URINARY TRACT

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="112f2f02egerdp.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><B><U>HOME</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="172" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#66FFFF HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BRUCE ROSEMAN, M.D. 140 WEST 86th Stree"><U>CONTACT ME</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC99 HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="office info"><U>OFFICE INFO</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF99 HEIGHT= 24 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id116.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MEDICATION INFORMATION"><U>DRUG INFO</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#66FF99 HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="kids"><U>KIDS</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#66FFCC HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SPECIALISTS"><U>SPECIALISTS</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF99 HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="research"><U>LOOK IT UP</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#33CCFF HEIGHT= 44 WIDTH="172"><div>  <A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TEST YOURSELF"><U>TEST YOURSELF</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" RADIOLOGY AND IMAGING"><U>RADIOLOGY</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FF99FF HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HANDOUTS "><U>HANDOUTS </U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC99 HEIGHT= 23 ><NOBR><div>  I<A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" ANATOMY"><U>LLUSTRATIONS</U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#33FFFF HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PHARMACIES"><U>PHARMACIES</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>GO TO TOP OF PAGE</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="115f0f03.jpg"> <div> <I>URINARY TRACT</I></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700b499006600.png" HEIGHT="12" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><A NAME="top_1_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc0000ff00.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">GENERAL</div> <div> <A HREF="#_urinary_system_and_how_it_works" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">YOUR URINARY SYSTEM AND HOW IT WORKS</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#____urinary_system_anatomy" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">ANATOMY</U></A></div> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc0000ff00.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">URINARY TRACT INFECTION</U></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ1AKLBSBC&sub_cat=324" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detai"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">ADULTS</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZF9IQ3RBC&sub_cat=324" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detai"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">CHILDREN</U></A></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Blueberries and cranberries prevent infection </div> <div> <U>New England Journal of Medicine , October 8, 1998; Volume 339, Number 15;</U></div> <div> According to research findings at the Rutgers Blueberry Cranberry Research Center in Chatsworth, N.J., blueberries help promote urinary tract health. Explains Rutgers scientist Amy Howell, Ph.D, blueberries, like cranberries, contain compounds that prevent the bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections from attaching to the bladder wall. </div> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc0000ff00.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">KIDNEY</U></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/kidney/pubs/whastone/whastone.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/kidney/p"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">KIDNEY STONES</U></A></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">stay away from chocolate if you have kidney stones</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> However, the increases in both calciuria and oxaluria (induced respectively by sucrose and cocoa) following chocolate ingestion might contribute to urinary conditions favoring the development of calcium oxalate calculi</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/kidney/pubs/yourkids/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/kidney/p"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">your kidneys' and how they work</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.kidney.org/images/general/aboutdisease/kidney_quiz.swf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.kidney.org/images/general/abo"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">TAKE A KIDNEY QUIZ</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://diabetes.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/kidney/summary/kidtests/kidtests.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://diabetes.about.com/gi/dynamic/off"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">tests of kidney function</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://diabetes.about.com/library/weekly/aa030501b.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://diabetes.about.com/library/weekly"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Lowering your risk of diabetes-related kidney disease</U></A><A HREF="http://diabetes.about.com/library/weekly/aa030501b.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://diabetes.about.com/library/weekly"><U> </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#diet_and_kidney_stone" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Diet and Kidney Stones</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id105_too_much_caffeine_ups_risk_of_kidney.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CAFFEINE"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Too Much Caffeine Ups Risk of Kidney Stones</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id149.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PROSTATE"><U><B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc0000ff00.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">PROSTATE  CLICK HERE</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc0000ff00.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">BLADDER</U></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">New Urine Test Helps Find Bladder Cancer Recurrences</div> <div> <A HREF="#testicle" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><U>TESTICLE </U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#testicle" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">HOW TO DO A </U></A><A HREF="#testicle" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U>SELF EXAM</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/urolog/pubs/uiwomen/uiwomen.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/urolog/p"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc0000ff00.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">URINARY INCONTINENCE</U></A></div> <div> <U>SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION</U></div> <div> <A HREF="#update_on_drugs_for" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">update on drugs for erections(viagra,cialis,levtra etc</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#impotence_drugs_1" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">DRUGS THAT CAUSE IMPOTENCE</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#cialis___see_al_iss_" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">CIALIS  </U></A><A HREF="#cialis___see_al_iss_" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U>Patient Information</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#working_out_to_fight_impotence" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Working Out to Fight Impotence</U></A></div> <div> <U>VASECTOMY</U></div> <div> <A HREF="#vasectomy_general_information" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">GENERAL INFORMATION</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vasectomy-information.com/faq/faq.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vasectomy-information.com/faq"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="new_urine_test_helps_find_bladder"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>New Urine Test Helps Find Bladder Cancer Recurrences</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Inexpensive Test Improves Accuracy of Standard Follow-up      American Cancer Society</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Yahoo! Health: Cancer News</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>January 20, 2006 05:03:32 PM PST</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Summary: A simple urine test may help doctors find more relapses in people who have had bladder cancer, according to a new study. The test was used along with cystoscopy, a visual exam of the bladder using a long lighted tube. Together, the two tests found 99% of recurrences, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Why it's important: People who have had bladder cancer are at very high risk of getting it again. There are about 500,000 bladder cancer survivors in the US, the researchers note. Most survivors have to be checked for a relapse every 3 to 6 months for the first few years after their initial treatment, and every year after that. Cystoscopy is the main way to look for recurrences, but it can't always find all of them. As a backup, doctors usually use urine cytology, a lab analysis that looks for cancer cells in urine. But this test also misses many cancers.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Patients and doctors need better ways to find bladder cancer recurrences early so they can be treated promptly. If a relapse is caught early, the patient has a better chance of surviving, said lead study author H. Barton Grossman, MD, professor of urology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>What's already known: The new urine test, called BladderChek, measures the protein NMP22. High levels may signal bladder cancer. On its own, the NMP22 test hasn't been very accurate at finding bladder cancers. But researchers thought it might be better than urine cytology at finding cancers that cystoscopy missed.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>BladderChek has several advantages over urine cytology and other urine tests that are used to look for bladder cancer relapses. It can be done in a doctor's office and usually gives results within 30 to 50 minutes. It is also less expensive and less complicated than urine cytology, which must be performed by trained specialists in a laboratory. It is already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for helping diagnose bladder cancer and for helping find relapses. The test's manufacturer, Matritech, Inc., was involved in designing, funding, and reviewing the current study.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>How this study was done: The researchers recruited 668 bladder cancer survivors who were being followed-up at 23 facilities across the US. Before having cystoscopy, each patient gave a urine sample. Part of that sample was used for the BladderChek test, and part was used for standard urine cytology. The researchers gauged the cancer detection rate of each of the 3 methods alone, and of each urine tests combined with cystoscopy.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>What was found: Bladder cancer was diagnosed in 103 patients. Cystoscopy was the most accurate test, finding 94 of those cancers (91%) all by itself. The BladderChek test alone found only 51 cancers. But BladderChek combined with cystoscopy found 99% of the cancers. In fact, the BladderChek test found 8 of the 9 cancers that cystoscopy missed.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"We depend on the urine test to show us whether there's a possibility of cancer that we're not seeing with the scope," explained Barry Stein, MD, a co-author of the study and professor of urology at Brown Medical School in Rhode Island. "If the result is positive and you didn't see anything from the cystoscopy, you would check to see if you missed something."</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Urine cytology also improved the performance of cystoscopy, but not by as much. It found only 3 of the 9 cancers cystoscopy missed. Together, the 2 tests found 94% of cancers, but that improvement was statistically no better than cytoscopy alone. Urine cytology alone found just 12 cancers. That's unusually poor performance for urine cytology, said Samuel Cohen, MD, PhD. He's a professor of oncology and chair of pathology and microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a member of the panel that wrote the bladder cancer treatment guidelines for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. He was not involved in the new study.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The study did not look at what happened to the patients after their relapse was detected.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The bottom line: The results of this study suggest the BladderChek test could be a useful tool for improving detection of bladder cancer recurrences and reducing the cost of follow-up care, the researchers say. It also raises some intriguing questions about whether it might be possible to find these recurrences earlier, said Len Lichtenfeld, MD, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society. He was not involved in the study.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"If [this test] were able to pick up a recurrent cancer before it could be seen," he said, "would that mean that some of the more aggressive cancers could be treated more effectively, with a greater rate of long term survival? We know that the longer a recurrence of bladder cancer is present, the more difficult the situation for the patient. So, earlier detection of a recurrent bladder cancer translates into better treatment."