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

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. It’s estimated that approximately 234,460 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and approximately 27,350 will die of the disease.

Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages and is the most common cause of death from cancer in men over 75 years old.

Some men will experience symptoms that might indicate the presence of prostate cancer. One symptom is a need to urinate frequently, especially at night. If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. Weak or interrupted flow of urine and painful or burning urination can be symptoms to watch out for. Other symptoms might include unintentional weight loss and lethargy. One cancer symptom is difficulty starting urination or holding back urine.

A PSA test with a high level can also be from a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. When a digital rectal exam is performed it often reveals an enlarged prostate with a hard, irregular surface. A bone scan can indicate whether the cancer has spread or not.

Another test usually used when symptoms are present is the digital rectal exam (DRE) performed by the doctor. A number of tests may be done to confirm the diagnosis. There is a newer test called AMACR that is more sensitive than the PSA test for determining the presence of prostate cancer.

Medications can have many side effects, including hot flashes and loss of sexual desire. Chemotherapy medications are often used to treat prostate cancers that are resistant to hormonal treatments. Radiation therapy is used primarily to treat prostate cancers classified as stages A, B, or C.

Side effects of chemotherapy drugs depend on which ones you’re taking and how often and how long they’re taken. Surgery is usually only recommended after thorough evaluation and discussion of all available treatment options. 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.

Impotence is a potential complication after the prostatectomy or after radiation therapy. An oncology specialist will usually recommend treating with a single drug or a combination of drugs. Treatment options can vary based on the stage of the tumor.

Other medications used for hormonal therapy, with side effects, include androgen-blocking agents, which prevent testosterone from attaching to prostate cells. The conventional treatment of prostate cancer is often controversial. Thoroughly discuss your treatment options and concerns with your doctor and other health professionals; it never hurts to get a second or even third opinion or more if necessary.

Radiation therapy to the prostate gland is either external or internal, both of which use high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Since prostate tumors require testosterone to grow, reducing the testosterone level is used to prevent further growth and spread of the cancer.

Because it’s a slow-growing disease, many men with this disease will die from other causes before they die from prostate cancer. In the end, only you with the help of your doctors, knowing your individual situation, can determine the best treatment program for you. Once diagnosed you may be want to join a support group whose members share their experiences and problems.

For more information on BestProstateHealthTips.com prostate cancer treatments and prostate cancer symptoms go to BestProstateHealthtips.com BestProstateHealthtips.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in prostate and prostate cancer tips, advice and resources, including information on prostate tests and BestProstateHealthTips.com natural prostate cancer treatments

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The baby boomer population bubble has now reached 60 years old. This means that many of us are going to need to face illness and diseases that come with surviving six decades. Prostate cancer is one such disease that is expected to grow in number over the next few decades.

Statistically 180,000 new prostate cancer cases are being diagnosed in the United States every year with about 32,000 men dying from this disease annually. Although these are the statistics that are used, the fact is that many of these men will will die and not from the actual prostate cancer, but from allowing the cancerous condition to grow until it is unmanageable. This is due to the fact that prostate cancer can metastasize or move from the prostate area and infect organs, bones and lymph nodes.

This should cause every man to pause and realize that prostate cancer is a serious disease that if given the chance will kill you. It is now the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States after lung cancer. In Canada about 17,000 males are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and about 4,200 die each year from the disease.

The sad fact is that many of these deaths are avoidable. As with many cancerous diseases, early detection is the key to effective treatment and even cure. Prostate cancer is diagnosed based upon how advanced the malignant tumor has grown. In the early stages, we have maximum flexibility in treatment options and can both manage and in many times cure this potentially deadly disease.

Diagnosis usually start with a medical history as studies have shown that heredity may be a factor with prostate cancer. Next, a DRE or digital rectal exam is done. This is a quick and simple exam where the doctor feels your prostate for any abnormal bumps, size difference or texture. In addition to a DRE, the doctor may suggest a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood Test. This blood test looks for abnormal markers that may indicate the presence of a developing cancerous situation.

There’s growing evidence to suggest that a diet very rich in vitamins and nutrients can also help maintain our body’s ability to ward off many serious diseases. Although the definitely not a cure for prostate cancer, the use of natural remedies to strengthen your body’s immune system can only help to keep you healthy. There’s no question that a low-fat diet along with appropriate vitamins and minerals can help keep you healthier and make you better able to fight off disease.

