Life After Prostate Cancer - The Benefits Of Nerve Sparing Prostatectomy
When facing the diagnosis of prostate cancer, for most patients, the overwhelming focus is on eradicating the disease. However once the cancer has been successfully treated, the side-effects of treatment can have a major impact on quality of life.
I have seen many patients following a prostatectomy who are very distressed by their inability to resume normal sexual intercourse. Yet frequently, at the time of diagnosis, these patients did not view impotence as a major concern when they made their choice of treatment.
It would seem that we need to do more to understand patients and their preferences when they are choosing treatment for prostate cancer and offer them a wider range of options to meet their needs.
Radical prostatectomy, which involves the complete removal of the prostate, is the treatment of choice for 30-50% per cent of patients with organ confined prostate cancer. Its appeal lies in the degree of certainty it offers in terms of removing the disease in one strike.
A traditional radical prostatectomy is undertaken using wide margins around the prostate, damaging the nerves which control the blood supply to the penis. This has been understood to be the safest way of eradicating cancer but causes impotency.
Specialised urological surgeons have been carrying out nerve-sparing prostatectomies for over 10 years. The task of safely removing all cancer cells without harming the hair-thin adjacent nerves demands a very high level of technical skill.
It is hard to measure outcomes in a very precise way - several different assessments of sexual function are used and the outcome for each patient will depend on a range of factors, not all related to the surgery itself.
Not surprisingly then, the reported outcomes from treatments vary widely. For example, following bracytherapy, rates of impotency are reported at between 14 and 61 per cent. Some of the widest variations occur in rates reported following prostatectomy. Impotency is reported in 26 to 100 per cent of patients and intact function from 9 to 86 per cent.
This makes it all the more important for each hospital unit to carefully measure and audit its own results.
Improvements in the techniques of specialist surgeons who undertake a large number of prostatectomies mean we are getting closer to obtaining the perfect result for patients - cure, continence and potency.
Although there are other factors which play their part in the recovery of erections (neurogenic, vascular and psychosexual), the results show patients do have better results following nerve-sparing surgery compared with non nerve-sparing.
The nerve-sparing techniques I have developed during the past 6 years, undertaking over 700 procedures, mean that 73 per cent of my patients who have had 'high quality' nerve-sparing prostatectomy's have "good" erectile recovery (defined as being able to have an erection sufficiently rigid for vaginal penetration).
Achieving this is dependant upon extremely good technique throughout the whole procedure. Key elements include control of the dorsal vein complex after apical dissection of the prostate, accurate dissection of Denonvillier's fascia, a three stage dissection of the neurovascular bundle (NVB), avoidance of energy, avoidance of traction and careful placement of anastomotic sutures.
However, despite the progress which has been made in recent years in nerve-sparing surgery, studies suggest that up to 73 per cent did not continue their treatment.
In many cases, the effectiveness of the treatment was below the expectations of the patients. This was cited as one of the main reasons for giving up on the treatment along with loss of interest in sex.
The Birmingham Prostate Clinic have established a dedicated Erection Clinic to recognise the needs of these patients and address some of the problems which have been identified. By combining established erectile dysfunction treatments with the right specialist support, we see patients return to more effective erectile function over time as they recover from surgery.
Medication alone is not sufficient to overcome all potential problems. Men need to have individually-tailored care and support to ensure they keep up with their treatment and effectively address the psycho-sexual factors which they face as they recover from surgery and return to normal life.
Alan Doherty is a Consultant Urologist and Medical Director of The Birmingham Prostate Clinic. A centre of excellence for Prostate Cancer Treatment and Nerve Sparing Prostatectomy
Showing posts with label prostate cancer cures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prostate cancer cures. Show all posts
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Prostate Cancer - What Every Man Needs to Know
By Tyson J Stevenson
www.prostate-cancer-symptom.info
Prostate Cancer - What Every Man Needs to Know
What Is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancers in men. Prostate cancer is often found in elder men and the risk of prostate cancer increases with age. It occurs mostly among the male population of 50 years and above. In prostate cancer, cancerous cells are primary formed in the prostate that then gets transferred to other cells through the process of metastasis. Prostate cancer spreads to other parts of your body like bones.
