Common Forms Of Prostate Cancer Treatment Prescribed (Feb 2007)

Common Forms Of Prostate Cancer Treatment Prescribed (Feb 2007)
By Adrian Jones

When a patient is first diagnosed with prostate cancer and has had all the relevant tests to check the extent of the disease he will normally have an appointment with his doctor to discuss what is best. Prostate cancer treatment will depend on the extent of the cancer and on the intent of the treatment. For example early prostate cancers will be treated with surgery, radiotherapy or watchful waiting. Prostate cancer surgery is a definite possibility for many men in the early stages of the disease and so the subject should be discussed with the doctor. Late prostate cancers will be treated with hormone therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a mixture of all 3. Often patients will be given a choice of treatments by the doctor and the pros and cons of each option explained. There is no best cancer of prostate treatment because the treatment you receive will depend on the extent of your cancer.

PROSTATE CANCER RADIOTHERAPY (COMMONLY CALLED PROSTATE CANCER RADIATION TREATMENT)

Many men undergo radiotherapy as it is often regarded as the best prostate cancer treatment. This may be with the aim to cure the cancer or to shrink and control it depending on the stage. Often hormone treatment is given prior to radiation treatment to help reduce the size of the cancer and improve the rate of cure. Small cancers dont need this hormone pre-treatment.

TYPES OF PROSTATE CANCER RADIOTHERAPY

Radiotherapy is the treatment for cancer of the prostate with radiation. This is most often as X-rays which pass through the body and kill the cancer cells in its path known as external beam radiotherapy. The alternative way to treat the prostate is from within the body using small radioactive sources known as brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is only suitable for a small proportion of men with early prostate cancer and with a suitable sized prostate gland. It has the advantage of slightly fewer side effects during the treatment but would not be so effective at curing more bulky prostate cancers.

EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER

The majority of men with cancer of the prostate will have this type of radiation treatment. It is given by a machine called a Linear Accelerator. This makes high energy X-rays which are good at killing cancer cells. Linear accelerators are worked by radiographers who will also help you get into the right position for your treatment and give you advice during your treatment.

For the treatment the patient has to lie on a thin couch, rather like those used in the CT or MRI scanners. The machine then moves around the patient to deliver X-rays from several different angles, all pointing towards the prostate gland. Each treatment takes approximately 10 minutes to give, and the full dose of treatment is spread out to be given every day over a few weeks. This helps to give a big enough dose to the prostate to kill the cancer whilst reducing the side effects of treatment.

To make sure you are in the correct position and the prostate is being treated properly either an X-ray picture or more usually an extra CT scan will be taken before treatment starts to locate the prostate gland accurately. At this time you will also be given several tattoos (tiny dots on the skin) so that when you lie on the couch for each treatment the radiographers can make sure you are lined up properly. This helps to make sure the prostate gland is treated fully and to reduce side effects.

Patients are not able to feel X-rays or even be aware that the treatment machine is on. However as patients go through the weeks of treatment there are a number of common side effects that can be expected. Most of these are short term side effects which slowly build up through the treatment, are worst at or just after the end of treatment and then improve quite quickly (within a few weeks). There are also some long-term or late side effects which can occur.

Adrian Jones writes on several forms of cancer. Further information is available on his website dealing with prostate cancer treatments. You may reprint this if you include this credit.

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Cancer and Green Tea Sorting Through The Evidence

Cancer and Green Tea - Sorting Through The Evidence
By Jon Stout

By now most of us have heard that green tea may have tremendous potential in terms of helping us win the war against cancer. There have been many studies that have shown that green tea has been shown to prevent the development of cancer when it is a significant part of your diet. In addition, there have even been studies that have shown that green tea may even have potential for treating cancer.

But, then occasionally youll find a study that makes it sound as though green tea may actually have some negative effects on our health. So, it can be easy to get confused as to whether we really should be adding green tea to our diets for health benefits or not.

Here are a few things that are known for sure.

Anti-oxidants are good for us. They combat the free radicals that are created in our bodies as we process food. When our diet is low in anti-oxidants the free radicals damage our cells and our DNA. Over time this leads to aging and disease.

Tea contains EGCG and polyphenols. These are two of the most potent forms of anti-oxidants, making tea, particularly green tea, because of its lack of fermentation, rich in the substance that protect us from aging and disease.

There are no known side effects to drinking green tea. Green tea is lower in caffeine that coffee or black tea, so its a good beverage choice for those who must watch their intake of caffeine. And, its completely natural. A simple cup of tea will have no additives, preservatives or processed substances.

