Real Man

Be Careful With Cancer

living June 22nd, 2009

     Cancer is a disease that we can not come over with it now.Many people die of  cancer every year.So it is important that we should do something to prevent it because you may die if you are diagonsed with cancer!

     Then what should men take care of?

     Prostate Cancer: The Facts

     The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system about the size of a walnut. It’s located in front of the rectum, under the bladder, and it surrounds the urethra. The prostate creates part of the semen expressed during ejaculation.

     Statistics. An estimated 186,000 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2008, about one in four of all new cancers in men. Prostate cancer caused 28,660 deaths that year, making it the second most lethal form of cancer in men. There is a five-year survival rate of 98.4 percent for prostate cancer.
     Risk factors. Age is a key risk factor in prostate cancer. Your risk of getting the disease increases as you get older. Your risk is higher if you have a family history of prostate cancer or if you are African-American.
Diagnosis. Prostate cancer usually is diagnosed through a combination of two procedures, a rectal exam to check the prostate and a blood test that measures prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein that indicates prostate cancer if found in high levels.
     Prostate cancer treatment. Surgery to remove the prostate is one treatment for prostate cancer caught in its early stages. Radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy are used to treat more advanced cases of prostate cancer. In elderly men, sometimes the choice is made not to treat an early-stage cancer because it is slow-growing, and instead monitor the condition. 

     Lung Cancer: The Facts

     Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancer for men and women, and the second most common type of cancer in men, accounting for 15 percent of newly diagnosed cancer cases.

     Statistics. Lung cancer was diagnosed in 114,690 U.S. men were in 2008, and there were 90,810 deaths, making it the number one cancer killer of men in the United States. There is a five-year survival rate of 15 percent.
Risk factors. Smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke causes most cases of lung cancer. Exposure to chemicals or environmental factors like pollution or asbestos can also cause lung cancer.
     Diagnosis. Chest X-rays or CAT scans are used to find tumors in the lungs. Doctors then confirm the diagnosis through a biopsy.
Lung cancer treatment. Surgery can be performed if the cancer has not spread. If it has, then radiation therapy and chemotherapy are the cancer treatments of choice.

     Colorectal Cancer: The Facts

     The colon and rectum are parts of the digestive system, with the colon making up most of the large intestine and the rectum making up the final inches.

     Statistics. The third most common type of cancer affecting men, cancers of the colon and rectum accounted for 77,250 newly diagnosed cases of cancer in men, about 10 percent, in 2008, and about 24,260 deaths. There is a five-year survival rate of 64 percent.
     Risk factors. Age, family history, and genetics have been linked to the incidence of colorectal cancer. Some studies suggest a high-fat diet low in fruits and vegetables also might be a contributing factor. Doctors have found that colorectal cancer can grow from polyps found on the inner wall of the colon or rectum.
      Diagnosis. Colonoscopy, a test that guides a lighted tube with a camera through the rectum to examine the large intestine, is the best screening tool for colorectal cancer. Doctors not only find cancers or pre-cancerous polyps, but can also remove them as part of the procedure and prevent them from developing into cancerous growths.
     Colorectal cancer treatment. If caught early enough, the cancer may be removed via a colonoscopy. Advanced stages usually require removing a portion of the colon, and may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and possibly other cancer treatments.

     Testicular Cancer: The Facts

     The testicles are the pair of male sex glands located below the penis that produce and store sperm and are a man’s main source of testosterone.

     Statistics. Testicular cancer accounts for only 1 percent of all cancers in men, or about 8,000 men each year, and about 390 U.S. men die from it annually. Most cases are diagnosed in young and middle-aged men. The five-year survival rate is 96 percent.
     Risk factors. Men suffering from an undescended testicle or with birth defects of the testicles have an increased risk of testicular cancer.
     Diagnosis. Men find most testicular cancers themselves by feeling an unusual lump, enlargement, or pain in the testicles. Doctors use blood tests, ultrasound, and biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
     Testicular cancer treatment. Surgical removal of the affected testicle is the best form of treatment, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

     Penile Cancer: The Facts

     The penis is also susceptible to cancer.

     Statistics. There were about 1,250 new cases of penile cancer in the United States in 2008, and about 290 deaths. The five-year survival rate is 78 percent.
     Risk factors. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been linked to an increased risk of penile cancer. Poor personal hygiene among uncircumcised men also is a risk factor.
     Diagnosis. Doctors perform a physical examination of the penis, followed by imaging tests and a biopsy to diagnose penile cancer.
     Penile cancer treatment. Surgery, followed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy, is most often used to treat penile cancer. Precision surgery can remove the tumor while leaving the penis intact.
     Many of the cancers affecting men can be either prevented or successfully treated if caught early. So it only makes sense for men who are at risk and all men over 40 to receive regular check-ups that include screening for the most prevalent types of cancer.