Causes of Prostate Cancer:
Scientists still do not know the exact cause behind prostate cancer. No one knows why some people suffer with prostate cancer while others do not. Clinical researchers and scientists are working hard to find the answer of this basic question. However they are optimistic to come out with a ‘prostate cancer cause’ report very soon.
Prostate Cancer Symptoms:
There are no definite prostate cancer symptoms that can be easily noticed by the patients. Prostate cancer does not show any cancer symptom or sign at the initial stage. However, few prostate cancer symptoms have been identified by the National Cancer Institute.
These specific prostate cancer symptoms are given below:
1) Frequent urination.
2) An interrupted or weak urine flow.
3) Trouble while urination.
4) Sensation of pain while ejaculation.
5) Inability to urinate.
6) Burning sensation or pain during urination.
7) Blood in the urine or in the semen.
8) Stiffness or frequent pain in the upper thighs, lower back or hips.
These symptoms are however, not specific for prostate cancer. Therefore if you experience any of these symptoms, don’t panic- just consult a doctor.
Prostate cancer treatment: Treatment of prostate cancer depends upon factors such as the location of the tumor, general health condition of the patient, age of the patient and size of the tumor.
Prostate cancer can be treated with help of following treatment methods.
1) Surgical castration by orchidectomy: the cheapest and simplest prostate cancer treatment is orchidectomy. The only disadvantage is a psychological effect of the loss of testicles.
2) Prostate cancer can be treated with the help of oestrogen hormone and LHRH-analogues. This is a "medical castration." This prostate cancer treatment is very expensive. Oestrogen can be taken orally but oestrogen prostate cancer treatment can give rise to thrombotic complications.
3) Hormone therapy can also be used as prostate cancer cure.
4) The chemical found in black pepper, which causes the tongue to burn, sweat to pour out and eyes to water commonly called as capsaicin is thought to be helpful in prostate cancer cure. US researchers have found that capsaicin can cause human cancer cells to kill themselves. This study is guiding to the way for a new prostate cancer cure.
5) Radiotherapy can also be used for prostate cancer cure. Radiotherapy just destroys cancer cells by radiation. The method is absolutely painless. But treatment of prostate cancer with the help of radiotherapy can cause some side effects like impotence and diarrhea.
6) Brachytherapy can also be applied to cure prostate cancer. Here radioactive elements inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells.
Prostate Cancer - What Every Man Needs to Know
What Is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancers in men. Prostate cancer is often found in elder men and the risk of prostate cancer increases with age. It occurs mostly among the male population of 50 years and above. In prostate cancer, cancerous cells are primary formed in the prostate that then gets transferred to other cells through the process of metastasis. Prostate cancer spreads to other parts of your body like bones.
Causes of Prostate Cancer:
Scientists still do not know the exact cause behind prostate cancer. No one knows why some people suffer with prostate cancer while others do not. Clinical researchers and scientists are working hard to find the answer of this basic question. However they are optimistic to come out with a ‘prostate cancer cause’ report very soon.
Prostate Cancer Symptoms:
There are no definite prostate cancer symptoms that can be easily noticed by the patients. Prostate cancer does not show any cancer symptom or sign at the initial stage. However, few prostate cancer symptoms have been identified by the National Cancer Institute.
These specific prostate cancer symptoms are given below:
1) Frequent urination.
2) An interrupted or weak urine flow.
3) Trouble while urination.
4) Sensation of pain while ejaculation.
5) Inability to urinate.
6) Burning sensation or pain during urination.
7) Blood in the urine or in the semen.
8) Stiffness or frequent pain in the upper thighs, lower back or hips.
These symptoms are however, not specific for prostate cancer. Therefore if you experience any of these symptoms, don’t panic- just consult a doctor.
Prostate cancer treatment: Treatment of prostate cancer depends upon factors such as the location of the tumor, general health condition of the patient, age of the patient and size of the tumor.
Prostate cancer can be treated with help of following treatment methods.