Asian cultures drink a large amount of green tea and have a significantly lower than incidence of cancer, heart disease and stroke. Of course, there may be other factors in the Asian lifestyle that affect their lower incidence of disease. However, there are some statistics that are startling. For instance, nearly 75% of all Japanese men smoke, yet their risk of lung cancer and heart disease is significantly lower than that of American men.

Its true that we still need additional research on humans to gain more conclusive evidence about green tea and its potential in preventing or treating cancer.

Many of the studies that have been conducted have been on mice. Human research takes years of follow up to be conclusive and is more difficult than laboratory research. And, there are many more factors that must be considered during human studies, such as habits and genetics.

One interesting discussion of the studies that have been performed on green tea and their results, both positive and negative, is in the National Library of Medicine. This publication gave an overview of several studies done on green tea and cancer. The breakdown looks like this.

In 5 studies on colon cancer, three concluded that it might prevent cancer, one concluded that green tea might contribute to cancer.

In 4 studies on rectal cancer, one reported that green tea could prevent cancer, but two showed that it might actually contribute to developing the disease.

In 10 studies on stomach cancer, 6 suggested that green tea might prevent cancer and 3 suggested that it might contribute to cancer. The most comprehensive study on stomach cancer reported that green tea is an effective preventer of cancer.

Nearly all studies on pancreatic and esophageal cancer suggest that green tea has a preventative effect, and most lung cancer studies have shown positive results, though there has been at least one study that reported and increased risk associated with green tea.

So, as with many other health research concerns, there is still much work that needs to be done. And, there have been a few studies that have shown a possibility that green tea might actually increase your risk of cancer. However, when you take the research as a whole, it seems probable that youre better off drinking green tea than avoiding it.

As research continues, well learn more definitive information about the level of protection that green tea can provide, and just exactly how it provides this protection. As we learn more, well be better able to determine how much tea you really need to drink and on which cancers it seems to be most effective.

In spite of the few studies that have shown some negative results, overall researchers believe that green tea shows great promise in the area of cancer prevention and treatment. For centuries, Asians have used green tea to prevent and treat all kinds of illnesses, even before there was scientific research to support it.

In the mean time, there seems to be no reason to avoid green tea. Its refreshing, has no side effects and can be a great way to lower your intake of caffeine. Keep your eyes out for the new research findings as they emerge its sure to be exciting to find out all the potential that lies in green tea.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

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Learning About Cancer

Learning About Cancer
By Mark Meyers

As you're likely aware, cancer is a deadly disease which claims millions of lives each year and which, unfortunately, even with hundreds of organizations from places all over the world racing to find a cure, doesnt appear to be going away anytime soon. As you might suspect there are hundreds of websites offering information and advice about cancer, but rarely will you find the grounding information in an understandable and non-medical format. From learning about what cancer is to how you could get it, cancer is certainly a common topic. This article is an introduction to cancer in non-medical terms which will help you learn the basics about this horrific disease.

What is Cancer?

With so much written about cancer over the last couple of years we can easily get confused with the tricky medical terms and information overload. In the simplest terms cancer is any one of a very large number of diseases where your bodys cells don't work the way they should. Normally the cells in your body have a complete life cycle: they are born, they grow and then they die to make way for new cells. With cancer your normal cells change and then grow in an uncontrolled way (i.e. they don't die like they are supposed to) then they clump together with other nearby cancerous cells to form tumors (pronounced: too-mers). Some of these tumors eventually are able to attack and destroy the normal cells around them thereby damaging your bodys healthy tissues. And that in a nutshell is what cancer is, but how do we get cancer in the first place?

What Are My Chances of Getting Cancer?

First of all you should know that anyone can get cancer. It doesn't matter how old you are, your gender, what your ethnic background is or where you live. The truth is at this point doctors still don't know for sure why some people get cancer and others don't. Now lets dispel a myth: As far as we know you can't catch cancer from someone else, it's not contagious like a cold or flu bug. That being said, there are certain lifestyle choices and other factors that can increase your risk of getting cancer. Unhealthy habits like not eating healthily, drinking too much alcohol each day and smoking cigarettes or cigars could greatly increase your risk of getting certain types of cancer. And there are a number of other things that can lead to getting cancer as well: spending too much time in the sun without sufficient sun protection; repeatedly having severe sunburns; or just having a family history of cancer can put you at risk as well.

In closing, cancer is actually a group of many related diseases that all have to do with abnormal growth in our cells. It's not contagious, but there are certain things, some that you can control and some that you can't, which could increase your risk of getting cancer. I hope this brief introductory article has helped you understand just what cancer is and some of the ways that you could be at risk of getting it. And finally I would just like to say my thoughts and prayers are with you if you are (or you know someone who is) suffering with one of these horrible diseases and I hope you find solace with the loved ones with you.

