PSA Tests, Gleason Scores, Biopsies, and Prostate Cancer

In a recent conversation with a client, he explains his family physician is certain he has Prostate Cancer.

"My family doctor just told me he is quite certain - his words - that I have Prostate Cancer, and he is referring me to a Urologist for a prostate biopsy to confirm it. He explained that at my age of 65, my PSA score wouldn't jump from 4.4 to 5.3 in a three months unless it was likely Prostate Cancer," says my Client.

Cancer Treatments

While his doctor's advice in referring him to a Urologist is a good next step, I thought it unnecessarily dramatic to cause him such concern before the proper tests were performed by the chosen specialist for the issue - in this case a Urologist.

The physician is understandably concerned, but his dramatic response can cause unwarranted fear and anxiety. So, I encouraged my client to take it one step at a time.

The first step I suggest is conduct due diligence by asking friends, colleagues, and family if they know of a Urologist they can recommend. This will help raise the chances of consulting with a trusted specialist. After scheduling a consultation with the specialist (Urologist), consider asking an objective advisor, such as a Patient Advocate or a level-headed friend to go along for the appointment. When individuals are dealing with such a high-stress situation as a possible cancer scare, it's nearly impossible to remain calm, remember everything that is being said, and to ask all the questions. Having another individual who is focused, calm, objective, and knowledgeable about Prostate Cancer will help in more ways than mere moral support. Also, I strongly recommend that during the consultation, patients ask the physician if they can record the conversation to ensure the patient fully comprehends his/her advice once they are there. Once the patient arrives at the appointment with the Urologist, I suggest asking - at least - the following questions: What is your impression of my PSA results? What, if anything, would you advise me to do about these results?

If he/she suggests a sonogram and/or a biopsy, ask:

Please explain this procedure to me. What is the preparation needed for this procedure? What can I expect to experience post-procedure and what arrangements do you suggest I make? (a ride, rest, medication, protocol, etc.) What are the potential complications of this procedure? What do you plan to learn from this procedure? Is there an alternate plan of action to determine the elevated PSA tests? When can we go over the results?

NOTE: In some cases, the Urologist may schedule both the sonogram and biopsy for the same visit. In this instance, I suggest patients ask what percentage of patients do they move forward on the biopsy and what are the determining factors for doing so?

Sometimes patients undergo tests that are more precautionary than necessary. So, I encourage my clients to ask questions that help determine which procedures they're agreeing to, i.e., precautionary or necessary.

In closing, it is essential to the individual's overall well-being that they remain as calm as possible every step of the way. Take each step without thinking too far ahead. It's natural to imagine things going awry or running into the worst case scenario. At this diagnostic stage, especially, I urge my clients to remain in the moment rather than jumping to assumptions and conclusions that may never come to fruition.

Patients may contact me so I may provide more detailed services, such as additional questions and research, accompanying them on appointments, remaining on the phone long-distance, or prepping them future phases with this - or any - health situation.

PSA Tests, Gleason Scores, Biopsies, and Prostate Cancer

Cancer Treatments

Cure Lung Cancer - Is Lung Cancer Curable?

As you know, our lungs are the most vital organs of our body. It absorbs oxygen from the air and distributes it to different parts of our body; it also expels carbon dioxide from our body into the air. When however, malignant cells develop in our lungs, we suffer from lung cancer.In this article I will tell you whether lung cancer is curable or not.

Needless to say, the primary cause behind lung cancer is smoking. It is sad that even after a lot of government-sponsored propaganda against smoking and its ill-effects, people continue their smoking habits, without realizing how much they are damaging their bodies. And if you think that you only need to stop smoking in order to cure lung cancer, you are dead wrong! Along with abstaining from smoking yourself, you should also try to live and work in a smoke-free environment. This is because passive smoking can also affect your lungs as much as active smoking does.

Alternative Cancer Treatments

There are many different symptoms of lung cancer. If you are coughing frequently, with so much pressure that blood is coming out of your lungs, then in all probability you are suffering from lung cancer. Also, if you are having difficulty in breathing, then too it is possible that you are suffering from lung cancer. However, mere occurrence of these symptoms should not lead you to believe that you have lung cancer. I'd suggest you consult with a professional doctor because only a qualified doctor can tell you whether you are suffering from lung cancer or not.