1) Surgical castration by orchidectomy: the cheapest and simplest prostate cancer treatment is orchidectomy. The only disadvantage is a psychological effect of the loss of testicles.
2) Prostate cancer can be treated with the help of oestrogen hormone and LHRH-analogues. This is a "medical castration." This prostate cancer treatment is very expensive. Oestrogen can be taken orally but oestrogen prostate cancer treatment can give rise to thrombotic complications.
3) Hormone therapy can also be used as prostate cancer cure.
4) The chemical found in black pepper, which causes the tongue to burn, sweat to pour out and eyes to water commonly called as capsaicin is thought to be helpful in prostate cancer cure. US researchers have found that capsaicin can cause human cancer cells to kill themselves. This study is guiding to the way for a new prostate cancer cure.
5) Radiotherapy can also be used for prostate cancer cure. Radiotherapy just destroys cancer cells by radiation. The method is absolutely painless. But treatment of prostate cancer with the help of radiotherapy can cause some side effects like impotence and diarrhea.
6) Brachytherapy can also be applied to cure prostate cancer. Here radioactive elements inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
The Prostate Aging Problem And Prostate Cancer Prevention
By Donald Saunders
www.prostatecancerexplained.com
Over the years there has been considerable debate about prostate cancer and the subject of prostate cancer prevention in particular remains somewhat controversial. Although, as with many cancers, men do not themselves cause the onset of prostate cancer, there are certainly a number of risk factors for developing the disease and there is a great deal that can be done, if not to prevent it, then certainly to reduce the risk of developing it.
The first step in preventing prostate cancer is to understand that you are at risk of developing the condition and to know just why you are at risk. Here the starting point in understanding the risk is heredity.
There is no doubt that men with a family history of prostate cancer are at greater risk and, in general, the risk for a man with one close relative having prostate cancer is about twice that of a man without any family history. With two close relatives this risk rises to about five times that of someone with no family history and with three close relatives reaches a staggering ninety-seven percent.
The problem here is that many men are unaware of their family history, not least because many grandfathers, fathers or brothers have died from other illnesses and were perhaps never even aware of the fact they have prostate cancer. This happens because prostate cancer will often develop late in life and can be a very slow growing cancer. As a consequence there is a good chance that individuals will develop other conditions alongside their prostate cancer on which attention is focused and which ultimately results in their death.
So, if you are not sure of your family history, then a good starting point is to check things out if you can. If this is not possible, then it's probably a good idea to err on the side of caution and assume that the risk might be there rather than assume that you're in the clear.
Another important factor is that of race. African American men for example, and men of African descent, are at a greater risk than Hispanic men who, in turn, are at more risk than Caucasian men. The risk for an African American man is about sixty percent higher than that of a Caucasian man.
The next risk factor is diet and men living in Western countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom are at increased risk because of the high levels of fat in many Western diets. Here for the first time is a risk factor that you can actually do something about and lowering the fat in your diet and eating such things as more fresh fruit and vegetables can lessen your risk quite considerably.
At this point we start to run into difficulty as, beyond the basic principle of reducing fat your diet, opinions begin to differ when it comes to other aspects of the diet which may be helpful in prostate cancer prevention.
There is little doubt that levels of such things as vitamins and minerals in your diet can have a dramatic effect on your health generally and will certainly have a part to play when it comes to prostate health. However, determining just which vitamins and minerals play a part is not an easy matter and is certainly a subject all of its own.
Over the years there has been considerable debate about prostate cancer and the subject of prostate cancer prevention in particular remains somewhat controversial. Although, as with many cancers, men do not themselves cause the onset of prostate cancer, there are certainly a number of risk factors for developing the disease and there is a great deal that can be done, if not to prevent it, then certainly to reduce the risk of developing it.
The first step in preventing prostate cancer is to understand that you are at risk of developing the condition and to know just why you are at risk. Here the starting point in understanding the risk is heredity.
