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The Best Prostate Cancer Treatment Alternatives |
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by:George Anderson |
Prostate cancer is a very common problem with
men over the age of 80 and it starts becoming frequent with men over
50. By the time they are 80, almost half will have some form of
prostate cancer which is not noticeable. Even though it is dangerous,
just like any other cancer type, prostate cancer is very seldom the
cause of death for the men who have it. Although this is such a common
illness, doctors are still uncertain of the precise causes for prostate
cancer. Ethnicity is one of the factors that offers some
differentiation, with black men the highest risk and Asian men the
lowest.
Curing prostate cancer is possible, but the condition has to be
detected in the early stages. Many men do not even seek medical advice
when the symptoms are present, partly because they are very similar to
those of another disease: BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy. Most men
will experience difficulties while urinating, noticing a weak or
intermittent flow of urine. Other symptoms include urgent needs to
urinate or the need to wake up several times a night to do this. Some
patients also observe a dribbling of urine after and even before
urinating.
There is no universal treatment that will work the same in individual
cases. Doctors have to determine several decisive factors, such as
general health condition, age, location of the tumor in the prostate,
size of the tumor. The number one option for treatment is surgery.
However, the main operation, known as radial prostatectomy, is
extremely tiring to the body, so the patient has to be in good
condition. Most surgery patients are men between 50 and 70 years of age
who do not seem to have extensive cancer damage. There are some side
effects involved with this procedure, mostly related to erectile
dysfunctions and minor urination problems. However, modern techniques
greatly reduce the side effects and the success of surgery is high.
Choosing a hormone therapy is another option. This treatment does not
kill the cancer cells but it reduces the size of the prostate tumor of
the majority of patients. Most doctors recommend this treatment
together with surgery for best effects. Cancer growth is stimulated by
testosterone, the male sexual hormone, and hormone therapies reduce its
level. By reducing testosterone levels, the prostate becomes less
subjected to cancer cell growth. Based on patient medical history and
overall health level, doctors may or may not choose to prescribe
hormone therapy.
Sometimes, the doctor might suggest an alternative treatment to
surgery. Radiotherapy can work by destroying cancer cells through
radiation. The method is painless and involves only out-body
procedures. However, some side effects like diarrhea and impotence have
been noticed. Brachytherapy is the other. It involves the implantation
of radioactive elements in the prostate, which are inserted with the
patient under anesthesia. In time, the radioactive elements loose their
properties, but they also help diminish cancer cell growth.
About the author:
George Anderson is very interested in prostate cancer and the variety
of treatments available. See his website at http://www.onlyprostatecancer.com
Circulated by Article Emporium
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