Prostate Health

Diet and lifestyle play important roles in keeping the prostate healthy. Food and the environment influence the way the body functions. The body has natural defenses against allowing normal cells to become cancerous and allowing cancer cells to grow. Ingestion of certain nutrients may decrease the chances of developing prostate cancer or reduce the likelihood of recurrence. Certain nutrients may also slow down the progression of the disease.

Adopting certain dietary changes is an important step towards better prostate health. Obesity is known to increase the risk of prostate cancer. Research shows that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test results in obese men can be lower despite the presence of disease, potentially leading to a delay in diagnosis and treatment. The recovery from surgery tends to be longer and more difficult and the risk of death due to prostate cancer can be higher.

Weight management is essential for good prostate health. Regular exercise is necessary to maintain muscle strength and endurance. An increase in the intake of vegetables and nuts can prove beneficial. Tomatoes, watermelons, pink grapefruits, guava and papaya contain lycopene, a naturally occurring chemical. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that help protect the body against cancer.

Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane, a compound that increases activity of proteins and clears out carcinogens from the body. Carcinogens are substances known to cause cancer and are ingested into our body on a regular basis.

Isoflayones found in soy and polyphenols found in green tea, interrupt the growth pathways of cancer cells. Asian men are known to consume soy and green tea regularly and hence are at a lesser risk of being afflicted with prostate cancer.

Vitamins and minerals in food help regulate many of the body?s processes and functions. They help monitor the balance between cancer cell growth and cancer cell death. Research over the years has shown that the loss of vitamins and minerals contribute to uncontrolled cancer cell growth. An increase in the intake of foods rich in vitamins and minerals like lettuce, cereals, citrus fruits, milk and carrots, help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Since men lose zinc during every seminal emission, their need for the mineral is higher than a woman's. Pumpkin seeds, oysters and shellfish are good sources of zinc. Following these simple dietary tips ensures good prostrate health.

Prostate provides detailed information on Prostate, Prostate Cancer, Prostate Health, Prostate Cancer Treatment and more. Prostate is affiliated with Prostate Cancer Treatments

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.

Drinking Milk and Sunshine Exposure Can Limit the Prostate Cancer

The spread of prostate cancer is caused by the over normal activity of two specific enzymes, proteases called cathepsin and matrix metalloproteinase.

A recent study concluded that Vitamin D can reduce the activity of these enzymes, mainly by increasing the level of counterpart enzymes that inhibit matrix metalloproteinase and cathepsin. This process has two consequences on prostate cancer. On one hand, it creates a limitation in power of prostate cancer cells to invade healthy cells and, on the other hand, it has a positive effect on plasminogen activators, which also are important in uncontrolled prostate cancer spreading mechanism.

For a moment it is unclear whether there are other vitamins and medicines that could increase the anti cancerous effects of Vitamin D. The scientists are now investigating if Vitamin E could be a positive support without increasing the toxic level.

Patients must know that a high dose of Vitamin D has a strong side effect causing kidney problems due of increasing blood calcium levels. For this reason, it should not be taken without medical prescription and a special monitoring of side effects by a professional health care.

Excepting vitamin pills, the best ways to get Vitamin D into the body are to drink milk and to expose the body to the modest sun (sunshine preferable).

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

The Best Prostate Cancer Treatment Is Early Treatment

Prostate cancer is a serious affliction that affects upwards of 200,000 men each year. Risk factors for prostate cancer can include age, race and health history. If diagnosed with prostate cancer your treatment options will be determined by these factors. Just like with any other form of cancer, the best prostate cancer treatment is available at the early stages.

Once diagnosed with prostate cancer, two main options will be presented. Choices are either surgery or radiation. Neither treatment has conclusively been found to be better. Chances are when faced with prostate cancer treatment options; your doctor will simply present the option they are most comfortable with as the best prostate cancer treatment. A consultation with a hospital oncologist should strongly be considered. An oncologist's expertise mainly centers on drug therapies like chemotherapy in treating cancer. Since prostate cancer (localized) cannot be treated with a drug therapy, you are sure to get an unbiased opinion as to your treatment options. One positive aspect of prostate cancer compared to other cancers, is the fact that it is remarkably slow. You may have several years before prostate cancer begins to spread, while naturally you are not going to take years to decide on a treatment plan, it is nice to know you have some time to make the right choice.

A hospital that centers on cancer treatment is going to provide the most treatment options and will have specialists in each field to render the best care. Don't settle for just one opinion. With a condition like prostate cancer, many doctors suggest waiting to see what the cancer will do. While "waiting" may sound like a bad idea when it comes to cancer, prostate cancer will usually afford you enough time to make a well thought out decision. Don't rush, but take time to do research as to what will be the best prostate cancer treatment for you.

