Man Cancer Talk

Look, watch, listen and act … talk talk talk - go for advice from your GP if you are unsure that what you have felt or experienced or are worried about is similiar to the stories in the broadcast below…

Cast your eyes and mind below and know your man parts well enough to know when problem needs a look at by the doctor..!

Men you have simply got to go to this ITV morning programme site.  There was a brilliant discussion on prostate cancer Wednesday 26th March 2009.  News men were sharing their own personal stories.  The production team have uploaded the whole video for you to watch and share…..

http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/ThisMorning/Health/Prostatecancer123/default.html

thanks to the team and presenters for their valuable work on this subject….

contact: rachael@communitycancercentre.org.uk if you are local to join our Man Can Talk group….

we are here to help you….and your spouse….

NHS Prostate Cancer Awareness promotion.

The NHS choices site has put a good selection of material to help you understand what is in your underpants!.  A very useful look at the prostate and a journey through cancer findings and treatments. Some patient sharing of experiences to help you understand more.

Here is the link..

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/Prostatehealth/Pages/Prostatehome.aspx

Do Prostate Drugs Harm Bones?

Oct. 7, 2008 — Millions of men suffer from an enlarged prostate gland. There are many drugs available for treatment, but what effects do these drugs have on bone health?

Researchers estimate that more than 8 million men in the U.S. ages 50-79 will have to deal with an enlarged prostate by the year 2010.

Drugs that treat enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), come in two groups: 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and alpha-blockers.

read on

http://men.webmd.com/prostate-enlargement-bph/news/20081007/do-prostate-drugs-harm-bones

histology image from www.engin.umich.edu

Statins Lower Prostate Cancer Marker

Oct. 28, 2008 – PSA, a marker of prostate cancer risk, drops slightly in men who lower their cholesterol with statin drugs.

The statin drugs Crestor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol, and Zocor lower cholesterol. Recent studies suggest they may lower men’s risk of advanced prostate cancer. But there’s no proof statins have this effect, nor is it clear how the drugs might fight cancer.

read on http://men.webmd.com/news/20081028/statins-lower-prostate-cancer-marker

Vitamin E and Selenium Do Not Prevent Prostate Cancer; Use of the Supplements Stopped in Large-Scale Study

Prostate Specific Antigen.

• What is the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test?

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in the blood. The doctor takes a blood sample, and the amount of PSA is measured in a laboratory. Because PSA is produced by the body and can be used to detect disease, it is sometimes called a biological marker or tumor marker.

It is normal for men to have low levels of PSA in their blood; however, prostate cancer or benign (not cancerous) conditions can increase PSA levels. As men age, both benign prostate conditions and prostate cancer become more frequent. The most common benign prostate conditions are prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlargement of the prostate). There is no evidence that prostatitis or BPH causes cancer, but it is possible for a man to have one or both of these conditions and to develop prostate cancer as well.

PSA levels alone do not give doctors enough information to distinguish between benign prostate conditions and cancer. However, the doctor will take the result of the PSA test into account when deciding whether to check further for signs of prostate cancer.

• PSA test results report the level of PSA detected in the blood. The test results are usually reported as nanograms of PSA per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood. In the past, most doctors considered PSA values below 4.0 ng/mL as normal. However, recent research found prostate cancer in men with PSA levels below 4.0 ng/mL.

Many doctors are now using the following ranges with some variation:

• 0 to 2.5 ng/mL is low.
• 2.6 to 10 ng/mL is slightly to moderately elevated.
• 10 to 19.9 ng/mL is moderately elevated.
• 20 ng/mL or more is significantly elevated.
• There is no specific normal or abnormal PSA level.
• The higher a man’s PSA level, the more likely it is that cancer is present.
• But because various factors (such as age) can cause PSA levels to fluctuate, one abnormal PSA test does not necessarily indicate a need for other diagnostic tests.  
• When PSA levels continue to rise over time, other tests may be needed.
• It should be noted that it is common for normal PSA ranges to vary somewhat from laboratory to laboratory.

read more …

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/PSA