Scientists have been trying to find a cure for advanced prostate cancer or at least a solution for delaying the disease’s effects. So, they have created a vaccine that seems to improve the immune response to fight prostate cancer. The vaccine is still under clinical trials to test its complete efficiency, to adjust doses and to see if it works on less advanced prostate cancer.

Eric J. Small, MD, UCSF professor of medicine and urology, along with other 19 US institutions conducted the study which was funded by the Dendreon Corporation (the developer of the vaccine) based in Seattle, Washington. They tested 31 patients who were suffering of asymptomatic metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) and had only one year left to live. The study was designed for observing if the disease progression will be delayed and patients will survive longer. In July1, 2006 the Journal of Clinical Oncology published the first conclusions of this research.

After two months of treatment with Provenge, 20 of the patients developed a responsive immunity against a protein situated on the surface of prostate cells (prostatic acid phosphatase). In these patients, the disease progressed after 34 weeks, but in the case of the other 11 patients the disease progressed after 13 weeks.

The vaccine was well tolerated by patients and the side effects were mild: fever and chills. Five of the subjects declared they had mild urinary problems. This is good news because chemotherapy gives a lot of unbearable side effects.

The vaccine has been made out of a genetically engineered protein and a dendritic cell provided from the patient’s bloodstream.

T.J. Koerner, PhD, scientific program director for the American Cancer Society (ACS)said that the vaccine needs to be still under trials because doses need to be adjusted and drug combination must be tried. Also, the scientists want to see if this vaccine will work on less advanced prostate cancer. Until now the researchers do not know what the consequences of a long term treatment with this vaccine are upon the patients.

In US, prostate cancer is quite common and more than 200,000 new cases are discovered every year. Most of the patients can follow a treatment based on surgery, radiation and hormone therapy, but asymptomatic metastatic HRPC is known to be resistant to hormone therapy and every year more than 30,000 men die because and no other treatment is effective against the disease, this is why a treatment is urgently required.

For more information about early symptoms prostate cancer and about prostate cancer symptoms please review this web site http://www.prostate-cancer-center.com

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/new-solutions-in-fighting-advanced-prostate-cancer-134073.html

Being diagnosed with prostate cancer is a big shock for anyone however you should not immediately write your life off as there are a number of very successful prostate cancer treatments now available.

You will need to meet with your oncologist to fully discuss your options and to decide which type of treatment is best for you. This will depend to some extent on the progression of your cancer as some types of prostate cancer treatments are not suitable for late stage and terminal cases. Your decision will also need to take into account which side effects you can cope with as some men find that impotence and urinary incontinence cause more distress than the actual cancer.

Your individual circumstances will also have an effect on the treatment you receive. Age, overall health, other medical problems and the amount of emotional support you have at home and at work all need to be taken in to consideration. Your oncologist will be able to weigh up the details and decide on the best course of treatment; however, if you find yourself disagreeing with anything they suggest you must say so as only you know how you feel and how you will cope with the recommended prostate cancer treatment.

One of the biggest things to consider when choosing a form of prostate cancer treatment is what you want to achieve. Many men simply want to be rid of the disease and do not have a problem with the possibility of long-lasting side effects such as incontinence however younger individuals often decide that they would rather choose an alternative option with a lower success rate but less severe side effects. This decision is ultimately down to you and your preferences for the future should also be discussed with your oncologist before making any decisions.

Your age will also play a large part in which prostate cancer treatment you choose. Elderly men i.e. 70+ often decide to do nothing with regards to treatment as prostate cancer is in many cases a very slow growing disease and so the symptoms may not be felt during a lifetime. Alternatively you may wish to look into the possibility of hormone therapy which slows down the diseases progression but does not actually do anything to treat it, and there are no embarrassing side effects attached.

If you have not yet reached your 70th birthday or you have and are still young at heart then other prostate cancer treatments need to be considered. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the commonly used treatments and any combination of the three can be incorporated into a regime to suit you.

Ultimately however the decision is down to you. Talk to your family and your oncologist and consider your options carefully. Every case is different and needs to be treated on an individual basis so decide what it is you want to achieve and go from there.

Khim Lim
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/prostate-cancer-treatment-what-you-need-to-find-out-86015.html

The prostate gland is located directly beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum. Many men, especially those later in life have made the decision with their doctors to simply watch and wait. Detected in its early stages, prostate cancer can be effectively treated and cured.

About 80 percent of men who reach the age of 80 have prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the U.S. Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages and is the most common cause of death from cancer in men over 75 years old.

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease are bone pain or tenderness, and abdominal pain. Other symptoms might include unintentional weight loss and lethargy. Some men will experience symptoms that might indicate the presence of prostate cancer.

One of the most common symptoms is the inability to urinate at all. If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. There are a number of symptoms to be aware of.

A chest x-ray may be done to see if there’s a spread of cancer. A prostate biopsy usually confirms the diagnosis. What is called a free PSA may help tell the difference between BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy), an enlargement of the prostate gland, and prostate cancer.

A number of tests may be done to confirm a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Another test usually used when prostate cancer symptoms are present is the digital rectal exam (DRE) performed by the doctor. The decision about whether to pursue a PSA test should be based on a discussion between you and your doctor.

