This website is dedicated to all men out there that are or will suffer from prostate disorders/problems in their life. I personally have struggled with prostate problems myself & hopefully some of the information I share from this site will help others.
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.
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."
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."
LONDON (Reuters) - Chemicals in cannabis have been found to stop prostate cancer cells from growing in the laboratory, suggesting that cannabis-based medicines could one day help fight the disease, scientists said Wednesday.
After working initially with human cancer cell lines, Ines Diaz-Laviada and colleagues from the University of Alcala in Madrid also tested one compound on mice and discovered it produced a significant reduction in tumor growth.
Their research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, underlines the growing interest in the medical use of active chemicals called cannabinoids, which are found in marijuana.
Experts, however, stressed that the research was still exploratory and many more years of testing would be needed to work out how to apply the findings to the treatment of cancer in humans.
"This is interesting research which opens a new avenue to explore potential drug targets but it is at a very early stage," said Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, which owns the journal.
"It absolutely isn't the case that men might be able to fight prostate cancer by smoking cannabis," she added
The cannabinoids tested by the Spanish team are thought to work against prostate cancer because they block a receptor, or molecular doorway, on the surface of tumour cells. This stops them from dividing.
In effect, the cancer cell receptors can recognize and "talk to" chemicals found in cannabis, said Diaz-Laviada.
"These chemicals can stop the division and growth of prostate cancer cells and could become a target for new research into potential drugs to treat prostate cancer," she said.
Her team's work with two cannabinoids -- called methanandamide and JWH-015 -- is the first demonstration that such cannabis chemicals prevent cancer cells from multiplying.
Some drug companies are already exploring the possibilities of cannabinoids in cancer, including British-based cannabis medicine specialist GW Pharmaceuticals.
It is collaborating with Japan's Otsuka on early-stage research into using cannabis extracts to tackle prostate cancer -- the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men -- as well as breast and brain cancer.
GW has already developed an under-the-tongue spray called Sativex for the relief of some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, which it plans to market in Europe with Bayer and Almirall.
Other attempts to exploit the cannibinoid system have met with mixed success. Sanofi-Aventis was forced to withdraw its weight-loss drug Acomplia from the market last year because of links to mental disorders.
I'm not suggesting anyone to use marijuana & don't support it in any way. This is just an article I found that relates to prostate cancer. As a matter of fact, I'm against marijuana usage of all types but medical marijuana has been known to help people with certain health conditions. Thanks!
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the US. In 2008, 185,000 men were diagnosed and 28,000 died from the disease. During their lifetime 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, but only 1 in 35 will die from the disease. Why? Prostate cancer is often slow to develop and even slower to progress. Any intervention that interferes with cancer cell growth or the division of cancer cells can have a profound effect on an individual’s prognosis.
Research is yet to determine why a man’s prostate enlarges in a benign manner with age. And, we have yet to define a test to tell the difference between prostate cancers that needs urgent treatment and those that are so slow growing they may never need treatment. Herein lies the dilemma, so prevention may be the key to keeping this cancer in check.
Studies are lacking on a conclusive link between diet and prostate cancer, but there is growing evidence that certain foods can either prevent or slow down the spread of this disease. Men in the US and Sweden are at higher risk, while men in Japan, India and China have a lower risk. When populations adapt a more western diet risk increases.
A new book Eating for Prostate Care (Kyle Books, 2009) shows how foods can be protective? Foods rich in antioxidants prevent cell damage, reducing the overall risk for cancer. Foods that reduce inflammation reduce the risk for cancer. Healthy foods improve the immune system allowing it to destroy cancer cells before they multiply to a dangerous level. Foods can also alter gene expression turning on those that are protective.
The authors list specific foods that are being studied for their potential to lower prostate cancer risk: allium vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, fish, and foods rich in lycopene, phytoestrogens and polyphenols. They take these scientific sounding terms and turn them into actual foods to eat and how much.
Vegetables belonging to the allium family are garlic, onions, scallions, shallots, leeks and chives. The book suggests that you try to eat 3 cloves of garlic and 3 (3 ounce) servings of allium-rich foods a week. This group of foods reduces the growth of cancer cells and increases the death of existing cancer cells. They also reduce inflammation which lowers the risk for cancer, heart disease and stroke. Cooking will destroy some of this beneficial effect so adding a sliced raw onion to a sandwich or salad is a healthy choice.
Cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, arugula, watercress, kale, radish, turnip, horseradish and wasabi – are rich in sulphur-containing compounds that have anti-cancer properties. Some of these compounds are destroyed in cooking and can be lost in cooking water. The authors suggest at least 3 servings a week.
In places in the world where fish consumption is high, prostate cancer rates are lower. Fish rich in omega-3 fats – mackerel, salmon, trout, herring, sardines, tuna and anchovies -- are the most protective in both reducing the risk and slowing the growth of prostate cancer. Two to 4 servings (3 to 4 ounces each) are recommended weekly.
Beans, nut and seeds are all high in phytoestrogens. Fava beans, peanuts, and soy have the most but all foods in this group are good sources. Testosterone causes prostate cancer cells to grow. Phytoestrogens suppress growth. The authors suggest 3 to 4 servings of beans, nuts or seed a week, in addition to 3 to 4 servings of soy foods. They also suggest substituting some of your regular milk with soy milk.
Plants rich in polyphenols have been shown to slow human cancer growth. Green tea, pomegranate and raspberries are the richest sources but all fruits and vegetables are good sources, especially when eaten regularly. The authors suggest 5 to 6 cups of green tea a day. Those undergoing treatment for prostate cancer need to check with their doctors as this amount of green tea may interfere with certain medications. If that is the case, most can safely drink 2 to 3 cups of green tea a day.
Lycopene gives the rich red color to fruits and vegetables, particularly tomatoes which are also an excellent source of folate (a B vitamin), vitamins A, C, E, and the mineral potassium. Cooking helps to release lycopene from plant tissues so that tomato sauce and all cooked tomato products, even ketchup, are rich sources. A high intake of lycopene (eating any red foods) lowers the risk of developing prostate cancer. Lycopene also reduces inflammation and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Interestingly, lycopene found in foods has stronger anti-cancer properties than lycopene supplements. The authors recommend eating 2 or more servings of lycopene-rich foods weekly. If you are currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment for prostate cancer, lycopene-rich foods are beneficial but supplements may interfere with drug action, so check with your doctor.
Bottom line: Eat more garlic, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, wasabi, fish, beans, nuts, seeds, tomatoes, watermelon, and raspberries. And, drink more green tea and pomegranate juice. Eating these foods will improve your overall health and may lower your risk for prostate cancer.
The five-term senator is scheduled to have surgery during the Senate's August recess, the Hartford Courant reported Friday. Sources told FOX News that Dodd "will be fine."
The 65-year-old senator joins thousands of other men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 192,280 men will be diagnosed in 2009, and 27,360 will die from the disease. Those statistics make prostate cancer one of the leading killers of men in the U.S.
Although it’s one of the most common cancers suffered by men, there are ways to minimize the risk of getting it, said Dr. Ihor Sawczuk, chairman of urology and chief of urologic oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
Here are five of them:
1. Get Tested. All men age 40 and older should be tested annually for prostate cancer, Sawczuk said.
The first test measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a substance made mostly by the prostate. Too much PSA in the blood may indicate prostate cancer. However, high levels of PSA may also be indicative of infection, inflammation or an enlarged prostate.
The second test involves a doctor or nurse placing a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to check the prostate for lumps and anything else unusual.
If either test raises a red flag, doctors may follow up with a prostate biopsy. This is the most accurate way of checking for cancer. However the test is invasive and can result in a urinary tract infection, as well as urinary and incontinence problems.
2. Get Plenty of Vitamin D. Spending time in the sun and taking a daily supplement will help men increase their levels of vitamin D and possibly reduce their risks of prostate cancer.
“Vitamin D has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cells in the laboratory,” Sawczuk said.
Calcium may reduce the amounts of biologically active vitamin D in the body, so milk drinkers should also look for additional sources of vitamin D, which can be found in cod liver oil, tuna and salmon.
3. Quit Smoking. In addition to harming the lungs and the heart, smoking may also be responsible for the spread of prostate cancer.
A 2003 study from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that men under the age of 55 who had prostate cancer and were current or former smokers were 66 percent more likely to see the cancer spread into other areas of the body.
