Prostate Seed Implants: A Promising Treatment For Prostate Cancer

Prostate brachytherapy (pronounced bray-kee-ther-uh-pee), the implantation of radioactive seeds into the prostate gland, is one of the standard methods of successfully treating prostate cancer. The tiny radioactive seeds are smaller than grains of rice.

A prostate seed implant may be the only type of radiation therapy needed by a man with low-risk prostate cancer or it may be prescribed in addition to external beam radiation therapy in men with intermediate- and high- risk prostate cancer. The goal is to eradicate cancer cells while preserving healthy, surrounding tissue, such as the bladder, the urethra (the tube that connects the bladder to the penis), and the rectum.

The advantages of prostate seed implants are significant. Fist, the procedure requires only minor surgery, usually causing fewer side effects than other treatments. Also, it is generally a same day, outpatient procedure. Men usually are able to return to work within several days, as long as they feel well enough. In addition, recent reports suggest that the procedure, when performed on properly selected men, is at least as effective as surgery to cure prostate cancer. Radiation exposure to other people is minimal, so restrictions do not apply unless the man is returning to a setting where a young child or pregnant woman is present.

Treatment Planning
Men undergo a pre-implant ultrasound study to determine where the radioactive seeds (and the needles to implant them) should be placed. A transrectal ultrasound, wherein an ultrasound probe is carefully positioned in the rectum to view the entire prostate, is performed. Images of the prostate are taken and are transferred to a special treatment planning computer, which evaluates the position of the prostate and generates a three-dimensional plan that dictates the precise placement of the seeds.

Preparation for the Procedure
Most candidates for prostate brachytherapy undergo blood tests, a chest x-ray and an EKG several days prior to the implant, in order to be approved for anesthesia. On the morning of the procedure, men receive an enema to help optimize the quality of the transrectal ultrasound images. In addition, blood thinners are discontinued several days prior to the procedure to help diminish the risk of bleeding.

Day of the Procedure
Typically, men who are scheduled to undergo seed placement arrive early in the morning. Next, the man is taken to the operating room for the procedure, where he undergoes either general or spinal anesthesia. Then, the radiation oncologist and the urologist work as a team to implant the seeds into the prostate, using transrectal ultrasound to guide the placement.

The Implant Process
Using the treatment plan and fluoroscopy (real-time x-ray), the radiation oncologist places the seeds within the prostate. The entire procedure usually takes less than one hour. After the seed placement, the urologist performs a cystoscopy (a procedure in which a slender, flexible, fiber optic scope is inserted from the penis into the bladder), to look for and remove any seeds that dislodged in the bladder or the urethra. Within the few next days, a CT scan is obtained to verify the placement of the seeds.

Prostate Seed Implants: Recovery
Because prostate implants do not involve major surgery, side effects are rarely severe. The most common side effects reported by men after prostate seed implants are:

? Urinary frequency (60-70%)
? Urinary burning (50%)
? Urinary urgency (50%)
? Erectile dysfunction (30%)
? Blood in the urine (20-30%)
? Increased bowel movements and bowel urgency (5%)
? Fatigue (20%)
? Pelvic pain (20%)
? The need for temporary catheter placement (10-15%)
? Urinary incontinence (less than 1%)

In addition, up to 20 percent of men are found to have seed migration into their lungs. However, no detrimental effects have been reported. Infrequently, men have required trans-urethral resection, the ?scraping? of the prostate gland via the penis, to relieve urinary obstruction after the seed placement.

Follow-Up
Men who undergo prostate brachytherapy report for follow-up visits four weeks after the procedure and every three months thereafter. A PSA blood test and a physical exam are performed to assess the status of the prostate.

The good news is that prostate seed implants are usually successful at controlling prostate cancer within the gland. Such local control of disease correlates with rendering men free from prostate cancer.

Dr. Kornnmehl is a board certified radiation oncologist and author of the critically acclaimed consumer health book, ?The Best News About Radiation Oncology? (M. Evans, 2004). Her website is http://www.RTSupportDoc.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.

Prostate Cancer Causes

Prostrate cancer is an old man?s disease, affecting one in six American males, with one in 32 dying of it. In 2006 over 250,000 Americans may develop this form of cancer and about 32,000 deaths are likely. It is the second most fatal cancer, after lung cancer.

The prostrate is a gland secreting seminal fluid and ejecting it, along with sperm, into the urethra during ejaculation. It is about three cm long, near the neck of the bladder, in front of the rectum. The urethra passes through it.

There are no specific causes of prostrate cancer that can be pinned down, and no preventive measures to be taken. There are three risk factors, and a patient has no control over any of them. The incidence of cancer increases with the increase in age. The peak figure for white Americans, of 1,200 per 100,000 is reached by 68 years of age. It only flattens down slightly after that. Race seems to be an important factor in the incidence of prostrate cancer. While the incidence was 1,200 for whites at the age of 68, it is about 1,800 per 100,000 for black Americans. For the Hispanics, Asians and American native Indians the peak incidence is at the age 75, and the figures are 1,100, 900 and 500 per 100,000, respectively. While in North America and Europe it is very common, in Asia, central and South America it is less common.

Heredity is another risk factor. Men who have a father, uncle or grandfather with prostrate cancer have a much higher chance of getting it. The hereditary factor is slightly controversial, as these family members also share the same race, diet and other cultural habits. A high-fat diet is also blamed for this cancer, and obesity and improper nutrition are other factors. Vitamin D gives protection against cancer, and so a shortage of it may be a factor in causing it.

Testosterone, the male hormone, is suspected to fuel the growth of prostrate cancer. Men whose testes are removed for some reason do not seem to develop prostrate cancer. So testosterone removal therapy is an important part of treating prostrate cancer patients. The treatment options are radical prostrorectomy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy. For the very old people with slowly progressing cancer, just symptomatic treatment may be the best option.

