The Prostate Cancer Survival Blog

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If you experience certain symptoms like frequent night urination, blood in your urine or semen, pains in your lower back, in your pelvis or in your upper thighs all this could be symptoms of prostatitis, a non cancerous swelling of the prostate gland or it could be prostate cancer.

Now there’s no need to panic but the fact is that many who choose to ignore signs and symptoms condemn themselves to living with the uncertainty. This has to be worse than actually being diagnosed and knowing if you have prostate cancer or not.

For those who want to continue living, you need to undergo a prostate cancer diagnosis to determine if indeed you have prostate cancer and what can be done to cure it and save your life. There are several stages to prostate cancer and the farther along you let it go without treatment, the more at risk you are of dying due to cancer.

When you discover the symptoms you shouldn’t just throw in the towel but try to see what you need to do about it. First, check with your doctor to conduct screening tests of prostate cancer for you. If you’ve followed previous advice, you no doubt have a baseline PSA test and previous physical tests to begin your diagnosis.

Yet another digital rectal examination (DRE) to check for size and texture of your prostate through the rectal lining but you should know the drill by now. Now’s also not time to get sensitive concerning the test. With this examination your doctor can tell if cancer is present in your prostate by checking to see if he can feel a nodule or other types of prostate irregularity.

Next, the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test will be done and compared with previous results. This test is used to measure the levels of a protein in the blood called prostate-specific antigen. This protein is usually overproduced by prostate cancer cells. So, if prostate cancer is present, there will be an increase of PSA levels in the blood of the victim. Be aware that this isn’t completely accurate though is a good indicator.

If after these screening tests cancer is suspected, a biopsy may be performed. Here, a biopsy is used to gain a tissue sample from the prostate to be examined under a microscope. This biopsy tissue analysis is performed to determine the Gleason score or if the tumor is cancerous or not.

At this point, you and your doctor have a good idea IF you have cancer and at what stage it has developed. It’s at this point that a strategy for beating prostate cancer is development and options are discussed.

Be aware that in the great majority of cases, the symptoms are caused by prostatitis and are not cancerous. The point however is why anyone would want to stay in denial and think they have cancer instead of going in and getting an accurate diagnosis of the situation. Besides, there are mediations now available to treat prostatitis and help alleviate many of the most common symptomatic complaints

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Abigail Franks has written many articles on the subject of prostate cancer. On her site you can find Prostate Cancer information and more about early detection with Prostate Cancer tests

While many illnesses and diseases are well understood, prostate cancer is one of the remaining cancerous conditions that is shrouded in misunderstanding. There are several main reasons for this, not the least of which is that men as a group, simply do not want to deal with this very common no cancerous condition.

For many men, prostate cancer affects the very core of how they define their own manhood. The prostate is a key component in the sexual performance and ability of men. Prostate cancer than strikes at the very heart of how many men view themselves. In any event here are a few of the most common questions concerning prostate cancer.

1. What really is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is any abnormal and malignant growth of cells in the tissues of the prostate gland and possibly all over and beyond the prostate.

2. What is advanced prostate cancer?
This is one of the stages of prostate cancer where the cancerous cells have spread outside the prostate into other parts of the victim’s body, causing damage along the way. There are four basic stages of prostate cancer.

3. What are the stages of prostate cancer?

Stage I of prostate cancer is when the cancer is only in the prostate area and hasn’t spread outside the prostate.

Stage II of prostate cancer is when the cancer is still within the prostate, but is advancing.

Stage III of prostate cancer is when the cancer has now spread beyond the outer layer of the prostate into nearby tissues.

Stage IV is the stage that all men dread. In this stage of the cancer, it has spread to other parts of the body also known as metastatic prostate cancer

4. What is metastatic prostate cancer?
It is another name for advanced prostate cancer where the cancerous cells have grown outside the prostate and is growing into other parts of the body. Metastatic prostate cancer is extremely serious.

5. What causes prostate cancer?
There is no singular factor that causes prostate cancer. Heredity is suspected to play a large role in prostate cancer as is the race of the patient. Black men are much more likely to have prostate cancer than other groups.

6. What can I do about Prostate Cancer?
If you have a prostate and are over 50 years of age, you should really consider getting a yearly prostate exam and having a simple PSA blood test done. This information will provide a baseline for future reference.

