The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. Cancer that grows in the prostate gland is called prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the U.S.

Men, who are younger than 40, are rarely ever diagnosed with prostate cancer. Men have traditionally been less likely to seek medical attention than women, especially for minor problems, which often serve as warning signs for more serious underlying illness. The most common cancer in American men, excluding skin cancer, is prostate cancer.

If cancer is caught in its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is the inability to urinate. And having one or more cancer symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have prostate cancer.

There are a number of symptoms to be aware of. One symptom is the need to urinate frequently, especially at night. And if you have one or more prostate cancer symptoms, you should see a qualified doctor as soon as possible.

A chest x-ray may be done to see if there is a spread of cancer. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures the PSA enzyme in your blood for abnormalities. The decision about whether to pursue a PSA test should be based on a discussion between you and your doctor.

A prostate biopsy usually confirms the diagnosis. A PSA test with a high level can also be from a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. CT scans may be done to see if the cancer has spread.

Prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) may be treated conventionally with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, chemotherapy or nothing at all. Whether radiation is as good as removing the prostate is debatable and the decision about which to choose, if any, can be difficult. Since prostate tumors require testosterone to grow, reducing the testosterone level is used to prevent further growth and spread of the cancer.

Surgery, called a radical prostatectomy, removes the entire prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissues. The conventional treatment of prostate cancer is often controversial. Surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy all have significant side effects; know fully what they are before you proceed with any treatment.

Hormone manipulation is mainly used as a treatment to relieve symptoms in men whose cancer has spread. Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy can interfere with libido on a temporary or permanent basis. Treatment options can vary based on the stage of the tumor.

In patients whose health makes the risk of surgery unacceptably high, radiation therapy is often the chosen conventional alternative. Some drugs with numerous side effects are being used to treat advanced prostate cancer, blocking the production of testosterone, called chemical castration; it has the same result as surgical removal of the testes. Other medications used for hormonal therapy, with side effects, include androgen-blocking agents, which prevent testosterone from attaching to prostate cells.

Radiation therapy is used primarily to treat prostate cancers classified as stages A, B, or C. In the early stages, surgery and radiation may be used to remove or attempt to kill the cancer cells or shrink the tumor.

In the end, only you with the help of your doctors, knowing your individual situation, can know the best treatment program for you. Once diagnosed you may want to join a support group where you can share experiences and problems with others. It’s important to get as informed as much as possible and read all the newest books, ebooks and research available.

For more information on

Tags: chemotherapy, prostate cancer, skin cancer

Related posts

• Type of Cancer (0)
• Skin Cancer - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment (0)
• Prostate Cancer Worries That Men Don’t Want To Admit To (0)
• Prostate Cancer Symptoms - Do You Know What They Are? (0)
• Nurse’s Easy Guide To Prostate Cancer (0)

Tags: chemotherapy, prostate cancer, skin cancer

Mesothelioma, or the cancer of mesothelium, is a fatal tumor that affects pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium – linings around lungs, abdomen, and heart respectively. It is a fatal disease caused by exposure to asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral.

Mesothelioma cancer be benign, i.e. it can be non-cancerous and non-spreading or it can be malignant i.e. cancerous and spread to other parts of the body leading to death. Its primary cause is prolonged exposure to asbestos and it has a latency period of about 30 to 50 years.

Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma can be classified into three types depending on the area of body affected by it.
There are 3 common types of mesothelioma:

1. Pleural Mesothelioma

2. Peritoneal Mesothelioma

3. Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma

The most common form of mesothelioma, Pleural Mesothelioma (cancer of pleura) is a tumor of the protective lining around the lungs. It can be either benign or malignant.

The pleura is a sac-like membrane made of two layers between which the pleural fluid is released. This fluid in turn acts like a lubricating agent and helps the lungs to function smoothly during breathing.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma are:

• Shortness of breath

• Chest pain

• Back pain

• Pain in the rib cage

Other symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma, for both benign and cancerous forms, include:

• Fluid build-up in the lung lining

• Hoarseness

• Coughing up blood

• Swelling of the face and arms

• Muscle weakness

• Paralysis

• Sensory loss

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Another common form of mesothelioma is peritoneal mesothelioma or cancer of the peritoneum that causes tumor in the abdominal lining. Like pleural it can be benign or malignant.

