Women know more about men’s health than men do themselves and that’s a fact. Why is that? Is it because we find it hard to discuss these things? Is it because it’s not macho! From the time that we are young, we are taught that boys have to act tough and shouldn’t cry. You must have heard the saying "Big Boys don’t cry!"

Most of us carry this thought process into adulthood and feel by showing concern for our health, it will be seen as a male weakness. I am guilty of that myself.

I know when my prostate troubles began, I knew absolutely nothing about the prostate. I was one of the 96%. Mainly because it didn’t cross my mind that I’d ever have any problems.

In addition, the prostate is in a "private" area, and it wasn’t something I wanted to examine. Many people, including myself, feel uncomfortable talking about the prostate, since the gland plays a role in both sex and urination.

I have had prostate troubles, survived a cancer scare and watched my sister die from Cancer. Believe me, when I say that when you think you are going to die, it concentrates your mind on what is really important. Suddenly your priorities get focused.

Due to my prostate troubles, I became interested in learning about the prostate and how it affected my health.

I cried the day they took a biopsy and I cried with relief the day I was told it was benign. I cried many times as I watched my sister die.

I got so frustrated having to get up every night 3-4 times due to my prostate troubles and then finding I couldn’t get back to sleep.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate Cancer develops by the growth of cancerous cells within the prostate gland. Prostate cancer occurs when some of the cells that make up the prostate gland escape from the normal controls on their growth and start to divide, grow and spread in an uncontrolled manner. In its advanced form, it can produce the same symptoms as BPH. (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)

Warning Signs

Early prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms. When symptoms of prostate cancer do occur, they may include some of the following problems:

A need to urinate frequently, especially at night; Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine; Inability to urinate; Weak or interrupted flow of urine; Painful or burning urination; Painful ejaculation; Blood in urine or semen; and/or Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.

Any of these symptoms may be caused by cancer or by other, less serious health problems, such as BPH or an infection (Prostatitis). Only a doctor can tell the cause. A man who has symptoms like these should see his family doctor . Do not wait to feel pain; early prostate cancer does not cause pain.

These are two other main prostate problems

1) BPH - (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) is the abnormal growth of benign prostate cells. In an enlarged prostate , the prostate grows larger and pushes against the urethra and bladder, blocking the normal flow of urine. BPH is often the result of prostatitis.

2) Prostatitis refers to prostate inflammation and infection, which can be brief or long-lasting, mild or severe symptoms can include frequent, urgent and painful urination, erectile problems or pain >during ejaculation.

Prostatitis is rampant in the US, affecting at least 80% of American men. Most is without major symptoms. Prostate enlargement, called Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) is often the result of prostatitis.

Treatment for Prostate Cancer

The treatment given for prostate cancer depends on how advanced or widespread the disease is. If the cancer is small and only present within the prostate gland, it is possible to treat it with

surgery (radical prostatectomy) radiotherapy (either external beam radiotherapy or brachytherapy) hormone therapy

I sincerely hope that this article can be of use to you, your partner, someone in your family or indeed a close friend.

Health to me is both physical and mental. The two cannot be separated. May I leave you with what I regard the finest bits of advice for life

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If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the eye and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me." Ann Landers
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I wish you perfect health and piece of mind in all that you do.

Jeff Cuckson

webmaster@backtobetterhealth.com
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Discover Real People With Stories Of Success
In Getting Back To Good Health. Go Visit NOW at!
http://www.backtobetterhealth.com
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With all the media talk about prostate surgery vs. taking drugs for prostate problems, you would think those are your only two options.

If information like this can save one more person from making a mistake with their prostate health, it will be worth taking the time to educate yourself on this important subject.

Are you aware that you can avoid surgery and drugs with proper testing in the first place?

Let’s take a look at the facts when it comes to testing for prostate problems and look beyond the media headlines.

Better testing leads to more accurate information and a better diagnosis about the health of your prostate. And one of the keys is early detection with the RIGHT tests.

The most commonly MIS-used test is the PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen test.

Prostate-specific antigen - is a protein which is naturally produced by the prostate gland. Prostate tumors typically cause over-production of PSA, so when a blood test reveals an elevated level of the protein, it’s a red flag that warns of possible problems.

Both cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH which is a swelling of the prostate, can increase PSA levels.

What doctors usually do next is to recommend a biopsy. This is the next step toward trouble. Prostate biopsies are painful procedures that can result in bleeding and infection which only worsens your problem – if you even have one.

