Orchietomy For Prostate Cancer Treatment

Orchietomy is a radical prostate cancer treatment in which the testicles are completely removed. This is done because most cases of prostate cancer develop and progress because of the presence of male sex hormones, or more specifically testosterone and this hormone is produced by the testes. This type of prostate cancer treatment is a form of hormone therapy which works by manipulating the hormone levels in the body so that the cancerous cells stop growing and dividing. While this therapy is known to have a positive effect on the cancer you must realise that the operation is non-reversible and the chances of your sex life being affected are virtually 100%. Men who have undergone this form of prostate cancer treatment often report that their libido decreases and so does their desire to have sex. Unfortunately even when they do have the desire for sexual intercourse they may find themselves to be impotent and this can lead to psychological problems in the long term. These side affects of orchietomy are very common and you should take them in to account and discuss them with your partner before you decide to undergo this form of prostate cancer treatment. Other side effects of this radical prostate cancer treatment are associated with the unbalancing of the male and female hormone levels within the body. By removing the testicles the concentration of testosterone in your body will be reduced by around 90% however the concentration of oestrogen, the female hormone will remain the same. This means that on occasion breast tenderness, growth of the breast tissue and osteoporosis can develop. Other side effects include anaemia, weight gain, and depression and fatigue however your oncologist will be able to explain each of the side effects in much more detail. Before deciding for or against this form of prostate cancer treatment you need to decide what exactly you want to get out of the treatment. If you want to eliminate the cancer from your body then an orchietomy is a possibility however there are other ways to remove the cancer totally and these alternative treatments have fewer and less severe side effects. If however you are 60+ and do not want to have surgery then this procedure is not for you and radiation therapy can be used to simply control the growth of the cancer. Similarly if you are still relatively young and do not want to be plagued with impotence and lack of sex drive then, again, an orchietomy is probably not the prostate cancer treatment for you. Because impotence is a major side effect of this radical prostate cancer treatment you should think long and hard before agreeing to anything. Talk to your partner and your oncologist and look into the alternative forms of treatment. There may be a better one for you that only has temporary side effects so that after a few weeks or months you can once again enjoy a full sex life.

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Possibility of Prostate Cancer Survival by Changing Lifestyle

Prostate cancer survival rate has increased due to the constant research going on to find cures and preventive measures for prostate tumor. However, a patient can live longer by other methods. These methods refer to prognosis, which is possible even at the metastatic state. Even changing the lifestyle that is food habits and inculcating exercise as a part of daily routine.

The use of vaccine has proved effective in restricting the growth of tumor after treatment, which helps in prolonging the prostate cancer survival period. Moreover, vaccines help in breaking down the tumor, which eliminates the chances of further recurrence of the disease. However, the longevity of life after the disease also depends on other factors like age and family history.

Besides, these two factors the other important factors that affects the life span of a patient after contacting the disease is, diet, ethnicity, obesity, and the stage at which the detection of the disease has taken place. Mostly you will find that patients whose cancerous cells have not penetrated beyond the prostate have higher chances of survival.

Therefore, if a person suffering from prostate tumor wants to increase the chances of survival, he should adopt all the necessary steps required for curbing the recurrence of the disease after the treatment. The patient should follow the restrictions throughout life and follow the routine check up procedure.

However, sometimes a patient loses hope as most of his organs, situated in and around the prostate develop problems, especially the rectum area and the urinary bladder. Moreover, the sexual ability of the patient decreases as during the process of the treatment and after the treatment he develops erectile dysfunction. This prostate cancer impotence can be temporary or permanent.

Prostate cancer impotence depends on the type of treatment adopted for treating the disease. Observation shows that surgery and removal of prostate glands leads to permanent erectile dysfunction. However, it is not an established fact as nowadays various methods of surgery are available, which helps in removing the affected parts without harming the nerves that carry the blood to the penis.

