The Truth About Prostate Cancer Warning Signs

Prostate cancer warning signs...

Every man should be concerned about their prostate's health.

Indeed, for men not paying attention to it, it can be deadly as prostate cancer comes second only to lung cancer with respect to cancer-caused deaths for American men...and is near the top for Canadian men as well.

Prostate cancer is also the most common type of cancer for men in the United States. Tens of thousands of new cases are diagnosed yearly.

Although there is most likely a hereditary component to your chances of getting prostate cancer, like many things in life, a lot of it comes down to choices you make, such as taking quality prostate health promoting supplements and eating food for good prostate health.

Prostate cancer warning signs

Although the aforementioned prostate statistics don't seem to be good, the truth of the matter is that if prostate cancer is detected early, treatments are often very successful and chances of surviving are very high.

Therefore, one of the best things you can do other than take the necessary supplement and dietary steps to promote good prostate health is to have what is called a PSA test (prostate specific antigen tests) done every year. It doesn't take long and it's not painful so don't put it off.

The drawback of the PSA test is that it isn't perfect in what it reveals.

Now, what about prostate cancer warning signs?

Well, unfortunately, prostate cancer does not really give off any warning signs.

In addition, another confusing aspect is that most of the possible warning signs, if they appear, are also the same signs for other prostate health problems that are non-cancerous in nature, such as BPH, which is called an enlarged prostate gland.

However, these signs are still worth mentioning.

The following are some potential prostate cancer warning signs or signs of BPH:

• incomplete emptying of the bladder
• dribbling
• difficulty starting urination
• reduced force of the stream
• frequent urination of small amounts
• pain with urination
• ejaculation pain
• blood in the urine

Dietary and Supplement Protocols

Although saw palmetto is touted as the best herb to take for prostate health, it actually isn't. Something called Beta sitosterol is much better. Here's why:

Even the best Saw Palmetto supplements are comprised of 99% fatty acids and 1% sterols. The sterol component is where the therapeutic benefit lies (hence the name Beta Sitosterol).

In short, by taking Beta Sitosterol, you will be getting only the active component of Saw Palmetto that is responsible for its medicinal properties. Beta sitosterol is literally thousands of times more powerful than saw palmetto.

Other beneficial nutrients and supplements include: lycopene, pygeum, stinging nettle, and cornsilk.

With respect to food for good prostate health, recent research by the authoritative US National Cancer Institute revealed that men who consumed more than 1/3rd of an ounce of onions, scallions, garlic, chives per day were much less likely to have prostate cancer.

In conclusion, don't wait for prostate cancer warning signs or signs of other prostate problems to show up before you do anything about it.

On the other hand, if you are already experiencing possible signs of prostate problems, don't panic.

This is a very treatable condition if caught in its early stages. Just make sure you take appropriate action and talk to your doctor about it right away so you don't become a statistic.

Get more info on prostate cancer warning signs and supplements to consider using to promote prostate health at: http://www.nutritional-supplement-info.com/prostate-herbs.html

Testosterone and Prostate Cancer

Everyone should know that when testosterone is metabolized, it produces DHT as one of the by-products, which is what allows your muscles and erections to grow. That is a good thing! However, DHT that doesn't get burned up during sex or working out is also what is at the root of your prostate problems to begin with.

The fact of the matter is that DHT is always being produced, and a lot of us simply cannot burn it off fast enough--no matter how much we work out in the gym or how much sex we have.

In the case of prostate problems, one camp blames a lack of testosterone while the other camp blames too much of it. I have even heard of a doctor suggesting castration as a means of preventing the spread of prostate cancer because he believed it was the only way to prevent testosterone from acting as fuel for the cancer.

Talk about a case of throwing away both the baby and the bathwater!

I'm sure that we've all heard at some point or another the notion that more sex is the solution to prostate problems, citing as evidence the high incidence of prostate cancer in celibate priests. Let's think about this for a moment: If more sex was really the solution, how come a certain rock-star died from prostate cancer? Also, if prostate cancer is the number one cancer killer of males, were all these murdered males celibate? Not likely...

While plain common sense would indicate that utter sexual abstinence may be harmful over the course of a lifetime, prostate cancer remains the number one cancer-killer of males DESPITE the fact that very few males are either rock stars or priests!

So, prostate cancer has little to do with sexual activity or the testosterone that fuels it. Rather, it is an issue of how we handle the excessive DHT in our bodies. With today's meat and hormone-filled diets it should be no wonder that our current report card is so poor.