In order to diagnose lung cancer, your doctor will ask you to go through different types of tests. The common tests that are used to diagnose lung cancer are x-ray, sputum test, CT scans and biopsies.

And it is really easy to cure lung cancer. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the two ways to cure lung cancer. Mostly, doctors use a combination of both the therapies in order to cure lung cancer. In some cases, surgery maybe used instead of radiation, especially if cancer has not spread beyond the lungs of the patient. However, these treatments are quite costly. So if you are not yet a lung cancer sufferer I'd recommend that you take immediate steps to prevent it. And the first step to prevent lung cancer is to stop smoking.

Cure Lung Cancer - Is Lung Cancer Curable?

Alternative Cancer Treatments

How Effective Are Herbal Remedies As Natural Cures for Prostate Cancer?

The debate surrounding the effectiveness of using natural cures for prostate cancer has gone on for quite some time. Although some people are advocating the use of herbal medicines and other natural processes in treating cancer, most of the scientific community is still hesitant to endorse such options.

According to some medical societies, natural cures for prostate cancer are not accurately termed since these natural procedures and materials cannot really cure cancer but are mostly used to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. Natural treatment methods are usually based on proper nutrition. Herbs, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are the most common basic ingredients of these so-called natural cures.

Cancer

Most natural treatment options are based on herbs or antioxidants. In studies advocating the use of natural methods for treating prostate cancer, saw palmetto is often highlighted. This herb is primarily known for its anabolic properties and is more commonly used in treating benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The herb operates by inhibiting the synthesis of growth-stimulating dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and promoting DHT elimination through the lowering of estrogen levels.

According to several clinical studies, saw palmetto is actually more effective in treating enlarged prostate than the prescribed drug, Proscar. These studies also argue that using the herb is better than using Proscar since the latter is more expensive and is associated with several side effects that include erectile dysfunction.

Another popular herbal remedy promoted by a number of studies is pygeum. Pygeum is an indigenous African remedy derived from tree bark. This herbal remedy contains chemicals that inhibit DHT synthesis and is often used to treat enlarged prostate. Aside from saw palmetto and pygeum, there is another herbal remedy that has become popular among natural cure advocates, and this is Cernilton. This herbal product is prepared from the extract of rye pollen and is used to treat BPH and prostatitis. In some parts of the world, the herb stinging nettle is also used to cure prostate disorders. This herb is marketed in the Europe under the name Bazoton.

Some natural remedies for prostate cancer and other prostate disorders use antioxidants as their primary ingredients. Lycopene, resveratrol and selenium are among some of the more common of these antioxidants. Most herbal remedies or antioxidant-based cures are marketed as supplements since absolute confirmation of their ability to cure cancer has yet to be issued by medical and health authorities.

The effectiveness of natural cures for prostate cancer has not yet been fully agreed on and some medical societies still oppose the use of these remedies. Nevertheless, advocates of these methods are continuously promoting them as treatment options for cancer.

How Effective Are Herbal Remedies As Natural Cures for Prostate Cancer?

Cancer

Cathy Goodman Willed Cancer Out of Her Body Using the Secret

Cathy's story is one that could be considered beyond uplifting or inspirational -it is an out-right miracle! If you log on to her spouses website (Morris E. Goodman) at themiracleman.org you will see that before she received the blessing of Healing in her own life -she herself was the spectacular miracle in Morris' life after he recovered from a plane crash that left no hope for restoring his beaten and broken body from the paralysis and internal injuries that accident left him with. She and Morris were married on November 10th 1990 and little did they know at that time that Morris' story of positive and forward thinking would some day be re-awakened and prove invaluable in Cathy's life as well.