Remember that the earlier you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, the more you have to fight this deadly disease and win.

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Abigail Franks has written many articles on the subject of prostate cancer. On her site you can find valuable information about Prostate Cancer and more about early detection with Prostate Cancer Tests

The vast majority of men will develop prostate problems of some description as they get older, with the first signs of trouble appearing for a few men at about the age of 50, or possibly slightly earlier. By the age of 60 about half of all men will be experiencing prostate symptoms and this figure will have increased to about ninety percent by the age of 80.

For most men prostate symptoms will be fairly mild and, because most of us begin to develop a range of medical problems at this point in our lives, it is not uncommon for men to simply ignore prostate symptoms as nothing more than a normal part ageing. As many prostate problems are not serious, and the symptoms can often be very mild, this is not necessarily a problem and you can live with many prostate problems quite happily and without them doing you any real harm.

However, not all prostate problems are harmless and if your particular prostate problem happens to be prostate cancer and you ignore it then it could quite easily start to spread and eventually kill you. Indeed, ignoring prostate symptoms is the main reason why prostate cancer represents the second highest cause of cancer death the United States.

There are many different symptoms which might point to a developing prostate problem and one difficulty we have in recognizing the cause of these symptoms is that they are often symptoms which could arise for many different reasons. However, if symptoms are not being caused by prostate problems then they will often to be short lived (stemming from a bacterial infection for example) and will disappear in a matter of days without the need for treatment. However, where symptoms stay with you, or appear on a regular basis, then there it is likely that they are being caused by a problem with the prostate gland.

Common symptoms include:

Difficulty beginning urination and the need to strain in order to start urination.
A loss of strength in the flow of urine.
A flow of urine which tends to stop and start.
A feeling that you need to urinate even after you’ve just been to the bathroom.
A need to visit the bathroom urgently and problems in ‘waiting’.
The need to visit the bathroom more frequently and, in particular, to get up to visit the bathroom during the night.
A tendency to dribble urine for a while after you have finished in the bathroom.

These symptoms indicate that prostate problems may be developing and although, in most cases, such problems will not be serious this is not always the case.

Accordingly, as soon as these symptoms appear, you should consult your doctor who will be able to tell you exactly what the problem is and how to treat it. More importantly, if the problem does turn out to be prostate cancer, he can recommend treatment while the problem is in its early stages and can be relatively easily treated and, hopefully, eliminated altogether.

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ProstateProblemCenter.com provides prostate problem information and advice on such topics as spotting an enlarged prostate symptom to prostate surgery.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates 25% of the reported cases of prostate cancer will occur in the United States in 2008. This is good reason for American men to become more aware of common prostrate disorders and how they can keep good prostrate health to possibly avoid these disorders.

Prostate Glands and their Function
The prostate gland is located just below a male’s bladder and surrounds the top portion of the tube that drains urine from the bladder (urethra). The prostate gland is actually a collection of many smaller glands surrounded by a layer of fibrous tissue called the prostatic capsule. The main function of the prostate glands is to produce part of, store and help in the secretion of semen, the solution that carries sperm.

Overview of Common Prostate Disorders:

• Prostatis. Inflammation or irritation of the prostrate glands. This can be caused by bacteria, kidney stones, cancer or by other non-bacterial causes.
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia. The prostate glands enlarge to such an extent that urination becomes difficult. Cells in the central portion of the gland begin to reproduce more rapidly in men in their mid- to late 40s, resulting in prostate gland enlargement. As tissues in the area enlarge, they often compress the urethra and partially block urine flow. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the medical term for prostate gland enlargement. BPH affects about half the men in their 60s and up to 90 percent of men in their 70s and 80s.
• Prostate cancer. This is one of the most common cancers affecting older men (usually above 50) and a common cause of death. Prostate cancer has been the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among the American men. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that 10% of the total cancer deaths in the United States will be due to prostate cancer in 2008. This figure was 9% up till 2007.

Treatment of prostate gland enlargement depends on individual signs and symptoms and may include medications, surgery or non-surgical therapies.