Besides surgery, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy can also cause prostate cancer impotence. However, the level of erectile dysfunction is higher in radiation therapy and this problem can last for a longer time in this mode of treatment, but in hormonal therapy, the period of erectile dysfunction is lesser.

Therefore, if any person is suffering from prostate cancer tumor he should not lose hope as proper treatment, change in lifestyle and implementation of restrictions will surely help you to overcome the problem. Moreover, the growth rate of this disease is very slow, which is another factor that helps in increasing prostate cancer survival rate.

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Prostate Cancer Survival Rates

Prostate cancer survival rates indicate the chances a cancer patient has of surviving the disease for a specified length of time. The rates are by no means a definite indicator of what will happen to a patient; they can at best predict a patient's chances of what might happen to him, if a type of treatment plan is opted for, based on what has happened to other patients in similar circumstances. They serve as a guide to a patient and his family to know what they can expect if they choose a particular type of treatment or if they should consider one at all rather than just opt for pain relievers and sedation.

Prostate cancer generally affects men over the age of 50. Many men are affected by an overgrowth of the prostate tissue as they age. Many a time this overgrown tissue is benign, but sometimes the overgrowth is characterized by abnormal cancerous cells leading to prostate cancer. The disease can be present for years without the patient being aware of it. The most common symptoms it can cause once it begins to make its presence known are pain and difficulty while urinating and erectile dysfunction.

The overall prostate cancer survival rates are very high when compared to most cancers. Currently in the United States, only 3% of patients succumb to the disease. The overall 5 year survival rate for prostate cancer in the US is 100%, the 10 year survival rate is 92% and the 15 year survival rate is 70%. The high prostate cancer survival rates are primarily because nearly 91% of cases in the United States are detected while the cancer is still localized and contained within the prostate or in nearby areas.

Prognosis and treatment is based on a grading system, generally the Gleason system which allots grades from 1-10 based on how much the cells in the cancerous tissue resemble normal prostate tissue. A score of 2-4 is considered as low grade, 5-7 as intermediate grade and 8-10 as high grade. Higher the grade, the more quickly the cancer will spread.

Prostate cancer survival rates are among the lowest for men whose cancer has breached the prostatic capsule. On an average 46% of patients with metastatic prostate disease die within 22 months of diagnosis and scarcely 32% will reach the 5 year survival mark.

In general, prostate cancer is a very slow growing cancer with a higher incidence in the developed countries. It is believed that this may because most men in the developing world succumb to other illnesses long before the prostate cancer has a chance to grow to the magnitude where it will cause mortality.

For more information on prostate cancer survival rates please visit: Prostate Cancer Survival Rates

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Prostate Cancer Surgery - 3 Forms Of Prostatectomy

There are many forms of treatment available for prostate cancer but one of the most common treatments for early stage cancer which is confined to the prostate gland is prostate cancer surgery known as the prostatectomy.

The prostatectomy, which essentially involves the removal of the prostate gland and thus the cancerous cells contained within it, can be performed as open surgery or can be performed either laparoscopically or robotically.

Open surgery is the traditional form of surgery in which an incision is made in the lower abdomen to allow access to the prostate gland which is then removed using standard surgical techniques. This form of surgery is often used when the prostate is particularly large or where there is a suspicion that cancer may have spread to tissue immediately surrounding the prostate gland which may also need to be removed.

One problem with open surgery (and indeed laparoscopic surgery) is that the removal of the prostate gland can also damage nerves, muscles and other tissue in the region of the prostate gland leading to problems with sexual function. Recently however surgical techniques have been developed to minimize such damage and a growing number of surgeons are now skilled in nerve-sparing techniques.

In the case of laparoscopic surgery a number of small incisions are made in the abdomen to allow for the access of a series of long thin instruments which are used to provide lighting for and video of the area of the prostate gland, as well as access for the surgical instruments used to remove the prostate gland.