</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>But this study, while promising, isn't enough to say for certain that the BladderChek test is better than urine cytology, Cohen said. It's also not enough to tell whether this new urine test really can improve outcomes for patients by finding their cancer earlier. For that, researchers need to carry out head-to-head comparisons (randomized trials) of this test and other bladder cancer detection tests that also look at long-term patient results. The study authors call for such work in their paper. In the meantime, Grossman warns that the BladderChek test should be used only together with cystoscopy, not instead of it.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Citation: "Surveillance for Recurrent Bladder Cancer Using a Point-of-Care Proteomic Assay." Published in the Jan. 18, 2006, Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 295, No. 3: 299-305). First author: H. Barton Grossman, MD, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="mortality_not_higher_for_most_with"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Mortality Not Higher for Most with Prostate Cancer</B></div> <div> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The mortality rates for most men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States are no higher than those in the general population, a new analysis shows. "The bottom line is that most men diagnosed with the disease today can expect to live as long as, or longer than, men their age without the disease," two editorialists comment.</div> <bR> <div> The value of prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening in reducing prostate cancer mortality is still in question, Dr. Hermann Brenner and Dr. Volker Arndt of the German Center for Research on Aging in Heidelberg report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.</div> <bR> <div> Widespread use of the PSA test in the US since the late 1980s means many more men are living with a diagnosis of prostate cancer, the physicians point out.</div> <bR> <div> They used "the recently introduced period analysis methodology" to evaluate 5- and 10-year survival rates for 183,484 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1990 and 2000 included in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER), a large US database.</div> <bR> <div> Overall, relative 5-year survival rates for prostate cancer patients were 99 percent, and 10-year survival rates were 95 percent, Drs. Brenner and Arndt found. "That is, excess mortality compared with the general population was as low as 1 percent and 5 percent within 5 and 10 years following diagnosis, respectively," they explain.</div> <bR> <div> For the two thirds of men with well or moderately differentiated localized or regional prostate cancer, there was no excess mortality at all.</div> <bR> <div> The researchers note that it is possible that earlier diagnosis might not in itself mean longer survival. The question of whether PSA screening does in fact reduce mortality from prostate cancer must be answered by large-scale clinical trials, which are currently underway, they add.</div> <bR> <div> In an accompanying editorial, Dr. George Wilding and Patrick Remington of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Wisconsin in Madison write: "Given the many uncertainties about this disease, this information alone will be helpful for clinicians and their patients when discussing treatment options and when considering what life will be like living as a prostate cancer survivor."</div> <bR> <div> SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, January 20, 2005. </div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="prostate_drug_might_cut_cancer_risk"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Prostate drug might cut cancer risk</div> <bR> <div> Last Updated: 2004-10-15 13:45:01 -0400 (Reuters Health)</div> <bR> <div> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who take Avodart (dutasteride) to treat an enlarged prostate apparently have a reduced risk for developing prostate cancer, a new study indicates.</div> <bR> <div> Avodart and a similar drug, Propecia (finasteride), are technically classified as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. They suppress the potent male hormone dihydrotestosterone and thereby inhibit growth of the prostate in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, commonly known as BPH.</div> <bR> <div> Dr. Gerald L. Andriole from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, and colleagues used data from three recently completed trials to investigate whether dutasteride treatment, in comparison to treatment with an inactive placebo, had a meaningful effect on the rate of prostate cancer detection.</div> <bR> <div> The cumulative rate of prostate cancer detected during the first 24 months of dutasteride treatment was 1.1 percent, compared with 1.9 percent in patients treated with placebo, the researchers report in the medical journal Urology.</div> <bR> <div> Additional cancers reported between month 24 and month 27 slightly changed the cumulative incidence rates (1.2 percent for dutasteride, 2.5 percent for placebo), resulting in a 51 percent lower risk of prostate cancer for the dutasteride group relative to the placebo group.</div> <bR> <div> Referring to another study, Andriole told Reuters Health: "The results from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), which shows that finasteride reduces the incidence of prostate cancer, strongly suggest that 5-alpha-reductase inhibition will play a key role in the reduction in risk of prostate cancer development and progression."</div> <bR> <div> Based on these findings, the investigators write, a trial "has been designed to establish further the efficacy of dutasteride" for the prevention of prostate cancer.</div> <bR> <div> "We anticipate complete enrollment of the trial by the spring of 2005," Andriole said, "and results should be available after participating men complete 4 years of treatment and their end-of-study biopsies."</div> <bR> <div> SOURCE: Urology, September 2004.</div> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="impotence_common_after_radiation"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Impotence Common After Radiation, Surgery on Prostate </U></B> Tue Sep 14,11:48 PM ET</div> <div>      By Ed Edelson  HealthDay Reporter</div> <bR> <div> TUESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDayNews) -- A large majority of men who have surgery or external beam radiation treatment for prostate cancer are impotent five years after either procedure, a new study finds.</div> <bR> <div> Previous research had found that surgery was likelier to lead to impotence in the short term, but this study from the National Cancer Institute (news - web sites) (NCI) discovered that men who had radiation underwent a decline in sexual function between two and five years later.</div> <bR> <div> The incidence of urinary incontinence was higher in men who had surgery, but bowel urgency and painful hemorrhoids were more common in those who had radiation therapy, said a report on the research in the Sept. 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.</div> <bR> <div> The study results "are one element to be considered among men who want to be treated for prostate cancer," said study author Arnold L. Potosky, an epidemiologist at the NCI's division of cancer control and prevention.</div> <bR> <div> But the findings provide only partial guidance, since they do not cover the long-term side effects of hormonal therapy or implanted radioactive seed treatment, which were not available when the study began, Potosky said.</div> <bR> <div> Moreover, the study says nothing that could help resolve a heightening debate about whether watchful waiting, rather than any treatment, is best for men who are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer on the basis of elevated readings of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a test now widely used to screen for the cancer, he said.</div> <bR> <div> Potosky's cautious appraisal is that, "given the uncertainty about which treatment is best in terms of survival, having information about possible side effects can be useful in determining treatment."</div> <bR> <div> Other studies have shown that surgery reduces deaths from prostate cancer compared to watchful waiting, but does not improve overall survival. There have been no studies that directly compare the survival benefits of radiation therapy vs. surgery.</div> <bR> <div> The new report is the latest on a study that has followed more than 1,100 men with prostate cancer that had not spread beyond the gland. Earlier reports found a higher incidence of impotence -- the inability to achieve an erection -- after two years among men who had surgery (82.1 percent) than for those who had radiation therapy (50.3 percent).</div> <bR> <div> But the difference had narrowed greatly after five years, with impotence reported in 79.3 percent of the surgical patients and 63.5 percent of those who had radiation. While that difference is significant, "I'm not sure it is critical in a decision about treatment," Potosky said.</div> <bR> <div> Urinary incontinence was reported by 15.3 percent of men who had surgery and 4.1 percent of those treated with radiation. Bowel urgency was experienced by 29 percent of the men who had radiotherapy and 19 percent of those who had surgery, while the incidence of painful hemorrhoids was 20 percent in the radiation group, 10 percent in the surgery group."</div> <bR> <div> The report is "an update on a very important study showing that interventions have a substantial impact on the quality of life" of men diagnosed with prostate cancer," said Dr. Howard L. Parnes, chief of the prostate group at the NCI's division of cancer control.</div> <bR> <div> Several NCI studies now are being done to determine whether treatment is better than watchful waiting for men in screening program who have high PSA levels that traditionally have been interpreted as indicators of prostate cancer, he said. Results are not expected for several years.</div> <bR> <div> The new report of a high incidence of major side effects after treatment is important because "if interventions were not toxic, you wouldn't need much proof to do an intervention," Parnes said.</div> <bR> <div> "This is an issue of risk vs. benefits," he said. "The risks have been clear for a while. The benefit is less clear."</div> <bR> <div> For patients and doctors, Parnes recommends "a cautious approach, which takes both risk and benefit into account."</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="inventor_of_psa_cancer_test_says_it_s"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Inventor of PSA Cancer Test Says It's Overused  Fri Sep 10, 3:34 PM ET</div> <div>      </div> <div> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For many men, a routine PSA blood test to screen for prostate cancer has become an annual ritual. Now the developer of the test says it can't be relied on for this purpose, and has led to overly zealous treatment of men with prostate enlargement.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Dr. Thomas A. Stamey at Stanford University first reported in 1987 that levels of PSA in the blood could be used as a marker of prostate cancer.</div> <bR> <div> "What we didn't know in the early years is that benign growth of the prostate is the most common cause of a PSA level between 1 and 10 ng/mL," Stamey notes in a university press release. Standard units of measurement of PSA are nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood.</div> <bR> <div> Stamey's group found that the average size and invasiveness of prostate cancers have been dropping over the past two decades, to the point that the cancers being discovered may not be clinically meaningful.</div> <bR> <div> The investigators examined tissue from 1317 prostates removed at Stanford since 1983. During the first 5-year period, 91 percent of cancers were obvious on digital rectal examination (DRE), and average volume of the cancer was 5.33 cc. Between 1999 and 2003, these values had declined to 17 percent and 2.44 cc.</div> <bR> <div> Also, the degree to which the tumor had penetrated the wall of the prostate dropped from an average of 1.54 to 0.22 centimeters between the two periods.</div> <bR> <div> What has happened, Stamey and his colleagues suggest in the Journal of Urology, is that prostate cancer is being over-treated, given that most men will develop the disease if they live long enough and the fact that death from prostate cancer is uncommon in elderly men.</div> <bR> <div> The authors conclude that the extensive use of PSA screening is not warranted. Instead, they recommend "careful palpation of the prostate" by DRE -- since cancers found in this way "almost always require some form of treatment."</div> <bR> <div> SOURCE: Journal of Urology, October 2004. </div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="protein_prompts_spread_of_prostate"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Protein Prompts Spread of Prostate Cancer</U></B></div> <bR> <div> MONDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDayNews) -- A protein called hepsin promotes the spread of prostate cancer by causing disruption of tissue organization, says a study in the August issue of Cancer Cell.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> This finding could lead to the development of new drugs that inhibit hepsin and slow prostate cancer's spread.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle created mice with elevated hepsin levels in the prostate gland and found these mice had marked tissue disorganization of the prostate gland, specifically in a structure called the basement membrane. These mice developed more advanced tumors and had more spread of cancer to the liver, lung and bone.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We have found that increase in hepsin expression leads to disorganization of the basement membrane and promotes primary prostate cancer progression and metastasis," researcher Dr. Valeri Vasioukhin said in a prepared statement.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Since hepsin is an enzyme, it should be relatively easy to develop drugs specifically inhibiting hepsin activity. Previous research demonstrated that hepsin is not critical for normal cells within the body and, therefore, inhibition of hepsin with drugs is unlikely to have significant side effects," Vasioukhin added.