Prostate Cancer Archives

Women Against Prostate Cancer Support Group Launches Updated Website

Women Against Prostate Cancer (WAPC), a prostate cancer education and advocacy organization geared toward women and families affected by prostate cancer, is excited to announce the launch of its updated website: womenagainstprostatecancer.org. The site also provides a list of chapters and prostate cancer support groups across the country.

The new site will serve as a resource for women who want to learn more about prostate cancer and/or are looking for support following the diagnosis of a loved one. The site includes basic information about prostate cancer, resources for caregivers and information on clinical trials. Visit the site to read the stories of hope, sorrow and triumph from women who have experienced prostate cancer first hand.

The updated site builds upon WAPC’s mission to unite the voices and provide support for the millions of women, and their families affected by prostate cancer. WAPC advocates prostate cancer education, public awareness, screenings, legislation and treatment options.

Prostate cancer is not just a man’s disease, it can have a devastating impact on wives, partners and entire families.  WAPC is empowering loved ones to get informed, get involved and help bring an end to this disease. With an estimated 2 million American men currently living with prostate cancer, and another 192,000 who will be diagnosed this year, there are potentially millions of women looking for answers to questions related to the disease and its impact on the family.

Please take just a few minutes to drop by and check out the updated site and new content at: womenagainstprostatecancer.org. And be sure to pass this on to friends, family and colleagues who may be interested.

Theresa Morrow is the co-founder of Women Against Prostate Cancer, a prostate cancer support group that provides information and support to the women, partners and families of men with prostate cancer. Article Source
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Top 10 Things Women Should Know About Prostate Cancer

Women Against Prostate Cancer, a prostate cancer support group geared towards helping women and families affected by prostate cancer, wants to make sure every woman knows the facts about the disease.  Below are the top 10 things women should know:

1.  What is a prostate? The prostate is a walnut-sized male gland that contributes to the fluid that carries sperm. It is located just below the bladder.

2.  What is prostate cancer? Prostate cancer occurs when a group of cells begins growing abnormally out of control in the prostate and invades healthy tissue. The cancer cells may also spread from the prostate to other parts of the body.

3.  Who does it affect? Prostate cancer does not only affect men; the disease can have a devastating effect on entire families, especially wives and partners.

4.  Who is at risk? According to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 6 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, for African American men the rate is closer to 1 in 4.  Nearly 190,000 American men will be diagnosed this year, ultimately leading to 27,000 deaths.

5.  What are the risk factors? While the exact cause of prostate cancer is still unknown there are dynamics that can increase a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer including:

Age: A man’s chance of developing prostate cancer increases quickly after age 50.
Family History: Those with a father, brother, uncle or other male relative who have had prostate cancer are at increased risk.
Race: African American males are at the highest risk of developing prostate cancer, as they are up to twice as likely to develop and die from the disease.

6.  What are the signs & symptoms? Early stage prostate cancer typically has no symptoms. Therefore, in addition to regular checkups, a man should see a health care provider if he experiences persistent hip or back pain, has difficulty urinating, feels pain and/or a burning sensation during urination, or has blood in his urine.

7.  How is it caught early? The most common early detection methods include a digital rectal exam and a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test.  Abnormalities may indicate the need for further testing.  WAPC recommends that at age 40 (35 for high risk men) men receive a baseline PSA and digital rectal exam, and speak with their physician about annual screening thereafter.

8.  What are common treatment options? Depending on the individual, there are several possible treatment options, each with a different side effect profile.  The most common treatments include prostatectomy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and active surveillance, among others.

9.  What can women do to help?
• Gently remind him to get a prostate screening.  If that doesn’t work, pick up the phone and make an appointment. Early detection leads to the greatest outcomes and an improved quality of life.
• Stand by your man.  If your husband or partner is diagnosed, show support by attending doctor’s appointments or support group meetings with him.
• Research. As mentioned above, when it comes to treatment options the choices are numerous.  Learn all you can about each treatment, its side effect profile and expected outcomes, and share what you learn with your partner.
• Seek support. Connect with other women who are facing the same challenge. Join a local WAPC chapter for support, and to continue the fight against prostate cancer.

10.  What is the survival rate?  While there is much work to be done to end this disease, there is hope.  If detected early, prostate cancer is highly treatable.  To that end, according to the American Cancer Society, the 5-year survival rate is nearly 100%.

Theresa Morrow is the co-founder of Women Against Prostate Cancer, a prostate cancer support group that provides information and support to the women, partners and families of men with prostate cancer.
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Knowing Your Cancer Risk with The Partner’s Program

Based on statistic from National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men after skin cancer.

According to the report, a lot of people made assumption that most American men are well educated about how to fight prostate cancer where to turn for more information and what support group an uncle or golf buddy relied on during their respective battles with this disease.

However, it’s sad to say this is not the case. While women regularly host breast cancer awareness and fund-raising walks across the country, men have been less proactive on matters related to their prostate health, including essential measures such as soliciting second opinions and researching treatment options. The result of this passive approach is that the average man does not always make good, informed decisions about his prostate health care.

A program is encouraging men to alter their approach to health care, at least when it comes to battling prostate cancer. Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, along with Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, have founded the “Partner’s Program” to help men with prostate cancer and their partners face the diagnosis together, encourage them to seek information regarding prostate treatment options, and ultimately, make more well-informed treatment decisions.