This is why pro-hormone supplementation is replete with warnings that people with prostate problems should not be taking their products. (Bodybuilders love excess DHT which they can direct into their muscle tissue.)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, often referred to as simply BPH, is an enlargement of the prostate gland that usually occurs in men who are over the age of 50. This enlargement in the prostate gland can cause a gradual squeezing of the urethra, which makes urinating difficult and painful. Many men who experience this prostate problem do not have any symptoms at all and it may not be detected until an annual rectal exam. Men with this prostate problem who do experience symptoms are likely to notice difficulty in starting urination, frequent urination as well as an increased frequency in awakening at night to urinate.

Prostate cancer, another prostate problem, is perhaps the most severe and is one of the leading types of cancers diagnosed in American men. Each year almost a quarter of a million new cases are diagnosed. It is estimated that prostate cancer will affect one out of every ten men. Each year more than 30,000 men die from prostate cancer. Because of the seriousness of this prostate problem, prostate cancer is perhaps the most serious of all the different types of prostate disease. Prostate cancer generally occurs in men who are over the age of 65, although cases in younger men have been reported. There is a high incidence of prostate cancer occurring in men who are shown to have a family history of this type of prostate disease. African-American men are considered to be particularly at risk for prostate cancer and suffer from the highest death rates related to this disease.

Plato Rosinke is a practicing Taoist herbalist since 1991 who specializes in the male reproductive system. If you've got prostate problems, then we've got solutions that work. Even if you're wearing a catheter that thing will be out in no time flat. Cutting-edge Chinese herbal formulation available at:

http://www.prostatesecrets.com

Super Foods for Prostate Health

Prostate cancer is a very scary thought for most men. The idea that every single man, if unencumbered by other diseases, will in his lifetime eventually have either an enlarged prostate or suffer varying degrees of prostate cancer is no secret any more.

The difference now is, we've become a nutritionally advanced culture who has learned more and more about natural supplements and products that can help us achieve and maintain health much longer than we used to, as well as to eat the right foods that will make our organs function at peak levels well into late ages.

Prostate health is no different. There are foods that you can eat that will help keep your walnut-sized prostate gland functioning at peak performance, and in healthy condition for a longer time than if you had a nutritionally lacking diet.

The foods that a man can eat to support the health of your prostate actually have multiple health benefits in addition to prostate health. This is because they are mostly classed into a coined group of foods dubbed "super foods" for their healing and health promoting properties, as well as therapeutic uses.

What are these "super foods" for prostate health you ask? Well, the first one may be a bit surprising for a guy to hear, because this nutrient rich food is usually reserved for female health. It's soy.

The compound derived from the common soybean, which is so many time suggested as a benefit to women's health. Well, some research has shown that soy derived products can also support a man's prostate health as well. Soy is a common ingredient in vegetarian and vegan dishes.

It is used because it is so versatile, and easily absorbs the flavors of other foods, and can easily emulate these foods as well. Soy burgers, soy cheese, and other soy products that taste like meat and poultry have a lot of soy in them, but it's actually best when you get it in the form of the actual soybean or in tofu, because it is not so radically processed at this point.

You can also buy powdered soy genistein, which is actually the active chemical in soy products (not all though) that can be an excellent cancer thwarting agent.

Another good food for prostate health is fruit. This may seem like common sense, but there is a slightly more complex reason that fruits may be good for your prostate. Fruits contain a natural sugar in them which has been found to have a protective effect on the male prostate gland. There is another natural chemical compound in some fruits called lycopene, which has been shown to have very beneficial effects.

This natural nutritionally powerful compound gives fruits and veggies a deep red color, so the deeper the red, the more lycopene it is likely to have. Men who were studied and had diets high in fruits and vegetable rich in lycopene were also found to have less incidence of prostate cancer.

Saw palmetto, an herb that is fairly inexpensive to come by, has long been thought to provide great benefit to men with an enlarged prostate, and to help continue prostate health. Some have refuted this, but nonetheless there is some anecdotal proof out there that men may not want to bypass the likelihood this herb still has great benefit to overall male health, especially prostate health.

As far as foods to avoid to keep the prostate gland in good shape and functioning properly and efficiently, milk has been found to be a possible deterrent to maintaining the health of this important gland.

Perhaps just limiting the consumption of milk or dairy in general would be prudent, especially for men in their older age where every little bit might help. Another possibility would be to replace milk with a milk substitute such as soy milk (kill two birds with one stone).

As long as you maintain a quality diet with a variety of color, less red meats and more fruits and veggies, you can rest assured you are doing all you can to promote a long, healthy and complication free life for your prostate gland. Not only that, these foods will benefit other areas of your health as well, making it well worth your while to pay attention to what you put in your body.