4. Reduce body fat. Being overweight and maintaining a diet that is high in saturated fat, as well as processed and red meats, are risk factors for prostate cancer, said Sawczuk.
Fatty diets have been found to increase testosterone production, which in turn increases the risk of prostate cancer. Research has also shown that men who consume red meat at least five times a week had a 2.5 percent increase in developing prostate cancer than men who ate red meat less then once a week.
5. Eat a Variety of Healthy Foods. There has also been promising research that shows pomegranate, soy and foods high in lycopene, such as tomato sauce, reduce the risk of prostate cancer, Sawczuk said, adding that maintaining a healthy diet is one of the best ways men can reduce their risk of cancer.
ScienceDaily (Aug. 2, 2009) — UCD Conway researchers have characterised epigenetic signature changes in prostate cells under conditions of low oxygen levels that may lead to tumour development. The results of the study published this month in the scientific journal, Human Molecular Genetics may provide important targets for the early detection and manipulation of prostate cancer.
Chronic hypoxia, or low tissue oxygen levels, is a natural feature of the aging prostate either due to declining blood flow to the area or local consumption of oxygen during re-modelling of the organ. It may also be a risk factor in the development of prostate cancer but, to date, the processes involved are not defined.
This study led by Conway Fellow, Dr Amanda McCann, and involving collaborators in UCD Conway Institute as well as teams in St Vincent’s University Hospital, the National Centre for Medical Genetics Crumlin and Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, examined the consequences of chronic hypoxia on prostate cells.
Epigenetic gene regulation refers to changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. The group found significant epigenetic and cellular alterations in prostate cells as a result of hypoxia. Cells became more resistant to the natural process of cell death, increasingly able to migrate or invade and also caused the secretion of chemical messengers that are believed to be involved in the growth and survival of prostate tumour cells.
Epigenetic alterations were also identified across the extent of the genome and involved increased histone acetylation and DNA methylation. These epigenetic processes may promote and maintain the expression of regulatory genes and activation of adaptive pathways that possibly promote tumour development.
Commenting on the significance of the findings, Dr Jenny Watson PhD, a Health Research Board North/South funded postdoctoral scientist and lead author on the publication, said, “Understanding how chronic hypoxia influences global and gene-specific epigenetic programming will provide important insights into the mechanisms of hypoxia-induced cellular changes. The identification of these factors contributing to the initial development of prostate cancer represents important targets for early detection and manipulation in early stage disease”.
Hello again fellow viewers. I just wanted to update that I have added many of the very product links that I have personally used or still use for prostate health. While I've used all of these I have specifically mentioned the ones I highly recommend.
These are the very products I support & know to have helped me in gaining my health back. I know there's a lot of product links listed from this site but I wouldn't list them if I wasn't helped by them. It's a combination of things that will get your health back but taking these products were big factors in getting back to good health for me.
I still take some of these very products today but some are just needed for instant or immediate pain relief when symptoms are at their worst. Thanks again for reading & thanks for viewing my articles. Feel free to post comments or questions.
ScienceDaily (July 29, 2009) — Investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), along with collaborating teams at the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Michigan, have completed the first large- scale, multi-institutional study of prostate cancer death after standard treatment to remove the prostate since PSA screening has become widely used as a method to screen for the disease.
In the study, published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers found that in a group of 12,677 men who had radical prostatectomies between 1987 and 2005, the fifteen-year mortality rate that could be directly linked to prostate cancer was only 12 percent, even though many of the patients' cancers had aggressive features. Comparatively, the rate of non- cancer-related death in this group was 38 percent. A small fraction, 4 percent, of patients treated surgically within the past ten years had a 5 percent or greater risk of dying of prostate cancer within 15 years. It is not clear at this time whether the outcomes may be related to the effectiveness of surgery and any secondary therapy, or to the low lethality of certain types of prostate cancers to begin with.
"The importance of this paper is that it shows a remarkably low risk of dying of prostate cancer within 15 years for treated men, and supports the concept that men with slow-growing cancers may not need immediate treatment," said senior author Peter Scardino, Chair of the Department of Surgery at MSKCC. "Further good news is that surgery was very effective in preventing death in men with aggressive cancers--defined as those with a high PSA, poorly differentiated with a Gleason grade of 8-10, or locally extensive," Dr. Scardino added.