There is no doubt that men with a family history of prostate cancer are at greater risk and, in general, the risk for a man with one close relative having prostate cancer is about twice that of a man without any family history. With two close relatives this risk rises to about five times that of someone with no family history and with three close relatives reaches a staggering ninety-seven percent.
The problem here is that many men are unaware of their family history, not least because many grandfathers, fathers or brothers have died from other illnesses and were perhaps never even aware of the fact they have prostate cancer. This happens because prostate cancer will often develop late in life and can be a very slow growing cancer. As a consequence there is a good chance that individuals will develop other conditions alongside their prostate cancer on which attention is focused and which ultimately results in their death.
So, if you are not sure of your family history, then a good starting point is to check things out if you can. If this is not possible, then it's probably a good idea to err on the side of caution and assume that the risk might be there rather than assume that you're in the clear.
Another important factor is that of race. African American men for example, and men of African descent, are at a greater risk than Hispanic men who, in turn, are at more risk than Caucasian men. The risk for an African American man is about sixty percent higher than that of a Caucasian man.
The next risk factor is diet and men living in Western countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom are at increased risk because of the high levels of fat in many Western diets. Here for the first time is a risk factor that you can actually do something about and lowering the fat in your diet and eating such things as more fresh fruit and vegetables can lessen your risk quite considerably.
At this point we start to run into difficulty as, beyond the basic principle of reducing fat your diet, opinions begin to differ when it comes to other aspects of the diet which may be helpful in prostate cancer prevention.
There is little doubt that levels of such things as vitamins and minerals in your diet can have a dramatic effect on your health generally and will certainly have a part to play when it comes to prostate health. However, determining just which vitamins and minerals play a part is not an easy matter and is certainly a subject all of its own.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
New Drug Promises Prolonged Survival in Prostate Cancer Patients
A new anti-cancer drug called pertuzumab, shows promise in slowing progression and prolonging survival time in men with prostate cancer.
A new class of targeted anti-cancer drugs that blocks the human epidermal growth factor (HER) receptor family shows promise in prolonging the lives of patients with recurrent prostate cancer, a new Cedars-Sinai study shows. The drug, a molecular targeted compound called pertuzumab, works by binding to and inhibiting the function of HER2 receptors, interrupting a key pathway that leads to cancer growth.
The study, published in the February 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, involved 41 patients with treatment-resistant prostate cancer who had experienced progression of their disease after prior chemotherapy. Patients received the drug every three weeks until disease progression. MRI and CAT scans were used to evaluate the tumors during the period of drug therapy. While no shrinkage of tumors was reported, retrospective analysis showed that survival rate was prolonged to 16.4 months with the drug as compared to a median average of 10.7 months in a historical control group with similar baseline prognostic features.
“Advanced prostate cancer is difficult to treat – and the drug therapies currently available to these patients have not been very effective, especially in patients whose disease has progressed after chemotherapy treatment,” said David B. Agus, M.D., principal investigator of the study and research director of Cedars-Sinai’s Louis Warschaw Prostate Cancer Center at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. “Pertuzumab may offer a new treatment approach for these patients when it is evaluated as a tool to slow – not stop or shrink -- tumor growth.”
“The theory is that by significantly slowing progression of the cancer, patients will experience a good quality of life for a longer period of time,” said Agus. “Ultimately, we hope drugs like pertuzumab will help us reach the point where cancer can be viewed as a lifetime disease to be managed much like AIDS is looked at now. This would be major shift from the current paradigm for cancer treatment, and is a promising area of research. This study must be viewed cautiously, however, as we are comparing statistics from historical control groups.”
Pertuzumab is a single-agent antibody designed to bind to the HER2 receptor and inhibit the ability of HER2 to pair with other HER family members (HER1, HER2, HER3 and HER4). If the pairing process (called dimerization) is not interrupted, the binding of these growth factors activates an intracellular signaling pathway that leads to tumor proliferation.
While other drugs such as docetaxel have shown to benefit men with advanced prostate cancer, no other second-line therapy (a treatment given when an initial treatment (first-line therapy) does not work or stops working) to date has shown to prolong survival.