Several studies have suggested that men who had a diet rich in selenium and vitamin E. had fewer cases of prostate cancer. The kinds of foods that contain selenium include meat, grains, seafood, and some kinds of nuts. It’s critical that you meet with your doctor before making any radical changes to your diet as other problems may arise. There’s also some evidence to suggest that the nutrient lycopene found in tomato based products such as ketchup can provide some protection against contracting prostate cancer.

According to a study in the British Journal of Urology International, men that have been diagnosed with prostate cancer who take supplemental lycopene (is found in very high amounts in tomatoes) and still get their testicles surgically removed are likely to experience less bone pain, less disease and stand more chances of living longer than those who have only had surgical removal of their testicles.

In the end, a partnership with your medical doctor is the best way to remain healthier longer. By taking some responsibility for your health, changes in your lifestyle are much easier to make.

Abigail Franks writes on a variety of subjects which include family, health, and home. For more info on Living with prostate cancer visit the sites at prostate-cancer-treatment-expert.com/more_articles/prostate-cancer-support.php prostate-cancer-treatment-expert.com/more_articles/prostate-cancer-support.php and prostate-cancer-treatment-expert.com prostate-cancer-treatment-expert.com

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Six years ago, my husband Devin was diagnosed with Acute Lymphacytic Leukemia. In the midst of Devin riding the roller coaster of relapse and remission, I began to write. I had no other outlet for what I was feeling at the time, nor did I have the energy to seek one. Three years later, Devin succumbed to the disease though we were the ones who were supposed to “make it.”

To begin with, we had the love and support so often associated with success in cancer diagnoses. When Devin was first diagnosed, we were living in Oregon, 2000 miles away from our home state of Ohio. Devin’s parents had recently retired and lived in Oregon only three hours away. My parents too were retired and spent weeks at a time with us, just to be near. Socially, Devin was well-liked, strong, healthy and generous with his time and energy.

Second, Devin and I had been astute enough, and financially successful enough, to invest our salaries and bonus monies in life insurance policies and other long-term strategies. Eventually, due to his rank within the company and his past earnings, the disability checks we received during Devin’s treatments allowed us to balance our checkbook.

Alongside those first two aspects, we had a reason to get up in the morning and his name was Davis. Despite his premature birth, Davis had turned out healthy and became our inspiration for everyday living.

Next, Devin was being treated under the watchful eye of Dr. Keith Lanier in Portland. Later, after moving back to Cincinnati due to a job consolidation, Devin had been referred to the practice of Dr. Philip Leming. When the insurance company considered dropping this physician’s group from their coverage, Dr. Leming wrote a persuasive note to convince the company otherwise.

In conjunction with the above, Devin had access to stellar insurance coverage. When we did embark on a bone marrow/stem cell transplant, we were presented with the option for Devin to undergo this process in the Pacific Northwest at a “blue chip” facility - Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. As Dr Leming put it at time, “That’s what they do, and they do it well.”

Finally, we had attitude. Devin maintained a positive outlook on life, this disease, and how this could help make him a stronger person – I quote from his diary - “God has a plan for me in all of this – and each day (it’s only been 5!) I learn more about what the plan might entail.”

Outside of the disease itself, the above are crucial factors in the successful treatment of a cancer patient. But there are instances when insurance, caregivers, money, love, and medical care simply do not matter. Ours was that instance. The only thing that would have mattered at the time was a cure.

It took six years of writing a book, illbeinthecar.com I’ll Be in the Car, to accept the fact that we had all the means for success and in the end, it did not matter. I’ll Be in the Car is the story about Devin and me. But more so, about how our lives were impacted. I wanted others to witness that we fought over money, in-laws, child-rearing and lawn-mowing, in the midst of fighting leukemia. I wanted others to know even during Devin’s down days, we held bridal showers, went on vacation, and watched movies and read Tuesdays with Morrie, before the notion of Devin dying had even crossed our minds.

Two weeks after Devin died Davis and I began our journey of fundraising for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by attending our first Light the Night Walk, surrounded by more than fifty family members, friends and neighbors who were still in shock and needing to grieve. Over the years, we continued our participation, walking with friends, sisters and brothers and finally just Davis and me.