Danna Schneider is the founder of Men's Health and Enhancement , an online magazine about innovations and news in mens health, and also contributes to Herbal and Alternative Health , where various supplements and alternative treatments can be found.

Prostrate - How To Keep A Healthy Prostate

Most men over the age of 50 are liable, according to statistics, to get prostate cancer. For American men, about 300,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, and some 35,000 men die of this disease annually. The numbers are increasing as well.

This article is all about simple ways of keeping your prostrate healthy.

What is the problem?

The prostate is a chestnut-shaped gland and organ that sits right below the bladder and is wrapped around the urethra. Other than closing the urethra during erection, the prostate has nothing to do with a man's urinary system.

The prostate is needed for ejaculation, as the ejaculate passes through the same urethra as the urine does. The prostate gland's basic job is to add special fluid to the sperm before it exits the penis during ejaculation.

This is why the prostate sits below the bladder, and also why prostate problems interfere with a man's ability to urinate and to have sex.

The prostate is affected three ways:

1. infection 2. enlargement 3. cancer

What are the problem's symptoms?

For infection (called prostitis) there is a great deal of pain, fever, and uninary problems. There are medicines and conventional therapies, however following the dietary rules below are very beneficial for prostitis.

Englargement (known as BHP or benign prostatic hypertrophy) is a non-cancerous enlarement of the prostate. The symptoms are hesitancy in urinating, dribbling of urine before and after urinating, frequent urination, straining to start the stream, urgency of urination, and getting up several times at night to urinate.

Cancer of the prostate symptoms are quite the same as BHP and many men are quite unaware they have cancer of the prostate, as there are often no symptoms at all. A PSA test done every 6 months is now a necessity for every man over 45.

What can be done about it?

Actually a lot. Diet and stress appear to be the main culprits. Here is a list of "do eat" and "do not eat" that is quite time tested.

Eat the following

lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes (peas, beans, and lentils). fresh fish. And especially fish from cold ocean waters (such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and cod) have large amounts of essential fatty acids. whole grain in moderation, rather than refined (white) breads, pasta, crackers, rice, and other grains.

Dont eat the following

fatty meats, fatty meats, excess of salts, hydrogenated oils, such as those found in margarine, donuts, cookies, cakes, other desserts, potato chips, and other deep-fried foods. canned, packaged, or otherwise processed foods, sodas, alcohol, black teas (which includes most iced teas), or coffee, and dairy foods, especially if they have been pasteusterised.

Are there Special Foods that Can Cure the Cancer?

Perhaps; and this is still a subject open to debate,but chilli peppers have been shown to inhibit the cancerous cells of the prostate. There was a study done recently at UCLA in California which indicate as much.

Also there are several herbs and food additives known for their beneficial action on the prostate. They are:

*Saw palmetto: This herb is now well-known to shrink enlarged prostates and to lower PSA..

*Green tea: The catechins found in green tea are the likely "medicines" for the prostate, although it is not known exactly how they prevent or combat existing prostate cancer. The usual dose is no less than 6 cups per day.

*Pygeum: Pygenum has been used to treat diseases of the prostate and urinary tract for many years.

*Kelp: This is seaweed, and plentiful in iodine and contains minerals that help to prevent and treat prostate cancer. Asian men, with high doses of kelp in their diet (than American men) have a much lower incidence of any prostate problem.

If you follow the above you will have and keep a healthy prostrate.

On prostate health and other health problems and solutions, including, articles, features and magazines:

http://www.net-planet.org

Enlarged Prostate - An Overview

It is interesting to note that the aging dog (like his master) is also prone to prostatic enlargement, but (unlike his master) does not often develop retention of urine. However, due to the bulging upwards of the enlarged prostate the dog?s rectum is compressed. This engenders a feeling of continuous fullness in the rectum and induces straining. The prostates of eunuchs are small and underdeveloped, and enlargement of the prostate is unknown.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common diseases to affect men beyond the middle age. The prevalence goes up with age, and thus the total number of patients is increasing as a result of aging population. A majority of these people suffer gradual progression of symptoms and the concomitant discomfort, and require either medical or surgical treatment. The growth and development of the prostate is under the influence of male hormone ?testosterone?.

Rather surprisingly, there is no close correlation between the size of the prostate and the extent of outflow obstruction. However, the larger the prostate, the greater is the risk of BPH complications such as acute urinary retention and the need for surgery.

BPH is usually a slowly progressive condition. An average increase in the prostate is 1-2 cm per year. BPH is the most common condition affecting the prostate accounting for over 80 per cent of prostate disease. The defined risk factor for BPH is age. Clinical BPH seems to run in families.

