The Prostate Gland - What is Its Function?

The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. The primary function of the gland is to provide an alkaline fluid that is expelled during ejaculation. The prostate is not part of the female anatomy. The healthy prostate is slightly larger than a walnut and is located just below the bladder. This gland surrounds the urethra. A physician can examine the prostate during a rectal examination.

The prostate being part of the male reproductive system requires androgens (male hormones) to function properly. The primary hormone in males is testosterone. Testosterone is produced in the testicles. There are some male hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands however it is the testosterone that controls and regulates the prostate gland.

The prostate gland produces and stores a milky fluid, similar to the white of an egg. This fluid provides 25 - 30% of the liquid that is expelled by the male in ejaculation. The remainder of the fluid consists of spermatozoa and seminal vesicle fluid. The fluid that is created by the gland is slightly alkaline. The alkalinity of this fluid assists in the neutralization of the normal acidic state of the vagina. This neutralization allows the sperm that is ejaculated a longer life thus increasing the chances of impregnation.

One of afflictions of the prostate gland is prostatitis. This inflammation of the gland results in the inability to start urine flow, blood in the urine and painful urination. Prostatitis is successfully treated with antibiotics. Benign prostatic hyperplasia occurs in older men. BPH occurs when the prostate enlarges and the ability to urinate becomes difficult. BPH is treatable with medications or minimally invasive procedures. One of the most common cancers in men is prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can be linked to the death of older men, some studies estimate that 3% of older men die of cancer. The cancer is detectable by Prostate Specific Antigen tests and regular rectal examinations.

The prostate is an important part of the male reproductive system. Regular examination by a physician insures proper prostate health thus insuring a healthy lifestyle.

Prostate Gland Cancer provides articles and resources on the prostate. Check out the latest article at Prostate Gland Online

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Prostate Cancer Survival Rates in UK

There are approximately 25 000 men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the United Kingdom. For these men the risk of dying from their prostate cancer depends on a number of risk factors. For example if the cancer is confined to the prostate gland at diagnosis the chance of surviving to 5 years is 70%. If the cancer has already spread e.g. to the bones then only 20% of men will survive to five years. Of all the men who currently have prostate cancer in the UK approximately 10,000 will die of the disease each year. The prostate cancer survival rate is much higher in the developed world - unsurprisingly.

When a man is first diagnosed with prostate cancer then the doctor who has found the cancer (most often a "urologist" - a surgeon who specialises in looking after problems to do with the kidneys, prostate and bladder) will arrange a series of tests to help assess the risk for that individual patient. The results of these tests will in turn help the doctor and patient to decide the best treatment for that patient.

Prostate Cancer Tests to Help Predict Survival

1. Prostate Specific Antigen or PSA

2. Digital Rectal Examination or DRE

3. Trans-rectal Ultrasound and Biopsy

4. CT or MRI Scan

5. Bone Scan

PSA
This is a protein made by the prostate gland which can be measured on a sample of your blood i.e. a blood test. The PSA level can be raised by non cancerous problems with the prostate gland i.e. not all men who have a raised PSA have prostate cancer. Also some men who have prostate cancer will not have a raised PSA. However PSA does tend to increase as prostate cancers grow, invade and spread so PSA can be used to monitor how a prostate cancer is progressing or how it is responding to treatments.

DRE
This is where a doctor feels the prostate gland through the back passage. It tells the doctor how big the prostate gland is, whether the cancer is able to be felt easily and whether it has invaded the area near by.

Tran-Rectal Ultrasound and Biopsy
For this test you need to lie on your side with your knees brought up into the chest (same position as for a DRE). An ultrasound probe is then inserted into the back passage. This enables the doctor to see on a screen the outline of the prostate gland. There is no radiation involved. The image on the screen then allows the doctor to insert a needle safely into the prostate gland to take some samples of the prostate tissue. Usually several samples are taken from each area of the prostate gland. These samples are then sent to a laboratory to be looked at under a microscope. This allows confirmation that there is prostate cancer present and tells us how aggressive the cancer looks. Sometimes a local anaesthetic is used to help make the procedure more comfortable.