This program clearly responds to an unmet need. There is a survey found that, although the majority of men with prostate cancer have heard of both surgery and radiation as treatment options, up to 38 percent don’t know that other treatments, such as hormonal therapy, even exist. Even more alarming, less than 50 percent of prostate cancer patients take the time to get a second opinion on their diagnosis or proposed treatment. These facts are sure to concern anyone who loves a man at risk of developing prostate cancer.

The good news for wives and partners is the survey found that men don’t want to face prostate cancer treatment choices alone, making a resource like the “Partner’s Program” attractive for both men and women. While men are not typically as open as women on subjects such as prostate cancer, the survey found that almost 70 percent of men age 50 and older indicated that they would like their partner to play an active role in the process of choosing an appropriate course of therapy.

Now, with the help of the “Partner’s Program,” the average American man may become more proactive about his health of prostate and reduce the prostate cancer risk.

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Psa Bounce After Radiation Therapy For Prostate Cancer: Keeping An Eye On The Ball

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate gland. It is measured in the blood stream and is a useful tool for following men who have been treated for prostate cancer. Does a PSA elevation after radiation treatment, be it a prostate seed implant and/or external beam radiation therapy, always signify disease recurrence?

In the past, a PSA elevation after a prostate seed implant or external beam radiation therapy was considered to be a harbinger of a prostate cancer relapse, often prompting expensive tests and invoking a great deal of patient anxiety. Then, when the PSA level climbed to10 ng/ml or greater, men were placed on hormonal therapy. Since the latter is associated with a number of unpleasant side effects, it is desirable to refrain from using hormonal therapy unless necessary. The question then arises: when does an increase in the PSA level not signify that cancer has returned?

There is a phenomenon known as a PSA bounce, in which the PSA level jumps up within one to three years after the man has completed radiation therapy. The PSA level eventually returns to the baseline it attained just after treatment. PSA bounce may be caused by death of the damaged cancer cells that release their PSA.

A PSA bounce usually begins with less than a one-point (less than 1 ng/ml) rise in the PSA level. Also, elevations of the PSA level after three years are less likely to be part of a bounce, and unlike a bounce, rises of the PSA level by more than 1.2ng/ml are less likely to drop back to their starting points.

A recent study collected data on 7,500 men who were treated for prostate cancer with radiation therapy. Nearly half of these men were found to have a PSA bounce. However, there was no adverse effect on their survival. In fact, these men fared just as well as men whose PSA did not bounce. Also, patients who show such a PSA bounce less than two years after treatment may be less likely to have cancer return later.

More good news is now that physicians are aware that an elevation in the PSA level does not necessarily mean prostate cancer has recurred, men whose PSA bounces after radiation therapy can be followed by their doctors, who can repeat the PSA blood test six months later.

Dr. Kornmehl is the medical director of Radiation Oncology at Passaic Beth Israel Regional Medical Center, Passaic, NJ and author of the critically acclaimed consumer health book, “The Best News About Radiation Therapy” (M. Evans, 2004). Her website is http://www.RTSupportDoc.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_Kornmehl
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All You Need to Know About Prostate Cancer PSA

What is PSA?

PSA or prostate-specific antigen is produced by the prostate gland; it is essentially a protein and is found in the blood. Men with prostate cancer have higher antigen blood levels than normal. This type of test is done to measure the level of this antigen in the blood. The use of this test is approved by the FDA to detect the presence of prostate cancer in older men. The cancer test for prostate cancer is also approved by the FDA for patients with prostate cancer history in order to check if there is recurrence of the cancer.

If a man’s level of this particular particle is very high it is possible that cancer is present though there could be other reasons for the elevation. Several factors are taken into account by doctors while taking the cancer of the prostate testing. Blood samples are usually taken during the this type of cancer testing and the antigen amount is measured in a lab. Prostate-specific antigen is also called a “tumor marker” or a “biological marker” because it is utilized to detect diseases and is produced by body cells.

Men usually have a low level of this particle in the blood but cancerous or benign tumors can increase the man’s PSA level. As a man gets older prostate cancer levels are common. Some of the harmless and benign cancer conditions are:
• Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis)
• Enlargement of the prostate (BPH – benign prostatic hyperplasia).

These levels alone do not give the doctor enough information to determine whether the patient has a benign prostate condition or cancer. However, a test such as this and the results will be taken into consideration when checking for signs of prostate cancer.

Why are these tests done?

Doctors use the DRE (Digital rectal exam) and the PSA tests to help detect the presence of prostate issues in men that show no symptoms. If a man’s PSA levels begin to rise then it could be a sign of recurrence of cancer especially if the man has a history of this type of cancer. However, just one high PSA test level does not necessarily mean that the cancer has returned. A man with a history of this type of cancer should see his doctor about his increased level that has been detected during a cancer of the prostate PSA test. The doctor most probably will recommend that a second cancer test be taken to confirm a recurrence.

A man receiving hormonal therapy for prostate cancer is bound to have these levels that are low soon after or during his treatment. This may not be an accurate measure of his PSA level and thus the man should consult his doctor who may then advise waiting for a period after undergoing hormonal treatment before taking a prostate cancer test.

Recommendations by doctors for taking these types of tests vary. While some encourage men over 50 years of age to have yearly screening others advise high risk men for prostate cancer to start screening at 40 to 45 years. Still others advise against any type of routine screening. Every man must be aware of the benefits and risks involved in these types of tests.

Go to Prostate Cancer PSA to get free information on this product. This website will give you all of the information you need on Cancer along with a lot of other free information. Don’t miss out on this new website if you are looking for more information. Find us at http://prostatecancerpsa.org/blog/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Millbank

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