Worldwide there are several medical problems that are peculiar to women and peculiar to women. If your considering cancer let’s say, then for women it is breast cancer. However, although it is rare, men can also contract breast cancer.

When we consider cancer in men it invariably brings up prostrate cancer. Unfortunately it has also become a central topic when groups of men get together as more and more men are contracting it.

If we are honest, it’s the cure we are interested in and preferably how to prevent it but this requires a good deal of research.

If the truth be known, cancer does worry me. I don’t doubt that like me, most men haven’t got it on their minds all day long. However, it does enter my mind every time I see something addressing the illness. When you watch the television, you can’t escape from it with a number of adverts relating to prostrate and breast cancer every hour.

Both will require far more investigation and examination before a cure can be found. As health problems go, cancer is probably the most pervasive in the world and a cure to this dreadful disease cannot come too soon.

It’s fair to say that even if you live healthily you cannot say for certain that at some point you won’t get it. HIV although an awful disease, is, if precautions are taken, preventable unlike cancer and it is worrying when people compare the two.

Most other illnesses can be prevented and I am always annoyed when people bring up HIV. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want HIV but at least I know exactly how to avoid contracting it.

It’s interesting to read current articles concerning cancer and other health afflictions. What other way is there to keep up to date on possible treatments for prostrate and breast cancer?

I’m sure all this prostrate cancer research will finally find a cure and will all have been worth it.

INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer is cancer of the small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces seminal fluid, the fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. It is also the second most common type of cancer among men in this country and is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages.

Prostate cancer typically occurs in older men and is seldom found in men under the age of 40. It occurs in 1 out of 6 men and when confined to the gland is usually treated successfully.

RISK: Every man is at risk for developing prostate cancer. Along with being male, there are other risk factors, such as age, race, and family history that may contribute to the overall risk. Men at greater risk include African-America men over 60,farmers, tire plant workers, painters, and men exposed to cadmium. The risk for developing it rises significantly with age, and 60 percent of recently diagnosed cases occur in men over the age of 70.

The greatest risk factor is age. This risk increases significantly after the age of 50 in white males who have no known family history of the disease and after the age of 40 in african american men as well as those who have a close relative with the disease. Having a brother with prostate cancer seems to increase your risk more than an affected father does. That risk becomes higher when there are multiple family members affected.

SYMPTOMS: May include Problems passing urine, such as pain, difficulty starting or stopping the stream, or dribbling, Low back pain, Pain with ejaculation. Many men experience no symptoms; the first indication that they may have the disease is often an abnormal finding on a routine screening exam. Symptoms are more likely to appear as the cancer grows.

TREATMENT: May include surgery, radiation therapy, drugs or control of hormones that affect the cancer. It often depends on the stage of the cancer and appropriate treatment is often very controversial.

Surgery is usually only recommended after thorough evaluation and discussion of available treatment options. Chemotherapy is often used to treat prostate cancers that are resistant to hormonal treatments. A radical prostatectomy is often recommended for treatment of stages A and B.

CONCLUSION: Prostate cancer is the 3rd most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages and is the most common cause of death from cancer in men past 75 years of age. Frequently there are no symptoms in its early stages. If it has spread, it may be treated with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the gland, or chemotherapy.

The exact cause for prostate cancer is unknown but there are several risk factors which can be observed. Some of these factors are a high fat diet or heritage of example.

Having a screening examination at fixed intervals is important to detect prostate cancer early. Looking for symptoms yourself is not enough because you can not detect the cancer early enough. Once you have prostate cancer symptoms already, it is (too) late already.

After the cancer has broken out already, you could have symptoms like weak or interrupted urine flow, blood in the urine or a pain in the back, thighs or hips. There could also be a burning sensation.

It could be a matter of life or dead to detect the cancer as early as possible. The earlier the treatment starts the greater the chances of survival. Prostate cancer can be cured but only when it hasn’t spread too much already.

Part of the diagnosis is a rectal examination by your doctor. He puts his finger in your rectum to find anything strange with your prostate gland. If he finds something then a blood test will be the next step. The doctor will want to check for PSA, a prostate specific antigen in the blood stream. If the concentration of PSA is very high, it is a strong sign of cancer.

Another test is the transrectal ultrasound which shows a pretty accurate picture of the prostate gland. This painless procedure can detect tumors within twenty minutes.

If the tests above are positive in any form, a prostate biopsy is necessary to confirm the results. A small piece of the tissue is removed by using a needle. If there are any cancer cells then they will show up under the microscope. The biopsy is still the most accurate way to diagnose prostate cancer. It goes quickly and doesn’t hurt too much.

If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body can be checked by x-ray, computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. It would be a bad sign if the cancer has reached the lungs already.

Once prostate cancer is diagnosed the treatment must start immediately. There are several different treatment options but still the surgery is the most effective way to totally remove the cancer. The treatment will need a team of doctors, an urologist, a surgeon and an oncologist. The surgery is not without risks and side effects so that some prefer alternative ways.

If treatment has started early enough then the prognosis is good. It is possible that the cancer could be completely removed. Statistics say that after five years more than 95% of men are still alive. The prognosis goes down significantly below 30% survival rate if the cancer was detected late.

There are plenty of things to worry about in the world today but of all the things to worry about the most important is your health and your prostate gland is something to be aware of and the more you understand about it the better placed you are to avoid potentially life threatening problems with it.

It never ceases to surprise me that so few male collegues know anything about their prostate. Some would say that the prostate and prostate cancer are the male equivelent of breast cancer for women and women are generally very aware about that. Yet, for some reason men seem blissfully unaware of proste cancer and other prostate problems.

For some reason men do not seem to discus medical matters in the same way that women do. Why that is, is difficult to understand since discussion of just this one subject of the prostate gland would no doubt save lives by making men more aware of potential prostate health problems.

Ignorance of the subject leaves men open to late diagnosis of prostate health problems which can mean the effects are more serious. A greater awareness of some of the symptoms of prostate problems would mean more men visiting their doctors and discussing the subject.

The prostate does not generally present a great problem in men until they reach their fifties and the risks increase as they get older. The most common problem associated with the this is enlargement of the prostate gland. This occurs as part of the aging process but can become excessive in some men.

Prostate cancer is surprisingly common and men in the US face a 1 in 6 chance of developing prostate cancer in their lifetimes. This is not as bleak as it may first appear since survival rates are quite high but it does demonstrate that we should be more aware and hope to get an early diagnosis.

An early diagnosis and treatment can mean the treatment is 99% effective and because of this difference that an early diagnosis can make you should consult with your doctor and ask about regular checkups and examinations and why not mention the subject with your male friends. You might help save their life.