Prostate Cancer: Alternatives For Prevention And Treatment

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men, and more specifically, it is the second most deadly form of cancer in US men. No matter, apart from the lack of medicine, there is no definitive clue to prevent it from any doubt, but There are several actions that can be incorporated into daily life that can help prevent this. Generally, the best initial approach is for men to study risk factors; Men who are at risk of approaching prostate cancer - depending on their age, race background, diet, and / or family history - should consider making choices in their daily lives, which include exercising, having a healthier diet, among many life-changing options, change.

Although there is not a lot of strong evidence to support them, some studies have shown that low fat and high fat diets in fruits and vegetables are ideal for maintaining a healthy prostate. From a nutritional point of view, this is not surprising, as this type of diet is healthy for the human body in general, and has been repeatedly proven to help men control their weight, and consequently, the heart and cardiovascular system. In a study that considered fat associations with prostate cancer risk, animal fat was found to be more associated with prostate cancer cases than plant fat. In addition, some fish are also associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer, more specifically those with fatty acids (such as omega-3) that replace saturated fat health in any diet. Other studies show that diets containing olive oil, green tea and many vegetables, such as tomatoes (cooked beans), soybeans and other nuts, may be associated with lower risk of prostate cancer, particularly in more advanced cases. .

In addition, a doctor must always accompany any dietary supplement; For example, excess calcium is associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer. Men generally must be careful not to overuse their calcium; whether in a daily diet, or in a vitamin supplement, the daily intake should not exceed 1500 mg. Also, the use of any multivitamin is not recommended, as a man on a diet full of vegetables and fruits will most likely not need vitamin supplements. Tomatoes have also been studied because they are known to contain lycopenes, which are powerful antioxidants that can help reduce or destroy cell damage, and such studies show a decrease in prostate cancer. Other antioxidant vitamins, such as selenium and vitamin E have been the focus of many studies, but without any real success or closure on this topic. However, eating all the vegetables and fruits in the world will never come to eliminate the risk of a man getting cancer in his prostate. Therefore, men who are currently in one of the risk groups should not only consider this improvement in their daily lives, but also - and most importantly - consult a specialist doctor to discuss whether annual digital rectal examination, prostate biopsy, ultrasound and / or Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests are the recommended options for each individual case. In addition, a doctor should also be referred to cases of stress, hypertension and cholesterol, and depression, as treating this condition is very important for improving the survival rate of prostate cancer patients.

Doctors for cases where risk reduction is needed also provide medication, depending on the case. The two drugs being studied are the hormone drugs Finasteride and Dutasteride, due to their use in treating Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, which is not a cancerous condition, but also causes prostate enlargement. They are both 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Reductase 5-alpha is an enzyme in the human body that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a key hormone that promotes prostate growth. It inhibits the enzyme and prevents the formation of DHT, thereby inhibiting prostate growth. Several studies on these two drugs have been conducted to evaluate whether they can be useful in reducing the risk of prostate cancer. In those studies, it was found that a group of men taking these drugs were less likely to develop prostate cancer after several years, compared to the placebo-controlled control group; this does not interfere with mortality, but both groups have similar survival rates. Other medicines are being tested for their low risk of developing this condition, but none have proven to be of sufficient help to enable doctors to recommend to those in need.

Researchers around the world are looking for genes that may be linked in any way to prostate cancer. Some of these genes have been identified and appear to increase the risk of cancer carriers. British scientists have discovered the PTEN gene, which is involved in prostate cancer, and is currently studying to reveal how it works and affects cancer. Other scientists from the UK have denied another gene called E2F3, which appears to be over-active in cases of prostate cancer. This can help doctors determine which men really need treatment, while others only require active examination. Yet another gene, MSR1, is found in the United States and is found in some families with a history of persistent prostate cancer, and may be important in increasing the risk of carriers of the same condition. Hopefully in the future this study may enable doctors to perform genetic testing for prostate cancer risk as it is currently being done with breast cancer.

Although preventing and diagnosing is the first step in treating prostate cancer, once discovered and confirmed, treatment is the only option. Each individual case will require different treatment sizes, depending on the age and the extent to which the cancer has spread. Some men have tumors that grow slowly and may not need treatment; in such cases, the tumor grows very slowly and because it has no symptoms, it is better to wait and monitor the patient than to give him any medication that may cause unwanted side effects. However, when the cancer is found to be aggressive, it may spread and, before it is done, surgery is the best option. The surgical procedure to remove the entire prostate is called radical prostatectomy, and can be done either by cutting the patient's abdomen and removing the prostate, or by making small cuts and using specialized equipment, sometimes a robot, to remove the gland. In addition, if the cancer causes discomfort by pressing on the urethra, transurethral prostate resection can also be used to relieve symptoms. In the past, some men also went a long way in removing their penis, to stop the production of testosterone, aimed at controlling and reducing tumors. Currently this treatment is not recommended in most cases, as hormone therapy can have the same effect without the need for surgery, stopping the action of male hormones. This hormone treatment is usually used to reduce the chance of prostate cancer returning after another treatment.

Radiotherapy can be used to treat prostate cancer that does not spread beyond the gland, but is also effective in treating cancer that has spread and managed the pain. In this type of treatment, controlled radiation radiation is used to kill cancer cells, which in turn reduces the tumor. Radiation can also be transmitted directly to the gland, by placing radioactive wires into the prostate. Some doctors also use chemotherapy, using drugs to destroy cancer cells, usually as a last resort if hormone therapy is not successful. Generally, the combination of these treatments is not recommended, for each type of individual treatment has its own side effects and all have major disadvantages to those undergoing it. The best thing to do is try to prevent and identify the risk factors by heart, so that one does not have to cure them through this treatment, which is uncomfortable and, in most of them, damages the functioning of the human body.

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