Cancer of prostate develops in the prostate gland and typically develops slowly. Advanced prostate cancer could extend to the brain or other body parts. The brain is one of the most common sites of metastasis from solid tumors.

When symptoms of metastatic cancer take place, the type and frequency of the symptoms will rely on the size and location of the metastasis. For instance, cancer that extends to the bones is probable to lead to pain and can cause bone fractures. Cancer that extends to the brain can lead to various symptoms including headaches, seizures and unsteadiness. Shortness of breath might be a sign of lung involvement.

Prostate cancer typically causes no symptoms until it achieves an advanced stage. Sometimes, symptoms close to those of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) develop, including difficulty urinating and a necessity to urinate recurrently or urgently. However, these symptoms do not enlarge until after the cancer develops large enough to compress the urethra and partly block the flow of urine. Afterward, the cancer might lead to bloody urine or a sudden incapability to urinate.

In a number of men, symptoms of prostate cancer develop simply after it spreads (metastasizes). The areas most frequently affected by cancer spread are bone and the kidneys. Bone cancer has a tendency to be painful and might deteriorate the bone enough for it to easily fracture. Cancer of prostate could also spread to the brain, which ultimately leads to seizures, confusion, weakness, headaches, or other neurologic symptoms. After the cancer spreads, anemia is common.

If suspected that prostate cancer spread to the brain or spinal cord, CT or MRI of those organs is done. Brain tumors could directly damage brain cells, or they might indirectly destroy cells by producing inflammation, compressing other parts of the brain because the tumor grows, inducing brain swelling, and causing increased pressure in the skull.

Metastatic brain tumors are classified relying on the precise site of the tumor in the brain, kind of tissue involved, original site of the tumor, and other factors. Rarely, a tumor could extend to the brain, yet the original location or site of the tumor is unknown. This is named cancer of unknown primary (CUP) origin.

What is a prostate? It works to function in the male reproductive system. A fine and working prostate is relatively small and similar to the size of a walnut. Prostate cancer is the breast cancer equivalent for men as most males suffer from it.

Here are some risks you should find out and know about. You might never know whether you have the cancer yourself.

Age

The older a man gets, the higher his chances of developing the cancer. At the age of 40, your risk increases dramatically.

Race

Truth to be told, if you are an African-American, you are far more likely (as much as 60 percent) to develop prostate cancer, compared to Caucasian men. African-Americans also have a much higher chance to die from the disease. But the thing is, researchers have not found out the exact cause for this difference in the 2 races.

History of your family

Direct family members like your father, brother or son influence your risk of developing the cancer. If they get the cancer before the age of 65, your risk is considered to be very high. The number of direct family members that have prostate cancer affects your risk too. For example, if there are 2 or 3 members who have it, you have 4 times as many chance of developing the disease.

Lifestyle of the western people

This is because of high calories that are largely from bad fats. These calories also come from refined carbohydrates and animal protein. The matter is made worse when the person does not exercise or is obese.

Prostate cancer is one kind of cancer that is easily treated. Most of the cases of this cancer are commonly diagnosed at an early stage. Patients are given the best advantage to have the cancer cells controlled at the earliest stage possible. However, there are still cases when the cancer has already spread and affected the entire prostate which makes it difficult to treat.

Truth be told, doctors have not found a treatment for advanced prostate cancer. In fact, many advanced prostate cancer patients only get treatment to prolong their life and not to eliminate the cancer.

However, there are still several options available for patients with prostate cancer that has already advanced its stage.

For example, there is the common chemotherapy treatment. The drugs used in chemotherapy will at least control the malignant cells from affecting other parts.

A drug called Provenge is also being introduced. This is not the common vaccine. It slows down the progress of the cancer. Just like chemotherapy, the most that it can do is to extend the patient’s life. It can add a month or even a year.

There are also hormones which can be given to the patient. This is based from the study that the male hormone, testosterone, is the substance responsible for promoting the growth of the cancer. This means that by causing the body to reduce its production, the growth of the tumor is also slowed down.

