Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

What are some of the treatment options for prostate cancer?
The treatment options for prostate cancer depend in part on whether the tumor has spread. For tumors that are still inside the prostate, radiation therapy (using x-rays that kill the cancer cells) and a surgery called radical prostatectomy are common treatment options. "Watchful waiting" is also a treatment option. In this approach, no treatment is given until the tumor gets bigger. Watchful waiting may be the best choice for an older man who has a higher risk of dying from something other than his prostate cancer.

Generally, tumors that have grown beyond the edge of the prostate can't be cured with either radiation or surgery. They can be treated with hormones that slow the cancer's growth.

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What is radical prostatectomy?
Radical prostatectomy is a surgery to remove the whole prostate gland and the nearby lymph nodes. Most men who have this surgery are under general anesthesia (puts you into a sleep-like state). After the prostate gland is taken out, a catheter (a narrow rubber tube) is put through the penis into the bladder to carry urine out of the body until the area heals.

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What are the risks and benefits of radical prostatectomy?
If you're in good health, the short-term risks of this surgery are low. The hospital stay is usually 2 to 3 days, with the catheter left in place for 2 to 3 weeks. You're usually able to go back to work in about 1 month. You shouldn't have severe pain with this surgery. Most men regain bladder control a few weeks to several months after the surgery.

The main advantage of surgery is that it offers the most certain treatment. That is, if all of the cancer is removed during surgery, you are probably cured. Also, the surgery provides your doctor with accurate information about how advanced your cancer is, since the nearby lymph nodes are taken out along with the tumor.

Surgery does have risks and complications. You could lose a lot of blood during this surgery. Before the surgery, you might want to save about 2 units of your own blood in case you need a transfusion. The main risks of this surgery are incontinence (lack of bladder control) and impotence (loss of the ability to get or keep an erection long enough to have sex). Fortunately, only a very low percentage of men have severe incontinence after radical prostatectomy. Up to 35% of men have a little accidental leakage of urine during heavy lifting, coughing or laughing.

The chance of impotence decreases if the surgeon is able to avoid cutting the nerves. This may not be possible if the tumor is large. Your age and degree of sexual function before the surgery are also important factors. If you're under 50 years old when you have this surgery, you're likely to regain sexual function. If you're older than 70, you're more likely to lose sexual function. Remember, even if the nerves are cut, feeling in your penis and orgasm remain normal. Only the ability to get a rigid penis for sexual intercourse is lost. However, there are medicines and devices that can help make the penis rigid.

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What is radiation therapy? What are its risks and benefits?
There are 2 types of radiation therapy. In one type, called external beam radiation therapy, radiation is given from a machine like an x-ray machine. In another type, radioactive pellets (called "seeds") are injected into the prostate gland. This is sometimes called seed therapy or brachytherapy (say: "break-ee-ther-uh-pee"). Both types work about the same in curing prostate cancer.

The machine therapy is usually given 5 days a week over 7 weeks, which you might find time-consuming. However, you don't need any anesthesia. The side effects are milder than the side effects that can come with seed therapy. However, seed therapy can be done with just one hospital visit. For seed therapy, you have to have anesthesia for a few minutes, but you should be able to go home right after the treatment. In seed therapy, higher doses of radiation can be put right on the cancer. You may feel more discomfort after this treatment.

About one half of patients become impotent within 2 years of having radiation therapy. Many men feel very tired at the end of the treatment period. About 15% to 30% of men who have radiation therapy have urinary burning, urinary bleeding, frequent urination, rectal bleeding, rectal discomfort or diarrhea during or shortly after the treatment. Serious complications are rare. However, a degree of uncertainty goes along with radiation treatment. Since the prostate gland and the lymph nodes are not taken out, your doctor can't tell the exact size of the tumor. The cancer could come back many years after radiation treatment.

At 10 years after treatment, cure rates are about the same for radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy. There are no surgical risks for men who have radiation therapy. There's no risk of bleeding. You don't have to stay in the hospital. You'll recover faster. Daily activities can usually go on during the treatment. Incontinence is extremely rare afterward. However, surgery may give you a better chance of cure over the long term.

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What are the risks and benefits of watchful waiting?
Many prostate cancers are small and grow slowly. Because many men with a slow-growing tumor have the same life expectancy as men who don't even have prostate cancer, it may not be necessary to treat very small, very slow-growing prostate tumors. Also, some men feel that the side effects of treatment outweigh the benefits. In watchful waiting, you get no treatment, but you see your doctor often. If there's no sign the cancer is growing, you continue to get no treatment. Hormone therapy can be started if the cancer starts to grow.

It can be hard to tell if a small tumor is going to grow slowly or quickly. Your doctor will get clues about the way your tumor will grow by checking your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, examining the biopsy tissue and giving you a rectal exam. The choice of watchful waiting is up to you.

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What is the purpose of hormone therapy?
The purpose of hormone therapy is to lower the level of the male hormones, called androgens, which are produced mostly in the testicles. This is because androgens, such as testosterone, help the prostate tumor grow. Monthly shots can be given or the testicles can be surgically removed. Once the testosterone is out of your body, the prostate cancer usually shrinks. Hormone treatments are most often used in patients with cancer that has already spread beyond the prostate gland.

While prostate cancer usually responds to 1 or 2 years of hormone therapy, after some time most tumors start to grow again. Once this happens, the treatment goal is to control symptoms. No treatment can cure prostate cancer after hormone therapy stops helping.

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What happens after prostate cancer treatment?
You should get PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests every 6 months for 5 years, and then once every year. A rise in PSA levels usually means that the cancer has come back. A digital rectal examination should be done once a year.

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Where can I get more information about prostate cancer?
Your family doctor, your oncologist (cancer doctor), the radiotherapist and your urologist can give you information. Your local hospital or cancer center may refer you to a local prostate cancer support group, where you can meet other men who have had this cancer.

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More Information

Cancer

* Choosing Treatment
* Preparing for Treatment
* During Treatment
* After Cancer Treatment
* Helping Your Family Help You
* Cancer: Palliative Care
* Treatment for Cancer of the Colon or Rectum

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Other Organizations

* American Cancer Society
800-ACS-2345 (800-227-2345)
* Prostate Health Council/American Foundation for Urologic Disease
1128 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
800-242-2383
* US TOO International – Independent Network of Support Groups
5003 Fairview Ave
Downer's Grove, IL 60515-5286
800-808-7866 or 630-795-1002
* Revolution Health Cancer Community

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Source

Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.

American Academy of Family Physicians

Recycle,learn to recycle.

Recycled guide
Recycled Products, Build a House From Recycled Products.
Learn the steps required to recycle paper, plastic and aluminium cans.
How to recycle in Schools. Recycling schemes and recycling activities for pupils.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle at home.
How to Recycle Different Materials

Help the earth: learn all this stuffs here http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/

Save the ocean from the climatic change

The ocean is the engine that drives our planet’s climate. It is our life support system, providing much of the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the resources we depend on for life every day. The ocean is essential for life.

Unfortunately, the ocean will be the first ecosystem to suffer widespread effects of global climate change. Increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases pose major threats to our ocean as well as our atmosphere. Widespread effects brought on by higher air and water temperatures include loss of sea ice, sea level rise, extreme weather events, and harmful changes to marine fish and wildlife populations. Increased concentrations of carbon dioxide will lead to acidification of ocean water, threatening many ocean organisms, particularly corals and important species at the base of the ocean food web.

Action is needed immediately to reduce impacts on the ocean and wildlife, to strengthen the health of marine ecosystems, and to improve their capacities to adapt to change, much of which is already being felt. Recent scientific research has discovered that the rate of global warming is increasing faster than anyone had anticipated, outpacing even the best model projections of just a year ago. Where we once thought we had centuries to adapt, we are finding we may have only decades. And, where once we thought we had decades before we felt the harshest effects of climate change, we may have only years. The best hope for the continued existence of some species is an immediate reduction in CO2 emissions.

Several bills in Congress have been offered with the goal of reducing the emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. It is critical that such efforts include provisions to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of marine ecosystems and wildlife. Such provisions should:

* Channel a portion of revenues from the auction of greenhouse gas emission allowances directly to ocean and wildlife efforts
* Require a national-level, comprehensive strategy for protecting ocean ecosystems and wildlife, and to improve resilience to the impacts of climate change
* Help ensure that all federal decisions regarding the ocean consider the effects of climate change
* Support state strategies to assess and address the impacts of climate change on wildlife, as well as coastal and ocean resources

Please take action today and urge your Senators to ensure that critical greenhouse gas reduction and ocean and wildlife adaptation measures are included in any climate change legislation.

Global heating

4% OF THE GLOBAL HEATING OWES HERSELF
TO GENERATED GASES IN YOU DAM THEM

Berkeley, California, 9 May 2007 (International presses Rivers Network - IRN). - The big ones dam they could make the biggest contribution to the global heating, emitting 104 million tons of gas methane every year. The estimate was announced in a scientific publication by Ivan Lima and its colleagues of the Institute National Brazilian for Space Investigations (INPE, in English).

“Today there is more than enough it evidences that it demonstrates that the big ones dam they are the source bigger than pollutants that increase the climatic change,” Patrick McCully said, executive director of the Ríos' International Net (IRN, in English).

The calculations made by Lima imply that the 52.000 dam in the world they contribute more than 4% to the global heating due to the impact of human activities. They also explain that the reservoirs are the biggest source in emissions caused for human, contributing to around a room of these emissions.

The methane is a more potent gas that the dioxide of carbon to catch the heat, although it doesn't last the same time in the atmosphere. A year of emissions of one it dams big, like Lima has dear, he/she has an impact of equivalent heating to more than 20 years of 7.5 trillion tons of dioxide of carbon - this is higher than the total emissions of dioxide of carbon that are emitted for it burns it of fossil fuels in the United States.

Lima and their colleagues intend that the methane is captured in these reservoirs and it is used as energy for electricity plants. Lima says that “if we can generate electricity of the big quantities of methane taken place for you dam them in tropical areas that exist we can avoid the consequences on the human population and the environment that he/she brings to build new you dam.”

“It is unfortunate that the study of Lima has arrived very late to be included in the recent reports of the Panel Inter Government of the Climatic Change (IPCC)”, McCully said. Partly for the influence of the hydraulic industry and of the governments that support her, the creators of the laws in relation to the climate have not put attention to the importance of the methane generated in you dam in increasing the climatic change.

The methane is created by the decomposition of organic matter in the reservoirs. The massive quantities taken place in tropical areas for you dam hydroelectric it means that these you dam they contribute more to the heating that the dirtiest electricity plants.

This is only the second estimate published in scientific literature of the emissions of gases effect hothouse of you dam. The dear one previous it was published in the 2000, and it only included emissions of the water of the surface of the reservoirs; the dear one global it is 70 million tons of methane and a trillion tons of dioxide of carbon.

The calculations of Lima take into account the emissions of the turbines and spillways and of the rivers waters under you dam them, besides the surface of the reservoirs. The publication of Lima doesn't go to the emissions of dioxide of carbon and other gases of effect hothouse like the nitric oxide.

Lima has even published at national level the first ones dear of methane emissions of you dam in Brazil, China, and the India. These dear ones demonstrate that you dam them in Brazil and India they are responsible for a recruit of the impact of the global heating.

He/she has been considered that you dam them in the China they produce 1% of the climatic contamination of the country, although for methodology reasons it is probably underestimated.

CONTACTS

Patrick McCully, Executive Director, IRN, Berkeley, California:
Cellular: +1 510 213 1441
Office: +1 510 848 1155
Email: patrick@irn.org

Ivan Lima, National Institute for Space Research, Brazil:
Telephone: + 55 67 3233-2430 ext. 241
Email: ivan@dsr.inpe.br

Tim Kingston, Communications Manager, IRN, Berkeley, California:
Cellular: +1 510 290 7170
Office: +1 510 848 1155
Email: tim@irn.org
Source
http://www.proteger.org.ar/doc651.html original info.

