Prostate Hyperplasia: A Brief Explanation

It has been found that almost every man over the age of 60 will develop one of the numerous conditions associated with the prostate gland. Many of these conditions tend to exhibit only mild symptoms until they are well developed. This means that if you are affected, you may not even realise that you have a problem.

One of such conditions is known as Prostate hyperplasia, also known as Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH). Although it is not cancerous, it can cause the same prostate symptoms as prostate cancer. Prostate hyperplasia is present in about 90% of men over the age of 80. However, unless it causes the prostate gland to become grossly enlarged the symptoms are relatively mild and attributed to the rigors of old age.

The cause of prostate hyperplasia is not accurately known. Many researchers and oncologists believe that it is a hormone related condition. The male hormone testosterone is converted to a secondary hormone called dihydrotestosterone naturally in the body and when this secondary hormone binds with specific receptors in the tissues of the prostate gland, cellular growth and division becomes over-stimulated. Thus the prostate gland becomes enlarged so producing prostate hyperplasia.

Certain families of drugs can be used to reduce the amount of testosterone in the body or to stop the available testosterone from binding with the receptors in the prostate gland. This acts to stop prostate hyperplasia from developing further and may even reduce the size of the prostate gland over time. Unfortunately drug therapy for prostate hyperplasia is an ongoing therapy and if diagnosed with the condition you will be required to take drugs daily for the rest of your life.

Prostate hyperplasia symptoms are very similar to those of prostate cancer. Do take action if you notice the following:

* Difficulty urinating
* Urinary leakage
* Pain when urinating
* A feeling of urgency to urinate
* Increased night time urination
* Any other problems associated with urinating

As mentioned above prostate hyperplasia is usually easily controlled and treated with simple drug regimes. But if the symptoms are due to cancer, then surgery may be required.

Still you should not imagine the worst. A diagnosis of prostate hyperplasia does not necessarily mean that you are going to have prostate cancer. Admittedly some cases of prostate hyperplasia do progress and become cancerous. However, with early and continued treatment, the condition can be effectively controlled and enlargement of the prostate gland reduced.

Early detection helps in your recovery and your prostate cancer treatment. For more information, please visit the site at www.Prostate-Cancer-Treatment-Hub.com

Prostate Cancer Cells Killed by Capsicum

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.

Valerian D is a freelance writer specialized in health issues affecting men such as prostate cancer treatment

Staying Active Helps Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer

Those men who stay active can significantly cut down on their risk getting prostate cancer. In fact the more aerobic the exercise the better; walking, hiking, swimming and bike riding were some of the examples given in a study by Harvard Medical School on ways to stay healthy and simultaneously reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Those who went to a gym twice to three times per week and used the treadmill did best, although even those who played golf three times a week reduced their risks as well.

Most all physical activity which included a form of cardiorespiratory workout seemed to work. These men were able to reduce their risks by 75%, a huge gap over those were the most inactive one-third of all males. The cut off seemed to be 20 minutes per day or an average of 20 minutes a day over a weeks period. Those who worked out three times a week for thirty minutes are more were amongst the lowest risk groups. Some life insurance questionnaires now ask these questions, when determining risk and that ought to tell you something as well. Not only is it good for your heart but your prostate as well.

There are two factors being looked at as to why this is? One thought was that since high testosterone levels were are part of high risk categories, that those who did physical activity reduced their risks because they were lowering their testosterone levels during cardio respiratory workouts. This tends to make a lot of sense.

It would be best to get screened for prostate cancer and continue your work outs or increase them to put you into the lower risk categories. Discuss this with your physician and do some of your own research to see what works best for you. Please be thinking on this, it could save your life.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer

Prostate is a male gland that surrounds first part of the urethra and is responsible for production of semen (the sperm carrier). Prostate cancer is the name given to development of cancer in prostate and prostate cancer is generally found in older men i.e. men that are over 50 years of age.