The peritoneum is the membrane that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity and also includes:

• Tunica Vaginalis Testis (mesothelial tissue lining the male internal reproductive organs)

• Tunica Serosa Uteri (mesothelial tissue lining the female reproductive organs).

Symptoms

The fluid released in the peritoneum helps in the smooth functioning of these organs. When the peritoneum is affected, some common symptoms experienced are:

• Stomach pain

• Weight loss

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Hernia

• Bowel obstruction

• Fluid in the abdominal cavity

If the cancer spreads beyond the abdominal cavity, additional symptoms can be found, such as:

• Anemia

• Blood clotting abnormalities

• Trouble swallowing

• Swelling of neck, face or arms

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pericardial Mesothelioma or the cancer of pericardium is a tumor of the protective sac-like lining around the heart.

Pericardium protects the heart by:

• Smoothening its motion against surrounding organs

• Limiting its motion so that it stays in the chest cavity

• Preventing it from over-expansion during excess influx of blood

Symptoms

When pericardium’s function is affected by mesothelioma, the following symptoms may occur:

• Chest pain

• Shortness of breath

• Fluid accumulation in the lining

If the mesoblog.org” target=”_new mesothelioma cancer spreads to other organs of the body, it can affect their normal functioning and cause painful symptoms. Thus, it is important that mesothelioma cancer is diagnosed on time and proper treatment is given to save the patient’s life.

Laura Russell is a professional Health Writer having expertise in the filed of Mesothelioma Cancer.

Tags: mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma

Related posts

• What is Mesothelioma? (0)
• What is Mesothelioma? (0)
• What is Asbestos and How Does it Cause Disease? (0)
• Types of Mesothelioma Cancer (0)
• Types Of Mesothelioma Asbestos Diseases (0)

Tags: mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma

Unlike other forms of lung cancer, metastatic lung cancer is the result of a cancer from another part of the body spreading to the lungs. When a malignancy develops in the body (most often in the breasts, colon, prostate, or bladder, though almost all cancers have the ability to spread) it can sometimes spread through the blood stream. When these malignancies settle into the pulmonary tissues, such as the alveoli (the final vein-like branches of the respiratory system) and the supporting tissues of the respiratory structures, the cancer has metastasized to the lungs.

Unfortunately, treating metastatic lung cancer presents significant challenges. Since the cancer has spread from another part of the body, treatment not only involves addressing the cancer in the lungs, but also the original cancer and any other areas of the body that may have also become affected. In some cases, if the primary tumor is successfully removed and if the spread of the tumor cells to the pulmonary regions is relatively localized, then the management of the cancer by surgical techniques may do the job. However, if the metastatic lung cancer is extensive, because so many areas of the body may be under the influence of the cancer, certain treatments (such as surgery, and in many cases, radiation therapy as well) may prove ineffective. Which leaves most patients with chemotherapy as the primary treatment of choice.

Chemotherapy often uses a combination of drugs (often referred to as “anti-cancer” drugs) to kill cancer cells, though a single drug may be used as well. While the aim of these drugs is to stop cancerous cells from multiplying, they also can damage healthy cells. This is what creates the side effects that are often associated with chemotherapy, such as the loss of hair, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue. The good news, however, is that the healthy cells will generally repair themselves once the chemotherapy process is over.

Chemotherapy can provide a cure (when the cancer disappears and does not return) or help to control the cancer (to keep it from spreading and perhaps kill cancerous cells that have already spread to other areas of the body, such as is the case in metastasized lung cancer) or relieve the symptoms of the cancer (to provide the patient with a better quality of life, even in the face of a poor prognosis). How it’s used in any particular situation is dependent upon the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer, the prognosis, and the plan as set out by the patient and his or her physician.