Previous research published by cancer researchers at Cedars-Sinai and other institutions has shown that pertuzumab affects the growth of several other types of cancers, including breast, ovarian and lung cancer, and that the drug may also prolong survival for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
In the current study, the pertuzumab was well-tolerated but no objective tumor shrinkages were observed. No decline in PSA (prostate-specific antigen; a tumor marker) levels was detected in patients during the study. According to the researchers, this study raises a question long debated in prostate cancer literature: what should clinical outcome standards or end point be the for studies involving patients with advanced, intractable prostate cancer who have limited treatment options.
The next step for researchers is to test the pertuzumab on a larger group of patients in a randomized fashion, and to analyze data that is not retrospective.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men, other than skin cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 218,890 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2007 and that approximately 27,050 men will die of this disease.
Source-Eurekalert
PRI
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Researchers Put Advanced Prostate Cancer On Trial
By: Stacey Moore
Can high-dose vitamin D, a naturally occurring hormone, improve an advanced prostate cancer patient's treatment with chemotherapy? That is what researchers in the United States, Canada and Europe are trying to determine.
For 20 years, scientists have explored the role of vitamin D in the prevention, treatment and reduction of cancer and other autoimmune diseases. However, they all encountered the same problem-they could not administer enough vitamin D to fight the disease without causing severe toxicity.
The promise of vitamin D to treat cancer was almost shelved until researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and Novacea, a biopharmaceutical company, were able to develop a highly concentrated form of calcitriol, a derivative of vitamin D, that had the potential to be administered safely to patients.
Now, a clinical study is under way investigating Asentar in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Patients take Asentar, which comes in a small capsule, the day before their next Taxotere® (docetaxel) chemotherapy treatment. Researchers will monitor patients to see if Asentar may help patients to live longer while reducing some of the side effects caused by chemotherapy, such as blood clots and fractures.
"This is a new and interesting approach to treat prostate cancer patients whose disease has progressed and who currently have limited treatment options," said Luke T. Nordquist, M.D. of Nebraska Methodist Hospital, Omaha, Neb. "The previous Phase 2 results showed that Asentar appeared to improve survival while reducing some of the serious side effects of chemotherapy, an important finding that surprised many researchers and called for further clinical evaluations."
All patients in the study will receive chemotherapy treatment with docetaxel. In addition to docetaxel, half of the patients will receive prednisone (part of the FDA-approved docetaxel regimen) and the other half will receive the investigational agent, Asentar.
According to the American Cancer Society:
• Prostate cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in men, after lung cancer and colorectal cancer, and
• This year, more than 234,460 men will be diagnosed with, and an estimated 27,350 men will die from, prostate cancer in the United States.
Prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate grow uncontrollably, producing multiple small tumors. At this stage, the disease is often curable with standard treatments such as surgery or radiation that aim to remove or kill all cancerous cells in the prostate. Unfortunately, at this stage, the cancer produces few or no symptoms and can be difficult to detect.
If untreated and allowed to grow, the cancerous cells from the tumors can spread in a process called metastasis. In this process, prostate cancer cells are transported through the lymphatic system and the bloodstream to other parts of the body, where they can reside and grow as secondary tumors. Once cancerous cells begin to spread beyond the prostate, the prostate cancer is considered to be recurrent.
Recurrent prostate cancer that progresses while a patient is taking hormonal therapy is called androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC). At this stage in the disease, the cancer has generally metastasized (spread) to a patient's bones and/or lymph nodes. For AIPC patients, a combination of docetaxel and prednisone, approved by the FDA for treatment of AIPC with a two-month survival benefit, has shown to prolong the lives of these patients. Some of the other chemotherapy drugs used to treat prostate cancer include doxorubicin, etoposide, vinblastine, paclitaxel and carboplatin.
Researchers at approximately 200 medical centers in the United States, Canada and Europe are seeking to evaluate the potential survival and safety benefits of Asentar in combination with docetaxel in a 900-patient Phase 3 clinical trial, known as ASCENT-2. Asentar is an investigational new drug currently in clinical trials and has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The ASCENT-2 study is for men over the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with AIPC. Study medication will be provided to all qualified study participants at no cost. To learn more about the study, individuals are encouraged to visit www.ASCENT-2.com.
