7 popular Myths about Prostate Cancer

Myth #1: Prostate cancer is solely an elderly man's disease
If you're diagnosed with prostate cancer in your late 40s or 50s, you may find that most people are amazed, because they think that only older men (age 65 years old or older) can get prostate cancer. The reality is that older men do have a greater risk for prostate cancer, but younger men can also develop the disease.

If a younger man believes that you have to be old to die from prostate cancer, and then he is diagnosed with the disease, he may think that he doesn't have to worry. He may then avoid or delay treatment for years, based on this erroneous assumption. Don't make the same mistake.

Myth #2: If you have cancer, you'll know because of the symptoms
Some forms of early cancer have symptoms, but prostate cancer, especially in its early stages, usually has no symptoms at all. Only when men are in the advanced stages of prostate cancer do they often experience severe urinary or back problems. By then the illness is treatable but not often curable. Whether you have symptoms or not, make sure that you get your prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood level checked every year after age 50, and every year after age 40 if you're black and/or have a family history of prostate cancer — both groups are at higher risk than others to develop prostate cancer.

Myth #3: Nobody dies of prostate cancer
Strangely, people may also believe the opposite of the "everyone must die" myth about prostate cancer — that no one ever dies of prostate cancer. In fact, it's the second leading cancer killer for men in the United States. Maybe the cancer was detected in a later stage, or maybe it was discovered early on, and everything "right" was done, and yet the patient died anyway. However, in most cases, when your doctor catches prostate cancer in the early stages, it's not only treatable, but also curable.

Myth #4: Surgery or radiation is always best
Understandably, most surgeons favor the prostatectomy as the best option for many cases of prostate cancer. Radiation oncologists often lean toward recommending radiation treatments for many men with prostate cancer. To determine which treatment is best, each individual situation needs to be considered, including the man's age, how advanced his cancer is, his attitude about side effects and quality of life issues, and other factors. For example, if a man is 70 years old and has diabetes, surgery may be a poor choice, because his life expectancy is less than 10 years. Conversely, if a man is 55 and otherwise healthy, and his cancer is localized (or confined to the prostate), a prostatectomy may be the best answer. Patients need to consider the choices they're offered and analyze what's best for them.

Myth #5: You'll become permanently disabled
Many men continue to work after being treated for prostate cancer, while some take four to six weeks off (or longer) to recover from surgery or other treatments. Some men decide to retire — a decision they may have been delaying before the diagnosis of prostate cancer. If you have prostate cancer and you're a military veteran who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, you may be eligible for disability compensation from the Veterans Administration.

Myth #6: Impotence Always Follows Treatment
Unlike the other myths, there may actually be a bit of truth behind this one. Half of all men who receive treatment for prostate cancer will experience some impotence (or problems with potency), albeit temporarily. However, some men have few or no problems.

Specifically, treatment for prostate cancer may cause erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men because of the effects of surgery or radiation on the nerves and blood vessels that control erections. In addition, hormone shots can cause impotence by drastically lowering your sex drive. But if your doctor performs the nerve-sparing prostatectomy, or you have radiation therapy, you have good odds of retaining or getting your potency back in a year (or sooner).

Myth #7: Your partner will dump you
Some individuals think that if you have prostate cancer, your partner will get frustrated and walk out on you. Although very few studies on the subject have been performed, abandonment doesn't seem to be a problem for men with prostate cancer. Sure, some men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are walked out on, and some even decide to leave their partners. But in most of these cases, the relationship was in trouble before the cancer diagnosis. The illness may have provided a little push over the edge for a relationship that was already hovering on the cliff of serious problems.

Support groups can often help with relationship problems that occur after diagnosis. You can even find some online support groups for significant others that can be very helpful in alleviating a lot of the concerns, questions, and tension that living with someone with prostate cancer can generate. Help is out there.

prostate cancer doctor is a prostate cancer patient read the real fact

Dr. Paul Lange was a world-famous doctor, chairman of the Department of Urology at the University of Washington, and renowned for his skill as a surgeon and his research on urological cancers, including prostate cancer.Then he got prostate cancer.
Having prostate cancer led Dr. Lange to write "Prostate Cancer for Dummies" (John Wiley Publishing, 2003), an informative and readable book that is selling well. "The 'Dummies' called me and asked me to participate, and initially I said no, thinking there were enough books out there," he says.

"But they convinced me there was a need for a book that was more layman-sensitive … and patients seem to like this book better and seem to understand better from reading this book."