Prostate Cancer provides detailed information on Prostate Cancer, Prostate Cancer Symptoms, Prostate Cancer Treatments, Prostate Cancer Causes and more. Prostate Cancer is affliated with Prostate Health

Fighting Prostate Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among American men. Thus, it always a good time to learn about prostate health , a subject all men should address with their physicians before having to deal with it while sitting in the patient's chair.

The prostate is a male sex gland located just under the bladder and in front of the rectum. Prostate is responsible for making semen, the thick fluid that mixes with sperm and helps to push it through the urethra and penis during sex. As men age, their prostates may enlarge and cause symptoms such as a slow stream or increased frequency of urination in a benign process called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). However, in other cases, they may develop prostate cancer. For example, researchers support that a 50-year-old man who is expected to live another 25 years has a 42% chance of getting prostate cancer before he dies. Whether or not he develops prostate cancer, he will most likely die from an unrelated cause. He will have had no symptoms, and his prostate cancer will only be visible through a microscope at the time of his death. The risk to any healthy man of developing symptoms related to prostate cancer at any time during his life is only 10%, and his risk of actually dying from prostate cancer is only 3%. That said, screening for prostate cancer is still very important. Early detection and treatment of prostate cancer may delay or prevent tumor enlargement, metastasis (spread), and death.

While almost all men develop "silent" or latent prostate cancer cells if they live long enough, some lifestyle factors can increase a man's risk. Several studies have shown that being significantly overweight may promote the development of a more aggressive form of prostate cancer. In one recent study, those men who had gained more than 3.5 pounds a year between the ages of 25 and 40 were twice as likely to have this cancer recur as men who gained less weight. Also, excess body fat that is located in and around internal organs and often indicated by more waistline fat may pose particular risks, even if a man is not obese. In a recent study, men with prostate cancer averaged about 50% more total abdominal fat than healthy men of the same age.

But, doctors assess that with proper diet, exercise and early detection, there is hope against this disease. Statistics reveal that in more than 1.8 million men, only in United States, have beaten prostate cancer. Studies have shown that prostate health depends on a plant-based diet low in fat and rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Patients who have been researched were found to fight prostate cancer by eating specific types of foods that had protective compounds for good prostate health. In fact, several foods, such as tomatoes, although the F.D.A. has issued an announcement that there is no particular evidence for this vegetable's ability to fight prostate cancer, nuts, cruciferous vegetables, onions, and spinach have shown some promise with this disease. Finally, herbs and nutrients such as green tea extract, stinging nettle root, ginger, rosemary, zinc, lycopene, and selenium have also been shown to help maintain and promote normal prostate health.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Men's Health, Arts, and Society

Lycopene Effective with Prostate Cancer Treatment

Men with prostate cancer who take supplemental lycopene in addition to surgical removal of the testicles may experience less active disease, less bone pain, and live longer than those who only have surgical removal of the testicles, according to a new study in British Journal of Urology International (2003;92:375–8). This is exciting news for millions of men who have to undergo aggressive treatment for advanced prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men over the age of 50 years, with more than 200,000 new cases each year in the United States. The cause of prostate cancer, like many other cancers, is unknown; however, some studies suggest alterations in testosterone metabolism may play a role in its development. Prostate cancer is generally slow growing and may not cause any symptoms until late in the disease. Symptoms may include frequent or painful urination, dribbling after urination, sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder, or blood in the urine. The symptoms of prostate cancer are similar to those of a non-cancerous condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), so men experiencing these symptoms should consult their physician for an accurate diagnosis.

In the new study, 54 men with advanced prostate cancer were randomly assigned to have surgical removal of the testicles (orchidectomy) alone or orchidectomy plus oral supplementation with 4 mg of lycopene a day. Measurements of PSA (a blood marker of prostate cancer activity), bone scans, and urinary flow were taken initially and every three months for two years. Men receiving lycopene started on the day of their surgery.

After six months, PSA had significantly decreased in both groups, indicating a reduction in prostate cancer activity. However, PSA levels in those receiving lycopene were more than 65% lower than in those who did not receive lycopene. After two years, PSA levels in the lycopene treatment group had fallen into the normal range, while those who only underwent surgery still had PSA levels more than twice the upper limit of normal. Urinary symptoms significantly improved in both groups, but better improvement was again observed in the lycopene group. The lycopene group also experienced less bone pain.

The survival rates after two years in the lycopene-plus-surgery group and surgery-only groups were 87% and 78%, respectively, a statistically significant difference. No adverse side effects were observed in men taking lycopene.LycopeneLycopene is one of a group of compounds called carotenoids. It is found in high amounts in tomatoes.

The findings of this study corroborate the findings of other similar studies examining the effectiveness of lycopene in the treatment of prostate cancer. However, the amount used in the current study (4 mg per day) was substantially less than the amounts used in other studies (30 mg per day). It may also help stimulate the immune system and has been shown to cause cancer cells to die on their own. Although more research is needed to clarify what amount of lycopene is most effective, men with prostate cancer may benefit from taking daily lycopene supplements. Eating one moderately sized tomato a day also provides approximately 4 mg of lycopene. Other tomato products, such as an 8-ounce portion of tomato juice or tomato paste may provide up to 25 mg of lycopene.

Darin Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP), received his bachelor's degree from Purdue University and his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. Dr. Ingels is the author of The Natural Pharmacist: Lowering Cholesterol (Prima, 1999) and Natural Treatments for High Cholesterol (Prima, 2000). He currently is in private practice at New England Family Health Associates located in Southport, CT, where he specializes in environmental medicine and allergies. Dr. Ingels is a regular contributor to Vitamin Herb University.marketing@webadvantage.net