The prostate is a gland found only in men, which lies just below the bladder. The tube through which urine flows from the bladder when you pass water goes first through the prostate gland then out through the penis. The prostate gland can become enlarged in many men as they get older which then causes difficulty with urination.

The job of the prostate gland is to produce fluid which forms part of semen and helps to nourish sperm. The prostate gland sits in front of the back passage or “rectum” which is why if a doctor wants to examine the prostate gland they feel it by putting a finger into your back passage. This is also called a “digital rectal examination” or DRE for short. From feeling the prostate gland the doctor can tell how enlarged the gland is and whether it feels normal or cancerous, this can then provide a picture of prostate cancer if it exists.

Cells in the prostate gland are constantly turning over to replace old with new but sometimes this process can get out of control. Cancer is the name for cells which have lost control of their renewal process and start to grow unchecked. They grow into a group of cells called a “tumour”. As the cells grow they can start to invade surrounding tissues. This invading process is called acting in a “malignant” fashion. Cells can break off the tumour and spread to other sites in the body, usually via the blood stream. The cells can then grow where they have settled, often in distant parts of the body such as the bones or brain. These deposits are often called “secondaries” or “metastases”. These deposits are not new cancers but are groups of cancer cells spread from the original or “primary” cancer in the prostate gland.

Most often in prostate cancer this process of tumour growth followed by invasion then metastasis is relatively slow and can occur over many months or years. This is why some men may have prostate cancer but never have a problem because of it i.e. their prostate cancer grows so slowly that other diseases or illnesses (e.g. heart attack or stroke) cause problems or even death before the prostate cancer has developed far enough to cause symptoms or spread from the prostate. With modern treatments many men with early prostate cancer can be cured and in many more the prostate cancer can be controlled and the invasion process slowed even more. Prostate cancer survival rates vary widely around the world, although detection in 3rd World countries is often poorly catalogued.

The cause of prostate cancer is not known. What is known is the characteristics of those men who tend to develop prostate problems. These are known as “risk factors” i.e. men with these characteristics are at greater risk of developing the cancer. However it is important to realise that ALL men are at risk of prostate cancer and even young men who have no history of cancer in their family can develop prostate cancer.

Age

Age is the main risk factor for developing prostate cancer. As men get older they have a higher chance of developing all types of cancer including cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is quite uncommon below the age of 50 years however four out of every ten men who are 70 years or older will have the illness. Many of these men will live normally without knowing they have prostate cancer and without it giving them any symptoms or shortening their life span.

Hormones

We know that the male hormones tend to stimulate the development of prostate cancers and prostate cancer is very rare in men who have been castrated before the age of 40 years. This is likely to be because the normal prostate gland is affected by male hormones when carrying out its normal functions in the body. Prostate cancer cells originate and have some features similar to these normal prostate cells including being influenced by male hormones.

Race

Prostate cancer is seen more commonly in certain ethnic groups e.g. African-Americans.

Diet

Diet may have an influence on the development of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is more common in men who have a “western” diet high in saturated fats. Saturated fats are found in red meats such as beef, lamb etc and in some dairy produce e.g. butter and things made with butter e.g. cakes, biscuits etc., and also in highly processed foods e.g. ready meals. It seems that men who have a diet high in saturated fat are at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. It is also widely believed that a diet high in fruit and vegetables helps to prevent many cancers. This may be through the action of cancer protective chemicals found in many fruit and vegetables known as “anti-oxidants”. This is one of the reasons it is recommended that we include five portions of fruit and vegetables in our diet every single day.

Genetic

Prostate problems also tend to run in some families which could suggest part of the cause of some prostate cancers is genetic or hereditary. If your father or brother has prostate cancer your chance of developing it is about double that of the general population. However only a small number of all prostate cancers are caused by a known faulty gene and most occur at random.

SUMMARY OF PROSTATE CANCER CAUSES

Age (prostate cancer is more common as men get older)

Male hormones (prostate cancers uncommon in castrated men)

Ethnic group (prostate cancer more common in African-Americans)

Genetic (prostate cancer can run in families)

Diet

Adrian Jones writes on several forms of cancer. Further information is available on his website dealing with justabout-prostatecancer.com/ prostate cancer and justabout-prostatecancer.com/causes/prostate_cancer_causes_index.php causes of Prostate Cancer. You may reprint this if you include this credit.

