Prostate cancer prevention and health

Prostate cancer prevention and health



What is the Prostate?
The prostate is part of a man's sex organs. It's about the size of a walnut and surrounds the tube called the urethra, located just below the bladder. The urethra has two jobs: to carry urine from the bladder when you urinate and to carry semen during a sexual climax, or ejaculation. Semen is a combination of sperm plus fluid that the prostate adds.

What are the various Prostate problems? What are the symptoms?
For men under 50, the most common prostate problem is prostatitis. For men over 50, the most common prostate problem is prostate enlargement. This condition is also called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. Older men are at risk for prostate cancer as well, but this disease is much less common than BPH. More information about prostate cancer is available from the National Cancer Institute.

Problems with the Prostate can also interfere acutely with a man's sex life.

What is Prostatitis?
To put it simply, prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland. Typical symptoms are:
Pain in lower back or rectum
Relapsing urinary tract infections
Painful urination or other voiding problems
Genital pain
Difficult or painful urination.

In some cases, (not all), Prostatitis is caused due to bacterial infection and can be treated with antibiotics.

What is BPH?
BPH is the enlargement of the prostate, frequently occurring in men over the age of 50. The enlargement can result in a gradual squeezing of the urethra, sometimes causing difficulty in urinating. Typical symptoms are:
Weak urinary stream
Difficulty starting urination
Frequent urination
Frequently awakening at night to urinate.
Painful ejaculation during sex.

Also, blockage of the urethra from BPH may lead to repeated urinary tract infections, a sudden inability to urinate, or gradual bladder and/or kidney damage.

What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is a group of cancerous cells (a malignant tumor) that begins most often in the outer part of the prostate. It is the most common type of cancer (excluding skin cancer) diagnosed in American men. In 2003, an estimated 220,900 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. Early prostate cancer usually does not cause any symptoms. However, as the tumor grows, it may spread from the prostate to surrounding areas. Change in urination, including increased frequency, hesitancy or dribbling of urine may be experienced. Prostate cancer can spread from the prostate to nearby lymph nodes, bones or other organs. This spread is called metastasis. For example, as a result of metastasis to the spine, some men experience back pain.
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How can I maintain and improve prostate health?
For years, the practice of medicine for the health and treatment of Prostate problems in men, has had a less than stellar record. This exists even to this day.
Quote...
"Since Huggins showed in 1941 that castration (removal of testicles) slowed progression of prostate cancer, physicians have assumed that it was the resulting lack of Testosterone that slowed the cancer, and ever since then have relied on suppresion of testosterone to control the disease. However, the testosterone suppression benefit only lasts 2 to 3 years, and then the prostate cancer progresses to an Androgen (male hormone) insensitive state and continues to spread. Despite this, metastatic cancer patients are treated with androgen blockade through castration (orchiectomy) and/or hormone suppressing drugs." - Source - Dr. John R. Lee - Harvard.
Studies from nearly 40 years ago and more recently (1996 and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science) indicate that testosterone shrinks prostate tumors and testosterone supplementation actually kills prostate cancer cells. The benefit of castration in prostate cancer stemmed from Estradiol reduction - not Testosterone reduction. And yet, castration, antiandrogen therapy, and drugs that reduce the production of testosterone are still the prevalent forms of treatments for cancer patients. Go figure....

So what should a man do to maintain the health of their prostate or improve its health if they are already afflicted?

Perhaps one should start by asking why prostate problems including prostate cancer become so prevalent in aging men. It is not a disease that afflicts virile young men! Consider the changes in testicular hormone production as men age.

Testosterone levels fall.
More testosterone is changed to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by 5-alpha-reductase-enzyme - which in turn actually stimulates prostate growth.
Progesterone levels fall - causing both an estrogen dominance and an increase of activity of 5-alpha-reductase of which progesterone is potent inhibitor.
At the Gene Level....
"Embryology teaches us that the prostate is the male equivalent of the female uterus. The two organs differentiate from the same embryonic cells and share many of the same genes such as oncogene, Bel-2, and the cancer protector gene 'p53'. It is not surprising then that the hormonal relationships in endometrial cancer will be the same in prostate cancer; that is, both are very sensitive to the harmful effects of unopposed estrogen and are protected by progesterone."
Source - John R. Lee - MD.

Based on a rational unbiased assesment of the body of medical knowledge and backed by years of medical practice, a therapy for maintenance of prostate health as well as treatment of prostate afflictions, that seems highly effective and safe, is outlined below:

Intake of 8 to 10 mg. of Progesterone and 1 to 2 mg. of testosterone daily - through transdermal means.
Lowering estrogen intake in foods (most meats and dairy products), along with lower sugar and starch intake.
A good intake of anti-oxidants.
Exercise and an active sex life also appear to contribute to prostate health. Regaining progesterone and testosterone levels of course, has the happy effect of also enhancing libido and sex drive.
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What is Saw Palmetto Extract? Is it effective in treating BPH?
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) extract has long been used in Europe to treat an enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). American use lags far behind Europe in part because Americans are not aware of the extensive European research on the herb. The most cited journal article is by G. Champault et al. 1984. American physicians generally don't prescribe any drug other than Finasteride (Proscar®), Terazosin HCI (Hytrin®), or Doxazosin mesylate (Cardura®) for BPH. But unlike these drugs, particularly Proscar®, saw palmetto usually kicks in quickly. With the saw palmetto extract most men obtain relief of symptoms within the first 30 days. It also has far fewer and gentler side effects than the commonly prescribed drugs mentioned above.