Dean Iggo is the webmaster of www.prostatehealthadvice.com which provides prostate health advice including symptoms and treatments of everything from an enlarged prostate to prostate cancer

10 Important Steps To Beat Your Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States and it is the second most common cause of cancer death in men over age 55. The incidence of prostate cancer increases dramatically with each decade after 50. Fortunately, prostate cancer tends to be slow-growing compared to many other cancers - the majority of prostate cancers either do not spread or cause any significant harm for decades.
In general, men run a 1-in-6 chance of developing prostate cancer at some point in their lives. More than 230,000 new cases are expected this year in the United States, with about 27,000 deaths.
Most men will choose conventional treatment, often surgery or radiation, but there are life-changing potential side effects they need to be aware of, and discuss with their doctors.
Surgery, called a prostatectomy for the surgical removal of the prostate gland, means impotence for about 75% of the men choosing this path, according to a September 2004 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Also, about 14% of the men were incontinent - could not control their bladder - five years after the operation.
With standard radiation therapy, the odds of impotence are about the same, 73%. The incontinence rate was much lower, just under 5%. There are new radiation therapies we discussed in the new guidebook How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer that have better outcomes.
No matter what conventional therapy a man chooses, if he does nothing else there is a 30% to 40% chance that his cancer or another cancer will recur. That's because his immune system was not strong enough to protect him from the first cancer, and if he does nothing it will be no stronger the next time it is needed. In addition, radiation and chemotherapy depress the immune system, leaving it weaker than it was before you got treatment. Finally, any cancerous cells that survive the radiation and chemotherapy treatments, or escape the surgeon's knife - and a few ALWAYS do - must be cleaned up by the immune system. Yet those cells that survived radiation or chemotherapy are, by definition, the strongest mutant cells. Cells that survive chemotherapy even have their own name: Multi-drug resistant. All of this means that if a man's cancer recurs, the cure rates the second time around are much, much lower - on the order of 5% survival.
So even if a man chooses conventional treatment, the information and advice on alternative treatments in How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer is very important for his recovery and continued good health.
Here are 5 of the 10 important steps covered in a Free Report by the authors of How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer that have worked for others:
1. Pick a doctor carefully. The numbers above on impotence and incontinence are pretty scary. Top surgeons who perform hundreds of these operations tend to have better numbers, and you should ALWAYS get the statistics in advance from any doctor before you let them treat you. Remember that if you are talking to a surgeon, he probably will want to operate. If your doctor is a radiation oncologist, don't be surprised if he pushes radiation. A clinical oncologist might counsel chemotherapy. Always consider the source. If you want to try alternative therapy first, since you really are not pressed for time, choose an alternative doctor or health care practitioner just as carefully.
2. Boost your immune system. If you're going to undergo conventional treatment, you need to boost your immune system to deal with the impact of chemotherapy and radiation. You also need to clean up the remaining cells after therapy, and then build back your immune system so cancer does not recur. If you are going to pursue an alternative treatment path while you have the time, boosting your immune system is Job #1. Several chapters in How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer show you how to do that.
3. Alkalize your internal environment. Cancer cells are highly acidic, and cancer can't live in an alkaline environment. You can test your pH level with test strips from the pharmacy or health food store. It should be over 7.0, preferably in the 7.2 to 7.4 range. If your internal body environment is acidic, it makes it much easier for cancer to grow and metastasize. Prostate cancer often metastasizes to the bones, making it much harder to beat.
4. Get more oxygen to your cells. Cancer hates oxygen. In the lab, when they are doing an experiment where they want cancerous cells to grow quickly, they simply turn down the oxygen. When they want to stabilize the experiment, they turn the oxygen back up. The same is true of your body.
5. Take vitamins and supplements. If you eat the Standard American Diet, you are eating fruits and vegetables grown on depleted soil, picked too early so they won't ripen and spoil while they're in the distribution chain, and then probably overcooked. Even if you are eating organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed pastured meat and raw milk, you still can't get the massive amounts of vitamins and supplements you need to let your immune system overcome a cancerous tumor that has become established. You must take high-quality vitamins and minerals, digestive enzymes and specific anti-cancer supplements like those recommended in Chapter 7 of How To Beat Your Prostate Cancer.
* * * * * The complete Free Report with all 10 important steps a man can take to begin fighting his prostate cancer right away can be obtained from http://www.Beat-Prostate-Cancer.net. ? Cures Research Institute 2006

Michael Murphy is the Executive Director of the Cures Research Institute, an organization dedicated to researching and combining the best conventional and alternative therapies to provide better outcomes for people with serious health problems.

Use Of Altenative Medicine In Prostate Cancer

According to a conclusion of a group of the University of California-San Francisco, about one third of prostate cancer sufferers in the United States receive some type of alternative or complementary medicine therapies. People using alternative medicine have more education, higher incomes, and more advanced cancers, targeting the prostate health when were younger. They also were more likely to face other illnesses.

Because alternative or complementary therapies could interact with other medicines, it is very important for patients to tell their physician everything they are taking.

After investigation of a group of 2,582 prostate cancer patients, the study found that 852 (about one third) reported the use of some alternative medicine, such as mineral or vitamin supplements, herbs, antioxidants and some sorts of alternative treatment for "prostate health," such as saw palmetto or lycopene.

The study has no conclusion about how prostate patients take the decision to start using complementary or alternative medicines and about the way they are getting their information. There is also no mention regarding how the use of these therapies affects health and quality of life in men with prostate cancer.

Men can find a lot of alternative therapies on the market, but the question is, do these therapies work?

If taken in small to moderate portions, these products show to be safe. But they haven't been tested yet in large, long-term trials. Some may be beneficial by providing protective effects before prostate cancer develops, such as treatments based on Vitamin E, selenium or lycopene. But they are slowly gaining acceptance in conventional medicine.

Apart of the fact that they may or may not help, the benefits and risks of such products and practices remain unproven by scientific techniques. However, the biggest problem is the production of these products is not well regulated by an authority and the amount of active ingredient may vary from bottle to bottle or even from pill to pill.Valerian D is a freelance writer specialized in health issues affecting men such as prostate cancer. Visit http://www.mens-health-events.info/prostate_cancer.php to learn more