Hormone manipulation is mainly used as a treatment to relieve symptoms in men whose cancer has spread. Surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy all have significant side effects; know fully what they are before you proceed. Medications can have many side effects, including hot flashes and loss of sexual desire.

The conventional treatment of prostate cancer is often controversial. An oncology specialist will usually recommend treating with a single drug or a combination of drugs. If chemotherapy is decided upon after the first round of chemotherapy, most men receive further doses on an outpatient basis at a clinic or physician’s office.

Medicines can be used to adjust the levels of testosterone; called hormonal manipulation. Other medications used for hormonal therapy, with side effects, include androgen-blocking agents, which prevent testosterone from attaching to prostate cells. Thoroughly discuss your treatment options and concerns with your doctor and other health professionals; it never hurts to get a second or even third opinion or more if necessary.

The approaches to treatment include: ever watchful waiting to see whether the cancer is growing slowly and not causing any symptoms. Some men choose to do nothing but change their diet to a more natural diet of living foods. Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy can interfere with libido on a temporary or permanent basis. Radiation therapy is used primarily to treat prostate cancers classified as stages A, B, or C.

Many men simply want the best treatment they can get but what’s important is choosing the best treatment for you. Side effects of chemotherapy drugs depend on which ones you’re taking and how often and how long they’re taken.

As new research comes out adjust your treatment options accordingly. While the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer remains high, survival rates are also improving. The outcome of prostate cancer varies greatly; mostly because the disease is found in older men who may have a variety of other complicating diseases or conditions, such as cardiac or respiratory disease, or disabilities that immobilize or greatly decrease their activities.

Helen Hecker
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/prostate-cancer-natural-and-alternative-treatments-127219.html

Thousands of people yearly are diagnosed with cancer, but only some look for natural cancer treatments.  Those that are not are effected in some way by this disease, whether it is a neighbor, a co-worker, a friend, or a loved one. Every day 1500 lives are taken by cancer.

Although many people are diagnosed with cancer, not many know what the cause of this deadly illness truly is. In 1923 Dr. Otto Warburg discovered the growth of cancer cells is a fermentation process which can be initiated with alittle absence of oxygen. These theories were verified in 1950, but not much was done to discover what cause the lack of oxygen. Herman Aihara, author of Acid & Alkaline, believes adult diseases, such as cancer, are due to accumulation of acids in our body.

While both are correct, Dr. Otto Warburg was dealing with the symptoms of acidic overload in the body where Mr. Aihara was getting to the root cause of cancer, along with many other adult sickness or diseases. When your body becomes acidic you don’t have enough oxygen for your cells and the cells that survive the acidic conditions become abnormal also known as malignant cells. This is cancer.

Today doctors tries to destroy malignant cells as viruses and try to treat them. During this process of treatment such as chemotherapy and/or radiation, healthy cells are damaged as well. This weakens your immune system making your body venerable to many common illnesses that under normal circumstances wouldn’t be of concern. The cause of the malignant cells still has not been addressed. If your body is still acidic the chance of cancer returning after treatment is much greater.

As it states in Reverse Aging, “Drinking high pH alkaline water will definitely help in preventing cancer.” Healthy cells are alkaline while malignant cells are acidic. So, while creating an alkaline environment will not hurt healthy cells, it can destroy abnormal cells thus riding your body of cancer. What do you have to lose (besides cancer)?

Cancer Treatments do not need to be only chemotherapy or radiation. You can prevent and treat cancer by boosting your immune system, making it strong enough to attack the bad cells.

Technorati Tags: cancer causes, cancer prevention, cancer treatements

At first, a chalazion appearance and feels sort of a stye, swollen eyelid, pain, and irritation. The term chalazion refers to a cystic swelling with chronic inflammation in an eyelid. Typically the bump on your eyelid is really a chalazion, that appearance like a stye. A chalazion is sometimes confused with a stye that additionally seems as a lump within the eyelid.

In rare cases, cancerous tumors of the eyelid can seem like a stye or chalazion. Don’t wear eye makeup or contact lenses till the stye or chalazion heals. Granulomas are inflammatory growths on the within or outside of the eyelid, and can occur once a stye, or chalazion.

In some cases of staph blepharitis, a red eye may develop or a sty might form. Inflammation of an eyelash follicle with a lump referred to as a sty or hordeolum is sometimes caused by staph.

If you get styes frequently, see your eye doctor for an examination. Finally, if you suffer from recurring styes, your eye doctor would possibly prescribe a low-dose antibiotic for long-term use. Consult a watch specialist if the inflammation persists for a lot of than 2 weeks, styes recur, or the stye rubs against the attention and irritates it. Dangerous styes or recurrent styes could would like an antibiotic eye ointment as prescribed by your specialist.

Some smart prevention method for eye stys are straightforward things like not sharing build up. Avoid sharing eye makeup, particularly if you are liable to recurring styes. Refrain from carrying eye makeup while the stye is active. Though most styes and chalazia don’t seem to be contagious, best practice should also embody not sharing towels, washcloths, or handkerchief.

Your eye doctor may advocate replacing your contact lenses once the stye has healed to prevent recurrence or spread of the infection. If you are doing not, the infection may spread to the oil glands of the eyelid and cause a stye. Raise an optometrist a question regarding eye styes when you’re getting any new contact lenses.

Technorati Tags: eye care, Eye sty, eye stye, sty, sty care, sty information, sty treatment, stye