Diet and Prostate cancer

The risk of prostate cancer can be reduced by including sufficient tomato and tomato products in your diet. Similarly, fresh fruits and vegetables are also said to reduce the chances of occurrence of prostate cancer. On the other hand there are suggestions that animal fat and dairy products can increase the risk of prostate cancer

Symptoms of prostate cancer

Since prostate cancer affects the abilities of prostate gland the main symptoms are shown by the urinary system. So prostate cancer might lead to more frequent urination or it might lead to difficultly in passing urine (e.g. pain while urinating). It's important to note that enlargement of prostate gland doesn't necessarily mean that you have prostate cancer. Also, the occurrence of these symptoms can't be attributed to prostate cancer without proper tests and diagnosis by a qualified doctor.

Diagnosis of prostate cancer

There are a number of ways in which diagnosis of prostate cancer is carried out. Your doctor will, of course, enquire about the symptoms first and then prescribe certain tests based on how strong the prostate cancer symptoms are. The various prostate cancer tests include rectal examination (in which the rectum passage is used to feel abnormalities in prostate gland). Then we have blood test that checks the level of prostate-specific antigen in your blood. Ultrasound tests are another means of diagnosing prostate cancer and these are sometimes done in parallel with biopsy of prostate tissue samples. Though these tests are known to be quite good at detecting prostate cancer, they can't be labeled as 100% accurate and hence some other advanced tests might need to be carried out in certain cases.

Treatment of prostate cancer

The treatment approach for prostate cancer will depend on whether it is in its early stages or whether it has got more advanced. Note that if the prostate cancer is detected in too advanced stage, it might spread to bones even and become more or less uncontrollable. The best way to keep prostate cancer at bay is to take proactive approach by consulting doctor (and even going for blood test) regularly and hence catch prostate cancer in its early stages. Surgery, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy are the most usual ways of treating prostate cancer. However, chemotherapy may be used too.

Warren and Karen have been involved in the internet for a number of years and run several websites. They are most interested in providing opportunities for people to connect with information relating to business, health and creativity. Check out their Prostate Cancer blog for more information.

Prostate Diet - More Gatherer, Less Hunter

Researchers from Canada have found that having a diet of red meat, organ meats, soft drink and bottled water increased the risk of getting prostate cancer. They compared the diets of 80 men with prostate cancer, and 334 healthy men, and the diet just described more than doubled the risk of developing prostate cancer.

So what prostate diet can reduce the risk of prostate cancer? Swedish researchers examined the diet of 1499 men with prostate cancer and 1130 men who were healthy, and they published their findings in the Cancer Causes and Control journal. They found that eating foods rich in phytoestrogens decreased the risk of prostate cancer.

Phytoestrogens are plant molecules that have a weak estrogenic effect. They are made converted in the intestines from plant precursors by bacteria as they digest food. They are taken up by the same parts of the body that process the hormone estrogen.

Interestingly, one of the treatments for prostate cancer by doctors involves using estrogens to reduce the level of testosterone in men with advanced prostate cancer. It does this indirectly, through its effect on the hypothalamus, as less luteinizing hormone releasing hormone is produced by the hypothalamus. This means not as much luteinizing hormone is released by the body, which suppresses the production of testosterone.

High doses of estrogens for men can lead to cardiovascular complications. But phytoestrogens obtained from diet, in less quantities than a drug, and with a milder effect to start with, should not pose a problem. And researchers don't yet know what exactly causes phytoestrogens to have such a protective effect, whether it is similar to that of the estrogen treatment for advanced prostate cancers. And they don't know which phytoestrogens are the most active.

So what phytoestrogen foods could you include in a diet for a healthy prostate? Soy beans and nuts are a good source. Soy and nuts contain a type of phytoestrogen called isoflavones, whilst berries and seeds contain lignans. Foods could include peanuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and berries.

The only possible concerns with soy is that a study in mice found that male mice that had a type of heart disease that people also have, suffered heart failure when fed a soy based diet. Whether this extrapolates to the human population is yet to be established. But it may be wise for those me who have this particular genetic heart condition, dilated cardiomyopathy, to be cautious about soy products in their diet.