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="test_predicts_prostate_cancer_death"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Test Predicts Prostate Cancer Death, Study Says</U></B></div> <bR> <div> Wed Jul 7, 5:25 PM ET By Gene Emery </div> <bR> <div> BOSTON (Reuters) - The PSA blood test widely used to detect prostate cancer can also predict who is most likely to die from the disease, researchers said on Wednesday. </div> <bR> <div> The study, in this week's New England Journal of Medicine (news - web sites), added to evidence that the rate of increase in prostate-specific antigen level may be more important for predicting cancer than the actual PSA number. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The researchers said their study of 1,095 men showed that men need annual PSA tests so that their year-to-year change -- called PSA velocity -- can be monitored. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> They found that when PSA levels rose by at least 2 points during the year before surgery, about one in four patients was dead from prostate cancer within seven years. It raised the risk of death 10-fold. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> But if the PSA level had been increasing slowly before surgery, there was very little chance the patient would die from a prostate tumor. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "This study provides, for the first time, solid evidence that PSA testing over a period of time is a reliable indicator of possible risk of death from prostate cancer," said Dr. Anthony D'Amico of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who helped lead the study. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Prostate specific antigen is a protein produced by cells in the prostate, the walnut-sized organ that sits against a man's rectum and produces the semen that carries sperm. The higher the PSA, the more likely the prostate is irritated by an infection or, perhaps, by cancer. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Prostate cancer (news - web sites) affects 220,000 U.S. men a year and kills about 29,000, according to the American Cancer Society (news - web sites). </div> <bR> <bR> <div> PSA HIGH </div> <bR> <bR> <div> If a man's PSA looks high or looks like it has risen recently, a urologist will usually recommend a biopsy to remove some tissue from the organ to see if it is cancerous. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "A man whose PSA is 3.5 may have nothing to worry about if it was 3.49 the year before, but a lot to worry about if PSA last year was 1," D'Amico said in a telephone interview. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Starting around age 35 or 40, men need annual screening to set their "baseline" PSA level, against which change can be measured, he said. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The nice thing about starting at age 40 is most men at 40 have a PSA that is like 0.6 or something like that," added Dr. William Catalona of Northwestern University in Chicago, who also helped direct the study. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "If your next annual PSA goes to 1.4, well, you shouldn't wait until next year to check it again." </div> <bR> <bR> <div> This contradicts the usual guidelines, which suggest that men can relax until their PSA level reaches 4, Catalona said. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> He got the idea of checking "PSA velocity" while doing a large study of 36,000 men over 12 years. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I had some men come in and their PSA would be 0.6 one year, then 1.4 the next, then 2.4, then 3.2. There would be an obvious trend, and I would say 'We can't do a biopsy until the PSA reaches 4'," Catalona added. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Then they'd come in and have a PSA of 6," he said. The men would get immediate surgery to get their prostates out and many times the cancer had already spread. </div> <bR> <div> "Then they'd be really angry," Catalona said. </div> <bR> <div> Prostate cancer can be a slow-growing disease and some men are advised just to watch it carefully -- especially if they are older and likely to die of something else before the prostate cancer becomes serious. (Additional reporting by Maggie Fox in Washington) </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="diet_and_kidney_stone"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Diet and Kidney Stones</U></B><B>  </B><B>www.marinurology.com</B></div> <div> <B>Changing your diet </B>can dramatically reduce your risk of making more kidney stones. We recommend that patients perform a 24 hour urine collection to measure urinary minerals. Sometimes we uncover important metabolic abnormalities. Most commonly, however, <B><U>a diet too rich in oxalate or purine and too poor in water or citrate is the culprit.</U></B> </div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#oxalate_rich_food_items" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">OXALATE-RICH FOOD ITEMS</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#purines_in_food" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">purines in food</U></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Athletic and chronically dehydrated</B> patients are common in our practice. We tell them to carry water, especially in Marin's semi-arid summer environment. The issue is not how much you drink, but the amount left over for urine after you sweat. Our endurance athletes who start drinking a quart per hour of exercise report improved exercise tolerance despite carrying the extra weight.</div> <div> <B>Calcium restriction</B> is only occasionally appropriate and only after testing demonstrates that urinary calcium concentrations fall to normal levels on a restricted diet. Calcium supplements rarely lead to stone formation. </div> <div> <B>Oxalate, the other common factor</B> in stones, however should be reduced when possible. Many of our patients take a lot of Vitamin C. Vitamin C over 200mg/day is converted into oxalate and excreted in the gut and urine. We ask our patients to stop taking Vitamin C and to reduce nuts, chocolate and green leafy vegetables in their diet.<A HREF="#oxalate_rich_food_items" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><B><U>OXALATE-RICH FOOD ITEMS</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Excessive sodium (table salt)</B> in the diet predisposes to stones. </div> <div> <B>Uric acid is a waste product</B> from purines in food. You will notice that the foods highest in purines are luxury items. </div> <div> <B>Citrate, an acid that complexes calcium</B>, helps reduce stone production. It is commonly found in fruit juices, which we encourage.By the same token, increasing your magnesium intake may reduce stone production.</div> <div> <U> <A NAME="oxalate_rich_food_items"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></div> <div> <U>OXALATE-RICH FOOD ITEMS</U></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="311" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="96"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="20" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="96" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="78"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="20" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="78" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="127"><div> <B>OXALATE</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="96"><div> <B>FOOD</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <B>SERVING </B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <B>CONTENT(mg)</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="301" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Beet greens, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 916</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Pursiane, leaves, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 910</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Rhubarb, stewed, no sugar</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 860</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Spinach, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 750</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Beets, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 675</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Chard, Swiss, leaves cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 660</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Rhubarb, canned</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 600</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Spinach, frozen</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 600</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Beets, pickled</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 500</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Poke greens, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 476</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 ><NOBR><div> Endive, raw</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 20 long leaves</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 273</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Cocoa, dry</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/3 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 254</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Dandelion greens, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 246</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Okra, cooked</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 8-9 pods</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 146</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Potatoes, sweet, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 141</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Kale, cooked</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 125</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 ><NOBR><div> Peanuts, raw</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/3 cup (1-3/4 oz.)</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 113</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Turnip greens, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 110</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Chocolate, unsweetened</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1 ounce</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 91</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Parsnips, diced, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 81</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Collard greens, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 74</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Pecans, halves, raw</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/3 cup (1-1/4 oz)</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 74</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Tea, leaves (4 mm. infusion)</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1 level tsp in 7 oz water</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 72</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Wheat germ, toasted</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/4 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 67</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Gooseberries</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 66</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Potato, Idaho white, baked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1 medium</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 64</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Carrots, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 45</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Apple, raw with skin</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1 medium</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 41</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="96"><div> Brussels sprouts, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> 6-8 medium</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 37</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Strawberries, raw</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 35</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Celery, raw</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 2 stalks</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 34</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Milk chocolate bar</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1 bar (1.02 oz)</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 34</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Raspberries, black, raw</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 33</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Orange, edible portion</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1 medium</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 24</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Green beans, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 23</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Chives, raw, chopped</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> 1 tablespoon</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 19</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Leeks, raw</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> 1/2 medium</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 15</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Blackberries, raw</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 13</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Concord grapes</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 13</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Blueberries, raw</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 11</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Currants, red</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 11</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Apricots, raw</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 