer can be a very frightening prospect to think about. If you don't take the necessary precautions early enough, this disease can can take a heavy toll on its victims. Before we look at some things that will help you avoid prostate cancer, we should first explore the fact that some problems cannot be avoided.

For example, the likelihood of developing prostate cancer significantly increases when you have a family history of the disease or you when you reach a certain age. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to prevent prostate cancer from sneaking up on you and doing serious damage. These things include consistent exercise, a proper diet and regular health exams.

Exercise

To put it simply, exercise is one of the most effective tools for improving your quality of life and overall health. In order to stay strong, healthy and function properly, your body requires consistent physical stimuli. Exercise also plays a role in keeping your immune system strong, which will help you stay disease and cancer free. By maintaining a healthy exercise regimen you will greatly lower your chances of developing prostate cancer. Furthermore, if you are actually diagnosed with the disease, you will be in a much better position to fight off and cure prostate cancer if you are in good shape from exercising.

Healthy Diet

Diet is another important factor that contributes to a healthy lifestyle and is vital if you are exercising on a regular basis. Exercise forces your body to get stronger by repairing itself after breaking down during exercise. Without a proper diet, your body will not be able to grow stronger after exercise if it lacks the nutrients needed for that repair.

Studies show that a well balanced and healthy diet is the most important factor in a healthy lifestyle. Junk food and other unhealthy food increase your chances of health trouble in the future, including prostate cancer. One nutrient that comes highly recommended by the medical profession is lycopene, which has been shown to prevent all forms of cancer. Some foods where lycopene is found in large quantities are tomatoes, papayas, guava and watermelons. You can also take lycopene in supplement form.

Annual Checkups

Remember though that your healthy lifestyle of proper diet and exercise is meaningless without annual checkups and prostate exams. The reason these checkups are so important is because they allow for the detection of prostate cancer in its earliest stages. Early detection has shown to be overwhelmingly important for successfully treating prostate cancer. Diagnosed early, your chances of survival are extremely high, so try to get annual or semi-annual health exams.

Even though your chances of beating the disease are very high if diagnosed in the early stages, prostate cancer should not be taken likely. By incorporating a healthy diet, consistent exercise regimen, and regular health exams you will be well on your way to avoiding prostate cancer.

Are you looking for information about prostate cancer survival rates? For more important information on prostate cancer diagnostic testing, the prostate gland, and prostate cancer prevention and treatments, please visit http://www.onlineprostatehealth.com/ for more information.

Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer

For prostate cancer treatment we give the patient hormones that will suppress the male hormones (andrones) in their body. Androgens (male hormones) are produced mainly in the testicles. Sometimes androgens will stimulate the growth of prostate cancer and speed up the growth of the cancer cells. If the levels of the androgens is lowered then the cancer will grow much slower and possibly shrink. Hormone therapy is not meant to cure the cancer in the prostate but if used in conjunction with other therapy such as radiation or surgery if their is a risk of recurrence.

There are numerous ways that the androgen levels can be lowered in the bloodstream:

Orchiectomy - is the surgical removal of one or both of the testicles which are the main source of androgen production in the male body. By removing the testicle or testicles the levels of male hormones will drop enough to slow the growth of the cancer

Luteinizin hormone-release hormone analogs (LHRH) - often chosen instead of having an orchiectomy, LHRH analogs are injected or inserted as small implants underneath the skin. These injections are usually given every month or ever 3, 4, 6 or 12 months. The LHRH analogs that are used most of the time are Lupron, Viadur, Eligard, Zoladex or Trelstar.

Antiandrogens - are given to block the action of the androgens (production of male sex characteristics). Antiandrogens are given in daily pill form and the drugs used are Eulexin, Casodex, and Niandron. Antiandrogen treatments is often used in conjunction with an Orchiectomy because even after the orchiectomy there are sill androgens that will be produced by the adrenal glands.

Estrogens - largely replaced by LHRH therapy because of severe side effects, the use of estrogens (hormones that produce female sex characteristics) was often used in the past as a substitute for Orchiectomy

Side Effects of Hormone Therapy

The side effects for Orchiectomy and LHRH treatment are basically the same:

-reduced or no libido (sexual desire)
-impotence
-hot flashes (these may go away with time)
-breast tenderness and growth of breast tissue
-osteoporosis (weakening of bones) leading to bone fractures
-anemia (low red blood cell counts)
-decreased mental acuity
-loss of muscle mass
-weight gain
-fatigue
-decrease in HDL ("good") cholesterol
-depression
The Side Effects of Antiandrogen Treatment
-diarrhea
-nausea
-liver problems
-tiredness

*Note that the biggest difference between the side effects of LHRH treatment and Antiandrogen treatment is when Antiandrogens treatment is given alone their are less sexual side effects. The patients libido and potency can still be maintained.