But for other men, soy products could be good news. A meta analysis, which is a study of related studies, published in the International Journal of Cancer, found that diets high in soy lowered men's risk of prostate cancer by 30%.

Another important mineral to consider for men is zinc. Zinc is used by men's bodies to make some of the male hormones, and for general prostate health. A deficiency in zinc can lead to problems with the testicles, the prostate, and the health of the sperm. Foods that are great sources of zinc include seeds like pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower; nuts like almonds, brazil, cashews and walnuts; and foods like lettuce, oats and onions. Raw onion is particularly suggested by Paul Bedson, a natural therapist. He also suggests vegetable juice made of equal parts of beetroot, carrot, and cucumber in cases where the prostate gland is enlarged. Cranberry juice, a cup drunk three times a day, is also recommended in this case.


References:
1. phoenix5.org/Infolink/advanced/estrogen.html
2. Australian Healthy Food, March 2006
3. Australian Healthy Food, November, 2005
4. Paul Bedson, The Complete Family Guide To Natural Healing
5. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=65785&m=1NIE213&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub
 

New Study Examines Antioxidant Impact On Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer as one of the most common types of cancer in men according to the American Cancer Society. Fortunately if caught early, the prognosis is good. Even better than treating it, is of course, avoiding it altogether. The search for the cause of prostate cancer is ongoing and a recent study was recently completed.

An eight year study of 29,361 men has just been completed. The study examined the impact of antioxidant supplements on the rate of prostate cancer. "There has been definite interest in their use, based on a few earlier studies that have been done" said lead researcher Richard B. Hayes, senior investigator in the division of cancer epidemiology and genetics at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

Reporting in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Hayes' team calculated the risk of prostate cancer for 29,361 men aged 55 to 74, all of whom were participants in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Screening Trial.

Some of the data that was analyzed included the amount of common antioxidant supplements including vitamin C, beta carotene, and vitamin E. Some of the men had been taking these supplements for many years prior to the study.

Over the total eight year study period, 1,338 men developed prostate cancer. The results indicate that the use of antioxidant supplements had no positive impact on the risk for prostate cancer for most nonsmokers. Beta carotene supplements did have a positive impact among men that had low dietary intake of beta carotene.

Vitamin E did have a positive impact for smokers according to the research. This was consistent with previous trials.
Although the three supplements studied in this trial showed little help in preventing prostate cancer, previous trials that examined other supplements did show very encouraging results.

Fish oils, which contain EPA and DHA, were found to reduce prostate cancer by 11% in men that consumed about 470 mg./day. Selenium has been found to cut prostate cancer in half. Over five clinical trials have supported this. It is recommended that men take a 200 micrograms of selenium daily.
Neal is a health care researcher and has more prostate information on his website at prostate cancer. He also provides plastic surgery information.

Prostate Problems - Symptoms Causing Concern

Some blood in the urine... burning sensations... or even inability to urinate... all relatively serious problems which might also implicate the prostate.

BLOOD IN THE URINE

Just a few drops of blood can make the urine held in your bladder turn a red color. We're talking about haematuria. Don't panic - there's no danger - the presence of blood is more disturbing than dangerous. Drink a lot of water to rince it out then go and see your doctor. Haematuria may be due to one of the following:

* simple congestion of the prostate * a unirary infection inflaming the wall of the bladder and making it bleed * stones in the bladder which are irritating the wall * following some strenuous exercise

When the prostate is the cause, during urinating the blood will usually arive first followed by clearer urine. Such haematuria might occur from time to time and are not dangerous. However, if frequent, surgical intervention on the prostate might one day be required.

But note that, if you do have blood in the urine, it is of vital importance that its origin is determined. This will require a thorough urological examination including an ultrasound scan, intravenous pyelogram and fibrescopy of the bladder to determine or eliminate possible other causes (such as a bladder tumour or stones, or a kidney or ureteral tumor).

