Introduction
Prostate cancer is for males what breast cancer is for females. While males can get breast cancer, it is more prominent among females. Prostrate cancer does not discriminate which male it goes after and around 80% of males will have at least the cells for cancer in their prostrate by the time they are 80 years old. When people hear cancer, they think that their life is automatically over and will mourn for a while. Your life does not have to end and while you may be sad, your attitude can help you beat cancer. Having a positive attitude can help you cope with the disease and lessen your stress. If you are young your doctor might recommend prostrate surgery. In days gone by, prostate surgery might have made you impotent or incontinent, but with the strides made in the surgery this is no longer happening as often.
History
Prostate cancer was not discovered until 1853 and was thought to be a rare disease, and back in the 19th century we did not know as much about medicine as we do today. There was a time that doctors would just take a look and see approach and if the prostate continued to enlarge the option to have prostate surgery was then discussed. Then the decision was made to remove the whole prostate gland and this could lead to complications that involved penile malfunctions and being incontinent. More advances were then made and radiation was then tried to cure the cancer. In 1941, hormone therapy was used to stop the growth of the tumors and this won a Nobel Prize for Charles Huggins in 1966. Hormones are still used today to treat the cancer. Prostate cancer does not respond to chemotherapy alone, but used in conjunction with the hormones this has helped many men.
Features
When you find out you have prostate cancer, getting rid of it is the first battle to overcome. Besides prostate surgery, you might also be facing radiation treatments. Most doctors recommend a combination of the two to help you beat the cancer. If you are not careful, you could end up with other complications that start to present themselves within a month of having the surgery done. Picking out a skillful surgeon that specializes in this type of surgery can help you avoid becoming incontinent and impotent. With surgery, the surgeon will have to remove the prostate gland that has little nerves. If these nerves are damaged or not connected right, then you run the risk of complications. The older you are when you have the surgery, the higher your risk also become.
Tips and comments
To help avoid the risk of getting prostate cancer or having to have prostate surgery you need to get tested by your doctor. There are two tests that a doctor can do the PSA which is a test to check for antigens of the prostate and a digital rectal exam. Men age 50 and older should have these done by their doctor during their yearly exam. You can also avoid prostate surgery by eating a lower fat diet and loading up on the fruits and vegetables. Lose weight and stop smoking can also help. Drinking plenty of water to help flush out your system is another added benefit.