Two months ago, I married a wonderful man whose first wife also died of cancer. He brought three motherless daughters into our marriage. The other night as a family, we had been out spooking the neighborhood, leaving tricks and treats and laughing all the way home. Later, while putting my son to bed, I saw that he had been crying. “Davis what’s the matter?” I asked. And he just burst out, “I didn’t get to say goodbye to Dad.”

This is six years later. And that one moment sends me backwards in time, wishing there had been a cure. If we cannot have a cure, if we cannot raise millions of dollars, then we must raise eyebrows while finding other means of comforting those affected. We must tell the story of little boys who still miss their dads, of young women who still grieve for a mom I can never replace. We must talk about mothers and fathers who still yearn to see their son walk through the door at Christmastime. And we must be the voice for friends and lovers, husbands and wives whose light we carry inside.

Annette Januzzi Wick is author of I’ll Be in the Car: One Woman’s Story of Love, Loss and Reclaiming Life, available from ThreeArchPress.com ThreeArchPress.com or nationwide. She speaks passionately about comforting the bereaved and finding a cure through cancer organizations such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, book clubs, church groups and Women Writing for (a) Change. She lives with her newly blended family in Cincinnati, OH.

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Pain control is a common issue when you are dealing with cancer patients. Most of the time the pain is caused from a tumor, but there is the chance pain begins somewhere other than the cancer itself. Surviving cancer and the treatments needed beat cancer can be extremely difficult, especially when excruciating pain accompanies the situation. Finding a way to manage the pain of cancer can help an individual persevere through the ordeal.

Pain can be acute or chronic. Acute pain is severe, but short-lived and chronic is pain that lasts for longer periods of time, and can range from mild to severe. Sometimes patients will experience breakthrough pain, which is pain that breaks through medications prescribed to the patient.

According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s (NCCN) August 2005 pain prevention report, one-third of cancer patients experience pain with their treatments. The NCCN also reports that nearly two-thirds of patients with recurring cancer or advanced stages of cancer experience pain.

Pain control is possible, even for those suffering from cancer, and it can give a patient a better quality of life. Pain in cancer patients is most often a result of the cancer itself, but sometimes it can result from a specific treatment, such as radiation therapy.

Pain can be relieved through several ways. For example, pain control can be through medications, relaxation methods, acupuncture or mental therapy sessions. Each patient is unique and pain can be evaluated through a cancer team made up of specialists such as an oncologist, anesthesiologist, pain specialists and your physician.

It is important for you to discuss any pain you experience with your doctor or medical professional so they can figure out what methods would work best for you. The earlier pain is ministered to, the easier it will be to handle it during your cancer treatments.

If you experience pain that is unrelated to your cancer diagnosis, it is important to find the best method to stop the pain before beginning your treatment. For example, arthritis pain prevention can be found through physical therapy sessions, water therapy or oral medications.

If a patient suffers from cancer in the spinal cord, he or she may need to learn about back and neck pain control. This type of pain occurs because the cancer causes the spinal cord to compress, causing sharp pains in the back and neck regions.

Pain control means finding a way for you to live a functional life, especially when you are trying to battle cancer. There are several methods used today to help alleviate pain in patients. The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) web site discusses medicines used to alleviate pain, such as antidepressants, morphine or over-the-counter pain relievers.

The NCI also mention certain treatments that don’t involve medications. These methods use massages, acupuncture treatments, rhythmic breathing and biofeedback to find a solution for a patient’s pain. All of these treatments can assist with treating swelling or severe aches often associated with cancer.

Every individual is different, and their bodies are going to react differently to medication and therapy. You should always inform your doctor of recurring pain so he or she can give you advice given on finding a pain-relieving treatment that fits your particular situation.

Your doctor can find a means to administer pain control when you are taking treatments for cancer. All that is needed is some basic information from you about where the pain is and how long it lasts. Fighting cancer does not have to be a never ending uphill battle. Instead, it can be made a more manageable experience thanks to proper medications and therapies administered by a physician.

Andi Michaels has worked in healthcare and now runs health related websites on topics including notesoncancer.info treating cancer as well as sites on mesothelioma-knowledge.info lung diseases

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