2 medium</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 10</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Raspberries, red, raw</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="96"><div> 1/2 cup</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 10</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Broccoli, cooked</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> 1 large stalk</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 6</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="96"><div> Cranberry juice</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> 1/2 cup (4 oz)</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="99"><div> 6</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="purines_in_food"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B></div> <div> <B><U>purines in food</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>#1 FOODS HIGHEST IN PURINE</B></div> <div> Sweetbreads</div> <div> Anchovies</div> <div> Sardines, canned</div> <div> Liver</div> <div> Kidneys</div> <div> Heart</div> <div> Meat extracts, broths, bouillion</div> <div> Salmon, canned</div> <div> Gravies</div> <div> Scallops</div> <div> Herring</div> <div> Smelts</div> <div> Roe</div> <div> Yeast</div> <bR> <div> <B>#2 FOODS HIGH IN PURINES</B></div> <div> Bacon</div> <div> Beef</div> <div> Calf tongue</div> <div> Carp</div> <div> Chicken soup</div> <div> Cod fish</div> <div> Duck</div> <div> Goose</div> <div> Halibut</div> <div> Lentils</div> <div> Liver sausage</div> <div> Meat soups</div> <div> Perch</div> <div> Pike</div> <div> Pork</div> <div> Rabbit</div> <div> Mutton</div> <div> Shellfish</div> <div> Trout</div> <div> Turkey</div> <div> Veal</div> <bR> <div> <B>#3 FOODS MODERATELY HIGH IN PURINE</B></div> <div>  Asparagus</div> <div> Navy beans</div> <div> Bluefish</div> <div> Oatmeal</div> <div> Cauliflower</div> <div> Oysters</div> <div> Chicken</div> <div> Peas</div> <div> Crab</div> <div> Salmon</div> <div> Eel</div> <div> Shad</div> <div> Finnan Haddie</div> <div> Spinach</div> <div> Ham</div> <div> Tuna fish</div> <div> Kidney beans</div> <div> White fish</div> <div> Lima beans</div> <div>  Lobster</div> <div>  Mushrooms</div> <div>  </div> <div> <B>#4 FOODS CONTAINING LITTLE PURINE</B></div> <div> Beverages, carbonated; chocolate;</div> <div> cocoa; fruit juices; postum</div> <div> Breads, white bread and crackers,</div> <div> cornbread</div> <div> Cereals and cereal products; corn</div> <div> macaroni, noodles, rice, tapioca,</div> <div> refined wheat</div> <div> Cheese of all kinds</div> <div> Eggs</div> <div> Fats (use only amounts allowed)</div> <div> Fruits of all kinds</div> <div> Gelatin</div> <div> Milk in all forms</div> <div> Nuts of all kinds</div> <div> Pies except mincemeat</div> <div> Shad roe</div> <div> Sugar and sweets</div> <div> Vegetables of all kinds except those mentioned above</div> <div> Vegetable and milk soups</div> <div> Vitamin concentrates</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="antioxidants_potential_cancer_fighters_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Antioxidants: Potential cancer fighters </U></B></div> <div> Researchers are studying the role of many vitamins and minerals — such as vitamins C, E and the minerals selenium and zinc — on prostate cancer risk. These vitamins and minerals are antioxidants, substances that slow down oxidation — a natural process that can damage cells. Antioxidants may reduce your risk of prostate cancer by protecting cells from cancer-causing substances.</div> <div> Food is the best source of vitamins and minerals. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes provide a wide variety of nutrients — known and unknown — that may protect your body against disease. Here are several antioxidants and their food sources:</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="635" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="185"><div> <B>Antioxidant</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="435"><div> <B>Food source</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="185"><div> Beta carotene</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="435"><div> Carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, red bell peppers and cantaloupe</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="185"><div> Vitamin C</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="435"><div> Red and green bell peppers, broccoli, guava, cauliflower, strawberries, papayas, oranges and grapefruit</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="185"><div> Vitamin E</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="435"><div> Seeds, nuts, wheat germ, fortified cereals, spinach and tomato products</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="185"><div> Selenium</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="435"><div> Brazil nuts, seafood, wheat germ, whole-wheat bread, bran, oats and brown rice</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="185"><div> Zinc</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="435"><div> Meat, seafood, poultry and whole grains</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="vegetables_may_protect_against"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>vegetables may protect against prostate cancer</U></B></div> <div> There is extensive and consistent evidence that fruits and vegetables are protective against most cancers. A study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center looked at particular foods in the diets of men who recently were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and controls (men of similar age and from the same population area without prostate cancer). They found that a high intake of vegetables was significantly related to a lower risk of prostate cancer. Men who averaged four or more servings of vegetables daily, compared to those who ate fewer than two servings per day, had a 35 percent lower risk of getting prostate cancer. Vegetables that were most protective were those in the cabbage family (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, et cetera). Those men who ate three or more servings of these foods weekly, compared to those who ate them less than once per week, had a 40 percent reduced risk of prostate cancer. </div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="move_over_tomatoes_all_vegetables___"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Move over tomatoes! All vegetables -- especially the cruciferous kind -- may prevent prostate cancer</U></B></div> <div> Eating a wide variety of vegetables is key to reducing one's risk, according to a new study</div> <div> SEATTLE - Move over, tomatoes! All vegetables - especially broccoli, cabbage and their cruciferous cousins - may substantially reduce the risk of prostate cancer, according researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Eating just three servings of vegetables a day can cut a man's risk of prostate cancer nearly in half. While carrots, beans, greens and cooked tomatoes all were found to decrease risk, the strongest effect was for cruciferous vegetables. These findings will appear in the Jan. 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.</div> <div> "The bottom line is that if you eat a lot of vegetables, you can cut your risk of prostate cancer by about 45 percent," says Alan Kristal, Dr.P.H., co-investigator of the study. "And, if some of those vegetables are from the cruciferous family, like broccoli and cabbage, you may reduce your risk even further."</div> <div> Kristal and Jennifer Cohen, Ph.D., from the Center's Cancer Prevention Research Program, led the data analysis. Janet Stanford, Ph.D., head of the Center's Prostate Cancer Research Program, also participated. All are from the Center's Public Health Sciences Division.</div> <div> The study looked at the associations of total fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as specific types of fruits and vegetables, on prostate-cancer risk in 1,230 Seattle-area men. Half of the men had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and the other half were randomly selected men living in the Puget Sound region. Funded by the National Cancer Institute, this study was unique because it examined risks for prostate cancer in younger men (ages 40-64). By focusing on men who are at a very low risk of prostate cancer, the researchers were better able to assess the impact of lifestyle factors, such as diet, on cancer risk. The men were interviewed about their dietary habits three to five years prior to diagnosis (or an equivalent time frame among the control group). They also completed a detailed dietary questionnaire that asked how much and how often they ate 99 foods.</div> <div> Men who ate three or more servings of vegetables a day (about 15 percent of the sample) had a 48 percent lower risk of prostate cancer, compared to men who ate fewer than one serving a day (also about 15 percent of the sample). This association was independent of other dietary factors, such as fat intake, and for medical factors, such as history of prostate cancer in a father or brother.</div> <div> The strongest effect was for cruciferous vegetables, which include broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage-based dishes such as sauerkraut and coleslaw. Men who ate three or more half-cup servings of cruciferous vegetables per week had a 41 percent decreased risk for prostate cancer, compared to men who ate fewer than one serving per week.</div> <div> "At any given level of total vegetable consumption, as the percent of cruciferous vegetables increased, the prostate-cancer risk decreased," Kristal says.</div> <div> Fruit, on the other hand, was a different story. When measuring the impact of total fruit intake as well as that of specific fruits, such as citrus, the researchers found no associations with reduced risk of prostate cancer. The researchers also found no special benefits for cooked tomatoes. This finding contradicts much-publicized research extolling the prostate-cancer-fighting properties of cooked tomato products, an effect attributed to a carotenoid called lycopene, a pigment that gives the fruit its red color.</div> <div> "We found no association between lycopene and decreased prostate-cancer risk," Kristal says. "We also looked at foods that were good sources of lycopene, such as spaghetti sauce and pizza. These were not related to cancer risk at all." These results support four earlier studies that found no association between either tomato consumption or lycopene intake and risk of prostate cancer. The handful of studies to date that have shown protective effects have not controlled for total vegetable consumption, a flaw in study design, Kristal believes, that makes it difficult to accurately assess the cancer-fighting role of specific types of vegetables.</div> <div> Scientists believe that vegetables protect against cancer because they contain a wide variety of phytochemicals. Many phytochemicals increase the activity of enzymes that can detoxify cancer-promoting compounds in the body. So if vegetables are good, would specific dietary supplements containing megadoses of these phytochemicals be better? "I think it would be a complete mistake; a significant error," Kristal says. "Vegetables - all food, actually - contain many biologically active components. We have some clues about which ones may be active in preventing prostate cancer, but it's not likely to be lycopene or any one single compound. It's much more likely to be the result of many compounds working together in very complex ways.</div> <div> "It is therefore much more important to eat a variety of different vegetables. I don't think pills will take the place of eating a good diet, at least not in my lifetime."</div> <div> On a related note: Watch for an upcoming editorial by Drs. Alan Kristal and Jennifer Cohen entitled "Tomatoes, Lycopene and Prostate Cancer: How Strong is the Evidence?" in the Jan. 15 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology (media embargo lifts Jan. 10).</div> <div> For more information, please contact Kristen Woodward, Hutchinson Center Media Relations, 206-667-5095.</div> <bR> <div> Whether eating to prevent prostate cancer or to promote general good health, it's easy to incorporate at least three servings of vegetables per day into one's diet. Dr. Alan Kristal of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a cancer-prevention researcher who is also a trained chef, suggests the following sample menu:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">At breakfast, drink a glass of tomato or other vegetable juice. Put a slice of tomato on toast, or add sauteed vegetables to scrambled eggs or omelets. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">For lunch, include a salad with plenty of carrots, red cabbage or other raw vegetables. Eat vegetable soups, such as beef vegetable, minestrone or cream of broccoli soup. Add a side of cooked vegetables. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">For dinner, eat two vegetables with your main course, or eat a vegetable and have a salad. Add vegetables, such as peas, to pasta dishes. Add extra vegetables to casseroles. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">For snacks, have cut raw vegetables ready to go. Buy baby carrots or cherry tomatoes. Cut up celery, broccoli or cauliflower florets. Keep them in water in your refrigerator, and they will stay crisp. </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ###</div> <div> The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the development and advancement of biomedical technology to eliminate cancer and other potentially fatal diseases. Recognized internationally for its pioneering work in bone-marrow transplantation, the Center's four scientific divisions collaborate to form a unique environment for conducting basic and applied science. The Hutchinson Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Pacific Northwest. </div> <div> For more information, visit the Center's Web site at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>http://www.fhcrc.org</U></FONT>.</div> <div> <I>Advancing knowledge, saving lives</I> </div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="garlic_and_prostatate_cancer"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Garlic and prostate cancer</U></B><B>.