Tags: prostate cancer

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In 1995, Ju was thirty-six years old and her son seven years old. One night she felt a lump in her right breast. This was later diagnosed as cancerous. It has been twelve years since her diagnosis and Ju is still doing fine. In May 2007, I conducted an in-depth interview of her case.

Q: You said your family is very important to you. Was there any “pressure” in your family life?

Ju: Not really. All along I was an independent and strong willed person. Whatever I wanted to do, I would do it and then inform my family. My husband respected me as an individual. In fact, I normally would probe my husband to help me make decisions. He is more of a quiet type, which initially I did not know how to appreciate. That was one of the things I have begun to realize. Before I found the lump in my breast, I was very depressed.

Q: Would you like to share your feelings about your relationship with your husband?

Ju: I felt like there was not enough communication between. I didn’t realize that even before I married him, he was a very quiet person. When you expect to change people, it will never happen. Now, I realize I should change myself instead of others. After my cancer diagnosis, I begun to appreciate him because he allowed me to do whatever I wanted, at the same time giving his fullest support all the time.

Q: How long did you suffer this depression?

Ju: Four to five years.

Q: Was it right before your diagnosis or was it much earlier on in your marriage? Your son must be about two years old then?

Ju: Yes, yes. We were married for six years before we had my son.

Q: What was it like during the six years?

Ju: I was working at that time. When you are on “honeymoon”, things were always different. The depression came in after the baby.

Q: Did you become a house-mother after the baby?

Ju: Yes. I was a house mother, a housewife. And I took out my temper on my poor child. I felt very bad.

Q: Were you depressed or frustrated?

Ju: I guess both — all in one. The early power was gone. Life was no longer the same as before.

Q: Can you describe more? You said something about venting your anger.

Ju: For a two- or three-year old, my son was a very well behaved boy. He was so well behaved that I felt I was the “bad” one. I realized this later on.

Q: Was there any particular period of time that you had “extra stress” during this four year duration? Or was it just a chronic stress?

Ju: My husband was a chef, doing business in Kuala Lumpur. As you know, in business, income was not reliable. So, that worried me too. When I worked, I also contributed financially to my parents. So, when I stopped working, I still have to give to my parents, but there was this limit. So, it was also a financial stress.

Q: Was there any particular incident that had “eaten up your heart”? Any specific emotional burden?

Ju: There was one thing that was nagging me. On the intellectual side, my husband did not meet my expectation. I liked to read books. I liked to discuss things. I liked to analyze. My husband was a very cool type. Even if he was angry, he would just . . . (rolling her eyes upwards to demonstrate). There would be no outburst from him. This got to me. I wanted a reaction, but couldn’t get one. I’d told him: “Can’t you talk to me?” He would reply: “There is nothing to talk about.” I guess that was the main factor. Sometimes you’d wish you could have found somebody different. Then I would tell myself: “Don’t be silly. He has his good points.”

Q: Was this situation, an up down up down situation, or what is constantly there?

Ju: I would say it was constantly there.

Q: Can we say that you are living an unsatisfied life?

Ju: Yes, at that point in time.

Q: Anything else that you want to add? Anything that stands out in your memory during these four to five years?

Ju: No, I don’t think so.

Q: Were you focused as a housemother?

Ju: Yes. But I expected a lot. Even from my child. I expected him to be more extrovert and outspoken like me. My son is also quite a quiet person.

Q: Are you a perfectionist?

Ju: I am a perfectionist. That’s why I hurt myself in the process. When I do something, it has to be done perfectly — and my way only.

Q: People’s way?

Ju: No. I guess I learnt it the hard way. In the process I hurt myself and I hurt a lot of people.

Q: This was the stressful period before the cancer diagnosis. Before that, was there any stress, during your childhood, in your family, like a trauma or an accident?

Ju: During childhood, I had a fall and my wound could not heal. I had to use a high dosage of penicillin at that time. Even until now, I am not supposed to take any more penicillin. My body will reject it.

Q: In your childhood days, were you bullied?

Ju: My sister would always bully me. I am the youngest daughter. Only one sister (fifth) bullied me most of the time.

Q: Did you feel hurt?