Many of the side effects noted above can be treated so if they do arise consult with you doctor about what can be done to reduce them.
Steven Wallace provides information about Prostate Diseases and Prostate Cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment options at http://prostate-answers.com/

The Big News About Herbal Treatment For Prostate Cancer

A very deceptive cancer that affects the prostate, does not start early, but does grow fast once it does start. This cancer like many can be life threatening as well as very damaging. Many people afflicted with this type of cancer do not even realize anything is wrong until it becomes a nightmare.

Prostate cancer affects men and their sexual performance as well as the other sexual functions. More so, older men should be concerned about developing prostate cancer, although it does affect young men as well. Surgery is a choice many have problems dealing with, as it will change their lives forever.

Surgery happens to be the only known treatment of prostate in the medical field. However, this procedure does take your ability to perform sexually, which leaves many with psychological problems. Although people who have the surgery can live long lives, many live with depression. You never have a guarantee that the cancer cells have not moved to other parts of the body.

Herbal treatment for prostate cancer has offered an alternative for people suffering from prostate cancer. This method of treatment is not backed by any medical profession, but mostly by believers in herbal cures. Many believe that early detection of cancer and continued herbal treatment of prostate cancer, you can skip any groups that help you deal with prostate cancer.

Listed below are a few options for herbal treatment for prostate cancer:

• Lycopene- this helps to fight the risk of developing cancer. Tomatoes, watermelons and grapefruits are a good source for lycopene. Lycopene goes deep into the body and helps to reverse the malignant process. Therefore, this herb works well on prostate cancer.
• Saw Palmetto- this helps to inhibit the 5-alpha-reductase and interferes with the DRT as well as working as a phytoestrogen. This helps fight prostate cancer. This herbal treatment for prostate cancer comes from the plant known as saw palmettos.
• Selenium- this is provided from garlic, chicken, grains and shellfish. There has been links to selenium deficiency and cancers. When you take this herb, you build a wall against cancer.

By having, regular check ups and taking a herbal treatment for prostate cancer prevention as well as treatment will allow you a long life. You have to follow the guidelines for how much you need daily for any treatment to work.
You can also find more information at Prostate Cancer Detection And Treatment and Prostate Cancer New Treatment.prostatecancertreatmenthelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about prostate cancer treatment.

Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer Treatment: Look Ahead Prostate Cancer

Modern man should be putting a braver face facing Prostate Cancer because Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer Treatment would mean a more efficient way in addressing the problems of Prostate Cancer as well as the complications it usually bring along. This treatment is the last option for a patient of Prostate Cancer. They come in the feet's of this expensive treatment as they have no other option for their problem. Yet Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer Treatment proves to be quite victorious in solving the cases of Prostate cancer.

An Evaluation of Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer Treatment: One of the most damaging side effects of radiation treatment for prostate cancer is incontinence. If the urinary sphincter is damaged during the radiation treatment process, the patient will experience varying degrees of urinary incontinence, an unwilled action of urinating. This can be very life changing but there are those instances where a corrective surgery can be applied.
Serious incontinence cases though are rare, affecting 1% - 3% of the men undergoing radiation treatment. Though the symptoms will usually go away the longest in a year, it is permanent in less than 1% of the radiation treated men.

In consideration of the above all defects of radiation therapy, her comes a new treatment with latest technology known as Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer treatment. The probability of side effects under this therapy is very less as compared with that of radiation therapy.

It is helpful in solving problems like signs of prostate cancer include a weak urine flow and even the inability to urinate. This condition is very painful and would be a hindrance to one's normal activities. In some cases, blood in the urine and/or semen can be found. Burning sensation during urination and pain in the lower back are signs of prostate cancer as well.

Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer Treatment is a Well-Matched Therapy:

Proton therapy for prostate cancer treatment is of fussy significance to the patients of Prostate Cancer at the very initial level. This therapy is analgesic and pain-relieving as compared with that of radiation therapy. Once diagnosed, planning the treatment should logically follow. Research has shown that prostate cancer is treated with Proton Therapy Treatment varies from one patient to the other and depending on the severity of the disease. Understanding the cause or disease will help in making better informed decisions about the Proton Therapy for prostate cancer. If detected in its earlier stage the patient has bigger chances of recovering from the disease.

However the Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer Treatment is costly as compared with radiation therapy because it involves use of expensive and latest technological tools and equipments. The advantages or merits of Proton Therapy for Cancer Treatment add worth to it. Because of this reason it is preferred by almost every patient suffering from Proton Cancer. One of the biggest advantages of this type of therapy is that it is easily available and best suited to persons having Proton Cancer.

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You can also find more info on prostate cancer treatment and laser prostate. Prostatecancertreatmenthelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about prostate cancer treatment.

