Prostate Cancer Treatments

The principle function of the prostrate gland is to secrete seminal fluid, a nutrient for sperm, and eject it into the urethra during ejaculation. As it ages it can become cancerous without any specific cause. For prostrate cancer, this process is commonly a slow one. It goes undetected in its initial stages, and once symptoms start to manifest, it has already advanced into a more critical stage.

Once confirmed as prostrate cancer, it is important to collect all the information that is possible to decide on a course of treatment. The relevant inputs are the age and health condition of the patient, how far the cancer has progressed and how fast it is advancing. There is a computerized nomogram to assess the probability of a cure. The patient, along with the physician and the family, has to opt for the course of treatment that is best for him.

The simplest treatment is ‘watchful waiting.’ The treatment concentrates on relieving the symptoms and performing periodical tests like DRE and PSA and others, as required. If the cancer is localized, surgical removal of the prostrate may be the best option. The success rate of this procedure, if caught in the early stages, is very high. But the side effects of this surgery are impotency, the inability to control urination, and other disadvantages associated with a major surgery. Laparoscopic surgery for removal of the prostrate is a new procedure.

Radiation therapy offers a non-invasive treatment, when the cancer is localized or just beyond the prostrate. But there are side effects of radiation therapy. These include injury to the rectum and bladder, bleeding rectum and bladder, urinary problems and burned skin. There are mainly two types of radiation therapy. The external beam radiation therapy uses radiation from outside to attack the cancer cells. Brachy therapy implants a small radioactive seed directly into the tumor to treat it. Cryotherapy is freezing the entire Prostrate with liquid nitrogen and killing it all, including the cancer cells. The urethra is kept heated to save the duct. Hormone deprivation therapy aims to cut off the male hormone testosterone, which is considered a fuel for cancerous cells.

There are many other chemotherapies that are very promising, especially when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, like the bones and lymph nodes. There are over 200 new therapies under development, many of them supported by the Prostrate Cancer Foundation.

About the Author:
Seth Miller
Prostate Cancer provides detailed information on Prostate Cancer, Prostate Cancer Symptoms, Prostate Cancer Treatments, Prostate Cancer Causes and more. Prostate Cancer is affliated with Prostate Health.
Added: Thu Apr 20 2006
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All About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor of the pleura or peritoneum. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos. Asbestos is usually used as a fire resistant and heat resistant insulating material. You can get three types of asbestos white which i very common, blue and brown which is the most dangerous. Asbestos is now controlled by stringent regulations.

Mesothelioma causes pain and breathlessness. If you have the tumor of the pleura, this is the membrane surrounding the lungs, other symptoms which may occur are chest pain, cough and difficulty breathing more so if the pleura effusion develops the outer and inner layers of the pleura can become thickened. Excess fluid will fill the gap between them when this happens it means that the lungs can not expand, making you have shortness of breath.

If you have the tumor in the peritioneum it can cause a obstruction of the intestines or a enlarged abdomen. .Mesothelioma can be diagnosed by a chest x ray and also a biopsy. This is where a small amount of cells or tissue are taken from the body to be looked at under the microscope. If Mesothelioma is diagnosed and the cancerous tumor is small enough, surgery can be fairly successful if not and the tumor is large there is not any successful treatment, although sometimes radiotherapy may be offered to help ease the symptoms. Mesothelioma of the peritoneum cannot be operated on and there is no other form of treatment and will usually lead to death with in one or two years.

Mesothelioma can develop even after dealing with asbestos for just a short time. The usual gap between a person working with asbestos and being diagnosed can be up to twenty or thirty years. Mesothelioma is contracted by people who work
With blue and brown asbestos.

For more information please visit my CANCER SITE

About the Author:
Tony Thompson
for everything you need to know about cancer visit www.understand-cancer.com
Article Source: http://www.articles411.com

Let's Walk For Breast Cancer - The Avon Breast Cancer Walk

Now more than ever women and men are taking part in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk fundraising campaign. This walk has been specifically set up to raise money to help in the fight against breast cancer.

Now more than ever women and men are taking part in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk fundraising campaign.

This walk has been specifically set up to raise money to help in the fight against breast cancer.

Those people who participate in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, which is really a 2 day walk, will often raise at least $1,800 each and the event which first took place in 2003 and took place in 8 cities in the USA.

But in 2005 this changed where millions and millions of dollars was raised in donations as more women became aware of the event and took part (instead of it being a few hundred it became thousands taking part).

You will find that many of the women who take part in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, an annual, event feel a certain amount of pride in what they have accomplished and also because they known that they have taken an active role in helping to fight this disease and well as knowing the money they have raised will not only help those diagnosed with the disease in the USA but across the world.

Each year the walk is spread over 2 days (usually Saturday and Sunday) and the decision on how far a participant actually walks is up them.

However, many of those taking part in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk often choose to walk the 26.2 miles or 42.16 km and they will spread this out over the two days (say 13.1 miles each day).

Some people actually decide to walk a complete marathon on the Saturday and then do a half marathon on the Sunday (so they will have completed a grueling 39 miles overall on the 2 days), "sounds like a long grueling weekend to me".

But at the end of the day the decision rests with the participant and no body else as to how much or little they do. In some cases they only make their decisions when they actually get to the event itself.

However, anyone who is participating in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk must actually commit themselves to raising at least $1,800 for the event.

But this may seem a large sum of money to try to be raising, but in fact it is easier than many people think.

There is a large team of back room workers involved in the even who will be able to offer assistance and advice to those taking part in their fund raising efforts and you will discover just how many people admire those who have taken part or will be taking part in the next event to fight this disease and getting donations from them will be quite easy.

Those people who register to take part in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk are assigned a member of staff from the Campaigns team and they will teach you all about fund raising but also offer essential advice on the training (physical) that they will need to carry out prior to the event.

They will answer any questions that a participant may have regarding the fund raising aspects and provide them with both a fund raising and physical training plan prior to their taking part.

Along with this anyone who participates in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk will receive a handbook containing information on both the fund raising and physical training aspects and a personal webpage which they can use in their effort to raise funds for the campaign.

The walks begin early in the morning and prior to commencement a short inspirational ceremony is conducted. while taking part in the walk the participants are also provided with a number of different support aids along the way, such as rest stops, portable toilets, water, sports drinks, and snacks and should it be required basic medical assistance.

The participants will also find that they will be served lunch while carrying out the Avon Breast Cancer Walk.

Many people who travel some distance to take part in these events will usually spend a night at the camp specifically set up (the event organizers arrange for 2 person tents to be set up and provided) and they also provide the participants with hot showers, food, massages and entertainment as well.

Then at the end of the second day (Sunday usually) another ceremony is held in the evening to celebrate what the participants have actually achieved during the last two days.

All money that is raised from this campaign is immediately placed in the Avon Foundation coffers and will be used not only for research in to the disease but also to treat those diagnosed with it.

The main goal of this campaign is to raise funds which will help those women or even men who can not afford the cost of cancer treatment such as the poor, elderly or minority groups.

It is believed that around 43 million people in the USA do not have the correct type of health insurance to cover their medical needs and approximately half of this figure is made up of women.

Certainly in research carried out both Asian American and African American women are more than twice as likely not to have the right sort of health insurance as a White American and the figure rises to as three times less likely if you happen to be a Hispanic woman living in the USA.

About the Author:
Mike
If your looking for anything regarding the national breast cancer awareness month click on over to www.ResourcesForBreastCancer.com and be sure to visit http://CancerReport.info
Submitted on 2006-10-28
Article Source: http://www.articlesarea.com/