CT or MRI Scan
This is usually carried out in an x-ray department and involves lying still on a thin couch which moves through either a big donut (CT) or into a long tunnel (MRI). This is not painful in any way. The pictures gained from this test helps the doctors to see whether the prostate cancer is still within the prostate gland or whether it had started to invade out of the gland into other surrounding structures. This tells the doctor what "stage" the prostate cancer is.

Bone Scan
This requires you to have an injection and then to lie on a special table where a camera scans the whole body. It shows up whether any of the bones in the body have been affected by the prostate cancer i.e. whether the prostate cancer has spread to the bones.

Prostate Cancer Stage and Survival

The stage of prostate cancer describes how far the cancer has grown and spread. It is assessed by a mixture of DRE and CT/MRI scans.

T1 Stage
This is very early prostate cancer which can only be seen under a microscope. At this stage the cancer would not cause any symptoms. Men with this stage are at low risk from their disease may not need any treatment but surveillance. The original cause of a prostate cancer problem can be difficult to diagnose.

T2 Stage
This is early prostate cancer but is now big enough to be felt by a doctor on DRE. This may still not have caused any symptoms. This is most often cured if treatment is undertaken at this stage and about 70% of men are still alive after 5 years i.e. average length of survival from diagnosis is well over 5 years.

T3 Stage
This is locally advanced prostate cancer which has started to extend and invade outside of the prostate gland. This stage would often cause bladder symptoms in men. By this stage in the disease the chance of cure with treatments is reduced however survival is often around five years.

T4 Stage
This is more advanced prostate cancer which invades the structures around the gland. At this stage there are often already secondaries e.g. bone metastases. If the disease has spread it is usually incurable but may be controlled for some time. The average survival is between 1 and 3 years.

Predicting Survival in Prostate Cancer

Doctors use a combination of risk factors to predict the behaviour of prostate cancer but cancers do not always act as expected. The factors they consider include the cancer stage (see above), the age of the patient, the PSA level and how quickly it is rising, and the Gleason Score. The Gleason score is a marker of how aggressive the cancer looks under the microscope and how much of the gland is affected by cancer.

Adrian Jones has a personal interest in promoting awareness and self-help in dealing with several forms of cancer. This article is from his website dealing with prostate cancer and prostate cancer treatments [http://www.justabout-prostatecancer.com/treatments/prostate_cancer_treatments_index.html]. He writes on other forms of cancer, including colon cancer [http://www.justabout-coloncancer.com/]. This article is available for reprint for your website and/or newsletter, provided that you maintain its copyright integrity and include this resource box information.

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Loss of Erection and Incontinence From Prostatectomy and Radiation

The most common form of cancer in men is prostate cancer. It is more common in men above the age of 35 and even more prevalent in the group of 50-65 years. Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) levels which are found in the blood can be tested and used as a precursor to screen for the possibility of prostate cancer. Since its approval by the FDA, incidence rates for this disease are climbing higher in men these days as a result of various factors.

What is Incontinence?

Incontinence is an inability to control the flow of urine and leakage of urine occurs as soon as the urinary bladder collects urine or gets filled. Urinary Incontinence may have a great impact on the life style of the victim affecting their personal life. These people cannot lead a normal life as that of other persons; even sneezing or slight jerky moment can cause urine to leak out. Urine remains in the bladder as a result of urethral pressure which is higher than the bladder pressure. But prostatectomy or a surgery in the prostate gland can lead to urinary incontinence.

Radiation Therapy

A procedure in which a special type of wave is used is called as radiation therapy. Persons with prostate cancer can be administered with a stream of particles or radiation therapy to burn or "cook" the abnormal cancer cells in the prostate. When radiation is used at higher doses it can destroy the normal tissues along with cancer cells. This can cause damage to other organs leading to unwanted effects on the body. Some of the side effects of radiation therapy are fatigue, diarrhea, permanent rectal bleeding, loss of erection and urinary incontinence to name a few. In addition, radiation therapy can lead to permanent impotence which can also affect the quality of the victim's life.

Many men opt for radiation therapy as the treatment for prostate cancer. In several cases at the point when the patient cannot tolerate any more treatment, a referral to have surgery will be given.