</B> A member of the same family as onions, leeks and scallions, garlic appears to reduce the risk of many types of cancer, including prostate cancer. It's thought that sulfur compounds in garlic enhance immune function, which helps combat tumor growth. These compounds may also slow the spread of cancer cells and increase the production of enzymes that help eliminate cancer-causing substances. </div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="green_tea_and_prostate_cancer_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Green tea and prostate cancer </U></B>Made from tea leaves dried and fragmented soon after harvesting, green tea contains a natural substance called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This compound appears to inhibit enzyme activity necessary for cancer growth, but large-scale studies haven't evaluated this theory. </div> <div> <B>BUT THEN THIS NEXT ARTICLE CAME OUT</B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="566" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="560"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="560" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> [<I>Cancer Research</I> 64, 8715-8722, December 1, 2004]</div> <div> © 2004 <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>American Association for Cancer Research</U></FONT> </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="241" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="237"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="237" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <B>Oral Consumption of Green Tea Polyphenols Inhibits Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I–</B></div> <div> <B>Induced Signaling in an Autochthonous Mouse Model of Prostate Cancer </B></div> <div> <B>Vaqar Mustafa Adhami</B><B>1</B><B>, Imtiaz Ahmad Siddiqui</B><B>1</B><B>, Nihal Ahmad</B><B>1</B><B>, Sanjay Gupta</B><B>2</B><B> and Hasan Mukhtar</B><B>1</B><B> </B></div> <div> 1 Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin; and 2 Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University and the University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio </div> <div> We earlier demonstrated that oral infusion of green tea polyphenols<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>inhibits development and progression of prostate cancer in transgenic<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. Evidence<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>indicates that elevated levels of IGF-I with concomitant lowering<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>of IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3 are associated with increased<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>risk for prostate cancer development and progression. In this<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>study, we examined the role of IGF/IGFBP-3 signaling and its<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>downstream and other associated events during chemoprevention<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>of prostate cancer by green tea polyphenols in TRAMP mice. Our<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>data demonstrated an increase in the levels of IGF-I, phosphatidylinositol<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>3'-kinase, phosphorylated Akt (Thr-308), and extracellular signal-regulated<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>kinase 1/2 with concomitant decrease in IGFBP-3 in dorso-lateral<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>prostate of TRAMP mice during the course of cancer progression,<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><I>i.e</I>., as a function of age. Continuous green tea polyphenol<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>infusion for 24 weeks to these mice resulted in substantial<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>reduction in the levels of IGF-I and significant increase in<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>the levels of IGFBP-3 in the dorso-lateral prostate. This modulation<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>of IGF/IGFBP-3 was found to be associated with an inhibition<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>of protein expression of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, phosphorylated<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>forms of Akt (Thr-308) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>1/2. Furthermore, green tea polyphenol infusion resulted in<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>marked inhibition of markers of angiogenesis and metastasis<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>most notably vascular endothelial growth factor, urokinase plasminogen<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>activator, and matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9. Based on our<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>data, we suggest that IGF-I/IGFBP-3 signaling pathway is a prime<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>pathway for green tea polyphenol-mediated inhibition of prostate<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>cancer that limits the progression of cancer through inhibition<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>of angiogenesis and metastasis.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="red_meat_and_prostate_cancer"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><B><U>RED MEAT AND PROSTATE CANCER</U></B></div> <div> “There’s a general consensus that saturated fat or red meat is associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer,” says June Chan of the University of California at San Francisco. But so far, studies haven’t been able to tease out what it is in meats or dairy foods that may cause prostate cells to go haywire. Saturated or animal fat is a leading possibility. Among the others:</div> <bR> <div> <B>Red meat.</B> In 1993, Harvard researchers reported that men who ate red meat (beef, pork, lamb, or veal) most frequently had more than double the risk of advanced prostate cancer compared to men who ate those meats least often This year, they updated their findings on the study, which tracks more than 50,000 men.</div> <bR> <div> “Our study still suggests that the less red meat you eat, the better,” says Harvard’s Edward Giovannucci.</div> <bR> <div> Why red meat? Cooking the meat at high temperatures produces heterocyclic amines, which may promote cancer. “It could also be the animal fat or the high calorie-density of diets rich in red meat,” says Giovannucci. “We’re not sure which.”</div> <bR> <div> If animal fat were a culprit, as some studies suggest, high-fat dairy foods like whole milk and cheese would also put the prostate at risk. But it’s also possible that the calcium in dairy foods poses a threat.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="calcium_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Calcium.</U></B> It cuts the risk of osteoporosis and possibly colon cancer. And low-fat milk and other dairy foods can help prevent high blood pressure (though not necessarily because of their calcium).</div> <bR> <div> So how could too much calcium promote prostate cancer? The theory: The active form of vitamin D—which we get mostly from sunlight—may protect the prostate And calcium lowers levels of active vitamin D in the blood.</div> <bR> <div> Don’t panic. Not all studies see a link between calcium and prostate cancer. And most men never reach the “too-much-calcium” range.</div> <bR> <div> “Calcium may really be only a concern for men who get more than 2,000 milligrams a day,” says Chan. So it’s still safe to shoot for the latest Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs)—1,000 mg a day for men 50 or younger and 1,200 mg for men over 50. (That includes what you get from food and supplements.)</div> <bR> <div> The evidence isn’t strong enough to recommend that men change their calcium intake, she adds. “But they should be aware of the association between calcium and prostate cancer, because they may be getting calcium from fortified foods and not even know it.”</div> <bR> <div> Would it help to simply boost your vitamin D intake?</div> <bR> <div> “Whether vitamin D is related to prostate cancer is still an open question,” says Giovannucci. “But it’s prudent to get adequate vitamin D from a multi-vitamin or sunlight.” Fatty fish and fortified foods are also sources.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U> <A NAME="n_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U><U>1</U></FONT>: <I>Journal of the National Cancer Institute 385</I>: 1571, 1993.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U> <A NAME="n_2"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U><U>2</U></FONT>: <I>Cancer Research 58</I>: 442, 1998.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Millions of men who have prostate cancer want to know whether diet or supplements can slow or stop the disease. But so far, research has yielded few answers.</div> <bR> <div> For example, in a Canadian study of 384 men with prostate cancer, those who consumed the most saturated fat were three times more likely to die of the disease over the next five years than those who consumed the least But it isn’t clear from this less-than-perfect study that saturated fat made the difference.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="prostate_cancer_and_seven_herbs_called"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>prostate cancer and seven herbs called PC-SPES </U></B></div> <div> Researchers are more confident that a mixture of seven herbs called PC-SPES may slow advanced cancer in men who have no other treatments available. But the pricey supplement may be no more safe or effective than taking an ordinary estrogen pill.</div> <bR> <div> “Many of the herbs that my prostate cancer patients take do nothing,” says William Oh, a researcher and oncologist at Harvard Medical School and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “PC-SPES has effects that are visible to all doctors who work with it, but whether it is any more effective than giving estrogen, we don’t know.”</div> <bR> <div> Oh tracked 23 advanced cancer patients who had been taking six capsules (1,920 milligrams) of PC-SPES a day “Half had more than a 50 percent drop in PSA levels and many had a decrease in symptoms and relief from bone pain,” he reports. “If we can reduce PSA levels significantly, we can predict that they’ll live longer and better.”</div> <bR> <div> But his study and two others like it aren’t definitive, in part because they didn’t compare PC-SPES to anything else. A new clinical trial will. Oh and colleagues will study men whose cancer is progressing even though they’re taking drugs that block testosterone. Half will get PC-SPES; the others will get an estrogen called DES, or diethylstilbestrol.</div> <bR> <div> “We know PC-SPES has hormonal effects like estrogen,” says Oh. “We’re trying to understand to what extent PC-SPES’s effect is due to its estrogen activity.”</div> <bR> <div> That’s why taking PC-SPES is not a good strategy for men who want to prevent prostate cancer. Like estrogen, PC-SPES can cut testosterone to castration levels. “It’s like getting your testicles removed,” explains Oh. “Eunuchs don’t get prostate cancer, but it’s not a price most men are willing to pay.”</div> <bR> <div> What’s more, PC-SPES isn’t as safe as its over-the-counter availability implies. “It has all the side effects of taking estrogen, like nipple tenderness, breast swelling, hot flashes, and fatigue,” cautions Oh. “And the most dangerous side effect is blood clots, which occur in an estimated five to ten percent of patients.</div> <bR> <div> “Clots can stay in the legs or they can break off and go to the lung, which is more serious,” he explains. “In men who have underlying heart disease, the clot can get lodged in a coronary artery,” causing a heart attack.</div> <bR> <div> Those risks may be worth taking for men who have failed the usual anti-testosterone treatment. In fact, Oh now recommends it to all men in that condition. “Their life expectancy is about 12 months,” he says. But a risky supplement that can cost more than $300 a month is not a good gamble for anyone else.</div> <bR> <div> Says Oh: “Right now we have no evidence that PC-SPES prolongs life, but it can reduce the symptoms of cancer and control the disease for some period of time in men who have limited options.”</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U> <A NAME="v1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U><U>1</U></FONT>: <I>European Urology 35</I>: 388, 1999.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U> <A NAME="v2"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U><U>2</U></FONT>: <I>Urology 57</I>: 122, 2001.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="seven_ways_that_may_help_prevent"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>SEVEN WAYS THAT MAY HELP PREVENT PROSTATE CANCER</U></B></div> <div> 1.  While it's too early to say for sure, these steps may reduce the risk of prostate cancer:</div> <bR> <div> 2.  Limit red meat, full-fat cheese, and other fatty animal foods.</div> <bR> <div> 3.  Eat seafood-especially fatty fish like salmon-three or four times a week.</div> <bR> <div> 4.  Eat healthy tomato-rich dishes (spaghetti or other pastas, not lasagna or pizza) at least twice a week.</div> <bR> <div> 5.  Consider taking a daily supplement with 200 micrograms (mcg) of selenomethionine or high-selenium yeast. (If you're looking for SelenoExcell high-selenium yeast, check the ingredient list. It's found in some selenium and multivitamin-and-mineral supplements.)</div> <bR> <div> 6.  Get some gamma-tocopherol in your diet. Soy oil (often used in salad dressings), corn oil, and sesame oil are good sources. (Some vitamin E supplements contain both alpha- and gamma-tocopherol, but many labels don't say how much gamma you're getting.)</div> <bR> <div> 7,  Limit calcium intake from food and pills to 1,200 mg a day and take a standard multivitamin with 400 IU of vitamin D.