What is Prostate Massage?
Prostate massage is a term often used to describe prostate drainage that is produced by the application of pressure on the prostate. The pressure is either applied by a finger, or by a mechanical device, that is inserted into the rectum. The objective of prostate massage is to use the pressure applied to the prostate to force debris from the prostate and out through the urethra. The forceful passage of that debris relieves built up pressure inside the prostate and provides relief for a man suffering from a prostate disorder such as prostatitis. This procedure however, can sometimes be dangerous because it could result in trauma to prostate tissue. Prostate debris can be dense, hard and of irregular shape. If forced from the acini of a prostate by external pressure, it can sometimes result in trauma to the surrounding prostate tissue.

Prostate massage can be effective in providing temporary relief but, as mentioned above, there is some risk involved. It does not seem to improve long term prostate health and requires the services of a knowledgeable person, hopefully a medical professional. The practitioner inserts a gloved (usually latex) and lubricated finger into the patients rectum. The prostate is located by feel and finger pressure, in a rolling motion, is applied to the prostate so that some of the prostate contents are squeezed out into the urethra..

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What is Natural (Bio-identical) Progesterone?
Progesterone is the name of a hormone made by the human body - by both men and women though women produce a lot more of it during their fertile years. It does not exist in nature outside living mammals.
Why is it referred to as "Natural Progesterone?"
It is called "Natural" or "Bio-identical" if it is identical to the molecule manufactured by the human body.
The Bio-identical or Natural Progesterone used in our products is actually derived via some elegant chemistry from extracts of wild Mexican yams. It is most effective when administered transdermally or through the skin. (Click for more information).

Yam or Soy extracts as they exist in nature, is NOT Progesterone and does not contain any Progesterone - and as a result has no effect.
Progestins are analogs of Progesterone developed by several pharmaceutical companies - that is they are similar but NOT the same. Their chemical composition is different to the Progesterone produced by the human body and as a result the body reacts violently to them as it treats them like the foreign substance they are. They tend to be of limited benefit and can have very severe adverse side effects.

Progesterone is not a generic name but is the name of the hormone produced by both men and women - by the corpus luteum after ovulation in women and also in smaller quantities by the adrenal gland - and by the testes and the adrenal gland in men. It is synthesized in humans in a biochemical pathway leading from cholesterol to pregnenolone to progesterone. In turn, progesterone is the precursor of corticosteroids and testosterone.
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How Does Progesterone (or lack of it) affect Prostate Health?
As men age, the production of progesterone (and also testosterone) by the testes decreases. The production of an estrogen hormone called Estradiol also decreases but not by as much, resulting in a hormonal imbalance - called "estrogen dominance." Both progesterone as well as testosterone serve to suppress the effects of estradiol. Progesterone also suppresses the effects of 5-alpha-reductase-enzyme, which as mentioned earlier, lowers testosterone levels further by converting it to DHT. It is this imbalance (which is not prevalent in younger men) and its consequences, that leads to problems with this important sex gland.
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What is Prosta-Health? How effective is it? How is it used?
Prosta-Health is a very carefully formulated unscented cream designed to deliver the appropriate dose of both bio-identical progesterone as well as "Saw Palmetto" extract - both of which have been proven to be very effective and safe therapies for Prostate health. It is manufactured under demanding controls in a FDA approved facility and packaged in a special airtight pump container (3 oz.) that delivers the required dose with a single squeeze.

It should be applied to the skin once per day (preferably in the region of the prostate) for 25 days, with a break of 5 days (to maintain progesterone receptor sensitivity) before starting the cycle again. Doing Saliva Hormonal tests for Progesterone and Testosterone removes the guess work.

It is a truly effective and safe product when used properly. It has been known for some time that natural progesterone enhances libido (sex drive) in men. Sufficient balances can improve a man's overall well being and sexual performance. Research also shows natural progesterone increases apoptosis - referred to as "the key to staying young."
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Why Transdermal Delivery?
In the case of natural supplements as well as many medications, it is important to first understand why we feel strongly about transdermal delivery - absorbing nutrients through the skin. Doctors around the world are calling transdermal delivery "the delivery system of the future." It has been discovered that a high absorption rate of many supplements can be achieved when delivered through the skin - usually as a cream. (The physical size of the supplement's molecule plays an important role). The reason for this is when supplements are delivered transdermally, they go directly to the blood-stream, initially bypassing the liver. The result can mean as much as 95% of the supplements get to the cells where they are needed.* Conversely, studies have shown when some substances are taken orally, as little as 5% make it to the cells where they are needed. This is because of the stomach, liver and digestive system excreting and discarding much of them.
* Source: Department of Pharmacology, University of Dublin
Click here to learn more about Transdermal drug delivery.