As told by Cathy she was diagnosed with breast cancer and her response was to go home and NOT think about the illness at all. She states in the movie The Secret that instead of concentrating on the cancer she put her attention elsewhere and that she truly believed in her heart with her strong faith that we had already been healed and that in her mind she saw herself as if cancer had never been in her body to begin with. She tells how she would walk around the house saying out loud "Thank you for my healing" over and over again. As she continues her story she explains to viewers that she and her husband would only watch funny movies because they believed that laughter would be an important part of her recovery and if she was laughing she wasn't thinking about anything to do with the diagnosis.

Cancer

In just 3 short months Cathy got the word that the cancer was gone. The miracle here is that Cathy had decided early on not to take the conventional route and so this healing took place without any radiation or chemotherapy whatsoever! By sheer mind power and force of will Cathy was able to put the cancer behind her. Because her husband was able to heal himself from the massive injuries that the doctors believed would take his life Cathy knew first hand the valuable instrument the mind itself can play on the body and its own ability to heal itself. Because she accepted it for truth -her thoughts were able to work in harmony with her immune system and rid the cancer from her body entirely.

Cathy and her husband Morris are great examples of the old adage "Mind over matter!" After all what else sustains our current sense of reality if it is not our mindset? Isn't it in the mind that we control the power over our own circumstances? Can we be hurt by someone's unkind words without first accepting in our mind to perceive the insult as "personal" if it isn't taken as a personal blow to our character how can we accept it as an insult? Until we welcome something can it really be real? These are the kind of insightful ideas a movie like The Secret is meant to provoke. It gives value and merit to opening ones mind and looking outside the confines of our ordinary day to day approach as well as our normal take on the world.

All in all, if nothing else, we can begin to at least consider what an invaluable asset the mind can be. More importantly still, we can evaluate the benefits of learning how to live in harmony with our thoughts in order to live a happier, healthier existence. What (or who) would that hurt...I'd wager on it hurting no one -and if that alone resulted in a peaceful resolve -maybe eventually somewhere down the line we could look at getting along with everyone around us as an option to entertain in our minds as well! Now what could (or would) that thought mean to the entire planet in the end? Cathy herself probably has a lot to say on these issues -I'd be willing to bet on it!

Cathy Goodman Willed Cancer Out of Her Body Using the Secret

Cancer

What Are the Causes of Pain in Lower Right Back?

Back pain is a complaint doctors hear about frequently. People want information on backaches. They want doctors to treat pain in the back. Many want to know the causes of pain in the lower right back.

Information about the Lower Right Back

Alternative Cancer

It is important to understand the structure of the lower right back if we are to understand what causes pain there.

Your back, with its spinal column of vertebrae, connecting ligaments, tendons, large muscles, and nerves, is designed to be incredibly strong and flexible. Yet things can go wrong with this awesome structure.

* Muscles can be strained

* Ligaments can be torn

* Joints can be injured

* Bones can be fractured

* Nerves can be irritated

* Discs can be herniated

* Stress can tighten back structure

The lower back seems especially susceptible to injury, since it bears the weight of the torso, and makes more movement than the upper back. Its constant work can cause parts to break down and wear out over the years.

The lower right back has soft tissues that can be involved in pain. Those large, complex muscle groups that support your spine and help you move can be strained by improper lifting or posture. In fact, muscle strain is the most common cause of lower back pain. Twisting or pulling one of the following muscles can produce pain in the lower right back.

* Extensor muscles: These paired muscles in the lower back and gluteus help support your spine. If the one on the lower right back is injured, it will be painful.

* Flexor muscles: Attached to the spine's front, these muscles help you flex, bend forward, and lift things. Again, injury to the right flexor muscle can cause lower right back pain.

* Oblique muscles: This muscle group is attached to the sides of the spine. The oblique muscles help your spine rotate, and give you good posture.

In addition to simple muscle strain, injury to ligaments, joints, and bones can also cause muscle pain. If one of these structures is injured or inflamed, back muscles can go into spasm, drastically limiting your movement and cause pain in the lower right back.

Stress is a common cause of pain in the lower right back. Stress will make your back muscles tighten. This happens to every muscle in the body, as we move into a "fight or flight" response. Muscles that are tightened lack the energy they need to support the spine. If the stress is frequent, and measures are not taken immediately to relieve it, lower right back pain can easily develop.