25 more ways to save the earth from home. Post made in treehugger.com

25) Get a reel (human-powered) lawn mower (like this one -- they really work! Read our review here) instead of a loud, noxious gasoline grass-cutter.
24) Compost your garbage instead of throwing it all away; over 60% of solid household waste is fit for the compost pile, heap or bin. Check out our picks for composters here.
23) Buy clothes and other linens made from organic cotton. Conventional cotton farming uses only about 3% of the farmland but consumes approximately 25% of the chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and if you want it, you can get it organic: jeans and denim, towels and sheets, even designer couture and upholstery fabric
22) Ride a bicycle. The most efficient form of transportation ever devised was named the most significant innovation in a UK survey; in 2005, more bikes than cars were sold in the US, and it's certainly one of our favorites, from a myriad of killer folding bikes to bamboo bikes to bikes with an electric boost.We don't know how you can't love something that will alternately charge your iPod or make you a daiquiri.
21) Use eco-friendly household cleaners. It's never made any sense to us to use "dirty" chemicals and volatile organic compounds to try to get things cleaner around the house; we recommend ECover, Seventh Generation (if it's good enough for Liv Tyler, it's good enough for us), Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day (read our review of their products), B_E_E and method; between them all, there isn't anything you can't clean without dirtying yourself or the rest of the environment.
20) Eschew air conditioners (even though there are some nice designs, some pretty efficient window units and even an off-grid option out there, some think A/C is the killing frost sure to wilt the last fragile shoots of American culture) and go with a ceiling fan for year-round climate control. It'll help keep you cooler in summer; to push warm air back down into the room in winter, just flip the blades around.
19) Skip the energy-hogging clothes dryer for a drying rack or clothes line instead; it's easier on your clothes, your energy bill and our fragile planet. While you're at it, green your laundry practices or skip electricity all together.
18) Use rechargable batteries instead of single-use batteries. It'll save you some bucks and the hassle of trying to recycle spent alkalines (even though our friends at 3r Living make it a little easier by accepting them for recycling). For more info, check out Green Batteries for everything you'd ever want to know.
17) If given the choice, go for organic fruits, veggies, meat and dairy over conventional food. Organic food is becoming more widely available all the time in grocery stores across the world, and because it's all free of pesticides, herbicides and other chemical non-desireables, it's better for you and the planet.
16) When it comes to food, the only thing making more noise these days than organic is the local food movement. From the Eat Local Challenge to the 100 Mile Diet (so interesting that we added a part 2) to a growing number of resources to help you grow your own food -- it doesn't get more local than that -- it's tough to beat the "eat the season" mantra. If you're still not convinced, here are 10 reasons to give it a shot.In part three of our ongoing series, we bring you five more ideas for ways to reduce your ecological impact, keep things green, and save some green by increasing efficiency while retaining function.

15) Fill your kitchen with bamboo. We just love the stuff, and its versatility makes for a variety of products that are inexpensive, functional and beautiful and long-lasting. Some of our favorites are Ekobo, Bambu (their new utensils are worth a look, too), Vessel's cutting boards, NorSing dinnerware and this dinnerware from Hammacher Schlemmer. While you're at it, bamboo is pretty great for the bathroom, too.
14) Get an efficient space heater to cut down on the cubic area you need to heat, reducing energy consumption and energy bills.
13) If a drying rack or clothing line doesn't make sense for your wet laundry, a spinning clothes dryer that uses centrifugal force is a much more efficient alternative to conventional clothes dryers.
12) Use recycled paper. There's no need to use virgin paper for things like computer printing, envelopes, paper towels, toilet paper or tissues; the best part is that it's all easy to find at office supply stores and grocery stores. Don't forget, you can get great stationary and cool journals from recycled paper as well, so there are more trees for us all to hug.
11) Many of us can't afford to get sustainable hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring or really cool reclaimed lumber flooring, but we can still make a difference with the rugs and carpets we put down. Interface's modular tiles are flexible enough to go in almost any-sized space, big or small, and these bamboo rugs are both sustainable and affordable. Angela Adams' Island rugs are are backed with 100% cotton monk cloth and a latex adhesive, and there are lots more planet-saving, money-saving ideas in our Top 5 carpets and rugs list.Part four out of our five-part series has more easy, affordable things you can do by the end of the day today to make a positive impact on our planet.

10) When it comes to toilets, we've seen a lot of gadgets: dual-flush handles, controllable-flush handles, alternative toilets, the UnBathroom emergency toilet, a water recycling toilet and reviews of the best low-flow toilets. They're all valuable in their own way, but rather than rushing out to buy one of them, there's an even easier way to save lots of water: make your own frugal flusher. Just place a brick or similarly voluminous object in the tank of your toilet; by displacing some of the water, there's less of it to flush each time, and less valuable wet stuff goes down the drain.
9) We can't emphasize this one enough: replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. They're more energy efficient, last longer, and can even help clean the air in your home. There are too many other good things about them to list here, but, trust us, they're worth it.
8) Even though there are some good things going on in the bottled water industry, like biodegradable water bottles and this bottled water with a cause, you can't beat filtered tap water in a reusable bottle. Same goes for other widely-consumed beverages, like coffee, and if you're stuck on the aesthetics of the disposable cup, check out TreeHugger founder and fearless leader's ceramic solution.
7) Cut flowers are pretty and smell good, but are ultimately disposable after just a few days. The next time you're in the market for some, go for a potted version instead. They last longer, improve indoor air quality and can even be self-watering. If cut flowers are a must, go for organic and look for the Veliflora sustainable floral label.
6) A low-flow showerhead can save you gallons of water each time you use it. We've seen 'em as low as a half-gallon per minute, and for as little as $12 US.
We've arrived at the final installment of our quick-n-easy actions to take for a better planet. At just 25 items, we know there are a plethora of other easy ways to take action, and just because they're not on the list doesn't mean you shouldn't do them. The little things can make a difference!

5) Instead of buying bottled water, use a water filter instead. There are some pretty strange options for filtration out there, but they can be very simple and easy to use, so get one, use it to replenish your precious bodily fluids, and you'll never buy bottled water again.
4) To go the extra mile, get a rainwater storage tank; you don't even have to dig a huge hole in the yard to have one (we got all the facts at a rainwater harvesting conference). You won't be able to drink it (unless you do what this guy did, and bottle it), but your flowers, plants and garden will sure enjoy it. This will save the potable water your utility provides just for household use, and you'll use less of it.
3) Use "Tupperware"-style reusable food containers for leftovers and lunches; you'll save miles of plastic wrap and tons of plastic bags. While you're at it, get reusable versions of other stuff, like grocery bags, gift bags and (why not?) muffin cups.
2) Draft excluders at the base of your doors can save vast amounts of cold from getting in and heat from getting out. Your wallet will thank you, and you can do it with other doors around the house, like your fridge door, too.
1) Finally, a programmable thermostat will help efficiently regulate your indoor climate; it's like TiVo for your house. Warm it up and cool it down only when you want to, live more comfortably and cheaply. Isn't that what we all want?

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/25_ways_to_save.php

26 ways to save our earth

26 things we can do to help:

Turn off lights.
Turn off other electric things, like TVs, stereos, and radios when not in use.
Use rechargable batteries.
Do things manually instead of electrically, like open cans by hand.
Use fans instead of air conditioners.
In winter, wear a sweater instead of turning up your thermostat.
Insulate your home so you won't be cold in winter.
Use less hot water.
Whenever possible, use a bus or subway, or ride your bike or walk.
Try to buy organic fruits and vegetables if you're concerned about pesticides. (Organic food is grown without man-made fertilizers and/or pesticides).
Don't waste products made from forest materials.
Use recycled paper and/or recycle it. Reuse old papers.
Don't buy products that may have been made at the expense of the rainforest.
Support products that are harvested from the rainforest but have not cut down trees to get it.
Plant trees, espessially if you have cut one down.
Get other people to help you in your cause. Make and/or join an organization.
Avoid products that are used once, then thrown away.
Buy products with little or no packaging.
Encourage your grocery store sell environmentally friendly cloth bags for people to use when they shop, or bring your own.
REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE.
Compost.
Buy recycled products.
Don't buy pets taken from the wild.
If you have a good zoo nearby, (if the animals are healthy and the zoo takes care of them), support it! Espessially if they help breed endangered animals.
Don't buy products if animals were killed to make it.
Cut up your six-pack rings before throwing them out.

ACTION DAY

Blog Action Day: The Day of the Action of the Blog, and now also Fotolog ¡ UNITE! October 15, the bloggers around the world will unite to put a single important topic from all over the world in the heads. In the 2007 the topic is the environment. Each blogger posteará about the atmosphere in their own style and in relation to their own topics of interest. The invitation is to bloggers and fotologers of all the nationalities and environments that you/they write about all the topics so that they unite. This is what you should make: To publish October 15 It publishes an image and comment in your fotolog and/or Blog, in connection with the environment or climatic change. Maintain the image that whole day he/she invites your friends and favorite to participate posteando this message The objective is alone to put the topic in the discussion chart. He/she writes in the form that makes comfortable to your readers and your blog Fotolog, relate it with the environment and make sure that it is published October 15. it participates in the initiative and unite in inviting all the fotolog users, it diffuses this flog and he/she invites your friends to go by the, you can also help adding to ff until the day of publication. this it is an initiative that leaves from the blog action day, October 15 2007 Publish and JOIN US but info in
http://caincamus.googlepages.com/diadeaccion http://blogactionday.org/es

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfO8mGjXoe8
cain camus http://www.caincamus.cl.kz/