Sunday, September 13, 2009

Does Tumor Type Influence Prostate Cancer Prognosis

By Laura Kelsey

Prostate cancer prognosis - prognosis means forecasting about the onset of Prostate cancer, the stage at which it has entrenched in the body and the various researches by multiple systems like allopathic, alternate medicines etc - has developed into a very systematic method over the period of time.

It is the considered opinion of all medical practitioners that this prostate cancer is not terminal in nature. In a study on this subject coauthored by Peter Albertson of the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, it is explained thus: "Because prostate cancer usually grows slowly, many tiny cancers probably do not need treatment. These are the men who should active surveillance".

Some significant progress has been made since 1990's by Australian health care researchers that there is a significant contribution of dietary habits to the onset and growth of prostate cancer among people. Those who consume relatively high fat, grilled or processed meats, when consumed on a daily basis is conducive to the onset of prostate cancer. They also concluded after extensive studies that consumption of vegetables like cauliflower; broccoli, cabbage, and sprouts reduce/eliminate the risk of begetting prostate cancer.

The inhabitants of the advanced, developed countries like Europe and America consume rich foods due to their rich background and hence are exposed to the risk of prostrate cancer, when compared to the developing nations in South Asia, where a sizable population gets only one square meal per day with a poor quality of life. So, in USA where the prevalent prostate cancer patient ratio is 16% of the population, it is imperative that undergoing tests for prostate cancer are rigorously undertaken on a regular basis.

A cheerful news item in the Journal of the American Medical Association states that low grade prostrate cancer patients have a much reduced level of risk of succumbing to the disease up to even 20 years after prostate cancer prognosis.

In general, elderly men above 50 are prone to this disease. So it is better to know about the symptoms: passing urine with difficulty, complete inability to urinate, passing urine often especially at night, weak or sporadic urine flow, pain while in urinating, blood in the urine and pain the lower back, hips and thighs. Men with such symptoms should take tests for prostate cancer, as these symptoms are common for non-cancerous benign prostate enlargement also.

Some families exhibit a higher risk incidence for prostate cancer. The normal risk factor is 1 to 13. But if in the family father or brother had prostate cancer sometime or other before the age of 70, the chances of getting it by the individual comes to between 1 to 4 or 1 to 7.

As such, for those whose family history is positive to the tumors, tests for prostate cancer should be started right earnest from the age of 40 onwards. Blood tests for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and Digital rectal exams (DRE) have to be conducted at frequent intervals. Prostate cancer prognosis depends entirely on the advancements made in the medical testing field for the same.

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