The latest surgical technique which is coming into increasing use is nerve-sparing robotic surgery using the da Vinci system. Robotic surgery is similar to laparoscopic surgery but requires a team of two highly skilled surgeons. The first surgeon operates beside the patient in the normal manner, while the second surgeon sits at a computer controlled console and manipulates the robotic operating arms.

The advantage of robotic surgery is that it allows for the use of extremely delicate instruments, the movement of which can be very precisely controlled. This degree of precision can lead to little or no damage to the nerves, muscles and other surrounding tissues, as long as the procedure is carried out by a highly skilled and experienced team of surgeons.

The main advantage of prostate cancer surgery is that it is a one-time procedure which, as long as the cancer is confined to the prostate gland, can often provide a complete cure for the condition. It's main disadvantage is that it can cause impotence and incontinence.

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Erectile Function After Prostatectomy - What to Expect From Penile Rehabilitation

A diagnosis of prostate cancer is frightening, and hundreds of thousands of men each year are forced to face the difficult decision about what to do next. In many cases, men are advised by their doctors to "wait and see" how the disease progresses, and some research indicates that, especially in older men, surgery is not always necessary. Other men choose to be proactive, choosing radiation therapy to attack the cancerous cells. Younger men who still have years of reproductive activity ahead of them often choose a full-on assault, opting for prostatectomy.

In the past, the surgical techniques used to remove the prostate frequently resulted in extensive damage of the nerve tissue and blood vessels that serve the penis, and loss of erectile function was an expected outcome of surgery. Fortunately, new approaches to surgery have helped to minimize the loss of nerve function and reduce the risk of diminished penis sensation. In addition, penile rehabilitation may help some men to retain, or even regain, their ability to have an erection.

The science behind penile rehab

In order for erections to occur, two main things are needed: nerve pathways to transmit signals between the brain and penis, and an adequate supply of blood to fill the erectile chambers. While the physiology behind getting an erection is complex, and other elements are at work here, it always comes down to these two basic things.

In order for the nerve and circulatory tissue to function well, adequate oxygenation is needed. Penile therapy is based on the simple theory of "use it or lose it." Some scientists believe - and some research supports - that nocturnal erections help to keep these tissues oxygenated, thus allowing them to repair themselves. Therefore, according to this idea, a penis that does not experience regular erections is not likely to be able to repair itself, and further loss of function will occur.

To reverse this cycle, erections are needed; so it is believed that administering ED medications, and in some cases using those in conjunction with a vacuum pump, can work to rehab the penis by boosting the oxygen supply to the nerve and circulatory cells.

Things to keep in mind

While there is some evidence that rehabbing the penis after surgery with use of ED meds can help to restore erectile function, men should also keep in mind that loss of function does not always mean loss of satisfaction. There are multiple other avenues that men can pursue towards sexual pleasure with a partner, as long as he is willing to change his expectations to a degree. Using toys, trying new oral or manual techniques, and making it about the process instead of the outcome can help men to enjoy what they've got, even when things aren't working the way they might prefer.

In the meantime, men can promote their own chances of successful rehab by caring for their overall health, including quitting smoking, eating right, exercising, and learning to manage the stress in their lives.

A recipe for success

Penile tissues that are well-nourished and supplied with the tools they need to repairs themselves are more likely to regain their function. A penis vitamin creme (most health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil) that is packed with nutrients such as vitamin C (for circulatory and connective tissue health), vitamin D (for overall cellular function) and amino acids like L-arginine (for nerve tissue regrowth) can help to provide the elements that are needed to put the punch back into the penis. Applying a vitamin formula on a daily basis can keep the penis well-nourished, as well as helping to maintain a soft, supple and youthful appearance.

For additional information on most common penis health issues, tips on improving penis sensitivity, and what to do to maintain a healthy penis, visit: http://www.penishealth101.com. John Dugan is a professional writer who specializes in men's health issues and is an ongoing contributing writer to numerous online web sites.

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