Radiation therapy is also another option available. This makes use of an x-ray machine which emits high-energy waves. The radiation is applied directly to the tumor. This was known to be more effective when combined with hormone therapy than hormone therapy alone.

These are just few of the available advanced prostate cancer treatment. Consult a doctor before choosing which one will be administered to the patient.

Among men of a certain age bracket prostate cancer is very common. The risk of having the disease increases with age. Men between the ages of 45 to 80 account for 95% of diagnosed prostate cancer cases. This type of cancer rates 2nd as the most common cancer among men, the first being lung cancer. Heredity plays a large part in the chances of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Diagnosing Prostate Cancer

To diagnose prostate cancerseveral methods are used including PSA Blood Test, x-rays, biopsies and digital rectal examinations. The PSA method is the most common method of diagnosis. All testing for prostate cancer requires multiple tests to confirm a positive result that one indeed has the illness.

Treating Prostate Cancer

The good news is that in many cases prostate cancer grows slowly and does not usually require treatment. Since prostate cancer is more commonly found in elderly men, a patient will die from other causes before the prostate cancer fully develops. Since many patients develop prostate cancer slowly, they are placed on “watchful waiting”, where the patient undergoes routine observation and testing. If the prostate cancer becomes an actual threat to the life of the patient, other courses of treatment are then employed including: surgery, hormone therapy and radio therapy.

Radiation treatment (radio therapy), involves high energy waves to kill the individual prostate cancer cells. This kills the tumors and results in reduction of the patient’s pain due to the cancer effecting the surrounding bones.

Another treatment uses radioactive pellets placed into the tumor itself, this is called brachytherapy. This treatment has had mixed results but also produces fewer side effects for the prostate cancer patient.

Inhibiting the androgens produced by the blood is called hormone therapy. Androgens are what make prostate cancer cells grow and inhibiting them also inhibits the cancer cells. Problem: after awhile prostate cancer tumors start to grow again without androgens, so other forms of treatment must be employed.

Removing the prostate gland surgically, a procedure called prostatectomy, has several variations, including:

–Transurethral prostate reconstruction.

A portion of the prostate is removed with the use of a long, thin device which the surgeon inserts through the urethra. Blockage of urine is also relieved using this method.

–Radical perineal prostatectomy.

Complete removal of the prostate and surrounding lymphnodes begins where the surgeon makes a long cut in the abdomen.

–Pelvic lymphadenectomy.

Here, the lymph nodes in the pelvic area are removed and checked for cancerous growth.

Prostate Cancer And Your Sex Life

Erectile dysfunction, or impotence, sometimes accompany prostate cancer treatments. Urinary incontinence, lower sex drive, reduced ejaculation, bowel problems and excessive fatigue are some possible side effects of some treatment methods. Careful consideration should accompany deciding on any particular methods of prostate cancer treatment since each method carries its own set of side effects. For more information check Natural Cancer Treatments

Indeed, for men not paying attention to it, it can be deadly as prostate cancer comes second only to lung cancer with respect to cancer-caused deaths for American men…and is near the top for Canadian men as well.

Prostate cancer is also the most common type of cancer for men in the United States. Tens of thousands of new cases are diagnosed yearly.

Although there is most likely a hereditary component to your chances of getting prostate cancer, like many things in life, a lot of it comes down to choices you make, such as taking quality prostate health promoting supplements and eating food for good prostate health.

Prostate cancer warning signs

Although the aforementioned prostate statistics don’t seem to be good, the truth of the matter is that if prostate cancer is detected early, treatments are often very successful and chances of surviving are very high.

Therefore, one of the best things you can do other than take the necessary supplement and dietary steps to promote good prostate health is to have what is called a PSA test (prostate specific antigen tests) done every year. It doesn’t take long and it’s not painful so don’t put it off.

The drawback of the PSA test is that it isn’t perfect in what it reveals.

Now, what about prostate cancer warning signs?

Well, unfortunately, prostate cancer does not really give off any warning signs.

In addition, another confusing aspect is that most of the possible warning signs, if they appear, are also the same signs for other prostate health problems that are non-cancerous in nature, such as BPH, which is called an enlarged prostate gland.