Prostate Cancer For Dummies explains the key issues and problems that are associated with the prosate cancer.
The book was a collaboration with a co-author, Christine Adamec, an experienced medical writer whose husband is a prostate cancer survivor. More than 10,000 copies of the book have been sold to date.

Siddha -a new alternative Treatment method for rare diseases

Siddha system of medicine, like Ayurveda, is equally ancient system. The name seems to have been derived from siddhars, or saintly persons, and eighteen of them are believed to have contributed in its development. The principles and doctrines of this system, both fundamental and applied, have a close similarity to Ayurveda.
The strength of the Siddha system like in its ability in treating most types of diseases other than emergency cases. The system is effective in treating sexually transmitted disease, urinary tract infections, liver and gastro-intestinal tracts ailments, general debility, postpartum anaemia, diarrhoea, arthritis and allergic disorders.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms,diagnosis and treatments

prostate cancer can be a life-altering experience. It requires making some very difficult decisions about treatments that can affect not only the life of the man diagnosed, but also the lives of his family members in significant ways for many years to come

What is prostate ?

Roughly the size of a walnut and situated around the neck of the bladder, the prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system and is vital in the production of semen.
The tube through which the urine passes is called the urethra, which goes through the prostate gland.
If the prostate enlarges, then the urethra narrows and urination problems occur.
The prostate is also the centre for a bundle of sexual nerves, which is why prostate problems can cause impotence.

Source : http://www.thepcrf.org/your_prostate/

Prostate Ayuvedic treatment :

Prostate Support
Servings per Container 60 vegetarian capsules per bottle 500 mg. each
Reccommened Dosage - 1 Capsule two times daily
Suggested Retail: $21.95
Ingredients: Each Capsule contains Saw Palmetto 45% extract 320 mg. Shilajit 20% extract 75 mg., Turmeric extract 50mg., Tribulus extract 30mg., Mucuna extract 20mg.
Sexual System (male)
Saw Palmetto (berries) alleviate Enlarged Prostate: research
Saw Palmetto inhibits the conversion of Testosterone to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the Prostate and blocks the attachment of Dihydrotestosterone to cellular binding sites, subsequently increasing the breakdown and excretion of Dihydrotestosterone. researchSaw Palmetto reduces the activity of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in the Prostate by up to 66% (excessive Prostate EGF activity has been implicated in Enlarged Prostate). research
Saw Palmetto also acts directly on the Prostate in cases of Enlarged Prostate to reduce the Pain and Inflammation associated with Enlarged Prostate (due to Lipids in Saw Palmetto).Part of the beneficial effect of Saw Palmetto in the treatment of Enlarged Prostate relates to its ability to relax the Smooth Muscle at the Bladder outlet (thereby preventing the Urinary urgency and Frequent Urination that occurs in Enlarged Prostate patients).In most cases of Enlarged Prostate, treatment with Saw Palmetto causes some results to become apparent after six to eight weeks, although maximum improvement normally does not occur until six months of Saw Palmetto treatment.
Saw Palmetto Inhibits these Potentially Toxic Substances

source : http://www.tattvasherbs.com/prostatesupport.htm

Prostate Homeopathic treatment :
The system of homeopathic medicine has a promising role to offer for the treatment of various diseases associated with prostate gland, inclusive of all its variants. Homeopathy, a branch of alternative medicines, can address majority of these problems effectively, gently and without using knife.Homeopathic approach towards prostate diseasesThe unique feature of Homeopathy philosophy is that Homeopathy aims at treating the patient who is diseased rather than merely treating the diseased organs of the patient. 'Treat the patient, not the disease' is a dictum practiced by homeopaths over 200 years. This simply means that the disease should not be treated superficially as if it is an independent entity in the body. Instead it is perceived that every disease is a result of the dysfunction of the whole body, as every system in the human body is interlinked. When we approach the patient with the idea of 'treating the patient and not the disease,' it is important to note that the disease gets automatically treated when the 'patient as a whole' is treated. This holds true with prostate diseases also. Whether it is prostatitis or prostate enlargement Homeopathy perceives this as total affliction of body and not of the prostate gland alone. The basic approach in homeopathy is to evaluate the diseases of prostate in its whole extent, whereby a lot of emphasis is given to the patient as a whole besides minutely studying various aspects of the prostate disorders. This is called as totalistic approach. Moreover, homeopathy firmly believes in enhancing body's own curative power to maintain the healthy status. The homeopathic approach is to enhance body's own healing capacity so that the deep-rooted maladies can be removed from the roots.

http://www.prostatitis.com/homtreat.htm