Not all prostate cancers progress the same way. Many cancers pose little or no threat to life and health, while others grow aggressively and are resistant to treatment. The key is to determine which cancers are "favorable" or ones likely to remain relatively dormant. According to Dr. Scardino, "Currently, there are a number of tools physicians have to help determine the probable course of prostate cancer, but more accurate ones are needed."
Dr. Scardino and colleagues have formulated and pioneered the use of validated statistical models, or nomograms, that help predict the natural progression of prostate cancer and how it will respond to treatment. These nomograms help tailor treatment for men according to the specific characteristics of their cancer. The prostate cancer nomograms are currently the most widely used, disease-specific prediction tool in oncology.
In addition to the nomogram, physicians may use PSA testing, Gleason grade, MRI scans, and multiple biopsies to determine which cancers are likely to be favorable and which are not. While there are tools and models available now to help predict survival, Dr. Scardino and his fellow authors encourage future research to pinpoint better markers specifically associated with the biology of lethal prostate cancer.
"In the future, what we'd like is to be able to do a molecular or genetic analysis of prostate tumor cells to see if they have the capacity to spread, so that we can ask, does your tumor have that capacity? If not, it would be safe to watch," said Dr. Scardino.
As part of the study, 12,677 patients treated with radical prostatectomy between 1987 and 2005 were tracked. Of these patients, 6,398 underwent radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer at either MSKCC or Baylor College of Medicine, with 809 (13%) receiving neoadjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy for an average of 3.2 months. External validation of the nomogram was performed on 4,103 patients treated at Cleveland Clinic and 2,176 patients treated at University of Michigan during the same period.
Prostate biopsy specimens were reviewed by pathologists at each institution before surgery. In general, patients were followed for disease recurrence post operatively with regular PSA tests and clinical exams at three to six month intervals for the first five years, and then annually. The year of surgery was also a consideration, as methods and effectiveness have changed over the years.
While prostate cancer death rates have been dropping over the past decade, according to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that there were 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2008 and 28,660 deaths from the disease.
Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic, University of Michigan, and Baylor College of Medicine contributed to this study. The work was supported by SPORE grants awarded to MSKCC and the University of Michigan by the National Cancer Institute and by the David Koch Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
July 10, 2009 | By admin In Prostate Cancer, Prostate Health
- If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you might be wondering about non-medical treatments to attack this disease. Though many controversial natural cures exist, we’ll look at some of the more common below.
Acupuncture – This ancient Chinese practice has taken off in the western world, and many people believe that it can help cure prostate cancer as well as take away any of the symptoms (such as trouble urinating, pain/burning sensation in the prostate gland, or erectile dysfunction.) During acupuncture, “pressure points” are targeted by an acupuncture specialist using needles that are inserted into the top layer of the patient’s skin. The process is relatively painless (though some have reported discomfort) and is increasing in popularity as many eschew the medical practices of surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy to attack prostate cancer.
Diet Regimens – There are many holistic healers that tout various foods as having cancer attacking properties. Some of these include tomatoes, fish, berries, tea, and even water! Not surprisingly, there are multitudes of books devoted to the subject of how to cure cancer (including prostate cancer) via the diet. If you have been diagnosed with cancer and are looking for an alternative remedy, be cautious before picking just any diet regimen. Try to find one with some supporting evidence, or ask other prostate cancer patients and survivors if they’ve tried the methods. That way, you won’t be gambling with your health.
Vitamins – Again, there are tons of proponents who say that taking certain vitamins can actually cure cancer. These vitamins can be found in both pill and food forms and, like diet regimens, the exact “recipe” changes depending upon whom you ask. If you want to try a vitamin treatment for your prostate cancer, it will behoove you to do a great deal of research on the topic before determining which is right for you.
Finally, always remember that your medical physician may actually be able to help you with some information on natural methods to heal your prostate cancer. It’s a fallacy that all doctors are “against” homeopathic remedies; in actuality, many have recommended them for their patients.
I hope that you found this information on natural treatments for prostate cancer cures.
ScienceDaily (June 22, 2009) — According to results of a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, men with prostate cancer who consumed the active compounds in green tea demonstrated a significant reduction in serum markers predictive of prostate cancer progression.
