Prostate Cancer

There is good news for patients of prostate cancer as well as those who are at risk of developing other types of cancers. Developments in this area of research reveal that the compound that can potentially provide cure and prevention for this chronic disease is resveratrol.

More than a decade ago, this polyphenol that is typically found in red grapes and other berries was initially proposed as a multi-stage protector for all types of cancers. At first, it was noticed only for its high antioxidant content which can inhibit heart diseases from developing. It then became a popular subject among researchers and scientists in many published papers. As new research results unfold, it has been found that resveratrol is more than a protector; it is a possible agent that can fight off the disease.

As of yet, there are 12 known mechanisms by which resveratrol work to prevent the development and spread of cancer cells in the body. What's even better is that the compound is showing indications that it can destroy cancer cells and tumors.

Resveratrol's chemopreventive property is attributed mainly to its capacity to prevent DNA damages. In one of the many studies, it was found that this works by preventing the abduction between DNA and estrogen, which is typically the initiation stage of the disease.

Another property that makes this polyphenol a good candidate for cure is its toxic effects on cancer cells. However, it does not pose any harm to normal cells. In fact, resveratrol supplementation can actually deliver health benefits to the consumer. For one, it can repair heart-related diseases and anomalies such as poor blood circulation, coronary heart disease, and artery damages. Further, it has the capacity to inhibit the growth of cells. It should be noted that this is one of the few aims of treatment.

The future will still decide whether resveratrol is the cure for cancer. As of now, it is a huge step forward to have found a compound that serves as an agent against the disease.

There is a lot of talk and speculation about possible causes of prostate cancer but no definite conclusions. Latest medical studies have been discovering the link between chronic prostate inflammation and prostate cancer. Researchers at John Hopkins University and Case Western Reserve University have produced conclusive data that points to inflammation of the prostate as the likely precursor for prostate cancer.

When doctors discover after series of tests that the prostate is enlarged they usually prescribe drugs, like Avodart or Flomax, which claim to reduce many of the associated urinary symptoms. Flomax works similarly to high blood pressure medications by dilating urinary canal thus reducing the symptom but not addressing the inflammation. Avodart works on a hormonal level, however not addressing inflammation either.

Another option used is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's), however those are known to cause liver and kidney damage (acute renal failure) as proven by Harvard University study. Antibiotics, in turn, were proven ineffective in the case of chronic prostate inflammation by University of Washington research team.

Unfortunately, none of these methods seem to be adequate because these measures don't quell the chronic inflammation associated with prostatitis, BPH and enlarged prostate.

However, here's another option. The researchers of Columbia University and Cornell Medical College stated that acupuncture is a safe, effective, and durable treatment in improving symptoms and the quality of life in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Acupuncture is a tool that works on chronic inflammation and has no side effects unlike drugs and surgery which can have a risk of impotence and urine incontinence.

Most men become aware of prostate cancer with a routine blood test done by their doctor saying something about checking your prostate serum antigen levels. You get a call shortly after than the doctor want you in his office to talk. When you show up to the appointment, He will sit in his chair reading the report from the blood lab. Your prostate serum antigen is over 4 and with reading like this, you have a 1 in 4 chance of having Prostate Cancer. With a lecture like this, even the cheerful men will have it blood run cold. You will probably feel devastated like someone had punched you in the guts.

For the rest that are unaware, know the signs. There are 13 possible symptoms that indicate you have prostate problems and you don't have to get those symptoms to start with prevention.

1. You have a burning sensation when urinating

2. You wake up all night due to the constant need to urinate at night

3. You have trouble with a weak urine flow

4. You feel your bladder is not completely empty

5. You get a pain, hesitancy or urgency to urinate

6. You get blood in your urine

7. You experience lower back pain

8. You can't feel comfortable on a chair

9. You get pain in the testicles groin or penis

10. You feel pain during sex

11. You have a constant itchy feeling in your penis

12. You need the blue pill to get an erection or impotence

13. You sex drive at zero

The first move is to get a check out by your doctor. Your second move is to start eating or drinking a special group of foods call functional foods as prevention.