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="sn_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="selenium_and_prosatate_cancer"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>SELENIUM AND PROSTRATE CANCER</U></B></div> <div> In the 1980s, when Larry Clark and colleagues assigned 1,300 people to take either 200 micrograms of selenium or a placebo every day, no one suspected that selenium might prevent prostate cancer. Their goal was to see whether it could prevent skin cancer in residents of the Southeast, where the soil—and people’s diets—are selenium-poor</div> <bR> <div> “Selenium supplements had no effect on the recurrence of skin cancer,” Clark told <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><I><U>Nutrition Action Healthletter</U></I></FONT><I> </I>in 1996. “But the three leading cancers—lung, prostate, and colon—all decreased.”</div> <bR> <div> Decreased by an unheard-of two-thirds, that is. The researchers had to stop the study three years early because the selenium-takers fared so much better that it would have been unethical to keep people on the placebo.</div> <bR> <div> Still, Clark was cautious about his findings. “Selenium is not going to help everybody, and it’s not going to cure all cancer,” he explained.</div> <bR> <div> It’s possible that selenium only works in people who get too little from their food...or that Clark’s results were a fluke.</div> <bR> <div> But worth another trial? You bet.</div> <bR> <div> The National Cancer Institute (NCI) doesn’t expect results from its new trial, called SELECT, for about a decade (see “<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>SELECT One Option</U></FONT>,”). Meanwhile, some researchers are worried that SELECT may not be using the right kind of selenium supplement.</div> <bR> <div> Clark’s trial used a high-selenium yeast. (SelenoExcell is the brand that is closest to the supplement Clark used—see “<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>The Bottom Line</U></FONT>,”.) SELECT will use selenomethionine, which is the most abundant form of selenium found in the yeast. An expert panel recommended selenomethionine instead of yeast because selenium and other constituents of the yeast vary too much from batch to batch, explains the NCI’s Demetrius Albanes.</div> <bR> <div> Let’s hope it was the right choice.</div> <bR> <div> “I’m concerned that there might be some bioactive compounds in the yeast that aren’t in the selenomethionine supplements,” says Byers, who served on a safety committee for the 1996 study. “If the new study fails, we won’t know why.”</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="_tomato_sauce_two_to_four_times_a_week"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U> tomato sauce two to four times a week had a 34 percent lower risk of prostate cancer</U></B></div> <div> Spaghetti sauce and pizza were big news in 1995. That’s when Giovannucci’s team found that men who consumed tomato sauce two to four times a week had a 34 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ate no tomato sauce</div> <bR> <div> The possible protector: lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes that’s easier to absorb if they’re cooked</div> <bR> <div> “Lycopene scavenges free radicals and suppresses damage due to oxidation in the tissues,” explains Northwestern University’s Peter Gann. “As an antioxidant, it’s more potent than beta-carotene. And it’s concentrated in the prostate.”</div> <bR> <div> In 1999, Gann, Giovannucci, and their colleagues found a lower risk of prostate cancer in men who had higher blood lycopene levels 13 years earlier</div> <bR> <div> “Not every study shows a benefit, but the ones that were best able to detect an association found it,” says Giovannucci.</div> <bR> <div> Also encouraging: Researchers often wonder if people who take vitamins or eat more fish are more health-conscious, which could confound their results. But there’s less reason to think that pizza and spaghetti eaters are more health-conscious. </div> <bR> <div> Still, Giovannucci’s research is no excuse to load up on lasagna, pizza, or other saturated-fat-laden foods.</div> <bR> <div> “It’s not proven, but eating spaghetti sauce twice a week could certainly be part of a healthy diet,” says Giovannucci. “Eating ten pizzas a week isn’t.”</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="soy_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="soy_might_lower_the_risk_of_prostate"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>soy might lower the risk of prostate cancer,</U></B></div> <div> “There’s a strong biological basis for thinking that soy might lower the risk of prostate cancer,” says Mark Messina, a soy expert who is an adjunct professor at Loma Linda University in California and a consultant to the soy industry.</div> <bR> <div> Among the promising clues: In Asia, where tofu and other soy foods are a regular part of the diet, prostate cancer rates are low. And the isoflavones in soy foods inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in animals and test tubes.</div> <bR> <div> But when it comes to people, the evidence is thin. “You could put all those animal and test-tube studies in a basket and one good human clinical study would outweigh them,” says Messina.</div> <bR> <div> Large U.S. studies can’t even look at soy because most men don’t eat enough of it. That leaves one study in Hawaiians (it found only a weak link) and another in Seventh-day Adventists<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>,9</U></FONT> That study found a lower risk only in men who drank more than one glass of soy milk a day. However, only two percent of the men drank soy milk that often, so the results aren’t rock-solid.</div> <bR> <div> Also disappointing: When researchers gave men with elevated PSA levels two daily soy beverages (each with roughly 35 milligrams of isoflavones), their PSAs didn’t drop</div> <bR> <div> “Our study only lasted six weeks,” notes investigator Stephen Barnes of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “So it’s difficult to know what might have happened over the long term.”</div> <bR> <div> Messina remains optimistic. “There’s a consistent story forming,” he says. “But it’s a story waiting to be confirmed.”</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="prudiet_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <bR> <div> It’s too early to know whether selenium, vitamin E, lycopene, soy, or seafood can prevent prostate cancer. Nor is there any guarantee that cutting back on red meat or high-fat dairy foods will lower the risk. But men who follow advice for an overall healthy diet can’t lose.</div> <bR> <div> “We’re not up to the point of giving recommendations on diet and prostate cancer,” says the University of California’s June Chan. “But it’s prudent to eat less meat and animal fat and more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. There’s good reason to believe that a prudent diet is beneficial for heart disease, and it may help for cancer.”</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="watermelon_help_men_avoid_prostate"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>watermelon help men avoid prostate cancer.</U></B></div> <div> Juicy, red watermelon is not only delicious, it may help men avoid prostate cancer. As long as you spit out the seeds, watermelon is the biggest supplier among fresh fruits and vegetables in the antioxidant lycopene, which is believed to play a big role in the prevention of the killer disease. Antioxidants such as lycopene work in your body by disarming free oxygen radicals, which are thought to contribute to the development of many cancers. A 2-cup serving of watermelon contains 15 - 20 milligrams of this vital plant pigment. Other sources include tomatoes, red grapefruits and guavas. </div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="____urinary_system_anatomy"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>    URINARY SYSTEM ANATOMY</div> <div>      <IMG SRC="2495ea40.png" border=0 width="350" height="420" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  </div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Verdana" ><B>The Urinary System </B></FONT></div> <div> Your urinary tract is the body system involved in the formation and excretion of urine. The kidneys filter out waste products from the blood. These waste products in combination with water are urine. The urine passes out of the kidneys through two narrow, muscular tubes called ureters. The ureters empty the urine into the bladder, and the urine is then excreted from the body through a tubelike structure called the urethra. </div> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>    </div> <div> <B> <A NAME="_urinary_system_and_how_it_works"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B> URINARY SYSTEM AND HOW IT WORKS</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="248e3e00.png" border=0 width="227" height="224" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Your Urinary System and How It Works </div> <bR> <div> Your body takes nutrients from food and uses them to maintain all bodily functions including energy and self-repair. After your body has taken what it needs from the food, waste products are left behind in the blood and in the bowel. The urinary system works with the lungs, skin, and intestines--all of which also excrete wastes--to keep the chemicals and water in your body balanced. Adults eliminate about a quart and a half of urine each day. The amount depends on many factors, the major ones being the amount of fluid and foods a person consumes and how much fluid is lost through sweat and breathing. Certain types of medications can also affect the amount of urine eliminated. </div> <bR> <div> The urinary system removes a type of waste called urea from your blood. Urea is produced when foods containing protein, such as meat, poultry, and certain vegetables, are broken down in the body. Urea is carried in the bloodstream to the kidneys. </div> <bR> <div> The kidneys are bean-shaped organs about the size of your fists. They are near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys remove urea from the blood through tiny filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron consists of a ball formed of small blood capillaries, called a glomerulus, and a small tube called a renal tubule. Urea, together with water and other waste substances, forms the urine as it passes through the nephrons and down the renal tubules of the kidney. </div> <bR> <div> From the kidneys, urine travels down two thin tubes called ureters to the bladder. The ureters are about eight to 10 inches long. Muscles in the ureter walls constantly tighten and relax to force urine downward away from the kidneys. If urine is allowed to stand still, or back up, a kidney infection can develop. Small amounts of urine are emptied into the bladder from the ureters about every 10 to 15 seconds. </div> <bR> <div> The bladder is a hollow muscular organ shaped like a balloon. It sits in your pelvis and is held in place by ligaments attached to other organs and the pelvic bones. The bladder stores urine until you are ready to go to the bathroom to empty it. It swells into a round shape when it is full and gets smaller when empty. If the urinary system is healthy, the bladder can hold up to 16 ounces (two cups) of urine comfortably for two to five hours. </div> <bR> <div> Circular muscles called sphincters help keep urine from leaking. The sphincter muscles close tightly like a rubber band around the opening of the bladder into the urethra, the tube that allows urine to pass outside the body. </div> <bR> <div> Nerves in the bladder tell you when it is time to urinate (empty your bladder). As the bladder first fills with urine, you may notice a feeling that you need to urinate. The sensation to urinate becomes stronger as the bladder continues to fill and reaches its limit. At that point, nerves from the bladder send a message to the brain that the bladder is full, and your urge to empty your bladder intensifies. </div> <bR> <div> When you urinate, the brain signals the bladder muscles to tighten, squeezing urine out of the bladder. At the same time, the brain signals the sphincter muscles to relax. As these muscles relax, urine exits the bladder through the urethra. When all the signals occur in the correct order, normal urination occurs. </div> <bR> <div> What Causes Problems in the Urinary System? </div> <bR> <div> Problems in the urinary system can be caused by aging, illness, or injury. As you get older, changes in the kidneys' structure cause them to lose some of their ability to remove wastes from the blood. Also, the muscles in your ureters, bladder, and urethra tend to lose some of their strength. You may have more urinary infections because the bladder muscles do not tighten enough to empty your bladder completely. A decrease in strength of muscles of the sphincters and the pelvis can also cause incontinence, the unwanted leakage of urine. Illness or injury can also prevent the kidneys from filtering the blood completely or block the passage of urine. </div> <bR> <div> How Are Problems in the Urinary System Detected? </div> <bR> <div> Urinalysis is a test that studies the content of urine for abnormal substances such as protein or signs of infection. This test involves urinating into a special container and leaving the sample to be studied. </div> <bR> <div> Urodynamic tests evaluate the storage of urine in the bladder and the flow of urine from the bladder through the urethra. Your doctor may want to do a urodynamic test if you are having symptoms that suggest problems with the muscles or nerves of your lower urinary system and pelvis (ureters, bladder, urethra, and sphincter muscles). </div> <bR> <div> Urodynamic tests measure the contraction of the bladder muscle as it fills and empties. The test is done by inserting a small tube called a catheter through your urethra into your bladder to fill it either with water or a gas. Another small tube is inserted into your rectum to measure the pressure put on your bladder when you strain or cough. Other bladder tests use x-ray dye instead of water so that x-ray pictures can be taken when the bladder fills and empties to detect any abnormalities in the shape and function of the bladder. These tests take about an