MYSTERIES OF THE PROSTATE GLAND EXPLAINED
CONTENTS
Sample page- PROSTATE PUZZLES As time advances toward the days when a man's attention turns to his teeth rather than his testes, it is quite likely that he will launch into an uncomfortable acquaintance with his prostate gland. In fact, in the Western world, 95% of males in their latter years will experience a degree of prostatic enlargement that may require medical intervention. On top of that, of all cancers that affect the Western male population, those that hit the prostate, head the list. Second to heart disease, prostate cancer is the biggest killer of males in Western countries, and it does not kill gently. In their final months, the majority of men who succumb to it endure excruciating pain that is difficult to control. At the moment, a patient who finds himself diagnosed with prostate cancer is quite likely to discover that leading experts may disagree on the best course of action in his particular case. This controversy has arisen in part because no one can yet conclusively distinguish among microscopic cancers that will remain inactive and those that will become sufficiently aggressive to be life-threatening. Even the best educated guess cannot determine with certainty which early tumours need treatment and which do not, aside from the choice of treatments. With those sobering thoughts lingering, we ask the obvious question - can we do anything about it? There are many answers to the prostate puzzle and why it has become so troublesome in our society - because it never used to be... sample page What is ageing? Something that is inevitable and eventually happens to all of us - that is, if something else doesn't get us first. Ageing covers a multitude of sins. Some are avoidable (usually the fun ones), and some are not. Nutritive and lifestyle factors play a huge role, and if we further consider that they account for approximately 90% of prostate cancers, it would stand to reason that an awful lot can be done to prevent it. Ageing is inevitable, but associated health problems are not. The majority of diseases that we associate with advancing years are preventable, and we do not need to add hormones into the equation to achieve that. But before we look at our options, let's understand a little more about prostate cancer and what we can do to avoid it. PROSTATE CANCER There are no definite carcinogens (cancer-causing factors) known to be responsible for prostatic cancer, although there is strong evidence that alterations in the estrogen-androgen hormone balance plays a significant role. Sexual activity is apparently not a factor, as prostatic cancer has been observed in both celibate groups and men with histories of extensive sexual activity. Prostatic enlargement (hyperplasia) is primarily caused by the testosteronederived hormone, DHT (di-hydro-testosterone) that we mentioned earlier. It occurs anywhere from about the mid-forties onward and is usually indicated by urinary disturbances as the initial symptoms. Although this is most commonly a benign condition (not cancerous), the possibility of cancer always needs to be ruled out. sample page Cancers don't just 'pop out' of nowhere overnight. They take time to form and are preceded by cellular activity that is unusually or abnormally brisk. Consequently, if prostatic enlargement is evident, it is an indication of increased cellular activity which should be monitored to ensure that benign activity hasn't launched into malignant (cancerous) activity. Although testosterone production decreases with age, DHT does not, thought to be due to an increase in the production of another hormone, prolactin. Associated with a decrease in the breakdown of DHT, it's easy to see how these levels can remain relatively high as it accumulates, hence the link of prostatic cancer to increasing age. The signs of an enlarged prostate are: ∞ a reduced urine flow; ∞ frequency in urination, particularly at night; ∞ an increased urgency to urinate; ∞ incomplete emptying of bladder; ∞ delay in onset of urination. But not all urinary disturbances are a reflection on the condition of our poor ........  |