Causes of Prostate Disorders:

• Age. Men above 50 are usually diagnosed with prostate disorders. More than 80% of the diagnosed cases are more than 65.
• Race/Nationality. Prostate disorders occur more in African-American men than in men of other races. It is also more common in men in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia, and on Caribbean islands.
• Diet. The diet consumed in America can be a contributing factor for developing prostate disorders. Men who eat red meat, and pay no attention to vegetables and fruit in their diet might be more at risk.
• Hereditary Factors Although this is not a major cause, the risk of getting prostate cancer is higher if you have a father or brother who has had it.
• DNA mutations. Changes in the DNA of a prostate cancer cell. Certain genes that promote cell growth and division are called oncogenes. Others that normally slow down cell division or cause cells to die at the right time are called tumor suppressor genes. Cancer can be caused by DNA changes (mutations) that turn on oncogenes or turn off tumor suppressor genes.

At this stage of research, results are not yet clear as to what causes these disorders. Doctors, however, recommend a low-fat diet, high in fiber with plenty of fruits and vegetables. You may be able to reduce your risk of prostate cancer by changing the way you eat. Tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon which contain antioxidants called lycopenes have shown potential in lowering the risk of prostate cancer. Lycopenes antioxidants can help prevent damage to DNA. Researchers at the Christie Hospital in Manchester concluded that the intake of omega-3 fats (found in fatty fish) may inhibit the prostate cancer cells. http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v94/n6/abs/6603030a.html)

Role of Beta-Sitosterol
Beta-sitosterol, one of several phytosterols, helps support prostate health. It has been used in easing symptoms of BPH with good results. Natural sources of Beta-Sitosterol can be found in pecans, pumpkin seeds, cashew fruit, rice bran, wheat germ, corn oils, soybeans, sea-buckthorn and wolfberries.. Supplements like Super Beta Prostate, Beta Prostate, Saw Palmetto will help you get the ensured dosage your body needs to nutritionally support prostate health. Please consult your doctor for its advantage for you and recommended dosage.

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Cancer is a scary diagnosis. Whether you are a man or a woman, cancer is a real threat. For men, one of the most common forms of cancer is metastatic prostate cancer. It is very important that men have regular prostate screening and if tumors or cancer is present, to seek immediate medical attention. Here are some commonly asked questions regarding metastatic prostate cancer.

What is metastatic prostate cancer?

Metastatic prostate cancer is simply put cancer of the prostate. While some men find their cancer in the early stages, other men are already in the late stages of cancer when it is finally diagnosed. Cancer is caused by the abnormal growth of cells in the body. For men that suffer from metastatic prostate cancer, these cells begin the in the prostate gland and can spread to other parts of the body.

What are the symptoms of metastatic prostate cancer?

One of the first noticeable symptoms associated with prostate cancer is an abnormal growth or tumor in the prostate gland. Symptoms of this type of cancer can also include weight loss, problems with urinating (usually urine retention), localized pain, and anemia. It is important to remember that in its earliest stages, most men have no symptoms related to metastatic prostate cancer. As the tumor grows, the symptoms may begin to appear.

Who is at risk for prostate cancer?

Despite what you may think, not just older men get metastatic prostate cancer. Even young and apparently healthy men are at risk for prostate cancer. However, it should be noted that men over the age of 50 are more at risk, as are African-American men. Asian men seem to have the lowest risk of prostate cancer. In addition, if you have a close relative that has suffered from metastatic prostate cancer, then you are at a right risk of developing problems.

How is metastatic cancer found?

Prostate cancer requires a full medical examination by a doctor. If your doctor suspects that you may be at risk for cancer, he or she will examine your prostate and look for abnormal growths or tumors. A prostate antigen specific blood test will also look for cancer cells in the body. If the count is high, then there is a good chance you have prostate cancer. Another test that is routinely performed is a prostate biopsy. This is the most thorough way of determining whether or not you have metastatic prostate cancer.

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You can also find more information at Prostate Cancer Detection And Treatment and Prostate Cancer New Treatment .prostatecancertreatmenthelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about prostate cancer treatment.

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you want to make sure the diagnosis is completely accurate so that you can pursue the right type of treatment. One of the best ways of determining whether or not you have prostate cancer is with a prostate biopsy procedure. This procedure is the most thorough way of detecting cancer cells, even at its earliest stages. The goal behind a prostate biopsy procedure is to take a small amount of tissue from the area and examine it to see whether or not cancer cells are present. Here is how a prostate biopsy procedure is performed.