However, these signs are still worth mentioning.

The following are some potential prostate cancer warning signs or signs of BPH:

incomplete emptying of the bladder
dribbling
difficulty starting urination
reduced force of the stream
frequent urination of small amounts
pain with urination
ejaculation pain
blood in the urine
Dietary and Supplement Protocols

Although saw palmetto is touted as the best herb to take for prostate health, it actually isn’t. Something called Beta sitosterol is much better. Here’s why:

Even the best Saw Palmetto supplements are comprised of 99% fatty acids and 1% sterols. The sterol component is where the therapeutic benefit lies (hence the name Beta Sitosterol).

In short, by taking Beta Sitosterol, you will be getting only the active component of Saw Palmetto that is responsible for its medicinal properties. Beta sitosterol is literally thousands of times more powerful than saw palmetto.

Other beneficial nutrients and supplements include: lycopene, pygeum, stinging nettle, and cornsilk.

With respect to food for good prostate health, recent research by the authoritative US National Cancer Institute revealed that men who consumed more than 1/3rd of an ounce of onions, scallions, garlic, chives per day were much less likely to have prostate cancer.

In conclusion, don’t wait for prostate cancer warning signs or signs of other prostate problems to show up before you do anything about it.

On the other hand, if you are already experiencing possible signs of prostate problems, don’t panic.

This is a very treatable condition if caught in its early stages. Just make sure you take appropriate action and talk to your doctor about it right away so you don’t become a statistic. For more information check Natural Cancer Treatments

PROSTATE CANCER – NEW TREATMENT BY RADIOTHERAPY

Research is continuing to try and improve technology and techniques to allow radiotherapy to the prostate gland to be more effective and to have fewer side effects. One way is to reduce the amount of radiation received by normal organs (bladder, bowel etc) and this has been improving over the last few years with better machines and techniques such as “conformal radiotherapy” and “IMRT”.

Work is also being carried out on combining brachytherapy with external therapy to allow some of the benefits of brachytherapy (fewer side effects, higher overall dose to the prostate cancer) to be used for men with more advanced prostate cancer without compromising the chance of cure.

NEW HORMONE THERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER

Some newer prostate cancer hormone treatments have fewer side effects than older hormone based drugs. Some are also felt to be more effective. All the time researchers are testing to try and find the best hormone tablets or injections for use in prostate cancer.

Other research is going on to try and work out the best time to give hormone treatment in prostate cancer and whether it is best to combine this treatment with other types of treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Trials are currently being run to answer these questions and the results should be available in the next few years.

IMPROVEMENTS IN CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT FOR PROSTATE CANCER

In the past prostate cancer did not respond very well to chemotherapy drugs. However now there are newer drugs which are more powerful against prostate cancer and these have started to be used with more frequency in late prostate cancer which has already spread to other organs and which has become resistant to hormone treatments. The best drug found so far is Docetaxel, a new type of chemotherapy drug. It has several side effects including hair loss, nausea and risk of infection. Doctors are now looking to see if Docetaxel would work even better as a combination with other drugs.

USE OF BISPHOSPHONATE DRUGS FOR PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT

These are a group of drugs which are most often used in treating osteoporosis. It has been recently found that they can also help reduce pain associated with cancer deposits or secondaries in the bones. They may also help reduce the risk of these abnormal bones from breaking or fracturing, by slowing down the damage caused to the bone by the cancer.

Research is ongoing to look at which of these drugs is the best for treating prostate cancer with bone disease and when the best time to start treatment with these drugs is.

ALTERNATIVE TO SURGERY FOR TREATMENT OF EARLY PROSTATE CANCER

There are 2 new treatments which are being researched as an alternative to surgery for some men with localised prostate cancer. Both options would not require a general anaesthetic (you would not need to be put to sleep) making them lower risk. Both treatments also have fewer side effects than radical surgery (“prostatectomy”). However neither has been in use long enough to know if it will prevent prostate cancer from coming back as effectively as standard treatments (surgery and radiotherapy).

