According to the United Kingdom National Health Service, the risk factors for prostate cancer are:

1. Age

More than 60 per cent of cases occur in men over 70, with the largest number being diagnosed in those aged 70 to 79.

2. Family history

Risk increases two to three times for men with a family history of prostate cancer in a first-degree relative, especially a brother.

3. Ethnicity

It is twice as possible for an African American to develop prostate cancer than a Caucasian man. The incidence of prostate cancer is lowest in Asian men.

4. Diet

A diet high in animal fats and proteins may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Studies have shown that agricultural pesticides increase the risk of having prostate cancer. For these reason, farmers who use certain pesticides have greater risk of developing this disease. According to the United States National Cancer Institute, methyl bromide is directly associated with the increase of risk of developing prostate cancer. Among the persons studied, this type of pesticide is linked risk of the prostate cancer of the entire group. Methyl bromide is used as a soil sterilant and as a general purpose fumigant. There are also other types of pesticide that were associated to the risk of prostate cancer but the studies show that is only to those with a family history of having prostate cancer.

A nine year study involving 16,000 Australian men shows that there is no link between the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption and the risk of developing prostate cancer. However, there is evidence to suggest that men who drink alcohol in moderation may have a lower risk of having an aggressive type of prostate cancer and also dying from this cancer.

It is important to find out if moderate alcohol consumption protects against aggressive and fatal prostate cancer, the researches at the University of Melbourne pointed out, because currently “there are no established modifiable risk factors for this common type of cancer.”

Studies have shown an inverse relationship between the ingestion of tomatoes, tomato sauce, and pizza with the development of prostate cancer. Tomatoes and tomato sauce contain high amounts of lycopene, a carotenoid. Other cartenoids are a-carotene, lutein, and b-cryptoxanthin; however, lycopene is the most efficient scavenger of singlet oxygen among the common carotenoids

Just how effective is lycopene as prostate cancer prevention? In a six-year study involving 47,894 men, those who ingested 10 or more servings of tomatoes in several forms (sauce, juice, raw or on pizza) had a 41% reduction in prostate cancer while those who ate four to seven servings per week had a 22% reduction.

Among all countries, the United States is known to be the country that has the most number of people afflicted with prostate cancer. Statistics show that the African-Americans have the highest rate of prostate cancer, among the population in the US. The next highest incidence goes to the Caucasians, then the Hispanics. The Asians and Pacific Islanders come next. Among the African-Americans, the most fatal among among the cancers is prostate cancer.

It has been said that if prostate cancer runs in the family, the members of the male members of the family are most likely to develop the disease. It has also been said that the same is the case with breast cancer–it runs in the family. There have been theories that say that diets that vary from region to region, including the genetic make up of a certain race, could be the cause of the high incidence of prostate cancer. Moreover the mortality rate has also something to do with access to health care.

Prostate cancer is a very real risk and quite a grave one for all men. You shouldn’t be complacent and think that it won’t happen to you. All men are at risk, and some more than others.

But prostate cancer shouldn’t be something that men should really fear. With proper care and management, prostate cancer can actually be prevented. All you need to do is to have yourself checked up by a doctor. You should do this yearly especially when you reach the age of 40, because at this age, the prostate gland begins to enlarge. Have this annual checkup and you won’t have to worry about prostate cancer just appearing out of the blue.

There are several forms of hormonal therapy, three of them are:

• Orchiectomy is surgery to remove the testicles. Because the testicles make most of the body’s testosterone, after orchiectomy testosterone levels drop. Now the prostate not only lacks the testosterone stimulus to produce DHT, but also it does not have enough testosterone to transform into DHT.
• Antiandrogens are medications such as flutamide, bicalutamide, nilutamide, and cyproterone acetate which directly block the actions of testosterone and DHT within prostate cancer cells.
• Medications which block the production of adrenal androgens such as DHEA include ketoconazole and aminoglutethimide. Because the adrenal glands only make about 5% of the body’s androgens, these medications are generally used only in combination with other methods that can block the 95% of androgens made by the testicles. These combined methods are called total androgen blockade (TAB). TAB can also be achieved using antiandrogens.

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A range of dietary supplements and herbal medicines claim to offer new methods in prevention or treatment of prostate disease. A quantity of supplements promise and are slowly gaining acceptance in conventional medicine. But even now, the benefits and risks of many products and practices remain unproved and untested. Unfortunately, the manufacturing of these products isn’t well standardized and the amount of active element may vary from one bottle to another bottle or even from pill to pill.