• Preparing for the biopsy: The first thing that you will do before you have a prostate biopsy procedure is to prepare for the medical test. By now you have already had an initial physical examination and your doctor suspects that something is abnormal. When a biopsy is performed, it can look at the cells to see if cancer is present. Your doctor will inform you of the procedures before it takes place. Your doctor may ask that you have an enema before the procedure to clean out the intestines beforehand. The doctor will also mostly likely prescribe antibiotics. This will help ensure that there are no infections present before the prostate biopsy procedure is performed. In addition, your doctor may ask that you do not take any medications prior to the procedure.
• Determining the type of prostate biopsy procedure: Before your appointment, your doctor will have already determined which procedure is right for you. There are several different biopsy procedures that can be done. The most common is the needle in the perineum. A needle in inserted and cells are taken for examination. About 6-12 samples are taken. This procedure takes about 20 minutes and there are little to no difficulties from the procedure. Other common procedures are the needle in the rectum and the cytoscopy.
• Care after the procedure: Depending on which procedure you have, your doctor will recommend that you slow your daily activities and that you watch for swelling or bleeding. There is usually a little pain and discomfort, but it should not last more that two days. You should contact your doctor if you have problems urinating after 24 hours or have bleeding, swelling or fever.

There are usually little to no side effects of the prostate biopsy procedure except for mild pain and discomfort. Side effects can include difficulty urinating, bleeding from the rectum, a lowered sperm count and infection.

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You can also find more information at Prostate Exam and Laser Prostate Treatment .prostatecancertreatmenthelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about prostate cancer treatment.

Many of us take vitamins on a regular basic and this is particularly true as we start to get a bit older. However, in the case of men, and particularly men with a family history of prostate cancer, they could be doing themselves more harm than good.

In a five year study carried out by the National Cancer Institute and involving nearly 300,000 men it was found that men who were regularly taking more than the recommended daily dose of one multi-vitamin tablet a day increased their risk from advanced prostate cancer by about thirty percent. In addition, the risk of death from advanced prostate cancer was doubled. The study also noted that there was an increased risk in a sub-group of men who also had a family history of prostate cancer or who also took selenium, beta-carotene and zinc supplements.

One important finding of this study was that there was no apparent increase in the overall rate of prostate cancer within the study group and so there is no suggestion that the excessive use of vitamins actually causes prostate cancer.

However, in the case of those members of the study group who were taking multi-vitamins in excessive quantities the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer was increased by nearly one-third and their risk of dying from advanced prostate cancer was doubled.

Vitamin and mineral supplements have been shown over many hundreds of years to have considerable health benefits and today a multi-million dollar industry has been established to meet our growing demand from an ever widening range of supplements. Indeed several, such as green tea extract (EGCG), have been developed specifically for men suffering from prostate problems. So does this study mean that we should stop taking supplements?

No. First, the study clearly shows that the problem only arises in men who exceed the normal daily dose of multi-vitamins and there is no evidence to suggest any risk as long as you keep your intake within recommended levels. Second, because the study looked only at multi-vitamins it is not possible at this point to say just which component (or components) causes the problem. At this point further study will clearly be necessary to isolate the true root of the problem.

On balance, if you need to supplement your diet with vitamins, then the benefits will almost certainly outweigh any risks. Just be careful and take no more than you need and which your doctor recommends.

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ProstateProblemCenter.com provides prostate problem information and advice from a simple picture of the prostate gland to complex robotic prostate surgery.

Prostate Cancer kills if allowed to grow. If ever there was a good reason to have a simple blood test, this is it. The Prostate cancer PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test is one of the tests given to determine if cancer cells are present in an otherwise healthy prostate. It is a simple blood test to help doctors diagnose and identify the existence of prostate cancer.

The PSA test, although considered a prostate specific test is not really an absolute definitive test for the cancer. Depending on the research conducted, the PSA test is known to be somewhere between 85 and 95% accurate in identifying prostate cancer.

While an elevated PSA test may suggest the presence of prostate cancer, it’s not an absolute. If however you have an elevated result, your doctor will probably want to do additional testing for a more complete and accurate assessment of the potential cancer. The last thing you want to do is to allow prostate cancer to grow beyond the prostate gland.