Can high-dose vitamin D, a naturally occurring hormone, improve an advanced prostate cancer patient's treatment with chemotherapy? That is what researchers in the United States, Canada and Europe are trying to determine.
For 20 years, scientists have explored the role of vitamin D in the prevention, treatment and reduction of cancer and other autoimmune diseases. However, they all encountered the same problem-they could not administer enough vitamin D to fight the disease without causing severe toxicity.
The promise of vitamin D to treat cancer was almost shelved until researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and Novacea, a biopharmaceutical company, were able to develop a highly concentrated form of calcitriol, a derivative of vitamin D, that had the potential to be administered safely to patients.
Now, a clinical study is under way investigating Asentar in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Patients take Asentar, which comes in a small capsule, the day before their next Taxotere® (docetaxel) chemotherapy treatment. Researchers will monitor patients to see if Asentar may help patients to live longer while reducing some of the side effects caused by chemotherapy, such as blood clots and fractures.
"This is a new and interesting approach to treat prostate cancer patients whose disease has progressed and who currently have limited treatment options," said Luke T. Nordquist, M.D. of Nebraska Methodist Hospital, Omaha, Neb. "The previous Phase 2 results showed that Asentar appeared to improve survival while reducing some of the serious side effects of chemotherapy, an important finding that surprised many researchers and called for further clinical evaluations."
All patients in the study will receive chemotherapy treatment with docetaxel. In addition to docetaxel, half of the patients will receive prednisone (part of the FDA-approved docetaxel regimen) and the other half will receive the investigational agent, Asentar.
According to the American Cancer Society:
• Prostate cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in men, after lung cancer and colorectal cancer, and
• This year, more than 234,460 men will be diagnosed with, and an estimated 27,350 men will die from, prostate cancer in the United States.
Prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate grow uncontrollably, producing multiple small tumors. At this stage, the disease is often curable with standard treatments such as surgery or radiation that aim to remove or kill all cancerous cells in the prostate. Unfortunately, at this stage, the cancer produces few or no symptoms and can be difficult to detect.
If untreated and allowed to grow, the cancerous cells from the tumors can spread in a process called metastasis. In this process, prostate cancer cells are transported through the lymphatic system and the bloodstream to other parts of the body, where they can reside and grow as secondary tumors. Once cancerous cells begin to spread beyond the prostate, the prostate cancer is considered to be recurrent.
Recurrent prostate cancer that progresses while a patient is taking hormonal therapy is called androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC). At this stage in the disease, the cancer has generally metastasized (spread) to a patient's bones and/or lymph nodes. For AIPC patients, a combination of docetaxel and prednisone, approved by the FDA for treatment of AIPC with a two-month survival benefit, has shown to prolong the lives of these patients. Some of the other chemotherapy drugs used to treat prostate cancer include doxorubicin, etoposide, vinblastine, paclitaxel and carboplatin.
Researchers at approximately 200 medical centers in the United States, Canada and Europe are seeking to evaluate the potential survival and safety benefits of Asentar in combination with docetaxel in a 900-patient Phase 3 clinical trial, known as ASCENT-2. Asentar is an investigational new drug currently in clinical trials and has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The ASCENT-2 study is for men over the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with AIPC. Study medication will be provided to all qualified study participants at no cost. To learn more about the study, individuals are encouraged to visit www.ASCENT-2.com.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
An Inside Look at Prostate Cancer Cures In The Various Forms Of Treatments Available As Therapy
By Tim Gorman
www.onlineprostatehealthguide.com
Prostate cancer cures lay in the various forms of treatments available as therapy for the disease.
Common Treatments for Prostate Cancer
Radiation, hormone therapy, radical prostatecomy, chemotherapy, and cryotherapy, which seeks to destroy cancer cells by freezing them, are amongst the most common treatments for prostate cancer, and the closet modern medicine has come to finding prostate cancer cures.