Information on Chronic Lower Right Back Pain

If lower right back pain lasts more than two weeks, you are likely to stop using the aching muscles in order to protect yourself from that pain. With disuse, the muscles can waste (atrophy) and weaken. This will increase the pain, since your muscles are less able to support your spine. If you increase your protection, and continue to avoid using the muscles, the cycle will continue, with the pain worsening at each turn. Chronic lower right back pain will result. This is why doctors urge patients with lower right back pain to exercise daily.

Information about Lower Right Back Pain Symptoms

You need to understand the symptoms of your pain as well. It is difficult to treat pain without knowing clearly what and where the symptoms are. You will want to gain a sense of exactly where your lower right back hurts. Is the pain focused in one small area, or does it spread throughout the lower right back? Is it confined to the lower right back or does it radiate into other parts of the body? Here are two major kinds of pain in the lower right back.

Lower Right Back Pain Symptom #1

Is yours a deep, aching, dull, or burning pain? Does it travel down your leg? If so, your lower right back pain may be chronic back pain.

Lower Right Back Pain Symptom #2

Perhaps yours is a very sharp pain, deep in the lower right back. This symptom may be the result of a back injury.

Information on Relieving Lower Right Back Pain

My personal physician assures me that the best relief for lower right back pain is usually exercise. Gentle exercises, performed daily with warm-up and cool-down, will strengthen the core muscles around the lower back area, relieving the pain and making them less susceptible to future injury.

CAUTION: Pain in the lower right back may also be caused by kidney stones or other non-muscular problems. Be sure to ask your health care provider for advice on any back pain.

What Are the Causes of Pain in Lower Right Back?

Alternative Cancer

Alternative Approaches to Treating Asbestos Induced Lung Cancer

What Is Mesothelioma and How is it Contracted?

Mesothelomia is a rare form of lung cancer contracted from breathing in or ingesting asbestos fibers. The common source of mesothelioma is from industrial sites where the workers are subject to exposure to mesothelioma. There are several factors that make this disease dangerous. One is that the symptoms of mesothelioma are fairly common and almost indistinguishable from regular lung, cardiac, or digestive disorders, and are thus often misdiagnosed.

Alternative Cancer Treatments

Another problem with mesothelioma is that the symptoms don't immediately manifest upon inhalation or ingestion of the asbestos fibers. They take anything from 20 to 50 years before becoming apparent, and even then the only way to distinguish them from the symptoms of other, less dangerous disorders is to conduct an x ray.

Aside from direct exposure to asbestos, the fibers can also be carried upon the clothes of people working around asbestos, so that anyone they come in contact with can also accidentally breath in the fibers once they become airborne.

What Are the Symptoms and Effects of Mesothelioma?

The most common symptoms of mesothelioma that hits the lungs and chest is a tight pain around the chest area, difficulty breathing, and loss of stamina. These symptoms are caused because the disease generates tumors around the fibers, and the body reacts to it by trying to generate fluids to flush out the tumors and fibers. Pressure from these fluids, along with internal wounds caused by the fibers and tumors themselves are what cause the chest pain. Naturally, the tumors also restrict breathing efficiency, hence the difficulty breathing and stamina loss.

Abdominal mesothelioma manifests as sharp abdominal pains and weight loss because of tumors in the stomach lining. Unlike lung mesothelioma, however, there is an external sign of trouble for abdominal mesothelioma, in the form of swellings in the stomach region.

The effects of mesothelioma are the same wether it hits the lung or stomach. The tumors cause internal bleeding and hemmorhage, and the fluids generated by the body to combat the cancerous growths will eventually lead to clogged arteries which can cause heart failure.

How is it Commonly Treated?

The most common effective treatment for mesothelioma is to employ heat surgery, like using a laser, in conjunction with chemotherapy. Regular surgery to remove the tumors is ineffective in combating mesothelioma, and leads to death shortly after the operation. The average life expectancy of a person after mesothelioma surgery is 5 years. The heat surgery treatment, on the other hand, is capable of localizing the tumors to remove them without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue. This, combined with chemotherapy medication, is noted to be most successful proven treatment method. Alternative mesothelioma treatments are being researched by various medical institutes to try and find even better solutions.