"The investigational agent used in the trial, Polyphenon E (provided by Polyphenon Pharma) may have the potential to lower the incidence and slow the progression of prostate cancer," said James A. Cardelli, Ph.D., professor and director of basic and translational research in the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport.
Green tea is the second most popular drink in the world, and some epidemiological studies have shown health benefits with green tea, including a reduced incidence of prostate cancer, according to Cardelli. However, some human trials have found contradictory results. The few trials conducted to date have evaluated the clinical efficacy of green tea consumption and few studies have evaluated the change in biomarkers, which might predict disease progression.
Cardelli and colleagues conducted this open-label, single-arm, phase II clinical trial to determine the effects of short-term supplementation with green tea's active compounds on serum biomarkers in patients with prostate cancer. The biomarkers include hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and prostate specific antigen (PSA). HGF and VEGF are good prognostic indicators of metastatic disease.
The study included 26 men, aged 41 to 72 years, diagnosed with prostate cancer and scheduled for radical prostatectomy. Patients consumed four capsules containing Polyphenon E until the day before surgery — four capsules are equivalent to about 12 cups of normally brewed concentrated green tea, according to Cardelli. The time of study for 25 of the 26 patients ranged from 12 days to 73 days, with a median time of 34.5 days.
Findings showed a significant reduction in serum levels of HGF, VEGF and PSA after treatment, with some patients demonstrating reductions in levels of greater than 30 percent, according to the researchers.
Cardelli and colleagues found that other biomarkers were also positively affected. There were only a few reported side effects associated with this study, and liver function remained normal.
Results of a recent year-long clinical trial conduced by researchers in Italy demonstrated that consumption of green tea polyphenols reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer in men with high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN).
"These studies are just the beginning and a lot of work remains to be done, however, we think that the use of tea polyphenols alone or in combination with other compounds currently used for cancer therapy should be explored as an approach to prevent cancer progression and recurrence," Cardelli said.
William G. Nelson, V., M.D., Ph.D., professor of oncology, urology and pharmacology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, believes the reduced serum biomarkers of prostate cancer may be attributable to some sort of benefit relating to green tea components.
"Unfortunately, this trial was not a randomized trial, which would have been needed to be more sure that the observed changes were truly attributable to the green tea components and not to some other lifestyle change (better diet, taking vitamins, etc.) men undertook in preparation for surgery," added Nelson, who is also a senior editor for Cancer Prevention Research. However, "this trial is provocative enough to consider a more substantial randomized trial."
In collaboration with Columbia University in New York City, the researchers are currently conducting a comparable trial among patients with breast cancer. They also plan to conduct further studies to identify the factors that could explain why some patients responded more dramatically to Polyphenon E than others. Cardelli suggested that additional controlled clinical trials should be done to see if combinations of different plant polyphenols were more effective than Polyphenon E alone.
"There is reasonably good evidence that many cancers are preventable, and our studies using plant-derived substances support the idea that plant compounds found in a healthy diet can play a role in preventing cancer development and progression," said Cardelli.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who drink heavily may be raising their risk of developing prostate cancer, researchers reported Monday.
What's more, their study found, the drug finasteride, which can help lower a man's risk of the disease, appears unable to undo the damage of heavy drinking.
The findings come from a clinical trial of nearly 11,000 men looking at whether finasteride lowered the risk of prostate cancer over seven years. Of the men, 2,219 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 8,791 remained cancer-free throughout the study.
The researchers found that men who drank heavily -- four or more drinks per day, on at least five days out of the week -- were twice as likely as non-drinkers to develop aggressive prostate tumors.
The risk was seen in both men who received finasteride and those given a placebo.
In addition, when it came to less aggressive, slower-growing prostate tumors, finasteride cut non-drinkers' and moderate drinkers' risk by 43 percent. The drug did nothing, however, for heavier drinkers.
Researchers led by Dr. Zhihong Gong, of the University of California at San Francisco, report the findings in the journal Cancer.
Many of the established risk factors for prostate cancer cannot be controlled, such as older age, African-American race and family history of the disease. Only a handful of suspected risk factors -- including obesity, smoking and a high intake of animal fat -- can be modified, Gong's team notes.