A BURNING SENSATION

If you feel a burning sensation while urinating, this is probably due to a urinary infection which is irritating the bladder or urethra. The burning is often accompanied by a frequent desire to urinate - up to a dozen times a night. However the urine flow will be week since the bladder hasn't had time to refill. Occasionally the irritation will be so great that the bladder might bleed. You might also have a fever which can signify that bacteria have penetrated the prostate (with associated risk of septicemia).

Such a urinary infection is diagnosed by a urine analysis and is rapidy treated with antibiotics. For urinary infections with fever, the treatmant will last about three weeks.

ACUTE URINE RETENTION

You haven't urinated for over 24 hours, the bladder is full, blocked; you want to urinate, but can't; your lower abdomen is distended and painful to the touch. Yes, the bladder is capable of holding over a litre (2 pints) of urine! This is acute urine retention.

There's no point in trying to force it or waiting. There's only one thing to do: insert a probe into the urethra and empty the bladder. You'll have immediate relief. Contact your own doctor or go immediately to your local hospital emergency department. The probe will remain in place for a few days to enable the bladder to relax. When it's removed you'll have about a 50% chance of returning to a normal urination frequency. But beware of any recurrence.

Acute urine retention can indicate prostate hypertrophy as yet undiagnosed due to the absence of other symptoms. It can also occur in someone undergoing prostate treatment, where it would indicate an evolution in the illness, and surgery might be necessary.

Once again, you should be aware of other factors which might lead to urine retention, such as taking certain cold and bronchial medicines, constipation, some anaesthetics, and excessive alcohol consummation.

So there you are. The above three problems are not uncommon, but they are often the cause of much undue worry for those suffering from them. Of course, they should all be reported immediately to your doctor and thoroughly investigated. But I hope that this short article will help to put your mind at rest and that in many cases, your problems might not be so severe or life-threatening as first imagined.

Dr. Tavares is a medical consultant with experience in traditional and complementary medicine. Her writing about prostate problems can be found at Prostate Cancer Answers.

What?s The Treatment's Of Prostate Cancer?

Surgical castration by orchidectomy

Surgical castration is the simplest and cheapest way to treat metastatic prostate cancer. The obvious disadvantage is the psychological effect of the loss of the testicles.

LHRH-analogues

LHRH-analogues and oestrogen achieve a "medical castration" by stopping the testicular production of testosterone. LHRH-analogues are injections that have to be given monthly or three monthly for the rest of the patient's life. They are effective but very expensive.

Oestrogen

Oestrogen can be taken orally on a daily basis. It has a high incidence of thrombotic complications such as stroke and myocardial infarction.

Anti-androgens

Anti-androgens oppose the action of testosterone by blocking the androgen receptors. The incidence of erectile dysfunction is less than with surgical or medical orchidectomy because testosterone levels are maintained in the bloodstream. Anti-androgens alone are probably not adequate treatment for metastatic disease. Total androgen blockade by a combination of steroidal anti-androgens and LHRH-analogues or orchidectomy has not been shown to be better than LHRH-analogues or orchidectomy alone. However, non-steroidal anti-androgens yields slightly better results than castration alone.

Locally advanced disease without metastases.

The overall results of treatment of patients with disease beyond the prostate are not good. Some patients with early disease beyond the prostatic capsule, and no evidence of metastases, benefit from radical treatment. The most widely used treatment regimens consist of a combination of radiotherapy and hormonal treatment.

Treatment options for locally advanced and metastatic disease.

? Early hormonal treatment
? Watchful waiting with hormonal treatment once symptoms develop

Disease that has spread to the seminal vesicles and beyond is not real curable.

Prostate cancer is dependent on the male hormone testosterone. 80% of patients will respond to hormonal treatment that deprives the tumor of testosterone. This response usually involves the shrinkage of metastases and symptomatic improvement for the patient. The response to hormonal treatment is not a cure but can last for many years in some patients. The average duration of response is 2 years. Most cancers eventually escape hormonal manipulation. This is referred to as hormone independent disease and is usually followed by death within a few months.