I hope this helps you understand more about cancer.
Have a super day!
Mark Meyers

P.S. Thanks for reading this article. I hope you've learned something new. I run an an informational health based website that is stuffed full of all manner of health tips and advice. To take advantage of this great free information please check out my site at:
http://www.1HealthArticles.com

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Cancer Care: Integrating the Best of Western and Eastern Healing Wisdom

Cancer Care: Integrating the Best of Western and Eastern Healing Wisdom
By Chris Teo, Ph.D.

Cancer invariably affects many of us -- young, old, rich and poor. By the way things are cancer is here to stay. It is written that by 2020, new cases of cancer will double to 20 million a year. A review of literature shows that we are not winning this war against cancer. Cure for cancer still remains uncertain and elusive for most people.

Malaysians are a people of different ethnic background with various healing traditions derived from the Malay, Chinese, Indian and various indigenous races. The practice of alternative medicine is allowed, and is popular among Malaysians. In 1995, my wife and I started a semi-charitable organization called CA Care with the aim of helping cancer patients who have failed to find cure for their cancer through modern medicine. We understand that cancer in a complex problem and we need multi-approaches to achieve healing. The world needs more than the perspectives of medical science to help understand and solve this problem or at the very least contribute to lessen the pains and sufferings. Our strategy is to combine the best of what medical science has to offer besides relying on our Eastern healing wisdom. To us, healing of cancer should come from within. Patients need to participate in their own healing process and do what is best for themselves. After dealing with patients for over a decade we found our ways to be effective.

Our Cancer Care Therapy consists of the following holistic steps:

Step 1: Give total commitment to your healing. This is your sickness and only you can heal yourself -- others can only help. If you come to us but do not believe that we can help you, then go and find someone else whom you have faith in or can trust so that he can help you better. Searching for healing in cancer needs your whole-hearted commitment. You need to change your ways -- your lifestyle and mental attitude. It is more than swallowing some pills or getting an injection. Our decade of experience shows that those who participated fully in the healing process benefited tremendously.

Step 2: Seek proper medical help. We do not substitute medical doctors. We advise you to consult your doctors and get the best possible treatments, but at the same time know the limitations of what medical science can do. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are invasive and destructive. Most patients who came to us have generally undergone all these treatments and they failed to find a cure. So it is good that patients learn to know, when enough is enough.

Step 3: Take herbs. Herbs are not magic potions. But, herbs can restore the imbalances that exist in the sick body. People of China and India have been taking herbs for thousands of years to cure and maintain their health. Herbs do not kill cancer cells like the cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs or radiation. Many educated, presumably scientific people are skeptical about taking herbs. Our experiences show that herbs do no harm but on the contrary, help many cancer patients. There is a saying: the believer asks no question, while no answer can satisfy the unbeliever! If you do not believe in herbs, our advice is, find other avenues for your healing.

Step 4: Eat rightly. But, we also know that diet by itself cannot heal cancer, just as drugs or herbs alone cannot cure it. However, diet is important and can determine the progress and direction of your healing. From our experience, having to give up ones favorite food is often refuted and even detested by some patients. They counter with: My doctors say I can eat anything I like -- food has nothing to do with my cancer. We suggest that you read more widely. Every year, more and more evidence accumulates and points to the fact that what we eat determines the progress and direction of our healing or have a great influence on whether we get sick or not. Today, we are aware that the causes of 70% of cancers are related to our food and lifestyle. Studies have shown that as the Western way of life gains popularity in the developing countries, more and more people in the third world are getting cancers.

From the literature, we know that cancer patients benefit from a diet that consists of the following:
Fresh vegetables, either raw or cooked.
Lots of fresh juices and fruits.
Whole grains, cereals, seeds and nuts in an as unprocessed form as possible.
Avoid taking meat, dairy products, table salt, white sugar and cooking oils in the diet.
Avoid types of food that are preserved, canned or processed.

Step 5: Lead a happy, stress-free life. We advocate that you do proper exercise daily but do not over-strain yourself. Qi-kung, tai-qi and deep abdominal breathing exercises are good for you. Also, cultivate a positive attitude. Avoid anxiety, anger and other forms of negative emotions. Learn to love and to forgive and forget. Let go of any emotional baggage that you have been carrying in your life! We also find that those who believe in God or a higher being/order, cope better with their sickness. We advise cancer patients to find solace in the Loving God, according to their own beliefs. On top of all these, patients who have full-hearted family support and tender loving care, generally fare better. Love, care and understanding of the spouse, children and relatives are important recipes for healing.

Chris Teo, Ph.D.

For further details visit: http://www.cacare.com, http://www.CancerCare.com.my

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