In addition, there are complementary and alternative treatments. These can include everything from proper nutrition to pain management, from spiritual approaches to natural herbs and supplements. Of course, such alternative plans will vary much the same as traditional treatments, depending on the location and size of the tumor, the age and general health of the patient, and other factors.

Metastatic lung cancer is certainly more challenging to overcome than other forms of lung cancer because the fight against the cancerous cells is not confined to the lungs. And while a cure is unlikely in most cases, in rare instances (usually when the primary tumor has been removed and the spread of the cancer has been limited), the lung metastases can be removed surgically, with a prognosis of long-term survival.

Please note that the information provided in this article is for information purposes only. It should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of lung cancer or metastatic lung cancer. Such situations should always involve the expertise of a physician or health care provider.

David Silva is the webmaster for

Tags: chemotherapy, lung cancer

Related posts

• Your Lifestyle and Your Risk for Bladder Cancer (0)
• What You Should Know About Breast Cancer (0)
• What Every Woman Should Know About Breast Cancer (0)
• What Causes Brain Cancer? (0)
• Type of Cancer (0)

Tags: chemotherapy, lung cancer

Cancer is a deadly disease that afflicts people of all ages and races. It is a public health problem worldwide. Cancers vary greatly in cause, symptoms, response to treatment, and possibility of cure. Before we move on to discussing about cancer and its causes let us first discuss what cancer really is.

Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these cells to invade other tissues, either by implantation into distant sites by metastasis or by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion.

Cancer is characterized by the unrestrained growth of cells. A process called staging is used by physicians to describe the extent or spread of a cancer. This aids in assessing the prognosis and in determining the most appropriate treatment. One system widely used for many types of cancer classifies cancers into four stages. In this system, stage I is early stage cancer with no involvement of lymph nodes and no spread of the cancer from its original site (metastases) and stage IV is advanced cancer, with both distant metastases and lymph node involvement.

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of cells that may affect almost any tissue of the body. Stomach cancer, Lung and colorectal cancer are among the five most common cancers in the world for both men and women. Among men, lung and stomach cancer are the most common cancers worldwide. For women, the most common cancers are cervical cancer and breast cancer.

The age of peak incidence of cancer in children occurs during the first year of life. Leukemia (usually ALL) is the most common infant malignancy (30%), followed by neuroblastoma and the central nervous system cancers. The remainder consists of lymphomas, Wilms’ tumor, retinoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma (arising from muscle), osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma.
Cancer can also occur in young children and adolescents. Pediatric cancers, especially leukemia, are on an upward trend. Female and male infants have essentially the same overall cancer incidence rates, but white infants have substantially higher cancer rates than black infants for most cancer types.

More than 11 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year although about 77% of all cases are diagnosed at ages 55 and above. In the USA and other developed countries, cancer is presently responsible for about 25% of all deaths. On a yearly basis, 0.5% of the population is diagnosed with cancer. It is estimated that there will be 16 million new cases every year by 2020. Cancer causes 7 million deaths every year—or 12.5% of deaths worldwide.

Cancer is caused by exposure to environmental factors such as tobacco, smoke, radiation, alcohol and certain viruses. While some of these can be avoided, there is no known way to entirely avoid the disease.

Cancer is largely preventable. It can be prevented by providing healthy food, by stopping smoking and avoiding the exposure to carcinogens. The chance of cure increases substantially if cancer is detected early. Some of the most frequent cancer types are curable by surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Jeffrey Meier of Jam727 Enterprises at Jam727.com Jam727.com offers information about health and other interesting topics.

Tags: breast cancer, cervical cancer, chemotherapy, colorectal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma

Related posts

• Understanding The Other Sides Of Cancer (0)
• Type of Cancer (0)
• Cancer Lies Impoverish You Before You Die (part 2) (0)
• Cancer - Treatment strategy (0)
• An Introduction To Lymphoma (0)

Tags: breast cancer, cervical cancer, chemotherapy, colorectal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma