Prostate Cancer Types

Question: Can Prostate cancer come back after 17 years? My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in '91 and had a radical prostate removal and some radiation treatment. Now after all that time his PSA levels are starting to go up and he has some enlarged lymph nodes around his kidneys. I've never heard of this type of cancer coming back after so long.

Answer: it's possible, hope he is getting checked out even if just to put his mind at rest

Question: During a prostate examination does the lab work(bood tests) Show whether a person has prostate Cancer or not? And also, will these tests reveal any other types of cancer that may be in a person's system?

Answer: the lab test detects the level of specific prostate antigens in your blood. a higher level-over 3- indicates there may be a problem.and no, it is not for any other kind of cancer.

Question: My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer, anyone out there who knows who has been in my shoes? My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer last thursday. the told him over the phone, and did not specify which type of cells were found via biopsy. i am accompanying to his 1st oncology appointment, what questions should we ask his doc? does anyone who has been in my position have any advice as to how i can be supportive?

Answer: I was diagnosed with Prostate CAncer in 2005. I had Proton Radiation treatments in Loma LInda University Medical Center In Loma Linda California.. Proton Radiation is different than conventional radiaton in that it has little to no side effects and as good or better cure rate (about 90%). There is a website called Proton Bob that tells alot about prostate cancer .. If you go to it.. be sure and read the Testimonal section of former patients.. any one who has had Proton Radiation for prostate cancer is totally sold on it.. ..no side effects and it cures you!!!! no brainer decision. Also there is a new book out that any one with Prostate Cancer should read before having treatments. It was written by Robert J. Marckini, a former Prostate Cancer patient. It discusses Prostate cancer and out lines all of the treatments available today and has the pros and cons of each treatment.. Personally I feel that Proton Radiation is the very best treatment .. I was not sick one single day during or after treatments, my PSA is now .13 ,///thats point one three.... It is great. Main thing I would say is that your father needs to check out all the treatments available and choose the one he wants.. dont let some doctor rush him into some treatment that he does or he is trained for.. It my not be the best for your dad.. Some treatments.. leave you with some permanent side effects.. wearing diaper, no sex etc.. Personally ...again I feel Proton Radiation is the best.. it has no side effects.. of any kind most of the time.. lots of doctors are not familiar with it.. or think its experimental .. or want to treat the patients them selves.. a money thing!! Proton is available at Loma LindaUniversity Medical Center in Loma Linda , Calif , MD Anderson in Houston, Mass General in Boston and a hospital in Jacksonville Florida... the Proton Bob website gives the location.. hope this is helpful.. please feel free to email me if you would like more info .. I will be glad to visit with you dad on the phone... not a problem..

Question: My dog has prostate cancer & needs neutering, but I can't afford it. Is there any type of org. that can help? I live in Montgomery County MD, and have found sites that list vets that offer discounts, but since my dog already has cancer I dont think we can qualify. Is this true?

Answer: go to an animal proctective league or try and take donations someone will have pity for the dog

Question: Prostate Cancer - More Info Needed? My brother has prostate cancer. He is 44 years old. He had symptoms for over a year and finally went to a doctor when it was too painful to walk. A biopsy shows that 75% of his prostate is cancerous and 25% is precancerous. His prostate cancer has no PSA reading. The doctor told us his cancer is an aggressive cancer. A scan showed some of his lymph nodes were swollen, but it may be because of a biopsy... The doctors did not put him on hormones. My question is: Is it normal not to put a person on hormones before they are scheduled for prostate removal? (He's scheduled next month for surgery). Has anyone else had experience with this type of prostate cancer in a younger man?? What type of experience did you have?

Answer: I am 48 yo. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in july. Of the 12 biopsy samples taken, 7 came back positive for cancer, so more than half the prostate was cancerous. The gleason score (mine was 7) and the cancer staging (mine is stage II) help determine how aggressive the cancer is and how likely it is that it has spread beyond the prostate. My Dr. recommended surgery. I sought a second opinion and decided on surgery, but decided on a new procedure that is less invasive and easier to heal from with fewer chances of the side effects associated with prostatectomy, incontinence and impotence. The surgery is Robotic Laparoscopic Radical Prosatectomy, I would recommend you research this as an option for your brother. Sometimes a Dr. will start with Hormone Therapy to shrink the size of the tumor before surgery, but it is not commonly done. If the cancer is thought to have spread beyond the prostate after surgery there may be follow up with Radiation and Hormone Therapy as well. I am sorry to hear of your brothers diagnosis, this must be a difficult time for you and your family. A diagnosis of Prostate Cancer is devastating and life changing. The support of family and friends was a great comfort to me in making treatment decisions and going through the treatment process. I wish you the best of luck.

Question: prostate cancer questions? 1) does masturbation/ ejaculation really reduce the risk of prostate cancer? 2) what type of food contains omega-3-fatty acid ( reduce many cancer risks)? 3) what are the CAUSES of Prostate Cancer?

Answer: Didig 1. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, problems during sexual intercourse, or erectile dysfunction. No masturbation/ejaculation has nothing to do with reduction of prostrate cancer. Rather The results contradict those of previous studies, which have suggested that having had many sexual partners, or a high frequency of sexual activity, increases the risk of prostate cancer by up to 40 percent. 2. There are three major types of omega 3 fatty acids that are ingested in foods and used by the body: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other marine life such as algae and krill, certain plants (including purslane), and nut oils. Prostate cancer Laboratory and animal studies indicate that omega-3 fatty acids (specifically, DHA and EPA) may inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. Similarly, population based clinical studies of groups of men suggest that a low-fat diet with the addition of omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil help prevent the development of prostate cancer. Like breast cancer, the balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids appears to be particularly important for reducing the risk of this condition. ALA, however, may not offer the same benefits as EPA and DHA. In fact, one recent clinical study evaluating 67 men with prostate cancer found that they had higher levels of ALA compared to men without prostate cancer. More research in this area is needed. 3. Causes: a. Genetics A man's genetic background contributes to his risk of developing prostate cancer b. Diet Imbalanced diet can be cause of many types of cancer. Incorrect quanitity of vitamins, mineral selenium. c.According to National Academy of Sciences (2009) Xenotropic MuLV-related virus or XMRV protein was cause of prostate tumors in 23 percent of human . Good day Enjoy http://bisbio.in

Question: Can a lot of masterbation cause any type of prostate disease or cancer? any type of damage?? I just don't want anything bad to happen to me because when i urinate it feels wierd now days, I know this may sound wierd but i'm just worried and dont want anything bad to happen to me, your help would be apreciated =D

Answer: No, quite the contrary actually. Studies show that men who ejaculate at least 4 times a week have a lower risk for prostate cancer than men who don't. Not to mention the risk of heart disease also decreases.

Question: question for prostate cancer survivors? I found out two weeks ago that I have prostate cancer. My wife and I have talked with the Dr and gone over the different form of treatment possible. I have had one hormone therapy shoot and and on a strict diet to lose as much weight as possible so I can have surgery in about 6 months. I would like to know from prostate cancer survivors what type of treatment you has and what were the side effects. Was incontinence a problem? I am thinking about having the radioactive seeds implanted in the prostate and if anyone has had this I would like to know how it went and what were any side effects you had. Other than being a bit overweight I am healthy. The cancer came as a surprise and was found after my PSA level rose to 4.3 The urologist did a biopsy and the cancer was found. I am curious to hear from other men who have survived prostate cancer. I didn't ask how to lose weight I asked about the side effects of the treatment

Answer: The good news is your PSA indicates you have discovered the cancer in the early stages. Mine was 12.7 but After taking antibiotics for two weeks it went down to 9.3 -- then I had a biopsy that showed a Gleason score of 6. I went through the radioactive seeding procedure followed by 7 weeks of external radiation at the RCOG clinic in Atlanta, GA. You ought to go on to their internet site and you can find all the information about the different treatments and the cure rates for each type of treatment. Just go to www.rcog.net. They'll send you a booklet explaining everything you need to know. The seeding alone without any further external radiation treatment is not nearly as effective as having both performed. I never had any side affects from the radiation except for one instance of radiation prostatitis which only affects a small number of patients.It's very similar to a regular prostate infection except antibiotics won't cure it but it goes away in a week or so.

Question: Seriousness of Prostate Cancer? My Uncle just found out he has prostate cancer, I really don't know very much about this and was wondering if I could get some insight from others? How serious is this type of cancer, and what exactly is it? Thanks for all your help.

Answer: If caught in an early stage it is perfectly curable. Overall about 80% of prostate cancer patients are alive after 5 years.I think that many of the answers you seek can be found at http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=2657

Question: Treatments/statistics/sources with prostate cancer that has spread to lymph nodes? A friend was diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to his lymph nodes only (has not spread to any other organs or bones). All I can find are sources that explain staging and treatments, but the more aggressive treatments (surgery/radiation) seem to be only for localized or low-grade cancer. I know the FDA seems to take forever to approve drugs/treatments that are being used abroad with great results; how do I find info on these types of studies done outside the US? Is it only a matter of time before his cancer spreads from the nodes at this point or is there a shot of chemo & hormones stopping it? Since it hasn't spread any further, wouldn't removing the prostate along with the nodes benefit him? I haven't found anything stating surgery as an option once it spreads from the prostate. I'm sorry this is so long with so many questions! Thank you!

Answer: Beam radiation of the prostate bed and hormonal treatment are possible next actions. Chemo isn't used until the final stages. With these therapies, he has a good five year life expectancy, because even late stage disease is slow moving. You can find case studies at http://www.yananow.net and you can work out his statistics at http://www.prostatecalculator.org You can use Google Scholar to research journal articles. Best of luck. As for therapies outside the US, there are few initiatives in prostate cancer research coming from overseas. The only significant overseas therapy I am aware of is HIFU, but that's not appropriate for a more advance case.

Question: How serious is prostate cancer? If a man is in his 60's, has had prior cancer (different type) that was cured through chemo/radiation 10 years ago, now has some cancer cells on prostate but doctor said it's not enlarged, might just have to remove it - is that serious or ? It seems to be a common cancer so I'm assuming it's not too serious if caught early, cells have not moved anywhere else? Would removing the prostate virtually cure him? I should rephrase - how serious is it with regards to the scenario I list. I am not saying it is not serious, but HOW serious like on a scale of 1 to 10. For example if it was enlarged or spread it would be worse.

Answer: Prostate cancer is very serious if it is not caught in time and can be terminal very quickly. You can put it on a par with ovarian or cervical cancer. It can spread very quickly through to the bladder, pelvic bones, lymph glands etc. Some types of cancer are very aggressive. The trouble is blokes have this macho image and will not got to the doctor at the first hint that something is wrong. They usually have a problem weeing caused by an enlarged prostate and it accelerates very quickly from there. If they go to the doctor at the first time of trouble it can be controlled by drugs or an operation to either remove part or all of the prostate. What blokes don't realise is that 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 is affected by this. I went to the doctor at the first sign of trouble and mine is kept under control by drugs because it was caught straight away, and now that I am on the "books" I get tested every year to keep an eye on any change.

Question: Prostate cancer at 79 years old; level 7. Tell me what you know? My Dad and my brother John just left from visiting from Arkansas. My brother is a cancer survivor; still dealing with the damage of 42 radiation treatments and chemo on his lungs, throat and other upper body areas. Was good to see him and hey, he's still a handsome guy no matter what. He's my brother, I love him no matter what. But while they were here, Dad had a talk with both John and myself and told us he has been diagnosed with level 7 prostate cancer himself. So my question is, how does the scale of levels in cancer translate with regard to severity, and age with this type of cancer in a 79 year old male at level 7? Just so I can educate myself here...... Thanks in advance. Cancer, it seems, is EVERYWHERE these days in my family.

Answer: I dont know what he means level 7. Prostate cancer is measured by PSA and Gleason Scores. I would assume he is speaking of one or the other> I had prostate cancer in 2005 and my PSA was 4.5 and my Gleason score was 6. Im guessing he is speaking of his Gleason score... If so a 7 is very treatable...well a psa of 7 would also be treatable, But in my opinion he needs medical treatments.. If he is 79 he is on medicare and could at least take what is called Lupron shots.. Lupron is a harmone treatment that does not cure prostate cancer, but the it puts the cancer growth on hold most times for up to about 10 years...The shots are given every 120 days usually.. 3-4 a year..Id think he should at least consider them and buy himself 10 more years maybe

Question: What would be the cause of an "abnomal" prostate test result other than cancer? My brother received "abnormal" prostate test results back. He has been referred to a specialist. Other than cancer, can anyone tell me what other causes could create this type of result. Thanks for your help.

Answer: prostate enlargement.

Question: what is worldwide cancer drug market (in USD) by cancer types? i need numbers for the worldwide cancer drug market by cancer type, i.e. breast, colon, prostate, lung, etc. does anybody know? thanks, but i wanted to know more quantitative side of things, like Cancer Type: - Market Size Lung Cancer - $3.0 billion Breast Cancer - $... Colon Cancer - $... etc. I know the total size of the market is about $60 billion, but i was wondering what the break down is.

