About 80 percent of men who reach the age of 80 have prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the U.S. Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages and is the most common cause of death from cancer in men over 75 years old.
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease are bone pain or tenderness, and abdominal pain. Other symptoms might include unintentional weight loss and lethargy. Some men will experience symptoms that might indicate the presence of prostate cancer.
One of the most common symptoms is the inability to urinate at all. If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. There are a number of symptoms to be aware of.
A chest x-ray may be done to see if there's a spread of cancer. A prostate biopsy usually confirms the diagnosis. What is called a free PSA may help tell the difference between BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy), an enlargement of the prostate gland, and prostate cancer.
A number of tests may be done to confirm a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Another test usually used when prostate cancer symptoms are present is the digital rectal exam (DRE) performed by the doctor. The decision about whether to pursue a PSA test should be based on a discussion between you and your doctor.
Hormone manipulation is mainly used as a treatment to relieve symptoms in men whose cancer has spread. Surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy all have significant side effects; know fully what they are before you proceed. Medications can have many side effects, including hot flashes and loss of sexual desire.
The conventional treatment of prostate cancer is often controversial. An oncology specialist will usually recommend treating with a single drug or a combination of drugs. If chemotherapy is decided upon after the first round of chemotherapy, most men receive further doses on an outpatient basis at a clinic or physician's office.
Medicines can be used to adjust the levels of testosterone; called hormonal manipulation. Other medications used for hormonal therapy, with side effects, include androgen-blocking agents, which prevent testosterone from attaching to prostate cells. Thoroughly discuss your treatment options and concerns with your doctor and other health professionals; it never hurts to get a second or even third opinion or more if necessary.
The approaches to treatment include: ever watchful waiting to see whether the cancer is growing slowly and not causing any symptoms. Some men choose to do nothing but change their diet to a more natural diet of living foods. Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy can interfere with libido on a temporary or permanent basis. Radiation therapy is used primarily to treat prostate cancers classified as stages A, B, or C.
Many men simply want the best treatment they can get but what's important is choosing the best treatment for you. Side effects of chemotherapy drugs depend on which ones you're taking and how often and how long they're taken.
As new research comes out adjust your treatment options accordingly. While the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer remains high, survival rates are also improving. The outcome of prostate cancer varies greatly; mostly because the disease is found in older men who may have a variety of other complicating diseases or conditions, such as cardiac or respiratory disease, or disabilities that immobilize or greatly decrease their activities.
Every case of prostate cancer is different; hence each one has to be evaluated on its individual merits. Your general health, weight, age and motivation all need to be taken into account when choosing a form of prostate cancer treatment. If you are overweight, know that this factor alone can affect how your prostate cancer treatment is going to be like.
Occasionally prostate cancer treatments will not have a big enough effect on some men, especially obese men. External radiation therapy uses a beam of subatomic particles to kill the cancerous cells in the prostate gland . However, if you are overweight, the beam is unable to penetrate through the extra layers of fat. This renders the prostate cancer treatment ineffective. In cases such as this, a more radical form of treatment is usually recommended.
Being obese may initially help to cause prostate cancer and then it may help the cancer to spread more rapidly and more aggressively as well. Fatty diets that contain high levels of saturated fats and dairy products are thought to contribute to the probability of developing prostate cancer in the first place and remaining overweight may enhance the spread of the disease.
Thus, even if the prostate gland is removed as part of your prostate cancer treatment the cancer might have already spread making it harder to control and totally rid from the body. In fact, men who are obese are 70% more likely to develop metastases i.e. secondary tumours at other sites around the body, than men who are fit and a healthy weight.
This would suggest that the incidence of prostate cancer is somewhat linked to diet and that being obese may mean you require surgery as a form of prostate cancer treatment. For this reason every man over the age of 25 should make an effort to maintain a healthy weight and eat foods that are low in saturated fats and dairy products, even if it is just as a precaution against the possibility of surgery as a future prostate cancer treatment!
A balanced diet with plenty of antioxidants such as lycopenes, which are found in tomatoes, watermelon and other types of fruit could seriously help to combat the first signs of prostate cancer meaning that any cancerous cells are killed before they have chance to divide and grow. Fibre is also a requirement of a healthy diet and as it helps to encourage frequent bowel movements it also rids the body of potentially harmful toxins and bacteria.
If you are of a healthy weight, it is possible that you will be taking a course of radiation as a prostate cancer treatment rather than invasive surgery followed by a course of radiation. Do your sums and you will realise that being of a healthy weight has a far more advantages.
Both Helen Hecker & Khim Lim 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.
Helen Hecker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mortgage, Free Credit Report Score and Pimple. For more information on and prostate cancer symptoms go to http://www.BestProstateHealthTips.com Helen Hecker R.N.?s website specia. Helen Hecker's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
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