Cryotherapy is the killing of cancer cells by freezing them. Needles are inserted into the prostate gland under local anaesthetic and liquid nitrogen is passed along them to freeze the prostate and the cancer cells within it. Currently it is being used for men whose prostate cancer has come back despite a first more conventional treatment and so is only being trialled for use as a first treatment option.

HIFU stands for high frequency ultrasound. Here ultrasound waves are directed to where there are cancer cells and are these are used to heat them up, thus killing them. In prostate cancer the ultrasound probe would be put into the back passage and from here ultrasound waves would be fired towards the prostate gland. The results so far have been good in that the treatment is safe and effective.

NEW TREATMENTS FOR PROSTATE CANCER IN VERY EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

There are a number of alternative treatments which are still at a highly experimental stage of development. Gene therapy aims to replace the faulty genes in cancer cells with good ones which would allow the cell to self destruct if it felt it had become too mutated. (Cancer cells have lost this self destruct ability and continue to grow and divide despite having many abnormalities which would normally force the cell to die.) Vaccine treatment looks at ways of making the bodies own immune system recognise and kill cancerous sells. Endothelin blockers are a new type of drug treatment which works by preventing the prostate cancer cells to grow.

Many people may have heard that Vitamin D is being used in the treatment of prostate cancer however this therapy is in the very early experimental stages and is no where near being used in clinics as a cancer treatment. Vitamin D has been reported to block receptors on prostate cancer cells thereby slowing the rate of their growth but there is NO clinical evidence that this is in fact the case. Some researchers claim that the active form of Vitamin D slows the growth of prostate cancer but as yet this has only been tested on mice and other small animals.

Beta-sitosterol is a herbal remedy that people have started to associate with prostate cancer treatment. This natural plant fat has apparently been proven effective for the treatment of an enlarged prostate but not necessarily prostate cancer. According to research Beta-sitosterol MAY help to prevent the emergence of prostate cancer but this has not been clinically proven yet. For more information check Natural Cancer Treatments

But, there is some good news about prostate cancer, too. Of the one in six men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, only one in 34 will die from the disease. And, death rates from prostate cancer are declining because of earlier detection and better treatments. Prostate cancer is usually a slow growing form of cancer, making it an excellent target for prevention.

Who Gets Prostate Cancer?

While doctors don’t fully understand exactly what causes prostate cancer, there are some risk factors that do increase a man’s likelihood of developing this disease.

Age – Most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are over the age of 65. By the time a man reaches the age of 80, his chances of getting prostate cancer are greater than 50%. However, at this age, prostate cancer is often not fatal, because it grows so slowly that other health factors are more significant.

Ethnicity –Doctors do not understand why, but African-American and Hispanic men are at a greater risk for prostate cancer than Caucasian men.
Asian and Native American men have the lowest risk for developing this disease.

Diet – Diets high in saturated fats and low in fruits and vegetables increase a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer. Conversely, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, high in anti-oxidants and low in saturated fats reduces a man’s risk. Some foods that are particularly thought to be important in decreasing your risk of prostate cancer include:

• Soy

• Tomatoes – the lycopene in tomatoes is a powerful anti-oxidant and is thought to be particularly effective in preventing prostate cancer.

• Omega 3 Fatty Acids – such as those found in salmon and mackerel

• Vitamin D

• Selenium

Family History – A man’s risk for developing prostate cancer is greater when he has had a father or brother who has developed the disease. This is especially true if his relatives developed the disease at a young age.

How Can I Prevent Prostate Cancer?

Well, obviously diet is of significant concern in preventing prostate cancer. Make certain that your diet is low in saturated fats and high in fruits and vegetables. Stick to lean cuts of meat and be sure to get your fair share of fish that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

Another important aspect of protecting your prostate health is seeing your doctor. Currently, there are two ways of testing for prostate cancer. The first is a simple digital rectal exam. Most men will have this exam as part of a regular physical beginning after age 40.

