What is the prostrate? It is a male gland and it can be found between the bladder and the urethra. The problems start when this gland gets enlarged or inflamed. No one really knows why this cancer occurs and there is a lot of research being done to find the cause. What is known, however, is that men are prone to it as they get older and very often it is the cause of death. What is even more worrying is the fact that more and more younger men are also suffering from it today.
What are the signs of prostrate cancer? Initially, nothing much. There might just be a bit of discomfort and the urge to urinate at night. There could be pain, too. Some of the other signals are; burning or pain while urinating, interrupted flow of urine, inability to pass urine even if the desire is present, pain during intercourse, blood in the urine or stiffness in the back and thighs. No, any of these symptoms does not mean that you have prostrate cancer.
It just means that because you have some of the symptoms associated with it, it could be wise to go and have yourself checked up by a doctor. The problem is that with prostrate cancer comes the risk of it spreading to other parts of the body. The cancerous cells that take shape here spread through a process called metastasis to other parts of the body especially the bones. Most men are embarrassed to talk about it and try not to bring it up till it's unbearable.
However, where the prostrate is concerned the sooner you get treatment in case of anything wrong, the better. It really is never too early when it comes to this condition where the risks are so high. Why very early detection might just mean a complete cure.
What are the treatments for prostrate cancer? The simplest and the most reasonable as far as costs go is orchidectomy which is actually surgical castration. The effect is more of a psychological loss than a physical one. It is also treated with the help of female hormones in a rather expensive treatment. This is administered orally but can have side effects like thrombosis. What it effectively does is a kind of a castration of a different kind by pumping a male with female hormones.
What is also being tested for prostrate cancer is a natural cure; capsaicin, the ingredient in peppers which has been observed to make cancerous cells kill themselves. It is this ingredient that makes your mouth burn and makes you cry out for water. There are ongoing studies in this area.
Another treatment is radiotherapy which uses radiation to kill the cancer cells. This is a painless procedure but the side effects are a cause for concern as it could lead to bouts of diarrhea and impotence. Yet another treatment like this is Brachytherapy where radioactive elements are introduced to prevent the cancerous cells from growing.
All in all, this is one condition where speed is of the essence. Get checked if you are a male and you are over 50. Even if you are not, go see the doctor if you are a male and you have any of the prostrate cancer symptoms.
Metastasis Of Prostate Cancer
For several years now there has been considerable argument about prostate cancer and the subject of preventing prostate cancer specifically remains to some extent controversial. Although, as with the majority of cancers, men do not themselves cause their own prostate cancer, there are clearly a number of risk factors for developing the disease and there is much which can be done, if not to actually prevent it, then without doubt to reduce your risk of developing it.
The first step in preventing prostate cancer is simply to understand that you are at risk of getting the disease and also to understand precisely what the various risk factors are.
There can be no question that men who have a family history of prostate cancer are at higher risk and that the risk for someone with a close relative suffering from prostate cancer is approximately twice that of someone without any family history. With two close relatives this risk increases to approximately five times that of someone with no family history and with three close relatives your risk reaches a staggering ninety-seven percent.
The difficulties here is that many men do not know their family history, frequently because many fathers, grandfathers or brothers have died as a result of other illnesses without ever knowing they were suffering from prostate cancer. This happens because prostate cancer frequently develops late in life and can be an extremely slow growing form of cancer. As a consequence there is a very good chance that individuals will develop other conditions at the same time as their prostate cancer and it is these other conditions which ultimately result in their death.
So, if you do not know your family history, then a good point at which to start is to check things out if you can. If it is not possible, then it is probably a good idea to err on the side of caution and believe that the risk might be there rather than simply assume that you are in the clear.
The next important factor is that of race. For example, African American men are at greater risk than Hispanic men who, in turn, are at greater risk than Caucasian men. The risk for an African American man is about sixty percent greater than that of a Caucasian man.
Another risk factor is diet and men who are living in Western countries such as the the US or the UK are at increased risk because of the high fat levels in many Western diets. Here for the first time is a risk factor which you can actually do something about and reducing the fat in your diet and eating such things as more fresh fruit and vegetables can lessen your risk quite considerably.
At this point we start to run into difficulty because, beyond the basic principle of lowering fat levels in your diet, views begin to differ when it comes to looking at other aspects of the diet which may be helpful in prostate cancer prevention.
There is little doubt that levels of such things as vitamins and minerals in your diet can have a significant affect on your general health and will certainly have a part to play when it comes to prostate health. However, working out precisely which vitamins and minerals play a part is a difficult matter and is a subject all of its own.
Both Ray La Foy & Donald Saunders.. are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
