Prostate Self Examination

Prostate cancer has many similarities to breast cancer. In the first place, it is among the most common deadly cancers. Secondly, it is gender specific (although it is possible for males to develop breast cancer, it is exceedingly rare). Third, it is detectable using a self exam. Finally, the prostate, like the breast, is located in a location that is not frequently talked about.

It is recommended that men aged fifty and older receive a yearly prostate exam. However, since the long term prognosis is directly proportional to how early the cancer is detected, conducting a prostate self exam can give you added precious time if the cancer develops in between your regularly scheduled exams.

A prostate self exam is surprisingly easy to accomplish, though it may take a bit of will power to get over the natural tendency to avoid the part of the body where the prostate is located. The prostrate gland is very easy to reach as it lies less than a finger length away from the rectal sphincter, but the really hard part is convincing yourself that probing into the rectum is a good idea. This takes a bit of mind work–aren’t a few moments of being uncomfortable worth it if those few moments make the difference between catching the cancer early or late?

To perform a prostate self exam, simply insert the index finger into the anus and feel for a fleshy mass. It should have the same consistency as the skin between your thumb and index finger when making a tight fist. A healthy prostate is firm but not hard. Gently massage the prostate, carefully feeling for any hard lumps. If you detect a lump, do not panic–it’s probably not cancer and, if it is, at least you caught it early. Call your physician and ask for a comprehensive prostate exam.

Doing a prostate self examination may be uncomfortable and embarrassing, but they can mean the difference between terminal and treatable prostate cancer. A few minutes of discomfort can save your life.

Article courtesy of prostatehealthnews.org

More Prostatitis News

Prostatitis

is a Blanket Term Describing a Number of Prostate Conditions. With advances in health care comes ever increasing life spans. While this is undoubtedly a good thing, having a large population of people of advanced age means that diseases that were once rarely seen are becoming more prevalent. One of these diseases is prostate cancer.

The early symptoms of prostate cancer are typically due to restrictions in the urethra that occur because prostate cancer enlarges the prostate. Therefore, any hint of prostate enlargement should be investigated. Fortunately, most prostate enlargements are not caused by cancer.

Other sources of prostate enlargement are normal enlargement of the prostate as a natural part of aging. Another cause, more common in younger men, is prostatitis. What is prostatitis? Prostatitis is a catch all term that stands for a diverse number of prostate enlargements not related to aging or prostate cancer.

Acute bacterial prostatitis is the least common form of the disease but it is very easy to diagnose and treat. The symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis include fever, back pain, and frequent urination. The tratment for acute bacterial prostatitis is as simple as administering a round of antibiotics.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis has the same symptom suite as acute prostatitis, but the causes typically involved defects that provide a natural harbor for bacterial infection. Treatment by antibiotics is not usually effective since it does not cure the underlying defect. Surgery or ultrasonic treatments are usually necessary to first remove the defects, and then antibiotics can clear up the residual bacteria.

Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland that does not cause any pain or discomfort. It is usually only detected during prostate examinations. This form of prostatitis generally causes no problems and does not require treatment of any kind.

Clearly, enlargement of the prostate should always be taken seriously. Any symptoms should be reported to your doctor so that further tests can be run. Fortunately, most enlarged prostates are caused by non cancerous prostatitis.

Article courtesy of prostatehealthnews.org

2/3 Prostate Cancer Patients Don't Need Treatment

ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2009) — Research at the University of Liverpool involving more than 500 prostate cancer patients has revealed two thirds of cases did not require urgent treatment, due to the absence of a protein that indicates progressive disease.

In the largest study of its kind, the international team of pathologists studied an initial 4,000 prostate cancer patients over a period of 15 years to further understanding into the natural progression of the disease and how it should be managed. The research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, could be used to develop a blood test to distinguish between aggressive and non-aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

Globally, prostate cancer is the fifth most common malignancy and accounts for 13% of male deaths in the UK. Studies have shown that men with non-aggressive prostate cancer can live with the disease untreated for many years, but aggressive cancer requires immediate treatment.

