Category: Cancer and Tumor

Jan 30

Common Types of Prostate Cancer Therapy



Prostate cancer is a cancer that is being developed in a man’s prostate gland. This type of cancer can manifest symptoms, but most of the time, it does not show any symptoms at all until the cancer spreads in other parts of the body. Take note that the worst manifestation will be felt once the cancer cells invaded other parts of the body.

If the cancer cells did not leave the prostate yet, there is a very high percentage of survival since the cancer cells can be treated easily. There are actually a lot of ways on how we can treat prostate cancer. It may include surgery, and common types of therapy such as chemotherapy and radiation treatment. There are actually a lot of manifestations in these types of therapies and the risk that the patient is taking is too much.

This article will be dealing with the common therapies applied for prostate cancer patients.

Chemotherapy, as the term suggests is the application of chemicals to treat the cancer. it uses chemical injections that can freeze the cancer cells, prevent it from spreading, and eventually die. This type of therapy is very crucial because chemicals can cause harm in the body aside from the typical side effect of the cancer cells itself.

Patient who undergoes this type of therapy experiences hair loss, loss of appetite, and hormonal imbalance with ill health. The body’s resistance deplete until such time that the patient can no longer bear the pain. During chemotherapy, aside from targeting cancer cells, it is inevitable to damage healthy cells due to the over exposure of the cancer cells to chemical compounds. When this happens, the body suffers the consequences of the chemotherapy and the body totally surrenders.

Another type of prostate cancer therapy is through the use of radiation technology. During the process, radiation will be directed to the prostate gland, aim it to the cancer cells and eventually kill cancer little by little. In this type of treatment, the same thing happens. The radiation targets the cancer cells. At the same time, it is also inevitable that healthy cells are being affected, leaving them damage along the process.

The application of treatments and therapies will be dependent on the severity of the patient’s cancer. At the same time, the state of the patient’s physical and overall health is also considered. Sometimes, if the cancer cells have reached critical parts of the system, the body would eventually display symptoms that are severe as well like dark spots in the skull and other parts of the body. At some point, if the cancer is widespread and cannot be treated by a single treatment, the experts would resort to employing a mix of these therapies that can really be very painful and stressful.

It is very important that we discover prostate cancer at an early state so as not to complicate other body cells even more. When we do close monitoring of what we feel, it will help us more in getting the appropriate treatment and therapy with higher probability of survival.

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Dec 25

What is at Stake With Prostate Cancer Therapy?



Prostate cancer is one of the elite cancers since it only occurs in men. Remember that the prostate is a gland that constitutes the man’s reproductive organ. Well, reproductive is very important which is parallel to the importance of other systems of the body. When a cancer hit the prostate, two things is predicted to happen, it will stay there and be stagnant, or it will spread all throughout other systems and create greater risks and complications.

When we say complications it has no limit. It might attack other organs, the bones, or other systems, which no one know yet. Since prostate cancer might be discovered earlier, there are some times that the cancer will not be discovered until the cancer cells are starting to spread and attack other healthy cells.

There are prostate cancer surgeries and therapies using chemicals and radiation. However, what are at stake if the person will undergo therapies? There are some instances wherein experts have to perform a mix and match of the therapies to kill the cancer cells and stop it from spreading and infecting other body systems. In this article, we will be focused on what are at stake if a patient will decide to try all possibilities and go through a series of therapies?

Wealth will be one thing that will be at stake. For those who have more in life, money may not be a problem. For those who do not have enough funds for the therapy, they will end up setting everything valuable to them. There are some cases wherein to extend their life, their families have tries several means to come up with enough funds to make the therapy progress. If you have nothing to spare, your loved one is into the battle of life and death, will you not grab any opportunity that comes your way?

Whatever price you have to pay, as long as you have tried everything in your power to extend someone’s life even for a limited time, you will really grab the opportunity and explore all possible options.
Health is also at stake. The idea of the therapy makes you sick. How much more if you will go through it repeatedly? Think of the physical, emotional, and psychological pain that you have to bear.

The only courage you have is a little hope that you can make it through despite the hardships you have to go through. The family and friends that is with you all throughout will give you the strength and hope to survive the therapy.Life is at stake. If you will be given a limited time to breath, are you not going to make the most out of it? Above all, there is only one thing that shows.

We value of lives. It is a precious thing and we have to fight for it. One way or another, we will be gone. However, leaving the world knowing that you have done everything you have to do is better than leaving the world in pain, agony, and not completing the things you have to accomplish because of cancer.These are just a few that are at stake when you choose to take chances with therapies for treating prostate cancer. Somewhat, you might think that life is unfair however, we have to bear with it. It makes the world goes round after all.

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Posted in Cancer and Tumor

Dec 16

The Value Of Exercise During Radiation Therapy For Breast And Prostate Cancer



Complementary medicine integrates non-Western treatment methods into mainstream medical practice. Examples include light exercise, guided imagery, massage, yoga, reiki, tai chi, acupuncture, music therapy, and art therapy.

In the oncology area, these modalities can help to reduce side effects and thereby enhance a person’s physical and/or emotional tolerance to treatment. People thus feel better during what might otherwise be a very difficult period of cancer treatment.

Fatigue is a common symptom during cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can stem from the underlying illness, insomnia/sleep deprivation, anxiety, and/or the cancer treatment itself. Helping people manage and reduce fatigue is an important component in enhancing their overall well-being. After all, oncologists strive to treat the whole person and not just the disease.

The mechanism of fatigue in radiation therapy is not known. Often, it is not purely radiation treatment induced, but rather, is due to one or more of the factors outlined above.

In people with breast and prostate cancer, the National Cancer Institute undertook a randomized controlled study of cancer related fatigue in 38 individuals. 27 were women with breast cancer and 11 were men with prostate cancer. All received at least 30 radiation treatments, five days a week for six weeks.

Baseline tests to assess fatigue, strength, and cardiovascular heath were performed before the people received radiation therapy. The study compared a half the people in the group who followed an exercise program to the half who were randomized to receive radiation therapy without exercise therapy.

The program consisted of moderate, home-based use of resistance bands and walking. Of the participants in the trial, the average age was 60. Half the people received chemotherapy and 84% endured surgery. Participants were enthusiastic and 95% of them completed the prescribed exercise course

The exercise group was required to take walks daily and to try to increase the number of steps taken each day. They wore pedometers and kept a diary. In addition, they were assigned to complete 11 resistance band exercises daily, performing one set of eight to 15 repetitions daily and gradually increasing to three to four sets. Results revealed an 82% increase in the number of steps walked daily and the use of resistance bands an average of 3 1/2 days per week for 20 minutes at a moderate intensity level.

Those who exercised maintained their stamina during radiation therapy and improved their aerobic capacity. Also, they were able to walk faster and further in only four weeks and they experienced less cancer related fatigue than the control group. In fact, the control subjects demonstrated a decline in their baseline muscle strength.

The mechanism by which exercise alleviates fatigue is not clear. Although this study is small and more clinical trials will be helpful, the results suggest that when exercise is non-burdensome, safe and feasible, it serves as an inexpensive, valuable tool in improving the quality of life of cancer survivors.

For more information about radiation therapy, visit http://www.ASTRO.org , the website of The American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

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