In this test, the doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger in the anus and manually feels the prostate gland. The doctor can feel if the prostate is enlarged, or if lumps can be felt. This is an important exam, but it’s not perfect, because the doctor can only feel the bottom and sides of the prostate gland. There could still be problems with the top of the gland, or there could be tumors too small to feel.

The second test is called a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test. This is a blood test that checks the level of a protein made by the prostate. A normal prostate makes just a little of this protein, but when a man has prostate cancer, he typically produces very high levels of PSA.

Finally, along with your healthy diet, consider adding green tea. Green tea has been shown in many studies to prevent some forms of cancer, prostate cancer among them. There has been a fairly wide body of research on this subject, as well as on the ability of other foods and vitamins (such as the ones listed above) to prevent prostate cancer.

The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial is a document that examines all of these possible preventers, and looks at the evidence that exists to support their effectiveness. This report has been published by the UK Tea Council and covers much of the research that supports the theory that green tea can prevent prostate cancer. In addition, this report discusses the strides made in prostate cancer prevention, and why this cancer in particular should be a target for prevention, rather than treatment.

Men often assume that at some time in their lives they’ll be facing prostate problems, or possibly prostate cancer. And, it is still a common health issue that many men will face in their life time. But, if all men can practice some simple prevention techniques, such as eating a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables and green tea, and visit their doctor regularly, it’s very possible that we can even further reduce the number of men who suffer prostate cancer.

While screening for prostate cancer is not a routine procedure, the required tests are available upon request. Regular testing is very important for a number of reasons. Firstly, once you pass the age of fifty, you’re at a much higher risk of developing prostate cancer. It’s generally believed this risk continues to rise as you get older. Above the age of seventy-five the risk rate skyrockets. Around fifty percent of the cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in this age bracket.

It’s also believed that genetics play a part in how much at risk you are. If you have a family member with the disease, it’s important to realize your chances of getting it are much higher. So regular checks will help you detect it earlier. Certain racial groups are also more prone to prostate cancer. Asians are generally considered low risk, whereas Americans, African-Americans and Europeans are higher risk. Be aware, though, that Asians who’ve lived in the US for an extended period of time start to show higher rates of prostate cancer that are more in tune with the risk level of Americans.

Prostate Cancer Tests

There are a number of different tests used to detect prostate cancer, and your doctor will usually use more than one before giving you a conclusive diagnosis. Detection is most effective when a number of tests are performed.

Firstly, everybody’s favorite – the rectal examination. The subject of countless jokes, this involves a doctor inserting a gloved finger into the patient’s anal tract so that he can manually feel the prostate gland. This is a good way of detecting an enlarged prostate, but cancer is not the only cause of an enlarged prostate. Still, this is a quick and simple way of detecting one of the possible symptoms of prostate cancer.

An ultrasound can also be performed, which involves (here we go again!) inserting a small probe into the patient’s anal tract. An ultrasound scan of the prostate is then conducted. The scan accurately reveals the current size and shape of the prostate.

If all this talk about the anal tract is bothering you, then the next test will sound much better – the PSA blood test. In medical terms this is called the prostate-specific antigen blood test, and is one of the most common tests used in the detection of prostate cancer. The levels of this particular antigen are checked, and if they’re on the high side, this can be an indicator that prostate cancer is present. Again, this has to be verified with other testing as well, as some other conditions can cause a rise in PSA levels.

If there are concerns, a biopsy may be undertaken. During this procedure a small sample is taken from the prostate for further analysis. To do this, a small probe (don’t you hate that word?) is inserted into the anal tract, and the prostate is poked with a needle to obtain a sample.

It’s also possible, once cancer is suspected, that an x-ray will be taken of the bones located near the prostate. Quite often prostate cancer doesn’t just affect the prostate, but spreads into the lymph nodes and nearby bones. An x-ray will show any damage that’s been done to nearby bones.

Prostate cancer is an attack of the male prostate gland by a mass of harmful cells. Prostate cancer is most common in the United States and is the third leading cause of American cancer cases. The American Cancer Society estimates that one in six men will face a prostate cancer diagnosis during their life.