Prostatectomy

Prostatectomy is a procedure performed to remove enlarged or malignant prostate from the body. Surgery of prostate is highly critical as it can affect the nerve endings that send signals between brain and penis for a normal sexual activity. This surgery can cause loss of erection and also incontinence causing stress, anxiety and depression. In most cases these unwanted effects far outweigh the risks of a slow growing cancer and is not considered to be an acute problem, posing no serious threat to the normal life of men. In very few cases an aggressive treatment such as this could be considered when the prognosis is poor. Although statistics still do not hold conclusive evidence to unanimously support that this choice ultimately affects mortality in a positive way.

As with the people who chose radiation as their treatment, many men who choose a Prostatectomy will also later be passed on to a Radiologist.

Protect your Prostate and Biological Functions

The American Cancer Society has advised that doctors need to educate their patients about the risks as well as the benefits of prostate cancer screening before blood is drawn. Concluding; be proactive, get the facts, have PSA screening done regularly and be sure to take responsibility into your own hands. After all you only have one life.

You can protect your prostate and biological functions, only if you are well aware of the diseases, treatments and the associated complications. Along with your physician, the PSA ZERO program will provide this vital education and awareness needed to preserve or restore your natural biological functions.

Along with your physician, the PSA ZERO program will provide this vital education and awareness needed to preserve or restore your natural biological functions. For prostate cancer related information, visit http://www.psazero.com

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For Those With Prostate Cancer, Laparoscopic Prostatectomy May Be An Option

Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops and affects the prostate. Although the specific causes of prostate cancer still remain unknown, current research indicate that it is not related to benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH.

Experts agree that there are predisposing factors such as hormonal influences, genetics and heredity as well as the environment, because of toxins and chemicals. Studies have also shown that although prostate disease is extremely rare for those under 40, it is one of the leading causes of death from cancer among males over 60.

Prostate cancer screening is recommended for older men. A digital rectal scan and the prostate-specific antigen or PSA, may be ordered. A positive result or a result that may point to a positive finding usually leads to a biopsy.

Those who test positive for prostate cancer normally undergo tests to determine how far the disease has progressed. Often, several options are made available which should discussed by both the doctor and patient. Most go through some form of active surveillance, wherein a certain amount of time is allowed to lapse before treatment is administered.

Traditional radiation therapy and chemotherapy as well as oral chemotherapeutic drugs are all viable options. Prostate cancer surgery is another conventional procedure. Those who are to undergo surgery should talk to their physicians about laparoscopic prostatectomy.

Because laparoscopic prostatectomy is minimally invasive, those who undergo this type of surgery can expect a shortened hospital stay, with less bleeding and have less need for pain medication.

The Prostate Clinic, treatment and complete care for all the diseases and conditions which affect the prostate, urinary and reproductive system. Please visit our website at http://www.theprostateclinic.com/

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Is Laparoscopic Prostatectomy the Best Choice?

In the United States, there are approximately 2 million men who have experienced and survived prostate cancer. This group includes African Americans, agricultural workers and those exposed to asbestos and cadmium

Prostate cancer occurs in a gland the size of a walnut located in the male reproduction system. The prostate gland coils around the urethra leading the the male bladder. Prostate cancer ranks as the 3rd highest cause of death due to cancer in men. While this condition most often effects men aged 75 and older, it can in rare instances as age 40.

When the prostrate gland becomes enlarged, the condition is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. While the actual cause is yet to be determined there are certain contributing factors such as high fat content in the diet and elevated testosterone levels in the blood stream.

In most cases, treatment first begins with testing and monitoring with or without medications. One of the first tests is a PSA (prostate specific antigen). If further testing rules out PSA, a biopsy is performed to confirm the condition and to monitor the possibility of the cancer spreading to other nearby organs.

There are various treatments recommended and pursued to combat prostate cancer. The first consideration is not prostate cancer surgery. Traditional surgery requires an incision which can result in the risk of nerve damage. During a laparoscopic prostatectomy several small incisions are made using special laser tools which can result in very few risks and often a same day surgery situation.

The Prostate Clinic, treatment and complete care for all the diseases and conditions which affect the prostate, urinary and reproductive system. Please visit our website at http://www.theprostateclinic.com/

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