Ju: Oh yes. We always fought. I used to hate her at one time. It was a very strong emotion. I felt very suppressed. But by teenage years, we’ve made up.

Q: What was your relationship with your father?

Ju: All along the relationship with my father was very good. I was and am very close to my parents.

Q: What about your childhood?

Ju: I was from a poor family. In school, I felt a bit left out or overlooked by my teachers. There was this lady teacher in particular that made me feel that way. When I was seven, eight or nine years old, I already started to find out what was good for me. I learnt to fend for myself and that helped me later on in life.

Q: While you were working, was there any stress?

Ju: There were a lot of reports to do, but it was fine.

Q: During the stressful period of four to five years before cancer, do you have any unexplainable symptoms? Like insomnia, anxiety attacks, constipation?

Ju: Constipation, yes. I used to suffer that, especially two to three days before my menses. My husband used to buy me the “liquid thing” for inserting.

Q: Can you describe your menses? Were there clots, or any pain?

Ju: No, not much but a lot of bloating. Sometimes I had headaches.

Q: Did you have stomach problems?

Ju: Yes, I did. If I took the wrong food, I would have diarrhea too.

Q: Were you on any hormone pills?

Ju: No.

Q: Were you on any particular diet? Or was there any particular food that you like very much?

Ju: Oh yes. I love Western food. When I was working, in the hotel, we were doing quite well. We used to go to Western restaurants for all those kind of food. I like baked crabs, oxtail soup, fried char koay teow.

Q: How would you describe your social life? Late nights?

Ju: Late night because of my shift. I finished around 11.00 p.m., and sleep was around 12.00 mid-night.

Q: What about your knowledge on cancer.

Ju: If you get cancer, you die — that much that I knew at that time. And then, I knew that there would be no cure for cancer. I didn’t have friends who suffer from cancer and I was really ignorant then.

Comments

Leaves do not rattle without breeze. Similarly, there must be a reason or reasons why Ju had cancer at such a young age of thirty-six. None of her siblings or parents has cancer. Ju was a healthy person and in life was not exposed to any known carcinogen. Alas, medical science could not offer any reason for this.

We are told that breast cancer strikes women randomly for no known reason or prior warning. Besides that, has anyone ever asked why cancer strikes on the left breast in some women and the right breast in others? Again, medical science has no answer!

The Chinese holistic healers have long known that cancer could be due to emotional distress and unfulfilled expectation in life. Ju had been living an emotionally unsatisfied life and was depressed for some time. Something was “eating her up” from within. To the Chinese, the Stomach Meridian is one important energy channel that nourishes the breasts. Emotional distress could impede the energy flow through this channel as manifested by her “weak stomach.” Blockage of energy flow could give rise to mass or tumor.

Over many years of experience, I have noticed that a yang or male-related-emotional distress generally results in cancer of the right breast in women. Yin or female-related distress results in cancer of the left breast. One practical lesson to learn from this story — take life easy and try not to carry too much “emotional baggage”. Let go and be happy.

For more information about complementary cancer therapy visit: cacare.com cacare.com, NaturalHealingForYou.com NaturalHealingForYou.com, BookOnCancer.com BookOnCancer.com

Tags: breast cancer, healing

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Cancers don’t come out of nowhere. Cancers develop if you follow an unhealthy diet full of cancer causing food over an extended period of time. Certain food contains a lot of cancer promoting substances called carcinogens. In this article, we will discover the 3 common types of carcinogens most people are exposed to on a daily basis, what types of food we should and should not eat to prevent cancer.

Acrylamide and Food: What It Means For You

Acrylamide has been used in industrial processes like the manufacturing of food packaging, creation of plastic and treatment of contaminated water for a long time. Unknown to most of us, scientists recently discoverd that acrylamide can be created during high temperature cooking methods like frying, microwaving, baking and roasting. Even though acrylamide has been confirmed to cause cancer in animals, scientists have not found compelling evidence that is causes cancer in humans even though it is harmful to our bodies. French fries top the charts of food that contain the greatest levels of acrylamide, followed by certain brands of potato chips, breakfast cereals, cookies, brewed coffee and toast bread according to the US FDA/CFSAN 2006 Exposure Assessment for Acrylamide.