hour. </div> <bR> <div> What Are Some Disorders of the Urinary System? </div> <bR> <div> Disorders of the urinary system range in severity from easy-to-treat to life-threatening. </div> <bR> <div> Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition in men that affects the prostate gland, which is part of the male reproductive system. The prostate is located at the bottom of the bladder and surrounds the urethra. BPH is an enlargement of the prostate gland that can interfere with urinary function in older men. It causes blockage by squeezing the urethra, which can make it difficult to urinate. Men with BPH frequently have other bladder symptoms including an increase in frequency of bladder emptying both during the day and at night. Most men over age 60 have some BPH, but not all have problems with blockage. There are many different treatment options for BPH. </div> <bR> <div> Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder disorder also known as painful bladder syndrome and frequency-urgency-dysuria syndrome. In this disorder, the bladder wall can become inflamed and irritated. The inflammation can lead to scarring and stiffening of the bladder, decreased bladder capacity, pinpoint bleeding, and, in rare cases, ulcers in the bladder lining. The cause of IC is unknown at this time. </div> <bR> <div> Kidney stones is the term commonly used to refer to stones, or calculi, in the urinary system. Stones form in the kidneys and may be found anywhere in the urinary system. They vary in size. Some stones cause great pain while others cause very little. The aim of treatment is to remove the stones, prevent infection, and prevent recurrence. Both nonsurgical and surgical treatments are used. Kidney stones affect men more often than women. </div> <bR> <div> Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland that results in urinary frequency and urgency, burning or painful urination (dysuria), and pain in the lower back and genital area, among other symptoms. In some cases, prostatitis is caused by bacterial infection and can be treated with antibiotics. But the more common forms of prostatitis are not associated with any known infecting organism. Antibiotics are often ineffective in treating the nonbacterial forms of prostatitis. </div> <bR> <div> Proteinuria is the presence of abnormal amounts of protein in the urine. Healthy kidneys take wastes out of the blood but leave in protein. Protein in the urine does not cause a problem by itself. But it may be a sign that your kidneys are not working properly. </div> <bR> <div> Renal (kidney) failure results when the kidneys are not able to regulate water and chemicals in the body or remove waste products from your blood. Acute renal failure (ARF) is the sudden onset of kidney failure. This can be caused by an accident that injures the kidneys, loss of a lot of blood, or some drugs or poisons. ARF may lead to permanent loss of kidney function. But if the kidneys are not seriously damaged, they may recover. Chronic renal failure (CRF) is the gradual reduction of kidney function that may lead to permanent kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). You may go several years without knowing you have CRF. </div> <bR> <div> Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by bacteria in the urinary tract. Women get UTIs more often than men. UTIs are treated with antibiotics. Drinking lots of fluids also helps by flushing out the bacteria. </div> <bR> <div> The name of the UTI depends on its location in the urinary tract. An infection in the bladder is called cystitis. If the infection is in one or both of the kidneys, the infection is called pyelonephritis. This type of UTI can cause serious damage to the kidneys if it is not adequately treated. </div> <bR> <div> Urinary incontinence, loss of bladder control, is the involuntary passage of urine. There are many causes and types of incontinence, and many treatment options. Treatments range from simple exercises to surgery. Women are affected by urinary incontinence more often than men. </div> <bR> <div> Urinary retention, or bladder-emptying problems, is a common urological problem with many possible causes. Normally, urination can be initiated voluntarily and the bladder empties completely. Urinary retention is the abnormal holding of urine in the bladder. Acute urinary retention is the sudden inability to urinate, causing pain and discomfort. Causes can include an obstruction in the urinary system, stress, or neurologic problems. Chronic urinary retention refers to the persistent presence of urine left in the bladder after incomplete emptying. Common causes of chronic urinary retention are bladder muscle failure, nerve damage, or obstructions in the urinary tract. Treatment for urinary retention depends on the cause. </div> <bR> <div> Who Can Help Me With a Urinary Problem? </div> <bR> <div> Your primary doctor can help you with some urinary problems. Your pediatrician may be able to treat some of your child's urinary problems. But some problems may require the attention of a urologist, a doctor who specializes in treating problems of the urinary system and the male reproductive system. A gynecologist is a doctor who specializes in the female reproductive system and may be able to help with some urinary problems. A urogynecologist is a gynecologist who specializes in the female urinary system. A nephrologist specializes in treating diseases of the kidney. </div> <bR> <div> Points To Remember </div> <bR> <div> Your urinary system filters waste and extra fluid from your blood. </div> <bR> <div> Problems in the urinary system include kidney failure, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, prostate enlargement, and bladder control problems. </div> <bR> <div> Health professionals who treat urinary problems include general practitioners (your primary doctor), pediatricians, urologists, gynecologists, urogynecologists, and nephrologists. </div> <div> Resources for More Information </div> <div> American Foundation for Urologic Disease</div> <div> 1128 N. Charles Street</div> <div> Baltimore, MD 21201</div> <div> (800) 242-2383 or (410) 468-1800</div> <bR> <bR> <div> American Kidney Fund</div> <div> 6110 Executive Boulevard</div> <div> Suite 100</div> <div> Rockville, MD 20852</div> <div> (800) 638-8299 or (301) 881-3052</div> <bR> <bR> <div> American Society of Pediatric Nephrology</div> <div> Department of Pediatrics</div> <div> University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital</div> <div> 600 Highland Avenue</div> <div> Madison, WI 53792-4108</div> <div> (608) 265-6020 </div> <bR> <div> American Uro-Gynecologic Society</div> <div> 401 North Michigan Avenue</div> <div> Chicago, IL 60611-4267</div> <div> (312) 644-6610 ext. 4712 </div> <bR> <div> Interstitial Cystitis Association</div> <div> P.O. Box 1553</div> <div> Madison Square Station</div> <div> New York, NY 10159</div> <div> (800) ICA-1626 or (212) 979-6057</div> <bR> <bR> <div> National Association for Continence (NAFC)</div> <div> P.O. Box 8310</div> <div> Spartanburg, SC 29305-8310</div> <div> (864) 579-7900 or (800) BLADDER</div> <bR> <bR> <div> National Kidney Foundation</div> <div> 30 East 33rd Street</div> <div> New York, NY 10016</div> <div> (800) 622-9010</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The Prostatitis Foundation</div> <div> Information Distribution Center</div> <div> Parkway Business Center</div> <div> 2029 Ireland Grove Road</div> <div> Bloomington, IL 61704</div> <div> (309) 664-6222</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The Simon Foundation for Continence</div> <div> P.O. Box 835</div> <div> Wilmette, IL 60091</div> <div> (800) 23-SIMON or</div> <div> (847) 864-3913 (main office)</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Credits </div> <bR> <div> National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse 3 Information Way</div> <div> Bethesda, MD 20892-3580</div> <div> NIH Publication No. 98-3195</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="aspirin_may_help_prevent_prostate"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Aspirin May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer   </U></B></div> <div> Thu Feb 12, 5:28 PM ET  Add Health - Reuters to My Yahoo! </div> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> By Will Boggs, MD </div> <bR> <div> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Taking an aspirin each day might be good for your heart, but new research suggests that it may also reduce the risk of prostate cancer. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Prostate cancer (news - web sites) is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in the U.S. and Canada, "and is second only to lung cancer in terms of number of deaths it causes," Dr. Salaheddin Mahmud from McGill University, Montreal, told Reuters Health. "So it is very unfortunate that at the moment we do not know of any modifiable risk factors for the development of this disease." </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Previous reports investigating the anti-cancer effects of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have yielded conflicting results. For this reason, Mahmud's team analyzed combined data from 12 reports to clarify the effect of these drugs on the risk of prostate cancer. The results are reported in the British Journal of Cancer. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The use of aspirin was associated with a 30 percent reduction in the risk of advanced prostate cancer and a 10 percent reduction in total prostate cancer risk, the authors note. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "NSAIDs (and aspirin in particular) appear to offer some protective effect against prostate cancer both in laboratory studies and in observational studies in humans," Mahmud said. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The study cited by the investigators as "best equipped to address this issue" reported a strong anti-cancer effect for aspirin use, but only among participants that had taken aspirin for at least 4 years. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It is too early to recommend regular use of aspirin for prostate cancer prevention, but the time is right" for forward-looking studies specifically designed to address this topic, he added. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Recently, two large randomized controlled trials were begun to evaluate the protective effects of two of the newer NSAIDs -- Celebrex and Vioxx -- Mahmud added. "I am not aware of any...trials on the cheaper and more widely available" older NSAIDs, including aspirin. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The focus on the newer NSAIDs is partially because they have fewer side effects, such as stomach bleeding, and partially because they are more economically rewarding to drug companies, he said. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> SOURCE: British Journal of Cancer, January 12, 2004. </div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial Narrow" > <A NAME="prostate_anatomy"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></FONT></div> <div> PROSTATE ANATOMY</div> <div> <IMG SRC="247b1770.png" border=0 width="433" height="375" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="prostate_explained_and_benign_prostatic"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>PROSTATE EXPLAINED AND BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERTROPHY</B></div> <div> The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located just below the bladder. It surrounds part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder during urination. </div> <div> <B>What Is the Function of the Prostate Gland?</B> </div> <div> The primary role of the prostate is to provide part of the fluid necessary for ejaculation. This fluid helps to carry and nourish sperm, aiding in the process of conception. </div> <div> <B>What Happens When the Prostate Enlarges?</B> </div> <div> In most men at age 45, the prostate begins to increase in size. It can continue to grow for the rest of a man's life. By itself, prostate enlargement, known medically as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is not a problem. But, the prostate gland surrounds a section of the urethra, the tube through which urine flows. As the prostate continues to enlarge, it can squeeze the urethra (like pinching a straw) and cause urinary problems. This can interfere with the normal flow of urine and can cause uncomfortable symptoms. Prostate enlargement, or BPH, is a noncancerous condition. The activity of a key hormone helps to cause the prostate to start growing. This hormone is called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). BPH is not cancer nor does it lead to cancer. However, a man can have BPH and prostate cancer at the same time. </div> <div> <B>Does Everyone With an Enlarged Prostate Have Bothersome Symptoms?</B> </div> <div> No. Studies show that as men age and as their prostates increase in size, symptoms occur more often and may become more severe. You may be symptom-free, or have symptoms that are only mildly disturbing. </div> <div> <B>What Are the Most Common Symptoms of BPH?</B> </div> <div> When BPH interferes with urine flow, many symptoms can occur. These include: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A need to urinate often (especially disturbing at night) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A weak or interrupted urinary stream </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A feeling that you cannot empty your bladder completely </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A feeling of delay or hesitation when you start to urinate </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A feeling that you must urinate right away </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Continuing pain in the lower back, pelvis or upper thighs </div> <div> These symptoms are caused by the way in which BPH affects the urethra and, later, the bladder. If a urinary tract infection develops, there may also be burning or pain during urination. In the early phase of prostatic enlargement, the bladder muscle has to force urine through the narrowed urethra by contracting more forcefully. Over a period of time, the forcing causes the bladder muscle to become stronger, thicker, and overly sensitive. In some cases, as prostate enlargement progresses and the urethra is squeezed more tightly, the bladder cannot overcome the problems created by the greatly narrowed urethra. If this happens, the bladder can not empty completely. This situation creates a need to urinate more frequently. In a small percentage of men, incomplete emptying of the bladder may lead to repeated urinary track infections, sudden inability to urinate, or gradual bladder and/or kidney damage. An enlarged prostate can even result in total blockage of the urethra, a very serious condition. </div> <div> <B>How Do Some Men Cope With the Symptoms of BPH?