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.

According to a study published in the March 2006 issue of Cancer Research, capsicum helps halt prostrate cancer spread. Capsaicin probably has a certain positive consequence, the study concluded. Most important seems to be blocking NF-kappa Beta effect, a molecular mechanism that promotes cancer cell growth.

Capsicum it’s a pepper and capsaicin is the ingredient that makes them hot.

The study concluded that in prostate cancer cells whose growth is testosterone dependent, capsaicin influenced more prostate cancer cells to freeze in a non-proliferative status, called G0/G1. The research team also found that prostate cancer cells that are androgen independent reacted to capsaicin in a similar manner.

Based on team’s explanation, capsaicin lowers the amount of androgen receptor that the tumor cells produced, but did not obstruct normal movement of androgen receptor into the nucleus of the cancer cells where the steroid receptor works to regulate androgen target genes such as PSA (prostate specific antigen). The same source claims that capsaicin had a significant anti-proliferative action on human prostate cancer cells in culture. It also significant slowed the development of prostate tumors created by those human cell lines grown in mouse models.

In addition, capsaicin also was effective against leukemia, and might be effective in slowing or preventing the growth of other cancers as well.

It may be possible that capsaicin to be extracted from hot chillies and have it soon as a drug. However, people should take care not to increase the chillies intake as that has been associated with stomach cancers.

The good news about prostate cancer which differs from almost all other forms of tumor; is that it is generally slow to metastasize and with early detection, treatment and aftercare, there is a very good chance of containing the spread and hence; treating the underlying condition.

When it comes to alternative prostate cancer treatments – thankfully there’s an extensive amount of research currently underway into certain drugs for certain forms of the condition. Alternatively, other hormonal tests, studies & research based on testosterone levels in male candidates – is also currently being pursued. It seems highly likely that like many other cancers, with prostate cancer, it is vital to catch it before it metastasizes (or spreads from the prostate gland around the body) after which point there’s little doctors or aggressive treatments can do.

This is why it is wise for patients or potential patients to become familiar with alternative treatments at every stage and all relative alternatives, as soon as any of the symptoms become known.

While a lot of work is going into establishing antibodies that will hopefully help minimise the need for radiation and surgery, there are also a lot of other established alternative methods that have proven their worth and can be explored in each individual case. Among these is a strict change in diet, where certain foodstuffs will be added, such as a higher percentage of fruit and vegetables and some will be taken away. Dairy products in particular are not good for this type of cancer and with the help of a specialist, may indeed be eliminated entirely from the diet.

A lot of cancer treatments will heavily depend on age. For example, doctors and oncologists may be willing to try aggressive forms of treatment on young middle age men, whereas, the same condition on a person over seventy for instance, will be dramatically different. The biggest concern with prostate cancer is keeping it contained within the prostate tissue, and if this can be done successfully, the chances of survival will be greatly increased, as again, it is a slow tumor to develop.

For a full list of information and details about the different kinds of treatments available for prostate cancer sufferers, patients are advised to first visit their GP, as well as perhaps checking online for the best alternative solutions and advice, thus; maximizing every potential for cure.

Importance of Early Detection

As prostate cancer is very much a condition under the current spotlight, the dangers, as well as other forms of cancer, are that once it has spread from the tissue in the prostate gland, there is very little doctors can do, and so, your doctor may want to begin trials immediately after a full screening. The bigger options of course, for any kind of cancer are chemotherapy and surgery; however, these are not looked upon for this kind of cancer as a first option. The best advice perhaps is to look around for as many alternatives as you can find initially, while you begin consulting with your GP.

It is also worth noting that there are dedicated doctors and specialists that can be found online to help answer any questions you may have prior to beginning any form of traditional or alternative prostate cancer treatment, but please be aware that early detection and treatment is always the best route.

One of the treatments available for prostate cancer patients is radical prostatectomy. It is a surgery wherein the entire prostate gland and some of the tissues surrounding it will be removed and it is done in an open or laparoscopic surgery.
Undergoing in a radical prostatectomy has several advantages. The prostate will be completely removed and assures long history of use. This type of open prostatectomy will usually take two to four hours and a laparoscopic prostatectomy will take around 7-8 hours. The operation procedure will be performed under general anesthesia. Patients will be required to stay in the hospital.

The prostate cancer survival rate has risen dramatically over the past 30 years, especially when the biopsy shows that the cancer cells remain confined to the prostate. For these men, the statistics show that 90% of sufferers are surviving for five years or more.

Unfortunately, once the cancer has metastasized, typically spreading to the nearby bones and lymph nodes, as well as the rectum and the bladder, this rate drops to just 30%. However the stage at which the disease is diagnosed is also a hugely influential factor in these more specific statistics for the prostate cancer survival rate.

It should also be pointed out that, because most cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in men in their seventies, those men could well fall victim to other unrelated but still terminal conditions over the next five years.

There are two different staging systems for assessing the progression and treatment of prostate cancer. The Gleason score is based on the appearance of cells under a microscope with grades being given between 1 for cells which look most normal and 5 where cells look most abnormal. The two areas of cells with the highest grade are then added together giving a Gleason score between two and ten.

The TNM system examines the size of the Tumour, the number of lymph Nodes which are affected and the presence of any Metastases. T1 and T2 cancers remain confined to the prostate but T3 and T4 cancers have metastasized – or spread – elsewhere.

On average, just under half of the 5% of men whose cancer has moved beyond the prostatic capsule when it is diagnosed will die within two years, whilst around 33% will survive for five years.

These statistics for the prostate cancer survival rate serve only as a guide and are certainly not a definite indication of a patient’s eventual outcome.