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Prostate Cancer Information |
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Wednesday, 02 May 2007 |
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Prostate cancer is a result of the cells of the prostate beginning to grow uncontrollably. There is good news, however. When prostate cancer is caught and treated early, there is over a 90% cure rate. When a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer he has difficult decisions to make concerning treatment of the disease. His decisions will not only affect him, but his entire family for many years to come.
More than 200,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year in the U.S. alone. There are new and effective treatments and ongoing research will hopefully come up with more ways to treat prostate cancer. The treatments for prostate cancer are a very personal, private decision for each individual patient. The treatment options are:
* Prostatectomy (surgery) – This procedure removes all or part of the prostate. Radical retropubic prostatectomy is performed by the surgeon making an incision in the abdomen and cutting out the prostate from behind the pubic bone. After the prostate is removed, the urethra is stitched directly to the bladder to allow urine flow.
* Radiation therapy
* Hormone therapy
* Nutritional therapy (in conjunction with other therapy) There are six categories of side effects that are associated with prostate cancer treatment. Urinary dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, loss of fertility, effects due to the loss of testosterone, and side effects of chemotherapy. If these or other side effect symptoms become severe contact your physician. It is important for men with prostate cancer to eat well and stay as active as they can. They need the proper amount of calories to maintain a normal weight and enough protein to keep up their strength. Eating well will go a long way to help the patient feel better and have more energy. Exercising may reduce pain and will relieve stress. More information can be found on www.prostatecancerfoundation.org. |
