About.com Prostate Cancer

Are Rural Men More Likely to Die of Their Prostate Cancer?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:02:39 +0000

Rob Stirling, an ambassador affiliated with prostate groups in Australia recently made the statement that men in rural Australia have a 10% higher risk of dying from their prostate cancer than men from Australia's large cities.

In large, sprawling countries like Australia, it can be difficult for doctors to make it to men men in rural areas in order to give them appropriate screening tests and yearly checkups. Additionally, it can be difficult for men from rural areas to make their way to medical centers for treatment.

"Flying physician" programs have been started in order to help alleviate some of the difficultly that rural residents have in obtaining proper medical care.

Photo by Thomas Northcut - Getty Images

Are Rural Men More Likely to Die of Their Prostate Cancer? originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 21:02:39.

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Lloyd Webber Has a Prostate Surgery Complication

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:44:23 +0000

Famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was forced to return to the hospital recently after developing a post-surgical infection.

Lloyd Webber underwent surgery to remove his prostate last month after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had been doing well. He was readmitted to the hospital, however, after developing an infection following surgery.

While prostate surgery is done in a sterile setting and antibiotics are routinely given to ward off any post-surgical infection, it is definitely still possible for infection to occur.

If the infection is severe enough, antibiotics given through an IV are used and, sometimes, the area of infection is surgically cleaned.

Lloyd Webber Has a Prostate Surgery Complication originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 20:44:23.

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Is Your Doctor's Treatment Advice Biased?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:25:16 +0000

Could your doctor's treatment advice be biased in favor of one treatment or another without any real scientific data to back it up?

Definitely.

While your doctor almost certainly has your best interests at heart, that doesn't mean that he or she is without a bias in favor of one treatment over another.

Learn more about this important issue in an in-depth article available here.

Photo by George Marks - Getty Images

Is Your Doctor's Treatment Advice Biased? originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 21:25:16.

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When Is Prostate Cancer "Metastatic"?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:34:55 +0000

Prostate cancer's spread is often described inaccurately by those who have it themselves, their families, and even their doctors. Here's a quick breakdown of how to accurately describe the extent of prostate cancer that has spread.

Locally advanced prostate cancer is cancer that has grown through the wall or capsule of the prostate and invaded into the nearby normal tissues.

Metastatic prostate cancer is cancer that has spread from the prostate into areas of the body distant from the prostate. For example, prostate cancer that has spread to the bones is called "metastatic prostate cancer".

That's pretty much it. If the cancer has spread beyond the region immediately adjacent to the prostate, then it is no longer just "locally advanced" - it is now more appropriately called "metastatic".

When Is Prostate Cancer "Metastatic"? originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 22:34:55.

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Cholesterol May Be Tied to Higher Grade Prostate Cancers

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:21:21 +0000

A new study has shown that men with healthy levels of cholesterol have less chance of developing high grade (aggressive) prostate cancer than men with high cholesterol levels.

In this study, involving more than 5000 men, researchers from Johns Hopkins University determined that men with total cholesterol levels below 200 (considered a relatively healthy level) had a nearly 60% lower rate of developing aggressive prostate cancers than men with total cholesterol levels above 200.

This study did not take into account whether the men being studied had taken cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins or simply had healthy levels of cholesterol without the use of medication. Studies in the past have shown that there may be an association between statin use and lower rates of prostate cancer, but this association has not been definitively shown to be true.

The medical journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention published this most recent study.

Cholesterol May Be Tied to Higher Grade Prostate Cancers originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 22:21:21.

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Actor Dennis Hopper Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:32:22 +0000

Dennis Hopper, famed for his roles in movies such as Rebel Without a Cause, Easy Rider, and Blue Velvet was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and will be undergoing treatment at the University of Southern California.

The 73-year-old Hopper hasn't released much other information such as what treatment option he has decided upon.

Actor Dennis Hopper Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 03:32:22.

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Grow a Moustache for Prostate Cancer Awareness in "Movember"!

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:05:22 +0000

The Movember Foundation is back at it again this year as it seeks to promote prostate and testicular cancer awareness by having thousands of men around the world grow moustaches throughout November.

For those of you who aren't familiar, "mo" is slang for moustache in Australia (from which the founders of the Movember Foundation hail).

The foundation was started in 2003 in Australia and has been active in the U.S. for the past 3 years. So far, they have raised nearly $50 million for prostate cancer research worldwide.

Kudos to the Movember Foundation for a fun, innovative, and effective campaign to raise awareness and money about male cancers!

Photo by Siri Stafford - Getty Images

Grow a Moustache for Prostate Cancer Awareness in "Movember"! originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 10:05:22.

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American Cancer Society Taking Heat for Comments

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:31:25 +0000

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has been feeling some heat lately after its chief medical officer, Dr. Otis Brawley, told a New York Times reporter that the benefits of screening tests for breast, prostate, and other cancers had been "exaggerated".

Dr. Brawley's comments were given in regard to a recent Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article that raised doubts about the effectiveness of cancer screening. The ACS is in the middle of a revision of their collective statement regarding cancer screening tests.

Many people would be surprised to learn that, on many large questions within medicine, there is no strong consensus among doctors or even among all of the major medical organizations. For instance, the ACS, the American Urological Association (AUA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and several other groups that deal with prostate cancer do not completely agree on recommendations for prostate cancer screening.

You can read more about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening here.

American Cancer Society Taking Heat for Comments originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 04:31:25.

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Andrew Lloyd Webber Has Prostate Cancer

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:22:01 +0000

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, best known for musicals including Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Through his spokespeople, he said that his cancer was found in its early stages. No further details about treatment plans for the English-born composer were released.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Has Prostate Cancer originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 18:22:01.

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Taller Men Found to Have More Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:39:12 +0000

A recent study found that tall men have, on average, more aggressive and more advanced prostate cancers.

Researchers from NYU School of Medicine found that the tallest men, especially those over 6 feet 3 inches, had significantly higher rates of aggressive prostate cancer than did men of shorter stature. Overall, prostate cancer rates were equal among all height groups, but tall men had more aggressive cancers.

The researchers postulate that an underlying mechanism that results in greater height may also play a role in the development of aggressive prostate cancer, but mor research is needed to determine what this mechanism may be.

Taller Men Found to Have More Aggressive Prostate Cancer originally appeared on About.com Prostate Cancer on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 04:39:12.

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