And recent evidence shows that most of these biopsies are completely unnecessary.

In a 2003 study from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, researchers set out to determine if fluctuations in PSA levels would reveal a single PSA test result to be unreliable on its own.

The conclusions of this 4 year study revealed that an isolated PSA screening with an elevated level should be followed with an additional screening several weeks later before proceeding with further testing or a biopsy.

Because the problem with a single PSA test is that PSA levels normally fluctuate and having just one test leads to over diagnosis of prostate problems.

Here is where the AMAS test is significantly better.

A more sensible and dependable way to screen for prostate cancer is a blood test called the anti-malignin antibody screen (AMAS). Anti-malignan antibody levels become elevated when any cancer cells are present in the body.

Most importantly, these levels rise early in the development of cancer cells, which means that cancer can sometimes be detected several months before other clinical tests might find it.

With an accuracy rate of more than 95 percent, the AMAS test is much more reliable than the PSA test. And the best way to detect prostate problems is a SERIES of PSA tests (as the Sloan- Kettering Trial concluded), WITH the AMAS test.

This powerful combination of tests will allow you to avoid false alarms which lead to painful biopsies, drugs and unnecessary painful surgery.

The more you learn about these tests, the more you will feel compelled to implement them.

You can find out more about the AMAS test at http://www.amascancertest.com.

As you can see, these are important tests to take over a period of time which can save you from unnecessary surgery and drugs.

Take control of your own health by educating yourself about tests, treatments and nutrition so that you can become more healthy and stay healthier in the long run.

2004 © by Lee Cummings Leeman@LC-Nutrition.com

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About The Author

Lee Cummings has been helping people solve problems and feel better with proven nutrition for over 4 years. Lee publishes the montly LC Nutrition newsletter. For a No cost Report - mailto:report@lc-nutrition.com

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Men with prostate cancer who take supplemental lycopene in addition to surgical removal of the testicles may experience less active disease, less bone pain, and live longer than those who only have surgical removal of the testicles, according to a new study in British Journal of Urology International (2003;92:375–8). This is exciting news for millions of men who have to undergo aggressive treatment for advanced prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men over the age of 50 years, with more than 200,000 new cases each year in the United States. The cause of prostate cancer, like many other cancers, is unknown; however, some studies suggest alterations in testosterone metabolism may play a role in its development. Prostate cancer is generally slow growing and may not cause any symptoms until late in the disease. Symptoms may include frequent or painful urination, dribbling after urination, sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder, or blood in the urine. The symptoms of prostate cancer are similar to those of a non-cancerous condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), so men experiencing these symptoms should consult their physician for an accurate diagnosis.

In the new study, 54 men with advanced prostate cancer were randomly assigned to have surgical removal of the testicles (orchidectomy) alone or orchidectomy plus oral supplementation with 4 mg of lycopene a day. Measurements of PSA (a blood marker of prostate cancer activity), bone scans, and urinary flow were taken initially and every three months for two years. Men receiving lycopene started on the day of their surgery.

After six months, PSA had significantly decreased in both groups, indicating a reduction in prostate cancer activity. However, PSA levels in those receiving lycopene were more than 65% lower than in those who did not receive lycopene. After two years, PSA levels in the lycopene treatment group had fallen into the normal range, while those who only underwent surgery still had PSA levels more than twice the upper limit of normal. Urinary symptoms significantly improved in both groups, but better improvement was again observed in the lycopene group. The lycopene group also experienced less bone pain.

The survival rates after two years in the lycopene-plus-surgery group and surgery-only groups were 87% and 78%, respectively, a statistically significant difference. No adverse side effects were observed in men taking lycopene.LycopeneLycopene is one of a group of compounds called carotenoids. It is found in high amounts in tomatoes.

The findings of this study corroborate the findings of other similar studies examining the effectiveness of lycopene in the treatment of prostate cancer. However, the amount used in the current study (4 mg per day) was substantially less than the amounts used in other studies (30 mg per day). It may also help stimulate the immune system and has been shown to cause cancer cells to die on their own. Although more research is needed to clarify what amount of lycopene is most effective, men with prostate cancer may benefit from taking daily lycopene supplements. Eating one moderately sized tomato a day also provides approximately 4 mg of lycopene. Other tomato products, such as an 8-ounce portion of tomato juice or tomato paste may provide up to 25 mg of lycopene.