Advanced Prostate Cancer - Options For Treatment

Prostate cancer normally develops within the peripheral area of the prostate gland and this initially small area of cancerous tissue cannot be felt on a digital rectal examination (DRE) but is often picked up through a PSA test or an ultrasound examination. At this point prostate cancer is described as being in Stage I or is described as a T1 cancer.

As the cancerous region grows within the prostate it will create abnormalities which can now be felt during a DRE and, at this point, the disease is said to have progressed to Stage II or become a T2 cancer.

In both Stage I and Stage II cancer is confined to the prostate gland and is normally treated surgically, with radiation therapy, with cryosurgery or using ultrasound.

As the cancer continues to grow it will spread into surrounding tissues within the pelvic area and will move into Stage III or be classed as a T3 cancer. Finally, prostate cancer cells will be carried to regions of the body outside of the pelvic area and prostate cancer reaches Stage IV or becomes a T4 cancer. It is these two stages of the disease that are classed as being "advanced prostate cancer".

The treatment of advanced prostate cancer is aimed principally at slowing the spread of the disease, providing the best possible quality of life for the patient and extending the patient's life as far as is possible. Although it is possible to cure prostate cancer, particularly in Stage III, the advanced nature of the disease makes this a difficult task and the reality of the situation is that treatment at this point generally represents management of the disease rather than a cure for it.

As prostate cancer cells require male hormones (such as testosterone) to grow, the main form of treatment for advanced prostate cancer is hormone treatment to reduce the production of testosterone.

Hormone therapy may include the use of drugs to reduce testosterone levels in the body or to block the action of testosterone and other male hormones. Treatment options will also include the removal of the testicles (orchiectomy) which produce 95% of the testosterone found in the body.

In some cases of Stage IV cancer hormone therapy may not be effective, or may have only limited results, and patients may require systematic radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
For further information on advanced prostate cancer please visit ProstateCancerExplained.com today.

Prostate Cancer Treatment - What Kind of Drugs Are Used To Treat Prostate Cancer

Doctors will try different medications before referring you to a medical oncologist. If you are referred to one that would imply that your prostate cancer has reached an advanced stage. They would then be speaking about Chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy will destroy the cancer cells by interfering with their growth and reproduction. Chemotherapy can be performed either by administering drugs or by performing surgical operations. In some cases, it could be a combination of these two. Chemotherapy can in some cases be very effective the prostate cancer but will not cure it.

The known side-effects are chemotherapy are nausea, hair losses and mouth sores. A new technique called fractionated dose will diminish those side-effects.

Two common chemotherapy drugs are Mitoxantrone as well as Corticosteroids. The other drugs that are used for chemotherapy are rednisone, Paclitaxel and Docetaxel. The final brand which is becoming more and more popular is Estramustine.

Doctors will usually advice you to undergo a surgical operation. You will then be given some medications to take. Many studies have shown that this combination reduces the pains experienced by men to a great extent especially if the prostate cancer has spread to the bones. As explained before, the cancer will not totally disappear nor will you live longer.

Let us examine some other medications that are used and how they function:

Doxorubicin is an anti-tumor antibiotic which works by damaging the nuclei of cells.

Paclitaxel is a member of the Taxane group which functions by fastening the microtubules of cells and thus causing the cells to crumble during division.

Etoposide functions by slowing down the process of mitosis in cancerous cells.

Vinblastine is an antineoplastic which breaks apart cell division and is derived from the Madagascar periwinkle.

The use of chemotherapy in prostate cancer is still being studied and men who do have recourse to chemotherapy are strongly encouraged to discuss with their doctors about experimental trials.

Your oncologist will inform you of the benefits and drawbacks to of the different drugs described above. So do seek medical advice too and you would be in a better position to decide according to your own health and your personal values.
For more information about Prostate Cancer Treatment, feel free to visit us at: http://www.prostate-land.com/article-8-Prostate-Cancer-Treatment.html

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options - 4 Options for Cancer Patients

It's difficult to refer to anything cancer-related as a "good thing," but one of the relatively good things about prostate cancer is that there are a number of ways to treat it.

If you have prostate cancer, you should understand the different types of prostate cancer treatment and speak to your physician about each option. As with many other types of cancer, doctors often disagree the best treatment option for patients with prostate cancer. The number of treatment options will also vary depending on how advanced/widespread the cancer is in a particular patient.

So again, the best you can do is educate yourself about the various prostate cancer treatment options and seek opinions from more than one specialist in the field.

With that being said, here are some of the most common treatments for prostate cancer.

Treatment Option #1 - Prostate Surgery

Surgery is possibly the most common form of prostate cancer treatment. The goal of such surgery is to remove the entire prostate from the body, thus removing the cancer along with it. But while the goal of prostate surgery is almost always the same, the method of surgery varies.