Radiation for prostate cancer treatment involves the use of external-beam radiation therapy, and radioactive seed implants.
Prostate cancer hormone therapy implements the use of drugs to stop the biological production of male sex hormones. Androgens are male sex hormones that have been clinical linked to the development of prostate cancer when produced in excess.
Radical prostatecomy is the surgical removal of the prostate gland. There are two radical prostatecomy surgical procedures available, retropubic surgery, and perineal surgery. The retropubic surgery removes the prostate gland through an incision placed below the navel. The perineal surgery features an incision for removal placed between the anus and scrotum.
Conventional Prostate Cancer Medications
Luteinizing hormone-releasing analogs (LHRH) are designed to lower testosterone levels. Such prostate cancer medications are administered via injections and can be given monthly or every three, six, or nine months. Many metastases (with the cancer spreading outside of the prostate gland) prostate cancer patients opt for this round of prostate cancer treatments as opposed to a surgical removal of their testicles.
Plenaxis is the newest LHRH antagonists. The drug works to lower testosterone but does not cause a sharp rise in testosterone levels before taking affect, as LHRH analogs do. LHRH antagonists can only be used in men who are not able to use other forms of hormonal treatment. Abarelix, Lupron, Zoladex, Eulexin, and Casodex are other common types of LHRH antagonists.
Finding Prostate Cancer Cures Through Clinical Trials
Clinical trials serves as one way of finding prostate cancer cures. All prostate cancer medications must take pass the three phases required to gain approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Phase I of the clinical trials test the safety of a new drug. The second clinical phase is designed to determine how the proposed new prostate cancer treatment works. Patients are given the drug in high doses during this phase. The patients are watched to see what effect the test drug has on their prostate cancer. The final phase of clinical trial testing pits test medications against standard treatments. A control group is given dosages of the test drug while a second group uses standard methods of medicine-with the effects documented.
Prostate cancer cures lay in the various forms of treatments available as therapy for the disease.
Common Treatments for Prostate Cancer
Radiation, hormone therapy, radical prostatecomy, chemotherapy, and cryotherapy, which seeks to destroy cancer cells by freezing them, are amongst the most common treatments for prostate cancer, and the closet modern medicine has come to finding prostate cancer cures.
Radiation for prostate cancer treatment involves the use of external-beam radiation therapy, and radioactive seed implants.
Prostate cancer hormone therapy implements the use of drugs to stop the biological production of male sex hormones. Androgens are male sex hormones that have been clinical linked to the development of prostate cancer when produced in excess.
Radical prostatecomy is the surgical removal of the prostate gland. There are two radical prostatecomy surgical procedures available, retropubic surgery, and perineal surgery. The retropubic surgery removes the prostate gland through an incision placed below the navel. The perineal surgery features an incision for removal placed between the anus and scrotum.
Conventional Prostate Cancer Medications
Luteinizing hormone-releasing analogs (LHRH) are designed to lower testosterone levels. Such prostate cancer medications are administered via injections and can be given monthly or every three, six, or nine months. Many metastases (with the cancer spreading outside of the prostate gland) prostate cancer patients opt for this round of prostate cancer treatments as opposed to a surgical removal of their testicles.
Plenaxis is the newest LHRH antagonists. The drug works to lower testosterone but does not cause a sharp rise in testosterone levels before taking affect, as LHRH analogs do. LHRH antagonists can only be used in men who are not able to use other forms of hormonal treatment. Abarelix, Lupron, Zoladex, Eulexin, and Casodex are other common types of LHRH antagonists.
Finding Prostate Cancer Cures Through Clinical Trials
Clinical trials serves as one way of finding prostate cancer cures. All prostate cancer medications must take pass the three phases required to gain approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Phase I of the clinical trials test the safety of a new drug. The second clinical phase is designed to determine how the proposed new prostate cancer treatment works. Patients are given the drug in high doses during this phase. The patients are watched to see what effect the test drug has on their prostate cancer. The final phase of clinical trial testing pits test medications against standard treatments. A control group is given dosages of the test drug while a second group uses standard methods of medicine-with the effects documented.
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