Darin Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP), received his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. Dr. Ingels is the author of The Natural Pharmacist: Lowering Cholesterol (Prima, 1999) and Natural Treatments for High Cholesterol (Prima, 2000). He currently is in private practice at New England Family Health Associates located in Southport, CT, where he specializes in environmental medicine and allergies. Dr. Ingels is a regular contributor to Vitamin Herb University.

Cancer Centres in USA compared the lifetime sun exposure in men with advanced prostate cancer and men without disease and they suggest that men who had spent more time in the sun they lives were with low risk of prostate cancer.

New studies in prostate cancer indicate that the men who spent more time in the sun in their live usually can reduce prostate cancer in about 50%

About the above point shown that the prostate uses Vitamin D to promote the normal growth of prostate cells and in consequence to slow the spread of prostate cancer cells to others parts of the body.

Sun exposure prevent prostate cancer and the new research suggest vitamin D in supplement may be a safer option today for men.

Previous studies have shown that many places which long winter like Canada and North America men do not adsorb Vitamin D and others nutrients.

In Canada men do not adsorb vitamin D in consequence one of the seven can develop prostate cancer in their lives; USA new researches indicate that one of the five men can develop prostate cancer.

Researchers shown that vitamin D has many micronutrients promote and prevent the prostate cancer in men.

conclusion; a suitable dose of vitamin D and to take sun in a responsible manner can considerably reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Hector Milla; editor of the cancer -10.com and you can find more articles about Prostate Cancer in http://www.cancer-10.com, you can reproduce this article in you web site or ezine articles always mention above the author article.

Can you believe that prostate cancer is the number one cancer-killer of males in the world? Can you also believe that there is no niversally-agreed upon strategy for its’ diagnosis and management? There is a lot of talk these days about prostate cancer on the news, yet nobody can seem to figure out what is behind the whole thing. A recent article actually suggested that masturbation is the solution! Tired old references to the high incidence of prostate cancer in the clergy are cited. If you have ever surfed the Internet with your content filter turned off, you will have no doubt that the entire world is doing anything but holding back their seed in pursuit of spiritual ideals.

So what is behind these staggering numbers? Chinese medical theory would suggest that too much sexual activity is as bad as too little, and common sense in any culture points to the benefits of moderation with respect to any activity. Plant-based herbal remedies like saw palmetto and pumpkin seeds are purchased in large numbers, but the relief they offer is fleeting at best. Their temporary benefit, however, points back to a concept in Chinese medicine called “excessive yang.” In western thought, we would say that something has “overheated.”

Your prostate may indeed be suffering from a fever! How could this happen? The answer lies in a substance called DHT, or dihydrotestosterone. This is a by-product of testosterone metabolization, and perfectly natural. DHT is what allows you to produce erections and build muscles. Ironically, it also leads to an inflamed and enlarged prostate if it continues to accumulate in the prostate gland. Interestingly, DHT accumulation in the scalp is what accounts for hair loss. Incidentally, this explains why western drugs that promote hair growth also promote testicular shrinkage.

The truth is that DHT production has been on the rise over the last 30 years. The western world eats a tremendous amount of meat that is filled with hormonal back-wash that has been accumulating in livestock long before they are ever brought to the slaughterhouse. How else could we "grow" the animals so fast? Poetically, we also absorb this accumulation of hormones when we eat these "fast-track" animals. We also ingest sports supplements and energy boosters purchased at our local vitamin shop that are filled with hormone pre-cursors in order to deliver on their claims of more energy and enhanced sexual function.

This in itself may not be so bad for the prostate if all the excess DHT was actually burned up. Unfortunately for the prostate, it rarely is. This is where the problems begin. As time goes on, the prostate really has no options available to it other than to grow larger and harder. This brings on a flurry of problems such as premature ejaculation, urinary incontinence, and ultimately impotence. In this respect the medical establishment has resumed their usual course of inventing harmful surgeries, radioactive seed implants, and side-effect laden drugs. The bodies keep piling up and survivors are exactly that–often with permanent damage to their sexual organs as a result of their treatment at the hands of the medical establishment. In the end, a lot of it comes down to money: many chronic wasting diseases such as cancer and AIDS have simple, cheap cures but this doesn’t make anybody any money. Of course, I am aware that I will be branded a conspiracy theorist at best and an imbecile at worst for making such a statement. The common belief is that a cure for AIDS would be all over the news should it suddenly be discovered. People who subscribe to such notions also believe that AIDS "cocktails" are what is keeping industry poster-boy Earvin "Magic" Johnson from kicking the bucket prematurely.