Controversy exists regarding the timing of hormonal treatment. Most studies indicate a survival benefit for early rather than late hormonal maneuver. Testosterone deprivation has side effects like erectile dysfunction, breast enlargement and osteoporosis. The earlier hormonal treatment is instituted the greater the chance of complications. Once again treatment has to be individualized to the needs of the specific patient.

With our next information - we will inform you about the ?Staging and grading of prostate cancer? - so you should have a look on this site in the next 2 weeks! If you have any question sends us your e-mail.

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Fritz Frei Admin

Fritz Frei make it easy to check out the important details about the diagnoses and test's of the prostate cancer. To receive more information's about all cancer -questions - Links and last research NEW's - visit the http://www.cancer-info.info

What?s A Man Must Know About Prostate Cancer!

1. Testosterone and its active metabolite.

Dihydro-testosterone are essential for prostate cancer to develop, but does not actually cause prostate cancer. Men who are castrated at a young age do not develop prostate cancer.

2. Prevalence of prostate cancer

One in ten men will develop clinically significant prostate cancer in their lifetime. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American males with 250 000 new cases reported annually. Prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in both the USA and the UK. Prostate cancer is rare among Orientals. It is more common in black than white Americans. The disease appears to present at a younger age and behave more aggressively in American blacks. Prostate cancer is common in South Africa and probably underreported as a cause of death. The exact incidence in South Africa is not known as no large-scale epidemiological studies have been performed. It is uncertain whether prostate cancer is more common in South African blacks as compared to whites. In very old men prostate cancer is not always clinically significant. Autopsy data indicate a 70% incidence of prostate cancer in 80 year old men. The majority of these men died with rather than from prostate cancer.

3. Causes of prostate cancer

There is no single cause of prostate cancer. The cancer originates in the epithelial cells of the glandular elements of the prostate. As with most cancers defects in the DNA of the cell are central to the development of prostate cancer. Multiple DNA defects are required for cancer to develop. This multi-step process takes place over time. Some defects can be inherited, while others are acquired during the patient's lifetime. Prostate cancer is exceedingly rare before the age of 40, but 1 in 8 men between the ages of 60 and 80 years suffer from the disease. 9% of all prostate cancers are caused by a genetic susceptibility, probably inherited via chromosome 1. These genetically related cancers tend to present at a relatively younger age.

4. What is prostatitis?

Prostatitis means ?inflammation of the prostate?, and is one of the most common reasons men visiting the doctor in the western world. It is most common in men over the age of 30, and particularly in men over the age of 60. While prostatitis is treatable, diagnosis can be lengthy and not all treatments are successful. This is partly because the various causes of prostatitis are not fully understood. There are three main types of prostatitis:

? Acute prostatitis, which develops suddenly and may not be permanent.

? Non-bacterial prostatitis, which may develop suddenly or follow a slower or variable course. It is now more commonly called chronic male pelvic pain syndrome because it cannot be proved to be ?non-bacterial?, though a bacterial cause cannot be identified.

? Chronic (bacterial) prostatitis, which develops gradually and may only have subtle symptoms, though it often continues for a prolonged period.

? asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis - which has no symptoms at all but results in an inflamed prostate, is sometimes mentioned. It has been discovered when biopsies are conducted on the prostate to rule out cancer, and no cancer is found. This is a histological and not a clinical diagnosis. Prostatitis is often reported on the histological analysis of TURP specimens when the prostate resection was performed for symptoms of BPH. If the patient is asymptomatic this histological finding does not warrant any treatment.

With our next information - we will inform you about the ?Symptoms of prostate cancer? - so you should have a look on this site in the next 2 weeks! If you have any question send us your e-mail.

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Fritz Frei make it easy to check out the important details about the diagnoses and test's of the Male - Breast-Cancer. To receive more information's about all cancer -questions - Links and last research NEW's - visit the http://www.cancer-info.info