Heavy drinking may need to be added to that short list, the researchers say, though they also point out that more studies should be done to confirm the findings.
For now, they write, "physicians may choose to consider this finding when counseling men on reducing their risk of prostate cancer."
It would also be "prudent," they add, for men on finasteride to limit themselves to no more than two or three drinks per day.
I'm posting this article so my viewers will know what to expect upon a visit(s) to a urologist office. I briefly touched on this in an earlier article. The initial visit will include a number of tests & exams that could be performed.
The very first thing most office's will do is take a urine sample. This can be used to test for things like UTI(Urinary Tract Infection) & also a source of bacteria in the urine.
Urine samples can also be used to test for other problems as well. The problem with urine samples in checking for prostate related disorders(especially prostatitis) is that bacteria hides in the prostate.
As a matter of fact, 95% of urine samples will show no bacteria in the urine.Even though this is the case, nearly all urologist still treat the patient as having bacteria from the urine since it hides in the prostate.
Once giving a urine sample then probably the next exam will be something that I also briefly touched on & that's a Digital Rectal Exam(DRE). This is an exam that's standard in checking for prostate related diseases. This exam involves the doctor inserting his index finger or fingers into the rectum.
This allows him/her to physically examine the prostate. The exam only last for around 30-45 seconds at most. The doctor will be checking for abnormalities from the prostate. The abnormalities checked for might be enlargement,inflammation,swelling,lumps, & tumors. As for most men the biggest worry would be a tumor(possible cancer).
I can speak from experience that this exam isn't a comfortable one. This will be especially uncomfortable if you have a swollen or enlarged prostate. Actually, if you have any prostate related problem then it's gonna be pretty uncomfortable. I was nauseated for 20+ minutes after my first DRE. I broke out into a cold sweat & just felt really weird for a while.
Once this exam is performed then the doctor will normally tell you right away what's felt upon examination. This will help in determining his diagnosis & treatment option(s).
The next test probably done will be what's called a "Urethral Swab". This is a long cotton swab that's inserted into the penis to check for STD's(Sexually Transmitted Diseases). This too isn't comfortable but isn't nearly as bad as the DRE. This test will even be shorter than the DRE & usually last only 10 seconds. This test is done to rule out any STD's.
The next test that will probably be done is called the PSA(Prostate Specific Antigen). This is a blood test from the body to be sent off to a lab for examination. The #1 reason for this test it check for prostate cancer. The other advantages of this exam is that the blood work can be used to look for other problems as well.
This is called a CBC(Complete Blood Count). Things like red & white blood cells can be examined to determine the count. Red & white blood cell counts can show possible infections. Minerals & vitamin deficiencies can be looked at as well as other areas.
The PSA will give a number reading for possible diagnosis of prostate cancer. I say the word possible here & that's important. The higher the PSA reading the better chances of having cancer. Normal readings for this test is between 1.0-5.0 ng/ml. Older men(60+) could have a reading up to the 5.0 range or slightly higher & still not have cancer. This is typical in aging & shouldn't be considered alarming. The bottom line is that men over 60 can have a higher than normal reading & still be safe from cancer.
Anything higher than a reading of 1.0- 5.0 ng/ml is considered high but doesn't necessarily mean cancer is present. Further test(s) will need to be done to confirm cancer if readings are in the high range. My reading was at 0.9ng/ml which is well below the normal range. This gave me some relief when this reading was given to me.
Another test that may be performed is called a "Urine Flow Test". This test involves collecting urine at a midstream flow. This is an even better way of diagnosing prostatitis.
A couple other tests that may be done are called a "Premassage Urine Culture", & "Postmassage Urine Culture". The words pre & post tell that one is done before a prostate massage & the other is done after. Prostate massage is where the doctor performs a similar act as the DRE.
The index finger is inserted into the rectum but this time the prostate is massaged for maybe a couple minutes. This way possibly some bacteria is then loosened from the prostate & also fluid can be examined under a microscope.
Some urologist may not perform all these tests in this order or may leave certain test out. It all depends on the doctor. I just know these are the common examinations upon initial visits to a urologist office. It will take a few days to get the results of the PSA test back.