Sodium Nitrate: Why It Is Bad For Your Health

Sodium nitrate is a standard preservative of processed meat. It is used to preserve the reddish color of meat to make it look more appetizing to eat at the neglection of your health. Sodium nitrate on it’s own is pretty harmless but it changes into a carcinogenic substance called nitrosamine during the digestion process, thus promoting the development of cancer cells. Sodium nitrate can be found in processed meat like bologna, hot dogs, pepperoni, ham, lunch meat and bacon.

Trans Fat 101: What Is It And Why It Is Unhealthy

Trans fat or trans-fatty acids (TFAs) are the most unhealthy kind of fat you can consume. The problem with trans fat is because it was transformed from it’s vegetable oil form to a semi-solid state through the use of hydrogen. Vegetable oil companies do this to save money, to improve flavor stability and to extend the shelf life of their products. Due to it’s processed nature, it is considered unnatural in our bodies and it is very tough to digest, therefore it easily clogs our arteries if we don’t exercise often. What’s worse, trans fat promotes the development of bad cholesterol and reduces the levels of good cholesterol, increasing your risk of heart disease. Trans fat is generally found in pastries, commercially deep-fried food, partially hydrogenated oils, hydrogenated oils and food with vegetable shortening.

Foods and Cancer: What To Eat And What To Avoid

If we eliminate or severely restrict our of the 3 carcinogens above and other toxins like alcohol, salt, cigarettes and sugar, we should be able to avoid cancer and a whole lot of other major diseases. However, it is not easy for people to choose to have a healthy body over the enjoyment of good food. The choice is up to you to decide which is more important to you. At the minimum, consume as much organic vegetables, fruit and meat as you can. Having a diet made of antioxidants, nutrients and fiber from raw vegetables and fruit should help you steer clear from cancer. A simple rule you can follow is to simply eat the things nature created for us to eat and avoid anything manufactured by man.

Visit Natalie’s site cancerarchive.com CancerArchive.com for more tips on how to prevent cancer, treat cancer and much more.

Tags: prevent cancer

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What you eat can increase your risk to getting prostate cancer. The Westernized diet of red meat and saturated fat is said to significantly increase your probability of developing prostate cancer. So if you wish to have good health or are already diagnosed with this condition, then you should adopt a healthy prostate cancer diet as soon as possible.

Research studies show that asian men living in their asian home countries have a much lower incidence rate of prostate cancer than American men. In addition, when these asian men relocate to a Westernized country the probability of them developing the condition gradually rises until it equals that of the westerners.

Hence, researchers concluded that it would seem logical that the prostate cancer diet needs to contain all of the ingredients that are commonly found in an eastern diet. For good prostate health, they recommend reducing the consumption of unhealthy saturated fats and simple carbohydrates that are found in so many Westernized foods i.e. fast foods, take-aways etc.

Researchers have analysed what constitutes best for a prostate cancer diet. So far the findings are on two particular nutrients; isoflavones and polyphenols.

Isoflavones are thought to stop the process of abnormal cell growth and so if ingested in relatively concentrated amounts can reduce the incidence of cancer which is, in simple terms, a mass of abnormal cells. They do this by inhibiting the effects of the sex hormones and in particular testosterone on the prostate gland meaning that it is less likely to become cancerous.

Isoflavones can be found in soy. Hence, a prostate cancer diet should contain a larger than normal amount of soy products. Most Westernized diets however do not include soy. So buying soy products may be something that you should consider for including into your regular diet.

Polyphenols slow down the growth process of abnormal cells so that tumours grow and form blood supplies a lot slower than normal. Polyphenols are found in relatively large quantities in green tea, another suggested ingredient for an effective prostate cancer nutrition diet. Just how much tea you need to drink to reap the benefits from polyphenols is not known.

Making these changes for a healthier prostate cancer diet may require some effort initally. However, these changes are not exactly drastic measures. In any case, both soy and green tea are not known to raise your cholesterol levels or produce harmful effects to your body. You should therefore think of ways to include more isoflavones and polyphenols into your diet from today!

Making changes to your lifestyle and diet can help reduce your chance of developing prostate cancer. Find out more about prostate-cancer-treatment-hub.com/Articles/Prostate_Nutrition.php prostate nutrition and other practical tips here at Prostate-Cancer-Treatment-Hub.com www.Prostate-Cancer-Treatment-Hub.com

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