Current technology enables doctors to perform robotic surgery for prostate removal, which can minimize hospital time and expedite recovery. Robotic prostate surgery, as it is known, uses minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques.

Treatment Option #2 - Radiation Therapy

Current research shows that surgery and radiation therapy have similar success rates, though the two prostate cancer treatments have different side effects.
With radiation therapy, high-energy rays (similar to x-rays) are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors within the prostate. The main types of radiation therapy for prostate cancer are (1) external beam radiation and (2) brachytherapy, or internal radiation. Though both options have decent success rates, there is more data and information about external beam radiation -- at least at the time of this writing (August 2007).

Treatment Option #3 - Hormonal Therapy

Hormone therapy, also known as androgen deprivation therapy, is another prostate cancer treatment option.

With hormone therapy, reduce the level of male hormones (androgens) in the body. Androgens such as testosterone are produced in testicles and have been shown to stimulate the growth of prostate cancer cells. Therefore, by lowering androgen levels within the body, doctors can also slow the growth of cancer shells, or even shrink them.

Side note: In a related article on this website, we discuss the possible causes of prostate cancer, and under the dietary section there is a similar mention this link between testosterone and prostate cancer growth.

Currently, doctors disagree on several aspects of hormone therapy as a prostate cancer treatment. The most common points of dispute are the best time to start such therapy, the best time to stop the therapy, and the method of administering the therapy.

Treatment Option #4 - Chemotherapy

Most people are familiar with chemotherapy as a general treatment for most cancers. Chemotherapy is also another form of prostate cancer treatment as well.

With chemotherapy, anti-cancer drugs are introduced into the body. Because of the many different ways to administer these drugs, there are certain oncologists (cancer doctors) who specialize in the proper administration of chemotherapy.

As a treatment for prostate cancer, chemotherapy is usually reserved for advanced cases wherein the cancer cells are not responding to other forms of cancer treatment. One of the most important things to realize about chemotherapy is that the drugs are very strong. Thus, they can make a patient very sick even while reducing or eliminating cancer. Chemo can attack and kill cancer cells, but it can also damage healthy cells as well.

Side effects of chemotherapy depend on the types of drugs used, the dosage and the length of time they are taken. But in general, side effects of chemotherapy include the following:

* hair loss
* loss of appetite
* mouth sores
* nausea and vomiting
* lower resistance to infection (low white blood cell counts)
* easy bruising or bleeding (low blood platelets)
* general tiredness or fatigue (low red blood cells)

Conclusion

When considering your treatment options for prostate cancer, it's important to get multiple opinions from cancer specialists and to educate yourself as much as possible. This article is just an overview of prostate cancer treatment options, therefore we highly recommend you seek other sources of knowledge before making a decision about treatment.

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Brandon Cornett is the publisher of Prostate Surgery Center, an unbiased guide to prostate cancer and the surgeries associated with it. Learn more by visiting http://www.prostatesurgerycenter.com/

Treatment For Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men apart from lung cancer. More than 2 million men in the United States suffer from this dreaded disease. However, with the recent advancements in the field of medical research and science, the number of patients succumbing to this disease is gradually going down.

Prostate cancer treatment can be broadly classified into local therapy and systemic therapy. Procedures like surgery and radiation therapy are local treatment options used to control the disease in a particular area inside the body. Hormone therapy using agonists is a systemic treatment option used when the cancer converts into a metastasis and affects various organs.

Surgery involves removal of a part or complete prostate gland, a process known as prostatectomy. Different surgical procedures used include radical retropubic prostatectomy, radical perineal prostatectomy, laproscopy, TURP, cryosurgery and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Surgery is the most common treatment in early stage prostate cancer. Side effects of surgery include impotency, dry orgasms and urinary incontinence.

There are two different types of radiation therapy available for treating prostate cancer. One treatment option uses externally-produced radiation beams to kill cancer cells. Alternatively, there is another procedure known as brachytherapy where radioactive material is implanted into the affected area in the form of small seeds. Radiation coming from the seeds is enough to destroy cancer cells in the vicinity. Side effects of this therapy include diarrhea, problems during urination, dry skin and permanent hair loss.

Hormone therapy involves usage of drugs that block the androgens required for the growth of prostate cancer cells. These drugs are known as agonists. Some important drugs include Lutenizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists like leuprolide and goserelin, anti-androgens like flutamide and nilutamide and drugs like ketoconazole that prevent adrenal gland to synthesize testosterone. Physicians can use these drugs individually or in a combination.

A patient should always consult a specialist and get a second opinion about the diagnosis and treatment procedure before starting the treatment.
About Author:
Pauline Go is a professional writer for many website like newbiemommy.com. She also writes other great articles like Blank Printable Doctors Excuses Sample, Prostate Cancer Survivability Rates At Stage T3c, Cases of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits