 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MCCAIN UNDERGOES
PROSTATE SURGERY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
from the prostate gland). In fact, because of this slow growth rate, "watchful waiting" is a legitimate treatment alternative, especially for older men.
Cancer Screening
The two most common screening tools for prostate cancer are a digital rectal exam and a PSA blood test.
A digital rectal exam, or DRE, is a physical exam in which a health professional feels for abnormalities in a man's prostate gland, which is located near the rectum. For this examination, the doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and feels the prostate gland through the rectal wall to check for bumps or abnormal areas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland. There are many possible reasons for an elevated PSA level, including prostate cancer, benign prostate enlargement, inflammation, infection, age, and race. If there are no other indicators that suggest cancer, the doctor may recommend repeating DRE and PSA tests regularly to monitor any changes.
SOURCE:
www.nci.National Cancer Institute (http://nih.gov)
Written by Richard A. Zmuda, thehealthchannel.com Editorial Team
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Continued from McCain page 2)
mon, as is the incidence of prostate cancer. There is no evidence that either BPH or prostatitis cause cancer, but it is possible for a man to have one or both of these conditions and to develop prostate cancer as well.
Except for skin cancer, cancer of the prostate is the most common cancer in American men. It is estimated that in 2001 nearly 200,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fortunately, prostate cancer is a relatively slow-growing cancer, especially if it is localized (has not spread
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TAMOXIFEN AND
CHOLESTEROL
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Continued from tamoxifen page 1)
heart attacks and serious chest pain events (angina) between the tamoxifen group and the placebo group. The finding held true whether or not the women had a history of heart disease.
Tamoxifen was expected to decrease a woman's risk of heart disease because it acts similarly to the hormone estrogen in its ability to raise or lower cholesterol levels. Both estrogen and tamoxifen reduce "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL), and increase "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL).
The finding that tamoxifen does not protect the heart suggests that the cholesterol-lowering ability of the drug is not an accurate marker for heart disease, the study's authors wrote.
Further study will be needed, said Reis. "Because tamoxifen is being prescribed increasingly for the prevention
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
on coronary heart disease is much harder to demonstrate," he wrote.
SOURCES:
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, January 3, 2001; 93:16-21
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and treatment of breast cancer, longer term clinical trials of tamoxifen in women are needed to further elucidate its long-term cardiovascular effects."
In an accompanying editorial, V. Craig Jordan, Ph.D., of Northwestern University Medical School, said that National Cancer Institute
(http://www.nci.nih.gov) important issues have yet to be addressed. "We need to discover why estrogen can successfully prevent osteoporosis but its beneficial effect
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|