The truth is that there are cheap and effective solutions for most of life’s problems. Mind you, I don’t think buying a pair of magnetic rings will make you an immortal, but I do think purchasing an electronic blood cleaner modeled after the one used by the medical industry itself (or is it the other way around) makes for sound experimentation.

Getting back to prostate problems, some people have gone back to traditional prostate massage methods, but the traditional methods are often messy or psychologically as discomforting as a routine prostate exam. Luckily, there are new herbal remedies being developed by individuals who use their own bodies as laboratories, and these same individuals are developing methods for massaging the prostate that are non-invasive.

With knowledge we are one step away from power, but it is the application of acquired knowledge is where the power really lies.

Plato Rosinke
www.prostatesecrets.com

http://www.prostatesecrets.com offers education and herbal supplements to fix prostate problems. If you’ve got a prostate problem, then we’ve got the solution.

Everyone should know that when testosterone is metabolized, it produces DHT as one of the by-products, which is what allows your muscles and erections to grow. That is a good thing! However, DHT that doesn’t get burned up during sex or working out is also what is at the root of your prostate problems to begin with.

The fact of the matter is that DHT is always being produced, and a lot of us simply cannot burn it off fast enough–no matter how much we work out in the gym or how much sex we have.

In the case of prostate problems, one camp blames a lack of testosterone while the other camp blames too much of it. I have even heard of a doctor suggesting castration as a means of preventing the spread of prostate cancer because he believed it was the only way to prevent testosterone from acting as fuel for the cancer.

Talk about a case of throwing away both the baby and the bathwater!

I’m sure that we’ve all heard at some point or another the notion that more sex is the solution to prostate problems, citing as evidence the high incidence of prostate cancer in celibate priests. Let’s think about this for a moment: If more sex was really the solution, how come a certain rock-star died from prostate cancer? Also, if prostate cancer is the number one cancer killer of males, were all these murdered males celibate? Not likely…

While plain common sense would indicate that utter sexual abstinence may be harmful over the course of a lifetime, prostate cancer remains the number one cancer-killer of males DESPITE the fact that very few males are either rock stars or priests!

So, prostate cancer has little to do with sexual activity or the testosterone that fuels it. Rather, it is an issue of how we handle the excessive DHT in our bodies. With today’s meat and hormone-filled diets it should be no wonder that our current report card is so poor.

This is why pro-hormone supplementation is replete with warnings that people with prostate problems should not be taking their products. (Bodybuilders love excess DHT which they can direct into their muscle tissue.)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, often referred to as simply BPH, is an enlargement of the prostate gland that usually occurs in men who are over the age of 50. This enlargement in the prostate gland can cause a gradual squeezing of the urethra, which makes urinating difficult and painful. Many men who experience this prostate problem do not have any symptoms at all and it may not be detected until an annual rectal exam. Men with this prostate problem who do experience symptoms are likely to notice difficulty in starting urination, frequent urination as well as an increased frequency in awakening at night to urinate.

Prostate cancer, another prostate problem, is perhaps the most severe and is one of the leading types of cancers diagnosed in American men. Each year almost a quarter of a million new cases are diagnosed. It is estimated that prostate cancer will affect one out of every ten men. Each year more than 30,000 men die from prostate cancer. Because of the seriousness of this prostate problem, prostate cancer is perhaps the most serious of all the different types of prostate disease. Prostate cancer generally occurs in men who are over the age of 65, although cases in younger men have been reported. There is a high incidence of prostate cancer occurring in men who are shown to have a family history of this type of prostate disease. African-American men are considered to be particularly at risk for prostate cancer and suffer from the highest death rates related to this disease.

Plato Rosinke is a practicing Taoist herbalist since 1991 who specializes in the male reproductive system. If you’ve got prostate problems, then we’ve got solutions that work. Even if you’re wearing a catheter that thing will be out in no time flat. Cutting-edge Chinese herbal formulation available at:

http://www.prostatesecrets.com

According to a federally sponsored study, published by a Stanford University urologist, men with abnormally low levels of Selenium in their blood are four to five times more likely to develop prostate cancer. Selenium is a trace element that is supplied in certain foods and supplements.

