I went back to Bloomington, Indiana with my wife this past Monday for my three year follow-up appointment. It's about a 4 hour drive and it was nice to have Mary Ann along this time. It was a chilly but sunny day and it got warmer as we got further south. The countryside is beautiful and as we were coming close to Bloomington I commented to Mary Ann that with the number of trips I have made there and the great people I know there, that I felt like I was coming home.
Soon after I had made that comment, I thought of some people who had invasive treatment for their cancer and when they go back for a follow-up, it's not like coming home. I attributed this to the positive experience that Proton Beam Therapy offered to me.
I'm thankful to say that my radiation/oncologist, Dr. Allan Thornton, gave me a good report.
I am full aware that Proton Beam Therapy is not a treatment that all people can avail themselves to, but my experience tells me that more centers of excellence need to be built in order to treat people with a non-invasive treatment.
If you know of anyone who has a solid tumor, cancerous or benign, please let them know about Proton Beam Therapy. I stand ready to speak to anyone who is interested in it.
Have a good Friday.
Blessings,
Rick
Friday, January 2, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Starting The New Year With A Guest Article!!
Screening for Prostate Cancer – Is it Advisable?
It’s a disease that’s both deadly and confusing; you never know if you’re going to be affected at some point in your life, and you don’t know how long you’ll live when you’re diagnosed with this killer. Screening methods return results that are subjective at best and life-threatening at worst. While we’re all afraid of cancer and want to do everything in our power to make sure we don’t get it, unfortunately, there’s no definite way to keep this disease away. You can’t predict when cells turn cancerous, and how soon these murderous cells multiply and spread through your body.
Some forms of cancer are kinder than others in that they allow us to detect them early through screening tests. But there’s a downside to this aspect as well – positive results are not always a sign of the presence of cancer and negative results are not always an indication of the absence of this disease. Both outcomes are dangerous – in the former, perfectly healthy patients are reduced to shells of their normal selves because of the side effects from the chemotherapy and radiation therapies; and in the latter, a false sense of security could prevent you from diagnosing the disease early and saving your life in the process.
Prostate cancer is one form of the disease that allows early detection. Doctors use two methods of screening:
PSA: The Prostate Specific Antigen test checks your blood for the amount of PSA present. If you’re healthy, it should be less than 4 nanograms per milliliter.
DRE: In the Digital Rectal Exam, a doctor uses a gloved finger to check your prostate gland for enlargement through your rectum.
An abnormality in any of the tests could make your doctor recommend a prostate biopsy where your tissue is checked for the presence of cancerous cells. But there are times when the test results are not accurate – while the DRE is prone to subjective bias because it relies on the skill of the examining doctor, the PSA has been known to provide misleading results.
Men who are healthy can still produce a blood sample with a PSA level that’s between 4 and 10 ng/ml when:
They’re older – because PSA levels gradually increase as you age.
They have enlarged prostate glands – a characteristic feature related to men and aging.
When they have an infection of the prostate gland
When they’ve just ejaculated – a PSA test is not recommended within two days of ejaculation.
And on the opposite end of the spectrum, those who have cancer may be given a clean bill of health because they have low PSA levels due to:
The effect of certain drugs such as those used to treat urinary infections.
The effect of certain herbal supplements
Excess weight – men who are fat tend to have low PSA levels.
PSA testing and other screening methods are normally recommended when you’re above 50 if you have a close relative who has prostate cancer, and at 45 if you have had more than one close family member diagnosed with the disease. African Americans are more at risk than other people. If you have a high probability of contracting prostate cancer and if your PSA level is low, a DRE test should be able to help provide a clear diagnosis.
By-line:
This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of lpn to rn. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com.
Thank you Kelly for the great article.
Happy New Year.
Blessings,
Rick
It’s a disease that’s both deadly and confusing; you never know if you’re going to be affected at some point in your life, and you don’t know how long you’ll live when you’re diagnosed with this killer. Screening methods return results that are subjective at best and life-threatening at worst. While we’re all afraid of cancer and want to do everything in our power to make sure we don’t get it, unfortunately, there’s no definite way to keep this disease away. You can’t predict when cells turn cancerous, and how soon these murderous cells multiply and spread through your body.
Some forms of cancer are kinder than others in that they allow us to detect them early through screening tests. But there’s a downside to this aspect as well – positive results are not always a sign of the presence of cancer and negative results are not always an indication of the absence of this disease. Both outcomes are dangerous – in the former, perfectly healthy patients are reduced to shells of their normal selves because of the side effects from the chemotherapy and radiation therapies; and in the latter, a false sense of security could prevent you from diagnosing the disease early and saving your life in the process.
Prostate cancer is one form of the disease that allows early detection. Doctors use two methods of screening:
PSA: The Prostate Specific Antigen test checks your blood for the amount of PSA present. If you’re healthy, it should be less than 4 nanograms per milliliter.
DRE: In the Digital Rectal Exam, a doctor uses a gloved finger to check your prostate gland for enlargement through your rectum.
An abnormality in any of the tests could make your doctor recommend a prostate biopsy where your tissue is checked for the presence of cancerous cells. But there are times when the test results are not accurate – while the DRE is prone to subjective bias because it relies on the skill of the examining doctor, the PSA has been known to provide misleading results.
Men who are healthy can still produce a blood sample with a PSA level that’s between 4 and 10 ng/ml when:
They’re older – because PSA levels gradually increase as you age.
They have enlarged prostate glands – a characteristic feature related to men and aging.
When they have an infection of the prostate gland
When they’ve just ejaculated – a PSA test is not recommended within two days of ejaculation.
And on the opposite end of the spectrum, those who have cancer may be given a clean bill of health because they have low PSA levels due to:
The effect of certain drugs such as those used to treat urinary infections.
The effect of certain herbal supplements
Excess weight – men who are fat tend to have low PSA levels.
PSA testing and other screening methods are normally recommended when you’re above 50 if you have a close relative who has prostate cancer, and at 45 if you have had more than one close family member diagnosed with the disease. African Americans are more at risk than other people. If you have a high probability of contracting prostate cancer and if your PSA level is low, a DRE test should be able to help provide a clear diagnosis.
By-line:
This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of lpn to rn. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com.
Thank you Kelly for the great article.
Happy New Year.
Blessings,
Rick
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