Pathologists found that the presence of a protein, called Hsp-27, in cancer cells was an indicator that the disease will progress and require treatment. The study showed, however, that in more than 60% of cases the protein was not expressed and the cancer could be managed by careful monitoring, rather than with active invention methods, such as drug treatment or surgery.

The protein normally has a positive function in the body, helping healthy cells survive when they are placed under 'stressful' conditions, such as disease or injury. If the protein is expressed in cancer, however, it can prevent the diseased cells from dying, allowing the cancer to progress. The team, supported by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and in collaboration with scientists in London and New York, found that the protein can be used to predict how the disease will behave and could help doctors advise patients on how the disease could affect their daily lives.

Professor Chris Foster, Head of the University's Division of Pathology, explains: "Cancer of any kind is a very distressing disease and has the ability to impact on every aspect of a person's life. Chemotherapy and surgery can also have a significant effect on health and wellbeing and that is why it is important that we first understand the biological nature of the disease and how it will behave in each individual patient, before determining if and when a person needs a particular type of treatment.

"By studying the disease in a large number of men throughout the UK and over a long period of time, we have been able to get a more complete picture of how to manage the disease successfully, whilst limiting the negative impact it can have on a patient's life. The study also demonstrates the role of modern of Pathology, not only in establishing diagnoses but in determining if the subsequent management of individual patients is biologically appropriate for their particular condition.

"The protein – or biomarker – we have identified provides us with a signal that the disease will continue to progress. We know that at the point this marker is expressed, medics need to administer treatment to kill the cancer cells. We have shown that in the majority of cases, however, this marker is not expressed and therefore patients do not necessarily need to go through treatment to lead a normal life."

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What Causes Prostate Cancer?

While there are many symptoms of prostate cancer, the causes of the prostate cancer are unknown. The biggest culprit seems to be genetics. If a person’s father had prostate cancer, then chances are, they will develop it too. While a person’s age, race, and nationality can be factors, genetics seems to be the biggest common link between those who have had the cancer.

After the age of fifty, visiting a doctor for yearly prostate cancer screenings is recommended. This will give doctors a chance to treat the cancer early if it is detected.

Early symptoms and warning signs include painful urination, pelvic pain, swelling, back pain, and weight loss. There may be other symptoms as well. Visiting a doctor is the only way to receive a definite prognosis as these symptoms could be caused by other illnesses or infections. Being aware of the symptoms and causes of prostate cancer could save a person’s life by getting treatment early. After the age of fifty, it is best to schedule yearly tests to see if the cancer is present. Sometimes knowing early can save a person’s life.

If prostate cancer is left untreated, it will begin to spread. Once it has metastasized, or spread to other areas of the body, the cancer will be harder to treat. Bone metastasis is the hardest form of cancer to treat. Once the cancer enters the bone, it will infect the marrow which can be spread very easily to the rest of the body. This is why being checked for cancer is so important.

There are many prostate cancer treatments available to help fight prostate cancer. The latest treatment is cryosurgery. This procedure involves freezing tumors so that they cannot spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy is also available and if the tumor is small enough and has not mestasised, removing the tumor through surgical procedures is also an option.

Article courtesy of prostatehealthnews.org

Zinc Deficiency Is A Concern

ScienceDaily (Sep. 17, 2009) — Other vitamins and nutrients may get more headlines, but experts say as many as two billion people around the world have diets deficient in zinc – and studies at Oregon State University and elsewhere are raising concerns about the health implications this holds for infectious disease, immune function, DNA damage and cancer.

One new study has found DNA damage in humans caused by only minor zinc deficiency.

Zinc deficiency is quite common in the developing world. Even in the United States, about 12 percent of the population is probably at risk for zinc deficiency, and perhaps so many as 40 percent of the elderly, due to inadequate dietary intake and less absorption of this essential nutrient, experts say. Many or most people have never been tested for zinc status, but existing tests are so poor it might not make much difference if they had been.

"Zinc deficiencies have been somewhat under the radar because we just don't know that much about mechanisms that control its absorption, role, or even how to test for it in people with any accuracy," said Emily Ho, an associate professor with the Linus Pauling Institute at OSU, and international expert on the role of dietary zinc.

