Cancer Care
Appropriate Prostate Cancer Treatment in Men Over 80
Nov 26th
I read recently what one doctor said recently that prostate cancer in men over 80 years old should not be a serious issue like in men under 40 years old. This makes sense and given what we know about prostate cancer being a slow-growing malignancy. If you have read about prostate cancer at all, you must be aware that there are certain stages, or levels of seriousness, that are apparent as the disease develops.
People who panic about prostate cancer might be inclined toward aggressive treatment for a man over 80. Aggressive treatment has side effects that may dramatically alter the quality of life of that special senior citizen. Unlike a man under 40, who is much more able to tolerate an aggressive treatment regimen if deemed appropriate.
Some make the mistake and assumed that someone over 80 that has prostate cancer only needs to have the disease managed as the patient probably doesn’t have that many more years, anyway. Although I’m certain some medical doctors think this way, many are more interested in providing a higher quality of life to the elderly.
In the case of a cancerous tumor, the treatment will be based on the desires of the patient, treatment options in the stage at which the cancer has progressed. These are important considerations when determining the appropriate level of treatment, no matter if the man is under 40 are well over 80.
Many men who contract prostate cancer early in life typically have a hereditary factors involved. This means that there may have been men in his close family like his father, brothers or uncles who have had prostate carcinoma. This may suggest to many medical professionals, that the patient needs continued monitoring and potentially aggressive treatment as he has apparently predisposed to this type of malignancy.
A men who has reached the age of 80, has survived what life has thrown his way both medically and physically. A level of frailty becomes a consideration in determining the appropriate level of treatment that should be considered.
Several stages of prostate cancer, offer a treatment option known as” watchful waiting.” As we know, this type of carcinoma is slow-growing, an appropriate level of care may be simply keeping an eye on the cancerous growth to minimize the risk of it metastasizing were spreading to other parts of the body.
So the option of carefully watching may provide the best option for senior men. It allows them to maintain their current quality of life while also protecting their future existence from malignant cancer running through their body. No matter what your age, it’s important to talk to your doctor about treatment options if diagnosed with prostate cancer
Abigail Franks writes on a variety of subjects about family, health, and home. Go look on her site for information on Prostate Cancer Treatments and general info onProstate Cancer
What You Should Know About Prostate Cancer
Nov 26th
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the U.S. Men younger than 40 are rarely ever diagnosed with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is deadly but can be cured if it’s caught early enough. In most men, prostate cancer grows very slowly: most men will never know they have it.
The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man’s reproductive system; it wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. The prostate gland is located directly beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum.
There may be other symptoms not mentioned here. Other symptoms might include unintentional weight loss and lethargy. There are several symptoms to be aware of.
Weak or interrupted flow of urine and painful or burning urination can be symptoms to watch out for. If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is the inability to urinate at all.
A chest x-ray may be done to see if there’s a spread of cancer. One downside to PSA testing is that health care providers are detecting and treating some very early-stage prostate cancers that may never have caused the patient any harm. Another test usually used when prostate cancer symptoms are present is the digital rectal exam (DRE) performed by the doctor.
A PSA test with a high level can also be from a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures the PSA enzyme in your blood for abnormalities. A urinalysis may indicate if there is blood in the urine.
The approaches to treatment include: ever watchful waiting to see whether the cancer is growing slowly and not causing any symptoms. In the early stages, surgery and radiation may be used to remove or attempt to kill the cancer cells or shrink the tumor. Hormone manipulation is mainly used as a treatment to relieve symptoms in men whose cancer has spread.
Treatment options can vary based on the stage of the tumor. What you can do now is begin to understand what exactly your treatment options are and where you’re going to begin. Chemotherapy medications are often used to treat prostate cancers that are resistant to hormonal treatments.
Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy can interfere with libido on a temporary or permanent basis. Be aware that some men chose natural treatment options and forgo any surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. Medicines can be used to adjust the levels of testosterone; called hormonal manipulation.
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. Many men simply want the best treatment they can get but what’s important is picking the best treatment for you. In patients whose health makes the risk of surgery unacceptably high, radiation therapy is often the chosen conventional alternative.
Radiation therapy is used primarily to treat prostate cancers classified as stages A, B, or C. If chemotherapy is decided upon, after the first round of chemotherapy, most men receive further doses on an outpatient basis at a clinic or physician’s office. Being treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy is something to think through carefully and know that you have the option to refuse them.
If you’ve already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, pick the option that’s best suited to you and your continuing good health. As new research comes out you can adjust your treatment options accordingly. Just about all men with prostate cancer survive at least five years after their diagnosis, 93% survive at least 10 years, and 67% survive more than 15 years.
For more information on prostate cancer treatments and prostate cancer symptoms go to http://www.BestProstateHealthTips.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in prostate and prostate cancer tips, advice and resources, including information on prostate tests and natural prostate cancer treatments
Could Exercise Really Help To Protect Against Skin Cancer?
Nov 26th
The benefits of exercise to the skin have become more and more apparent over the past couple of years. It has been established that exercise provides great benefits in ways there were not ever thought of. When combined with a healthy diet, regular exercise can dramatically help to produce healthy, glowing skin.
However, not only can exercise help with a glowing complexion, it has also been proven to dramatically cut the risk of skin cancer. With skin cancer being such a massive threat these days, anything that can seriously cut the risk of developing it is definitely a positive thing!
Exercise and Skin Cancer:
The tests that were done to prove the link between exercise and skin cancer, were carried out on mice. It was shown that mice who had exercise wheels, and who were exposed to ultra violet light, had a reduced chance of developing tumours than those who did not have a wheel. This does not mean that they did not develop the cancer; it just took longer exposure for them to actually get it.
It is thought that the results are the same with humans, only obviously we wear sunscreen to protect ourselves so we have even less risk of developing the cancer if we exercise and protect ourselves. It is thought that the less fat we have in our body, the less chance we have of developing the cancer.
Although the tests have shown that the mice fought off the cancer for longer, scientists have yet to discover what it is exactly that helps fight it. It seems that the mice were able to destroy the skin cells which had been damaged by the sun’s UV rays once they had undertaken regular exercise, and now the challenge the scientists face, is finding out exactly what it is that helps fight the effects of the rays.
It is obviously better for the body all around if you keep it fit and healthy. Being overweight can really put a real strain on the body, and you are generally more likely to be unhealthy if you are overweight, than if you were the right weight for your height. This means that if we exercise and control our weight, our bodies will be healthier and they will help us to fight off more illnesses, such as skin cancer, than we could if we were overweight.
So there are serious links with exercise and the reduction of skin cancer, but what is the best exercise to participate in?
The Best Types of Exercise:
Generally any exercise is good, but there are some that are better than others. Walking may be considered to be one of the best methods of exercise as it is the easiest to do, but some experts argue that walking is just not enough to provide the best results. However, if you power walk then you are going to achieve better results than slow walking!
Anything that gets the heart rate going and that makes you sweat is definitely the best type of exercise that you can do. Never try and do too much however, you should only go at a pace which you can handle and which is right for you, otherwise you could end up doing more harm than good.
So, whether you want to do jogging, horse riding, swimming or aerobics, as long as it gets your heart rate going, it is doing you some good. Aim to do at least thirty minutes each day, that way you will get the best possible results for you. You should notice that your skin starts to look a little clearer and that you feel more energized after around a week.
Overall, any exercise you choose to do will benefit the skin and help you to fight off skin cancer cells. Keeping yourself fit and healthy has never been as easy as it is today so there really is no excuse!
Keep yourself looking great with these skin care tips from http://www.NaturalElements.co.uk You can now get the very latest information on
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