Answer: There are different cancer treatment including surgery ,chemotherapy, radiation therapy, clinical trials, proton therapy, complementary medicine, and cutting edge technologies. 1-Biologic Therapy The treatment which works by helping the immune system to function better by using substances that occur naturally in your body to fight cancer. 2-Bone Marrow Transplants bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cell, and cord blood transplant patients. 3-Chemotherapy chemotherapy treatment, drugs and side effects. Includes an overview of the treatment process and OncoLink Rx, a list of teaching sheets about chemotherapy drugs. 4-Clinical Trials Tools to help empower cancer patients to evaluate research studies for which they may be eligible. Includes the OncoLink/EmergingMed Clinical Trials Matching Service, which encourages patients to seek out and consider clinical trials for the treatment of their cancer. 5-Complementary Medicine\the realm of complementary and alternative medicine with tips and warnings on treatments such as herbals, vitamins, chemicals, diet, meditation, massage, acupuncture, and body-mind therapy. 6-Gene Therapy cutting edge therapy in an attempt to boost the immune system and improve the body's natural ability to fight cancer. 7-Hormone Therapy the various hormonal therapies used to treat many types of cancer. 8-PDT Center photodynamic therapy (PDT) a novel cancer treatment which works by exposing a photosensitizing drug to specific wavelengths of light to kill cancer cells. 9-Proton Therapy 10-Radiation Oncology radiation therapy and treatment side effects. Includes an overview of the treatment process. 11-Surgical Oncology various surgical procedures used to treat many types of cancer. 12-Targeted Therapies A cutting edge technology that deals with drugs which target specific pathways in the growth and development of tumors. 13-Vaccine Therapies One of the more complex topics in cancer treatment and one of the most rapidly changing fields of cancer research.

Question: age 73 male prostate cancer with metastis to the bone, how long to live? diabetic, type two, outside of bone cancer, good general health, had chemo and radiation, not elgible for any more

Answer: "Had chemo and radiation, not eligible for anymore". What does that mean? Is his oncologist saying it would have no value? Or is the insurance company refusing to pay for further treatments? These treatments benefit many stage 4 patients by slowing down the spread of cancer, which can contribute to a longer life and increased quality of life. Speak further with the attending oncologist or seek a second opinion.

Question: Have you ever known someone who has suffered from non-breast and non-prostate cancer? A friend of mine (a young friend - she's in her early 20s) was diagnosed a couple of months ago with a form of sarcoma. When she was diagnosed, the cancer had already reached stage 4; her survival chances are low, and she's already gone through several dangerous complications which, even if she survives them, will leave her permanently crippled. Incidentally, she recognized the symptoms of this cancer nearly a year before she was diagnosed (she didn't recognize it as cancer, but had been in and out of doctor's offices for a year before one finally recognized it as sarcoma - and she's not the type to complain idly) - most of her previous doctors assumed it was some kind of back problem, and she had been sent to chiropractors a couple of times. It was finally recognized as cancer when it started to migrate near her breasts, where abnormal tissues started to serve as warning flags for doctors. Another family friend died a few years ago of lung cancer; it was also stage 4 when diagnosed. Incidentally, she was given extremely high survival rates when it was first diagnosed as breast cancer; these rates plummeted when her doctors realized that the mass was sitting a little further back than they first found. It seems that the medical community files cancer into about four categories: breast cancer, prostate cancer, "the patient's own fault" cancers (e.g. lung cancer and liver cancer, which are assumed to be caused by smoking or drinking, even if they aren't), and "other" cancers (which, not being as politically popular as breast cancer or prostate cancer, draw very little funding and attention from medical specialists). If you're unfortunate enough to have a type that's not breast or prostate cancer, your doctors either actively think you deserve to die, or they're just completely in the dark about diagnosing and treating your cancer. Has anyone else suffered losses from the politicization of cancer? Does it p*ss anyone else off that people with the wrong kind of cancer tend to have dismal chances of being diagnosed or treated properly, because cancer has become politicized so all the resources go to the types that can be used to help our little "boys vs. girls" fights?

Answer: Ive had family members die from liver cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, skin cancer, brain cancer and stomach cancer. Ive had family members that have survived breast cancer, cervical cancer and uterine cancer. Do I think these people were treated better? No, not really. These types of cancer are far more common and therefore have far more early detection tests in place. They were all in parts of the body that can be removed without killing the patient. Because I've been highly involved in the Relay for Life (American Cancer Society's signature event) for the past 8 years I have met people who have survived all sorts of cancer.