However, studies have shown that zinc is essential to protecting against oxidative stress and helping DNA repair – meaning that in the face of zinc deficiency, the body's ability to repair genetic damage may be decreasing even as the amount of damage is going up.

Two studies recently published, in the Journal of Nutrition and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found significant levels of DNA damage both with laboratory animals and in apparently healthy men who have low zinc intake. Zinc depletion caused strands of their DNA to break, and increasing the intake of zinc reversed the damage back to normal levels.

"In one clinical study with men, we were able to see increases in DNA damage from zinc deficiency even before existing tests, like decreased plasma zinc levels, could spot the zinc deficiency," Ho said. "An inadequate level of zinc intake clearly has consequences for cellular health."

Many zinc studies, Ho said, have focused on prostate cancer – the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men – because the prostate gland has one of the highest concentrations of zinc in the body, for reasons that are not clearly known.

When prostate glands become cancerous, their level of zinc drops precipitously, and some studies have suggested that increasing zinc in the prostate may at least help prevent prostate cancer and could potentially be a therapeutic strategy. There are concerns about the relationship of zinc intake to esophageal, breast, and head and neck cancers. And the reduced zinc status that occurs with aging may also contribute to a higher incidence of infection and autoimmune diseases, researchers said in one study in the Journal of Nutrition.

Zinc is naturally found associated with proteins in such meats as beef and poultry, and in even higher levels in shellfish such as oysters. It's available in plants but poorly absorbed from them, raising additional concerns for vegetarians. And inadequate intake is so prevalent in the elderly, Ho said, that they should usually consider taking a multivitamin to ensure adequate levels.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for numerous cellular processes. But taking too much zinc can also be a concern, because in excess it can interfere with the absorption of other important nutrients such as iron and copper. The recommended daily allowance is eight milligrams a day for women, 11 for men, and anything over 50 milligrams a day could be considered excessive, Ho said.

"The consequences of zinc deficiency in adults have been understudied despite the recognition of symptoms of zinc deficiency for decades," researchers wrote in one recent report. "A considerable body of evidence suggests that zinc deficiency may increase the risk of some chronic diseases, including cancer. This link may be attributed to the role of zinc in antioxidant defense and DNA damage repair."

Prostate Medication

Article courtesy of prostatehealthnews.org

- If you are suffering from a prostrate condition you are probably aware of the medications that are available. In addition to the standard prostrate medication, there are alternative medications as well. Being that prostrate conditions are so common in older men, there are several medications that are quite common.

In order to determine which prostrate medication is best for you, you will need to see a doctor. They will be able to determine what type of condition you are suffering from, as well as how to best treat it with medication.

Generally speaking, there are two types of prostrate medications that are used in treating people who are suffering from a number of conditions. Generally speaking, medications are most often times used by people who are suffering from an enlarged prostate gland. But other conditions may be treated with medication as well.

The two types of prostrate medications include alpha blockers and 5 alpha reductase inhibitors. Both of them are used to treat certain types of conditions, and have different side effects that may occur.

Alpha blockers are used in order to relax the muscles of the prostate, as well as the bladder. In turn, this makes it much easier for you to urinate comfortably. The problem with alpha blockers is that they have several side effects that go along with them. These side effects include dizziness, headache, fatigue, and respiratory infections.

On the other side of things, and 5 alpha reductase inhibitors are used to shrink the prostate. In turn, this relieves the amount of pressure that is being put on the urethra. When taking and 5 alpha reductase inhibitors men who are suffering from symptoms will realize that they are going away as the prostrate shrinks.

The downside of and 5 alpha reductase inhibitors is that they can take a very long time to have a positive effect; sometimes more than six months. In addition, side effects include a decrease in sex drive, as well as impotence. These are side effects that many men do not want to deal with.

With both of these prostrate medications there are many side effects that should be looked into. Some men are willing to deal with these side effects, whereas others want to avoid them at all costs. This can be discussed with your doctor in order to determine the best medication for you.

Overall, prostrate medication is on the rise all over the world. With more and more baby boomers coming of retirement age, the need for prostrate medication is on the rise. Even though there are some side effects of prostate medication, patients should be glad that they exist. They most definitely have their place in the world of medicine.