According to research, herbal goods marketed to alleviate common prostate problems, such as frequent urination or a weak urine flow, include:

§                  African plum tree (Prunus africana) §                  African wild potato (Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Hypoxis rooperi) §                  Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) §                  Rye grass (Secale cereale) §                  Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica, Urtica urens)

• Prostate cancer is easily noticeable by the person having it. This is not true, prostate cancer, like other types of cancer are hard to detect on its early stages. The symptoms appear only when it is on the latter stages. Be proactive. Cancer can be treated and cured with a higher rate of success on its early stages before it has spread out.

• Prostate cancer is not fatal. Studies show that men do die because of prostate cancer. But since this disease is developed more frequently at the latter stages of life, some do not actually die because of it. Other illness might be responsible. But it does not mean that having prostate cancer could be ignored especially if you are considerably young.

Prostate cancer is a disease that occurs in the male reproductive system. This cancer is very popular as the most causes of death in the United States.

The prostate itself is responsible for production of semen. Anatomically, the prostate gland is located between the bladder and rectum, so sometimes in diagnosed the disease we need finger rectal examination besides PSA blood test.

Symptoms

early symptoms of prostate cancer nearly often overlooked, because it is usually without symptoms. This is one answer for the question why this most often found in men aged fifty years and the most frequently diagnosed in the seventies. Indeed in line with the age, symptom that was not visible will be visible. a common complaint expressed by people with the disease is pain, especially when you urinate, sometimes you will found bleeding in urination, and the presence of erectile dysfunction.

Examination and Diagnosis

The diagnosis of prostate cancer is taken through physical examination or with a blood test named PSA. This Prostate Specific Antigen, is the antigen if it contained in someone`s blood, the doctor will suspect him suffer the cancer. Later the suspicions of prostate specific antigen will be confirmed by taking a tissue biopsy.

Prostate Cancer Treatment options

Appropriate treatment for prostate cancer is still under debate. Treatment options vary, depending on the stage. In the early stages can be used prostatectomy (removal of prostate) and radiation therapy. If prostate cancer has spread, hormonal manipulation can be done (reduce testosterone levels through the removal of drugs or the testis) or chemotherapy.

Surgery:

1. Radical prostatectomy (removal of the prostate gland).

Often performed on stage cancer A and B. The procedure is long and is usually performed under general anesthesia or spinal. An incision is made in the abdomen or perineal area, and the patient had to undergo hospital treatment for 5-7 days. Complications that can happen is that impotence and incontinence uri. In patients who are still active sex life, can be done Potency-sparing radical prostatectomy.

2. Orkiektomi (removal of the testes, castration).

Appointment of two testes have decreased testosterone levels, but this procedure causes physical and psychological effects that can not be tolerated by the patients. Orkiektomi is an effective treatment, does not require re-treatment, compared to cheaper drugs and after undergoing orkiektomi patient did not need hospital treatment. Orkiektomi usually done on the cancer that had spread.

Radiation Therapy:

Radiation therapy used primarily to treat cancer of A, B and C. Usually if the risk of surgery is too high, then do radiation therapy. Radiation therapy to the prostate gland can be done in several ways:

1. External radiation therapy performed in hospitals without the need to undergo hospitalization. Side effects such as decreased appetite, fatigue, skin reactions (such as redness and irritation), injury or burns to the rectum, diarrhea, cystitis (bladder infection) and hematuria. External radiation therapy is usually done as much as five times / week for 6-8 weeks.

2. Transplant iodine beads, gold or iridium radioactive directly on prostate tissue through a small incision. The advantage of this form of radiation therapy is that radiation is directed directly to the prostate with tissue damage in the surrounding smaller.

Drugs:

1. Hormonal manipulation

The goal is to reduce the level of testosterone. Decrease in testosterone levels are often very effective in preventing the growth and spread of cancer. Hormonal manipulation is mainly used to alleviate symptoms without curing prostate cancer, namely cancer in patients who have been spreading.

Synthetic drug whose function resembles luteinizing hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH), the more widely used to treat advanced prostate cancer. An example is the lupron or zoladeks.

These drugs suppress the formation of stimulating the testes to testosterone (this is called chemical castration because it has the same result with the removal of the testes). Drugs given in the form of injections, usually every three months. The side effects are nausea and vomiting, flushed face, anemia, osteoporosis and impotence.

Other drugs used for hormonal therapy is androgen inhibitor (eg flutamid), which function to prevent the attachment of testosterone on prostate cells. The side effects are impotence, liver disorders, diarrhea, and gynecomastia (enlarged breasts).

2. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is often used to treat symptoms of prostate cancer is resistant to hormonal therapy. Usually given a single drug or combination of several drugs to destroy cancer cells.

Drugs that can used to treat prostate cancer is:

* Mitoxantronx
* Prednisone
* Paclitaxel
* Dosetaxel
* Estramustin
* Adriamycin

The side effects vary and depend on the drugs given. You should carefully consider the benefits and side effects of both treatments to find the best prostate cancer treatment options that suit with you.