The study suggests that making a point of eating Selenium-rich foods, such as Brazil nuts and tuna, or taking a Selenium supplement, may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Supplementation is especially useful for older men, as Selenium blood content has been found to decrease with patient age.

Although there are no solid statistics regarding exactly how greatly levels of Selenium in the blood are improved by supplementation, the head researcher of this study, James D. Brooks, MD is decidedly optimistic about the subject. He believes that supplementation has the potential to be of great benefit in preventing prostate cancer, but goes on to comment that more precise research is needed in order to discern exact statistics on the extent of those benefits.

Overall, the researchers who conducted this study believe that they have made some very interesting discoveries, and that increasing levels of Selenium in the blood can significantly reduce a patient’s risk of developing the most common form of cancer affecting men.

Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of Immune Wellness, your source for high quality information about Selenium and other health products.

Those men who stay active can significantly cut down on their risk getting prostate cancer. In fact the more aerobic the exercise the better; walking, hiking, swimming and bike riding were some of the examples given in a study by Harvard Medical School on ways to stay healthy and simultaneously reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Those who went to a gym twice to three times per week and used the treadmill did best, although even those who played golf three times a week reduced their risks as well.

Most all physical activity which included a form of cardiorespiratory workout seemed to work. These men were able to reduce their risks by 75%, a huge gap over those were the most inactive one-third of all males. The cut off seemed to be 20 minutes per day or an average of 20 minutes a day over a weeks period. Those who worked out three times a week for thirty minutes are more were amongst the lowest risk groups. Some life insurance questionnaires now ask these questions, when determining risk and that ought to tell you something as well. Not only is it good for your heart but your prostate as well.

There are two factors being looked at as to why this is? One thought was that since high testosterone levels were are part of high risk categories, that those who did physical activity reduced their risks because they were lowering their testosterone levels during cardio respiratory workouts. This tends to make a lot of sense.

It would be best to get screened for prostate cancer and continue your work outs or increase them to put you into the lower risk categories. Discuss this with your physician and do some of your own research to see what works best for you. Please be thinking on this, it could save your life.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Go get a tan and reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Sun exposure appears to be one way to reduce your risk of prostate cancer. A recent study by some UK Researchers show that moderate exposure to sunlight significantly reduced the chances of prostate cancer; this research seems to be confirmed by many other studies as well throughout the world. Many cancer researchers believe this is due to increase vitamin D. Does this means you should go out and join a nudist colony right away and start sunning in your birthday suit? Not necessarily although the British researchers would certainly not advise against it, joking; “it could save your life?”

Although the same researchers were quick to point out that each year fewer and fewer men are dying of prostate cancer, due to awareness, better treatments and early detection through new and more available screening techniques. Men with low sunlight exposure were said to have a three times greater chance of prostate cancer. When taken from a lifetime sun exposure standpoint it was further determined that children who had occasional sunburns in fact were less likely to get prostate cancer in their adulthood.

Where as sunlight exposure was attributed to lower rate of prostate cancer many are quick to point out and rightfully so that too much sun can significantly increase your risk of non-melanoma skin cancers. It would appear from this study and other like it that a balanced approach to sun exposure should be considered to reduce your risk without increasing it. Think on this and do your own research.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Men seldom want to talk about prostate cancer, it is a real problem and they should be getting regular yearly screening and know about those things they can do to reduce their risks. There have been many studies, which indicate overwhelmingly that eating tomatoes is a very excellent way to reduce your risks of prostate cancer. Having chips with salsa is very good, as salsa is made with tomatoes as its major ingredient. Growing tomatoes in your garden, fresh and natural is an extremely good idea as well. Plant a few tomato plants in your garden this week and add them to sandwiches, salads and other meals. Tomatoes are very easy plants to grow and no garden should be without at least one or two tomato plants.

Working in your garden can also give you the sunlight you need as well which helps prevent prostate cancer. Scientists believe that Vitamin D is the reason for reduced prostate cancer. So a little sun growing your tomatoes maybe the one-two punch you need. If you are looking for a one-two-three punch add fish oil to that diet. This will help reduce your risk of prostate cancer, of course you would be smart to get yearly screening, because that is the best way to catch it in case you do get it and treat it early on. Fortunately prostate cancer is not the killer it once was, but you have to get screening in order to stop it. Think on these things and do your own research.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/