The good news is that BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, better known as an enlarged prostate can also elevate the PSA test results. Even Prostatitis and Lower Urinary Tract symptoms can show elevated levels of PSA so if you have an elevated test result don’t panic! A normal result from a PSA test, doesn’t guarantee that your free from cancer, nor does a higher than normal result means you do have cancer

It’s critical that you follow your doctor’s lead in regard to dealing with the Prostate Specific Antigen test results. The results are an indication in a tool only to develop a complete diagnosis. To complicate matters more, PSA levels can also increase with age. Oh and the relative size of your prostate also plays a factor in interpreting the results.

Remember that as many as two out of three people with elevated the PSA readings DO NOT have a malignancy

Here’s a quick list of the benefits and reasons why you should consider getting a PSA test

1. It’s possible to detect a cancerous condition before any symptoms are known

2. Early detection catches prostate cancer before it is spread increasing the chances of a complete cure

3. The PSA blood test has been recognized as a contributing factor that has significantly reduced the number of prostate cancer death

The PSA test also delivers a false positive, which is a normal PSA level in about 20% of the time. It is still recognized as a good indicator of potential cancerous conditions and should be taken seriously. A 2005 Harvard study indicated that men having an annual PSA test were almost 3 times LESS likely to die of prostate cancer than men who didn’t bother with the test. So the best reason to have the test is that without it, you greatly increase the chances of dying from prostate cancer!

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Abigail Franks has written many articles on the subject of prostate cancer. On her site you can find valuable Prostate Cancer Information and more about early detection with Prostate Cancer Tests

Once a man reaches middle age then there is a better than even chance that he will develop an enlarged prostate by the time he retires. This particular problem will normally start to appear in men at about the age of 45 and by the age of 60 will affect 1 in every 2 men. As age continues to increase so too does the problem and by the age of 80 an enlarged prostate will be seen in 9 out of every 10 men.

The prostate gland, which forms a part of the male reproductive system, puts on a spurt of growth during puberty and reaches the size of a walnut by the time a man reaches maturity. It then continues its growth very slowly throughout the remainder of a man’s life.

In middle age however cell growth often accelerates in an area of the prostate known as the transition section or zone of the prostate. This cell growth, which is non-cancerous, is confined to the transition zone of the prostate, which partially surrounds the urethra – the tube which carries urine out of the body from the bladder.

At first the enlargement caused by cell growth in the transition section is slow and many men will not experience any symptoms from it at all, while others will find that the symptoms are so slight that they will dismiss them as nothing more than part of the normal ageing process.

As the prostate enlarges further however it will begin to pinch the urethra causing increasing problems with the flow of urine from the bladder. At this point symptoms will begin to become evident and, while neither painful nor discomforting, they will become increasingly annoying as men experience such things as difficulty in urinating, a week flow of urine, the need to get up during the night to urinate and what is often seen as an embarrassing tendency to dribble urine after they have been to the bathroom.

At this point your enlarged prostate is certainly beginning to impinge upon your lifestyle and you should consult your doctor.

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For more information about the problem of an enlarged prostate please visit Prostate Cancer Explained

Modern men understand that it is vital to pay attention to their health as much as women. With illnesses such as prostate cancer, it is obvious that men must be more vigilant with their wellbeing.

Natural prostate health means that you must give your prostate the internal protection it needs. In order to help your body not to wear down and produce abnormal, tumour cells, you must find a natural health routine.

Natural prostate health also means that you must know which kind of supplements will protect and nourish your prostate.

If you do not have any prostate problems, your best option in the long run is a natural approach to prostate health. You will significantly cut the risk of getting cancer or other prostate irregularities, if you increase the amount of antioxidants you take and at the same time decrease the amount of preservatives you eat.

Natural prostate health is the best option that lots of men are making these days to guarantee their health. Men should be aware that indeed they can protect themselves from getting prostate cancer.

Natural prostate cancer institutes know that men must have the know-how, so that they will not be caught uninformed.

For this reason, you need to get in touch with your nearest natural health institute before you suffer irregularities to talk about what options you have.

Allow natural prostate health help you for the rest of your life. Rather than exposing your body to chemicals and radiation after you get cancer, deal with it proactively by living a healthier everyday life.

Make that commitment to your prostate health by committing yourself to a natural health lifestyle. It is your way to make sure that you are not unexpectedly caught by prostate cancer unaware.

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Prostate cancer is one of the main causes of death among men. Visit Prostate Cancer Information for the latest news and information about this disease. You will learn the recent discoveries regarding prostate cancer treatment