In the early stages of the disease, the patient complains of hesitancy, a reduced stream and incomplete bladder emptying and then frequency, urgency and nocturia. Later on, prolonged micturition, acute urinary retention, urge incontinence, etc, can have a negative effect on the quality of life and may be associated with sexual dysfunction like erectile dysfunction and disorders of ejaculation.

The treatment of BPH can be with the help of drugs or by going in for surgery. Some of the drugs used are Finasteride, Duatasteride, Terazosin, Alfuzosin and Tamsulosin. Adverse side- effects of these drugs can be erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, reduced ejaculation, drowsiness, headache, dizziness, postural hypotention, etc.

Lucy Nicholas also writes on Acne. More information http://www.natural-acne-treatments-reviews.com/

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
 

Staging and grading of prostate cancer

Staging and Grading

Once the diagnosis of prostate cancer has been made the disease has to be staged and graded. The stage refers to the extent and spread of the disease while the grade refers to the nature (aggressiveness) of the particular tumor. Staging will determine the extent of disease and provide important prognostic information that will influence the management decisions.

Staging investigations - PSA - X-rays of lumbar spine and pelvis - Chest X-ray - Radionuclitide bone scan - MTI scan of pelvis

TNM Staging system

T stage (extent of primary lesion)

- T1 - tumor confined to prostate, not palpable or visible on TRUS - T2 - tumor palpable or visible on TRUS but confined to prostate - T3 - spread beyond the prostatic capsule - T3a - extracapsular spread only - T3b - involvement of the seminal vesicles - T4 - invasion into rectal wall, bladder neck or pelvic wall N (Nodal) status - N0 - regional nodes not involved - N1 - regional nodes involved by tumor M (Distant Metastases) - M0 - no distant metastases - M1 - distant metastases present

Grading

Grading refers to what the cancer looks like under a microscope. The most commonly used system is the Gleason grade and score. The glandular pattern is compared to that of a normal prostate and scored out of 5, where 1 resembles a pattern very close to normal and 5 resembles severely distorted glandular architecture. The two predominant glandular patterns within the cancer are graded out of 5 and the combined score calculated out of 10. The higher the Gleason score, the more aggressive is the tumor and the worse is the prognosis. Patients with cancers confined to the prostate (T1 and T2) and no involvement of the lymph nodes or other organs (N0 and M0) are potentially curable by surgery or radiotherapy. Patients with disease beyond the prostate are not curable.

With our next information - we will inform you about the "Risk factors for enlarged prostate" - so you should have a look on this site in the next 2 weeks! If you have any question sends us your e-mail.

Health-Service-Online Fritz Frei Admin http://www.cancer-info.info

Fritz Frei works since more than 25 years in the health-and hosptital business as a consultant and he make it easy to check out the important details about the diagnoses, test's and treatments of the Prostate Cancer. To receive more information's about all prostate cancer -questions - Links and last research NEW's - visit the http://www.cancer-info.info

Symptoms of prostate cance

Related to the primary tumor:

* Asymptomatic * Poor stream * Retention of urine * Urgency * Frequency * Hematuria (blood in the urine) * Related to secondary tumor deposits: * Bone pain(back and pelvis): * Pathological fractures * Enlarged lymph glands * Kidney failure * Related to the general effects of malignancy: * Weight loss * Tiredness * Malaise * Anemia * Loss of appetite

Early prostate cancer is usually completely asymptomatic. By the time that prostate cancer becomes bothersome or clinically apparent it has usually spread beyond the confines of the prostatic capsule and is no longer amenable to cure. In the first world early prostate cancer is usually diagnosed following screening. Prostate cancer can also be a chance finding in the tissue removed by transurethral resection for suspected benign prostatic enlargement.

The primary tumor can cause lower urinary tract symptoms similar to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Obstructive symptoms include poor stream, incomplete emptying and straining while passing urine. Irritative symptoms include dysuria, frequency, urgency and nocturia. Prostate cancer can also cause blood in the urine but this is not common.

Prostate cancer typically spreads to the bony skeleton and the lymph glands of the pelvis. Bony metastases commonly involve the lower spine and pelvic girdle causing backache. Lymphatic involvement can cause swelling of the legs and obstruction of the drainage tubes of the kidneys (ureters). Prostate cancer can cause renal failure by ureteric obstruction or by bladder outlet obstruction.

With our next information - we will inform you about the "Diagnosis 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.

Health-Service-Online Fritz Frei Admin

http://www.cancer-info.info

info@cancer-info.info

Fritz Frei - since more than 25 years in the Health-Consulting Business - he has build up different rehabilitation groups and offer now in the network the easy information about a better health and life.

http://www.cancer-info.info