Provided you get diagnosed early and treated promptly, your golf ball, that is your Prostate, should not be the cause of your death.
The prostate is a walnut sized gland which the surrounds the urethra (though which we urinate). Prostate fluid is added to semen.
An enlarged prostate pinches the urethra and obstructs urine flow.
1. Be a woman. 2. Don't smoke: You're less likely to get prostate cancer and you're less likely to become impotent after radiotherapy. 3. Eat three servings of beta carotine containing vegetables a day such as green and yellow veggies including brocoli and cabbage. Beta-carotene supplements will help if you are anti veggie, ie if your beta-carotene levels are low. 4. Exercise: According to the Archives of Internal medicine, running 1.5 to 2 hours per week can help prevent prostate problems. 5. The American Cancer Society recommends annual prostate screening at age 45 for some, and at 50 for all men. Get a rectal exam and a PSA test.
Arnold Palmer, Sidney Poitier, Marv Levy, Norman Schwartzkopf and Bob Dole came through prostate cancer. Rudolph Giuliani was recently diagnosed. Michael Milken is leading one facet of the search for prostate treatments. But about 40,000 men a year will die from the effects of prostate cancer.
The prostate specific antigen (PSA) in our blood rises at a predictable rate as we age. By monitoring your PSA level, your doctor has a valuable tool in detecting prostate cancer and its secondaries (the ones which are most likely to kill you). Your PSA can suggest the presence of prostate cancer 5 years earlier than a digital exam. Treatment can begin before other glands are involved.
1. Surgery 2. external radiation 3. radioactive seed implantation 4. cryosurgery 5. hormone therapy 6. monitoring the tumor...watchful waiting to see if treatment is required
The rational for number six is that there are complications or drawbacks from all the other five.
There is nothing radical about taking the entire prostate out in order to rid yourself of cancer.Prostatectomyt is best for under 60s in good health who have a long life expectancy (a healthy lifestyle). The success rate is high, but the side effects are many, especially for older men following an unhealthy lifetyle.
1. Impotence is often the worst fear, and is well founded. If you functioned well pre-surgery, and you use an experienced surgeon, 86 % of under 50 year olds will retain sexual function. Over 70 years old and 40-60 percent will have erection problems 18 months post surgery. Eight percent will have bladder control problems.
2. Surgical risks include pneumonea and pulmonary embolism...secondary to physical inactivity after the surgery. Movement with early and frequent ambulation and deep breathing exercises decrease the risk.
3. Excessive bleeding is quite rare. Ditto complications from anesthesia.
4. Concurrent diseases affect your survival rate. Bad heart, lungs or poor fitness increase your risk. Regular exercisors who are not overweight and do not smoke have the lowest risk of complications.
Though it has no relationship to prostate cancer:
Affects mainly 30-50 year olds. Signs include: Constant burning feeling frequent urge to urinate pelvic muscle spasms flu like fever and chills tenderness when sitting
Treatments include antibiotics.
Frequent urge to urinate nocturia (night-time bathroom visits) urgency difficult start to urination and dribbling at the end, are its joyful symptoms
Treatments include drugs and widening the hole for the urethra. TURP or trans urethral resection of the prastate is the rotarooter of choice to maintain effective voiding habits. It is a less drastic surgery than a prostatectomy, with fewer complications.