Types of Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatments

Chinese Medicine is one of the alternative methods being used to treat prostate cancer. Also commonly called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this holistic prostate cancer treatment is based on ancient philosophical frameworks. Traditional Chinese Medicine devises therapy programs by searching for inequalities between internal and external harmony within patients. There are eight branches of TCM: Tui na (Massage Therapy), acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese food therapy, Qigong (Breathing), T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Feng Shui, and Chinese astrology. The eight branches of Chinese medicine, like most other prostate cancer alternative treatments, are used to alleviate the pain associated with the disease, as well as a remedy for the side effects affiliated with conventional cancer treatments.

Herbalism, or herbal medicine, is a holistic prostate cancer alternate treatment with the healing properties of plants and plant extracts at the center of the therapy. Some of the most popular components of herbal medicine include St. John’s Wort, lemon juice, Green Tea, Honey, Grapefruit, Black Cohash, Poultices, Juniper Berry, and Eucalyptus. Herbal therapy is especially highly regarded in Europe.

Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatments vs. Conventional Prostate Cancer Therapies

Conventional prostate cancer therapies are administered by members of the medical community, including physical therapists, psychologists, and nurses. Conventional cancer treatments are subjected to intense study to ensure their effectiveness and safety. Hormone therapy and radiation are conventional therapies for treating prostate cancer. Removing the testicles, in a surgical procedure called orchiectomy, is another traditional prostate cancer treatment. As is chemotherapy. Cancer cells are also customarily frozen as a part of a cryosurgery.

There are two common surgical procedures used to treat prostate cancer. They are the radical prostatectomy and the transurethal resection of the prostate (TURP). Radical prostatectomy surgery is generally performed once the cancer has not spread outside of the prostate gland. There are two types of radical prostatectomy procedures, the radical retropubic and the perineal approach. The transurethal resection of the prostate is performed to curtail prostate swelling.

Luteinizing hormone-releasing analogs and luteinizing hormone-releasing antagonists are prostate cancer medications designed to inhibit the release of the cancer-inducing luteinzing hormone-releasing hormone from the brain. Luteinizing altering drugs are a staple in prostate cancer conventional treatments.

Diet and Prostate cancer

The risk of prostate cancer can be reduced by including sufficient tomato and tomato products in your diet. Similarly, fresh fruits and vegetables are also said to reduce the chances of occurrence of prostate cancer. On the other hand there are suggestions that animal fat and dairy products can increase the risk of prostate cancer

Symptoms of prostate cancer

Since prostate cancer affects the abilities of prostate gland the main symptoms are shown by the urinary system. So prostate cancer might lead to more frequent urination or it might lead to difficultly in passing urine (e.g. pain while urinating). It’s important to note that enlargement of prostate gland doesn’t necessarily mean that you have prostate cancer. Also, the occurrence of these symptoms can’t be attributed to prostate cancer without proper tests and diagnosis by a qualified doctor.

Diagnosis of prostate cancer

There are a number of ways in which diagnosis of prostate cancer is carried out. Your doctor will, of course, enquire about the symptoms first and then prescribe certain tests based on how strong the prostate cancer symptoms are. The various prostate cancer tests include rectal examination (in which the rectum passage is used to feel abnormalities in prostate gland). Then we have blood test that checks the level of prostate-specific antigen in your blood. Ultrasound tests are another means of diagnosing prostate cancer and these are sometimes done in parallel with biopsy of prostate tissue samples. Though these tests are known to be quite good at detecting prostate cancer, they can’t be labeled as 100% accurate and hence some other advanced tests might need to be carried out in certain cases.

Treatment of prostate cancer

The treatment approach for prostate cancer will depend on whether it is in its early stages or whether it has got more advanced. Note that if the prostate cancer is detected in too advanced stage, it might spread to bones even and become more or less uncontrollable. The best way to keep prostate cancer at bay is to take proactive approach by consulting doctor (and even going for blood test) regularly and hence catch prostate cancer in its early stages. Surgery, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy are the most usual ways of treating prostate cancer. However, chemotherapy may be used too.