| PROSTATE CANCER - NEW TREATMENT BY
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| | require a general anaesthetic (you would
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| RADIOTHERAPY
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| | not need to be put to sleep) making them
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| Research is continuing to try and improve
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| | lower risk. Both treatments also have
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| technology and techniques to allow
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| | fewer side effects than radical surgery
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| radiotherapy to the prostate gland to be
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| | ("prostatectomy"). However neither has
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| more effective and to have fewer side
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| | been in use long enough to know if it
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| effects. One way is to reduce the amount
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| | will prevent prostate cancer from coming
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| of radiation received by normal organs
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| | back as effectively as standard
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| (bladder, bowel etc) and this has been
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| | treatments (surgery and radiotherapy).
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| improving over the last few years with
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| | Cryotherapy is the killing of cancer
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| better machines and techniques such as
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| | cells by freezing them. Needles are
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| "conformal radiotherapy" and "IMRT".
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| | inserted into the prostate gland under
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| Work is also being carried out on
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| | local anaesthetic and liquid nitrogen is
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| combining brachytherapy with external
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| | passed along them to freeze the prostate
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| therapy to allow some of the benefits of
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| | and the cancer cells within it. Currently
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| brachytherapy (fewer side effects, higher
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| | it is being used for men whose prostate
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| overall dose to the prostate cancer) to
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| | cancer has come back despite a first more
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| be used for men with more advanced
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| | conventional treatment and so is only
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| prostate cancer without compromising the
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| | being trialled for use as a first
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| chance of cure.
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| | treatment option.
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| NEW HORMONE THERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER
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| | HIFU stands for high frequency
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| Some newer prostate cancer hormone
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| | ultrasound. Here ultrasound waves are
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| treatments have fewer side effects than
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| | directed to where there are cancer cells
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| older hormone based drugs. Some are also
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| | and are these are used to heat them up,
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| felt to be more effective. All the time
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| | thus killing them. In prostate cancer the
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| researchers are testing to try and find
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| | ultrasound probe would be put into the
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| the best hormone tablets or injections
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| | back passage and from here ultrasound
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| for use in prostate cancer.
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| | waves would be fired towards the prostate
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| Other research is going on to try and
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| | gland. The results so far have been good
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| work out the best time to give hormone
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| | in that the treatment is safe and
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| treatment in prostate cancer and whether
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| | effective.
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| it is best to combine this treatment with
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| | NEW TREATMENTS FOR PROSTATE CANCER IN
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| other types of treatments such as
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| | VERY EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
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| chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Trials are
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| | There are a number of alternative
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| currently being run to answer these
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| | treatments which are still at a highly
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| questions and the results should be
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| | experimental stage of development. Gene
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| available in the next few years.
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| | therapy aims to replace the faulty genes
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| IMPROVEMENTS IN CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT
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| | in cancer cells with good ones which
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| FOR PROSTATE CANCER
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| | would allow the cell to self destruct if
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| In the past prostate cancer did not
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| | it felt it had become too mutated.
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| respond very well to chemotherapy drugs.
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| | (Cancer cells have lost this self
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| However now there are newer drugs which
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| | destruct ability and continue to grow and
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| are more powerful against prostate cancer
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| | divide despite having many abnormalities
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| and these have started to be used with
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| | which would normally force the cell to
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| more frequency in late prostate cancer
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| | die.) Vaccine treatment looks at ways of
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| which has already spread to other organs
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| | making the bodies own immune system
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| and which has become resistant to hormone
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| | recognise and kill cancerous sells.
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| treatments. The best drug found so far is
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| | Endothelin blockers are a new type of
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| Docetaxel, a new type of chemotherapy
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| | drug treatment which works by preventing
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| drug. It has several side effects
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| | the prostate cancer cells to grow.
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| including hair loss, nausea and risk of
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| | Many people may have heard that Vitamin D
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| infection. Doctors are now looking to see
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| | is being used in the treatment of
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| if Docetaxel would work even better as a
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| | prostate cancer however this therapy is
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| combination with other drugs.
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| | in the very early experimental stages and
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| USE OF BISPHOSPHONATE DRUGS FOR PROSTATE
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| | is no where near being used in clinics as
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| CANCER TREATMENT
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| | a cancer treatment. Vitamin D has been
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| These are a group of drugs which are most
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| | reported to block receptors on prostate
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| often used in treating osteoporosis. It
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| | cancer cells thereby slowing the rate of
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| has been recently found that they can
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| | their growth but there is NO clinical
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| also help reduce pain associated with
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| | evidence that this is in fact the case.
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| cancer deposits or secondaries in the
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| | Some researchers claim that the active
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| bones. They may also help reduce the risk
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| | form of Vitamin D slows the growth of
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| of these abnormal bones from breaking or
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| | prostate cancer but as yet this has only
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| fracturing, by slowing down the damage
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| | been tested on mice and other small
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| caused to the bone by the cancer.
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| | animals.
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| Research is ongoing to look at which of
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| | Beta-sitosterol is a herbal remedy that
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| these drugs is the best for treating
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| | people have started to associate with
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| prostate cancer with bone disease and
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| | prostate cancer treatment. This natural
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| when the best time to start treatment
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| | plant fat has apparently been proven
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| with these drugs is.
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| | effective for the treatment of an
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| ALTERNATIVE TO SURGERY FOR TREATMENT OF
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| | enlarged prostate but not necessarily
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| EARLY PROSTATE CANCER
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| | prostate cancer. According to research
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| There are 2 new treatments which are
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| | Beta-sitosterol MAY help to prevent the
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| being researched as an alternative to
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| | emergence of prostate cancer but this has
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| surgery for some men with localised
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| | not been clinically proven yet.
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| prostate cancer. Both options would not
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