Conventional Treatment Options:
Diagnosis of BPH(Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, also known as an "enlarged prostate"):
This condition is usually treated with a class of drugs called alpha blockers. The most prescribed alpha blocker is called Proscar(also known as finasteride). Other alpha blockers include terazosin, doxazosin,& tamsulosin. All of these drugs are administered to help shrink the prostate.
Other forms of treatment are Microwave Therapy, Ttransurethral Needle Ablation, Transurethral Surgery, Open Surgery,& Laser Surgery. These types of treatments are normally later options since they involve more serious implementation.
Diagnosis of Prostatitis(all forms):
This condition is almost always treated with antibiotics. Like I stated earlier bacteria can hide in the prostate so this class of medicine is given for prostatitis no matter the type of prostatitis. There is big concerns over this because why treat a condition with no bacteria relation with an antibiotic? This is a standard practice for most urologists in that antibiotics are given for any prostatitis diagnosis. I certainly went through this with 3 different courses of an antibiotic called Doxycycline.
There are are also alternative treatments for prostatitis that I'll be covering in more detail with an upcoming article. The conventional method of treatment is the route urologists are gonna pursue. These methods can be effective if taken in the right direction. However, there's so many instances to where this doesn't work that it leads to other options. This is why I'll cover those options in another article.
As you can see from this article diagnosing a prostate disease is certainly not an easy task. The doctor has numerous things to consider. There are numerous tests that can be done to check for many problems. Not all of these tests will turn out to be prostate related. Some may show a problem in another reproductive part of the body. Symptoms for all of these prostate disorders are so similar. It takes a good urologist & in my opinion an "experienced" one as well to determine the patients diagnosis.
Studies are currently being done now that hopefully will allow better treatment options for prostatitis. This also can be said with prostate cancer & the rest of prostate related illnesses. There is no good way to treat prostatitis except that antibiotics are nearly always the first action taken.
This concerns me in that this is the set way or "standard" of treatment. As with any prescription medication there are side effects. All a man with prostate problems needs is more symptoms from the side effects of medication. It's hard enough to deal with any prostate disorder(s) alone & then have added symptoms related directly to the medication as well.
Well, I hope I've given men that are facing their doctor's visits some helpful information. I'm sure you'll be nervous just like me when I was thinking the worst. I absolutely dreaded my first appointment. I didn't wanna hear bad news but I did wanna find out what in the world was wrong with me. I'm glad I took that initial step because this started my path to better health.
This was only a small part in the process but definitely the first step. I'll be covering some alternative treatments in the next article. I appreciate everyone viewing & feel free to post a comment or question to this article or any article of mine. I'll be posting my alternative treatments article very soon. Thanks for viewing my blog! Also, you can now check out my recently created You Tube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIdxmsutyPE
Let me start out by giving my viewers the background of my initial signs of a prostate issue:
September, 2007:
I started having some very minor urination problems during this month. They were barely noticeable but more night-time bathroom trips & slight burning during urination where the main signs. I started drinking more water & thought this would clear things up.
October, 2007:
My symptoms started getting worse. I had more night-time bathroom trips & burning during urination. I also started feeling like I was setting on a golf ball at times. I again started drinking extra water daily. I felt better for a short period of time but still symptoms where never gone.
November, 2007:
By this time, things were gradually getting worse. I was only drinking water & green tea at this time. I had no other type fluids going into my body. My symptoms were just getting worse by the day.
December, 2007:
This was getting near holiday time & I wasn't feeling well at all. My burning & bathroom trips were more frequent. I then had additional symptoms of feeling tired & depressed. I wasn't eating regularly & my appetite was going south. I hadn't lost much weight at this time but was showing signs of trouble eating.
January, 2008:
I started feeling very down & depressed. I couldn't do any setting for longer than 10-15 minutes at a time.I would break out into a sweat if I set too long & would feel like I was going to faint. I still was in denial I guess but tried to keep going. I was not very active at all even though I had been active all my life. I was very depressed but still wasn't getting any help because of my denial about having a prostate issue. Men are sometimes too manly to admit there's something going on down there, right? I was starting to think the worse & I was dead-set I had prostate cancer.
February, 2008:
I was getting much worse by this time & was now suffering from fever & chills to go along with all the other symptoms. I then decided it was time to finally try to figure pout what was going on with me. My wife had really fussed at me all the time to go to the doctor. However, I'm a man & we don't admit there's a problem there like I said before.