What Alternative Treatments Exist?

There are two main methods of alternative treatment for mesothelioma, mainly the use of nutritional supplements in conjunction with medicine and exercise, and the second being special medicines designed to boost the body's immune system to combat the tumors. Reports regarding the two methods of treatment vary from institute to institute, with some reporting success and others not. In either case, classic medical institutes still advocate heat surgery and chemotherapy, as these treatment methods are tested and proven.

Nutritional Supplements - some research institutes have begun to explore medical and nutritional supplements which have two purposes as an alternative treatment for mesothelioma. The first purpose of the supplements is to promote the growth of healthy cells and to stem the growth of the tumors. While this does nothing to remove the tumors, it can at least stall the problem and extend the lifespan of the patient. The second type of research involves medicines which will help the body naturally flush the excess fluid in the chest and/or intestinal cavities, alleviating the pain and pressure of the patient. Both of these supplements are currently still being tested and few reliable reports are available as to their effectiveness.

Immuno-augmentive Therapy - this is an alternative mesothelioma treatment that involves bolstering the body's immune system through medicine. The theory behind this alternative mesothelioma treatment is that, with enough support, the body's natural immune system will eventually be able to overcome and heal the tumors, and once they are removed the body will heal itself naturally. This has been proven moderately effective in early cases of mesothelioma, but medium to late stage cancer has yet to be conquered by this method of treatment.

Alternative Approaches to Treating Asbestos Induced Lung Cancer

Alternative Cancer Treatments

Toenail Fungus Laser Treatment - Is it Worth?

Toenail fungus a very ugly fungi that affects almost 25 million persons around America. The toenail fungus causes the toenail to be very hard and thick and turn yellow. If you've a fungus infection and you are thinking about different treatments, there are a few things to consider.

There's no flawless fix for toenail fungus. There are some oral medicines for toenail infection, like Lamisil, and these are said to treat the infection about 10 percent of the time. A new recent treatment for this fungus is the use of lasers. So far there were a few studies that show very promising conclusions. These lasers work from killing the fungus but also leaving the nail and other foot tissues un-damaged. Many big companies are looking to get in on the action.

Cancer

How exactly do the lasers work? These lasers are aimed at the fungus in the toenail that basically vaporizes it while leaving your skin unharmed.

Does it work? Around first clinic studies earlier this year, almost 90 percent of the patients were able to grow out a regular appearing nail after just one laser treatment. After that treatment, the toenail should grow usually in one year if there's a healthy bed to do so. The success rate here is similar to the oral fungal pill.

Is the laser treatment Agonizing? Is it Safe? The laser has absolutely no affect on regular and healthy skin tissue, there's no pain. The studies taken so far show absolutely no side effects from taking the laser treatment to get rid of the fungus.

How long will it take? Only ten minutes are needed for treatment, per toe.

So... how safe is it? There are absolutely no health or age restrictions. In recent clinical studies there were no bad reactions, harm, ailments or side effects. As you might know, the ability to use the medication accessible today for treatment carries with it the possibility of kidney failure, lasers don't.

Will my insurance cover it? The laser treatment of for toenail fungus isn't covered by most insurance companies or plans as it's thought of as aesthetic. The cost can be anywhere from 0 to 0.

It's credited to your operation fee if you want to go forward with treatment. The treatment is usually a fee of . If your infection is resistant or if it is not responding to regular toenail growth, the nails might need the next laser treatment therapy. This sometimes happens when all of your toenails are extremely infected. You may need additional treatments in this case.

If the toenail lasers, which did recently finish small clinical trials really work, they will show a recent way to cure toenail infections by killing the fungi while keeping the toe whole and healthy.

Currently, there's no sure fix. The fungus are so smart that popular fungus pills, which move the risk of liver cause injury to, are totally successful under 50 percent of the time. And medications that you physically put on your toes work less than 10 percent of the time.

Drug companies like Schering-Plough are working on recent pills and ointments and lotions to fight the toenail fungus.

Toenail Fungus Laser Treatment - Is it Worth?

Cancer