March, 2008:
After researching on the net for days I decided to make a phone call to a local urologist office. I went to my first appointment on March 28th. I provided a urine sample to go along with blood work. The doctor then asked to do a Digital Rectal Exam(DRE) to check my prostate manually. The word "digital" here doesn't mean by a machine but by the doctor's finger. I knew this wasn't going to be any fun. Upon examination, the doctor stated that my prostate was "very enlarged" & felt soft to the touch. This normally shows a prostate infection & therefore he suggested treatment with antibiotics.
I was given a 3-week course of Doxycycline to treat the supposed infection. BTW, the PSA(Prostate Specific Antigen) test came back with a reading of 0.9 which is below normal for any prostate cancer. Normal is considered between 1.0-4.0 on a scale. Anything above 4.0 is considered abnormal but higher numbers are more serious like 10.0 or higher. That relieved me somewhat for a short time. I will cover this test in detailed later as well.
April, 2008:
After going through the 3-week treatment with antibiotics I did feel quite a bit better. However, about a week after the treatment stopped I started feeling bad again. I was getting back the frequent urination at night & burning during urination along with the golf ball feeling from the testicle area. About 2 weeks later I was right back where I was before with pain from sitting & depressed. I then said I'm gonna study on the net even more about this situation. Doctors like to throw antibiotics into our bodies for all sorts of health problems. Once studying more I was thinking that this wasn't going to make me better or at least allow me to manage my prostate problems.
May, 2008:
I decided I would give the urologist office another call for another appointment. However, I got so sick that I couldn't wait for that appointment & had to make a trip to the ER. I was the sickest I had been now with nausea,pain,sweats,& very depressed. The ER doctor stated that I had been on the wrong antibiotics & changed it to an0ther in the same class. This was also a 3-week course treatment. I didn't keep my followup appointment with the urologist since I was back on antibiotics.
June, 2008:
Once the most recent course of antibiotics was finished I again started feeling bad. This was only about 4-5 days after the treatment stopped. I then started researching deeply on the net about my prostate problems. What I found out was that this was the typical protocol by doctor's for prostate infections. They rarely worked & some people even suffered worse problems from antibiotics. I still decided to call the urologist office for an appointment. I went to this appointment on June 26. I again was diagnosed with an infection & that more antibiotics was needed. I SAID NO THANKS THIS TIME! I told the doctor I was considering alternative treatments now instead of prescription meds.
July, 2008:
After extensive research I decided that I would give herbals a try to see if that route helped. I visited many sites researching the best herbs & herbal brand name products to possibly try. I mean I spent hours daily trying to make sure that I didn't throw money away to these so called scammers. There are tons of products & formulas to treat not only prostate disorders but many health-related problems. I didn't want to go with the wrong products. I found quite a few single supplements/herbs that I started using & I will be going in detail on these in future writings. To be short at this time I started taking about 16 combination herbs & supplements in the month of July.
August-October, 2008:
During these 3 months I kept at taking the herbs & supplements on a regular basis. Boy, I was feeling like a new person compared to the feeling while on antibiotics. I still am only drinking filtered water & green tea all during this time & NOTHING else period. Another thing I need to mention is my DIET. This is also a big factor in managing prostate related illnesses.
I too will be going over my detailed diet in the future. One other thing is LIFE-STYLE change. I will cover all these things at a later time but right now I wanna just give the rundown of my prostate problems & timing. By the end of October I was actually nearly 100% symptom free. I felt like I had my life back again & wasn't worried now about prostate cancer.
November, 2008-present:
Now, I appear to have my life completely back with barely noticeable symptoms. Most of the time I don't even have any symptoms at all. Prostate infections are divided into several categories & I will cover this in future articles. All prostate infections are called "prostatitis" but here is where they get divided into types. These will be covered later. I will provide links to many of the same sites I used & will provide as much help for people that are experiencing the same awful medical problems I went through.
It's not something that any man wants to experience but maintaining prostate performance & health will go a long way towards avoiding issues in the future & also lead the ones suffering back to good health. Looking forward to posting more articles in the near future & I will be back soon with more information. Thanks for reading & have a great day!
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