</B> </div> <div> Men with mild symptoms of BPH rarely find a need to modify their daily activities. However, as symptoms progress, some men experience differing social consequences. They stay close to a bathroom, reserve seats on the aisle, wear dark clothing to conceal leakage, nap frequently to make up for loss of sleep at night, and curtail social activities. These adjustments can make a significant difference in your lifestyle. A regular check-up and consultation with your physician is recommended and will be very helpful. </div> <div> <B>What Every Man Should Do</B> </div> <div> According to the American Urological Association (AUA), if you are 50 or older (40 or older with a family history of prostate cancer), you should have a digital rectal exam as part of your annual check up. At the time of your examination, openly discuss any changes in urinary habits or bothersome symptoms with your doctor. </div> <div> <B>What Your Doctor Will Do</B> </div> <div> The doctor will perform a digital rectal exam, (DRE) and PSA blood test. Since the prostate is located near the rectum, the doctor can feel the prostate by inserting a gloved lubricated finger into your rectum. This simple exam helps the physician determine whether your prostate is enlarged, has lumps or areas of abnormal texture. </div> <div> <B>Ways to Treat Symptomatic Benign Prostate Enlargement</B> </div> <div> Today, more than ever, is an excellent time to see your doctor. There have been many advances in the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic enlargement. If treatment is appropriate, your doctor now has several options to discuss with you. Remember, only your health care professional can evaluate your symptoms and their possible causes. </div> <div> Source: National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, National Institutes of Health </div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="top"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="vasectomy_general_information"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>VASECTOMY GENERAL INFORMATION</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Introduction</U></B></div> <div> Vasectomy is a relatively simple medical procedure with an excellent safety record. But as with all medical procedures, it is important to enter into it with as much information as possible. The newsgroup alt.support.vasectomy helps by putting men in touch with other men who have some of the same questions they have, and men who have already undergone the procedure. This website helps by connecting men to sources of information about vasectomy available in print and on the web.</div> <div> Maybe the most important source of information when it comes to what you will experience during and after your vasectomy is your doctor, or other medical professionals involved with your procedure and follow-up care. Part of their job is to answer your questions, and there is usually time set aside for this during one or more pre-vasectomy consults. Unfortunately, many of us have found that during these meetings we forgot to ask what we most wanted to know, or we didn't rephrase our questions if the doctor misunderstood. Also, after the procedure many men say they wished they had asked questions that never occurred to them before hand.</div> <div> With this in mind, the regular posters of alt.support.vasectomy felt that men considering a vasectomy might find it helpful to prepare a list of questions ahead of time - a sort of check list of issues to raise in conversations with their doctor and other medical professionals.</div> <div> Some of these issues might be addressed in a brochure or video that your doctor or clinic makes available prior to the consultation. Many doctors have printed fact sheets of instructions for pre-operation preparations and post-vasectomy care to hand out to patients, so it's worth asking your doctor for one if they don't automatically give you one. It's wise to study any materials or information given carefully, and follow up with your own questions when you meet with your doctor. After all, this is your opportunity to discuss your own special situation with your doctor. It is also your opportunity to confirm in detail how you will be treated during your vasectomy, and what you can expect afterwards. Keep in mind that if at any point you are not satisfied with what you are hearing, you can cancel the procedure to seek out a different doctor, or just give up on the whole vasectomy idea altogether.</div> <div> What follows is a list of past discussion topics that will hopefully get you thinking of what you might like to discuss with your doctor when you go for the consult. It goes without saying that not every issue listed below will be of equal concern to every man facing a vasectomy. But each issue has been discussed in alt.support.vasectomy, and we thought you might want to know what these issues are!</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="decision"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>The decision</U></B></div> <div> Everyone is different, therefore everyone will take different things into consideration when deciding if vasectomy is the right option for them. Common considerations are "What happens if a death occurs and I want to be able to father some/more children?", "What happens if we split up and I want to start a family with a new partner?", "What happens if I just change my mind in years to come, or my personal situation changes?". There are many other questions we ask ourselves, but these are the usual type of question we need resolving before we can be happy about the decision.</div> <div> Most posters to alt.support.vasectomy are happy with their decision, but it's fair to say that in some cases men do have vasectomies and are unhappy about it because the decision has been made "Under duress". Some men feel pressured into the decision, because their wives/partners want them to assume contraceptive responsibility for medical or other reasons. Ultimately choosing to be sterilized has to be a decision you are happy with. In the circumstances where undue pressure is being applied, it's a good idea to delay having the procedure until you have had the opportunity to discuss all the implications fully with your wife/partner and are happy about going ahead.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="doubts"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>Doubts about permanent sterility</U></B></div> <div> You should view a vasectomy as a permanent. If you have doubts about this choice, you should share your concerns with your doctor, and perhaps reconsider vasectomy as a birth control option. If you express any doubt the doctor will often suggest you wait until you are happy to be sterile, as vasectomy is permanent sterilization - not a temporary contraceptive method.</div> <div> Vasectomy reversal is possible, but the chances of reversal with restoration of fertility tend to vary widely depending on many factors. In addition, whereas medical insurance policies and national health schemes cover the cost of vasectomy, they don't usually cover the cost of reversal - and reversal surgery doesn't come cheap!</div> <div> There is the option of freezing sperm for later use employing alternative techniques for conception. Many hospitals and clinics offer this on a commercial basis, so it's worth contacting your local hospital or searching the web for contacts and information on this. Again, the costs involved with storage and IVF at a later date are very high.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="doctor"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>Choosing a Doctor</U></B></div> <div> An important consideration - how experienced is the surgeon or doctor who is to be doing your vasectomy? How many vasectomies has he/she performed? If you live in a rural area and the nearest doctor performing vasectomies has not had a great deal of experience in the procedure, it might be worth considering making a trip to a doctor or specialist who has more experience. We have heard of inexperienced doctors bungling procedures. </div> <div> Another important point is to make sure the doctor will be performing the entire procedure. We have heard of doctors allowing nurses or trainee medical staff to do part of the procedure - not always with good results. If this is to happen the doctor should discuss this with you prior to the procedure, and gain your consent. Medical people do have to practice on somebody, but your permission should be sought prior to the procedure if they want to use you as a training exercise. You can always say no - after all it's your body.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="form"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>The Consent Form</U></B></div> <div> One point that often surprises many men - a lot of doctor's require the co-signature of your wife for the procedure. This is fairly common in the USA and the UK (and probably other countries too). The reasons for this co-signing are not always clear. Many doctors like to involve partners in the consultation and decision so all involved are aware of the risks and benefits, and that it should be viewed as permanent. Be aware that your doctor might require your wife's co-signature before the consultation, and prepare your arguments beforehand if you are unhappy about this. Find out if it is in fact a legal requirement where you live and what happens if you refuse to have a co-signature if you have objections to the form being co-signed.</div> <div> It has been reported in some parts of the USA that some doctors may require a wait of 30 days between signing the consent form and having the procedure actually done. It's unclear if this is a legal requirement or not.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="you"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>The "Tube check"</U></B></div> <div> Your "plumbing":- Anatomically, all men are the same, but there can be important differences. To clarify:- during the consultation the doctor examines your scrotum to determine whether the location and general condition of your vas deferens will pose any problems during the vasectomy, and that you are suitable to have the procedure done under local anesthetic.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="history"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>Your medical history</U></B></div> <div> The consultation is a good time to share any information you have about your equipment. For example, you should tell your doctor about any pain you have experienced in your scrotum or penis, or any odd lumps or bumps you have discovered at any point - whether they are still present or not, and about any prostate problems you have experienced. There have been discussions of "post vasectomy pain" within the news group, and some of the men suffering various pains in that area after having had a vasectomy had experienced pain prior to their vasectomies. Also, one of the clinical papers quoted in the Medical Journal extracts section makes the point that upon pathological examination of excised material after surgery, the post vasectomy pain some were suffering was possibly due to non-vasectomy related conditions such as hydroceles and long standing fibroids. Therefore it is important to ask your doctor if there is a chance that a vasectomy may worsen any pains you already have. It is a good idea to tell the doctor about any family history of prostate or testicular cancer.</div> <div> In short, ask whether anything about your equipment, or your medical history (including that of your male relatives), suggests you should not have a vasectomy. You should also ask if there is any reason to prefer one procedure over another, or whether you are especially susceptible to any complications resulting from vasectomy.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="activity"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>Physical activity</U></B></div> <div> Tell your doctor about your work, and any sports you play. This will help the doctor advise you on recovery treatment after the operation. For example, if you are a sportsman or have a job that requires lifting, it may be that an extended rest after the operation will be required. Telling your doctor about your activities may even suggest the advisability of one procedure over another, and alert him or her to possible complications.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="procedure"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>Choosing which Procedure</U></B></div> <div> You will probably want to find out exactly how your procedure will be performed. There are a variety of procedures available, and you can find out about them at the website. You may prefer one procedure over another, and your preference may be strong enough that you will want to ask for a different procedure-and will want to change doctors if yours won't (or can't) oblige. Conceivably, one procedure may even be better for you, given your special situation. So research the pros and cons ahead of time. And ask your doctor whether there is any reason to go with one procedure over another. In any case, your anxiety level the day of the procedure will probably be lessened if you know exactly what is going on. (Or maybe not!) Certainly you should ask how much experience your doctor has had with whichever procedure you decide on.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="anaesthetic"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>Anesthesia / sedatives</U></B></div> <div> In general, vasectomies are performed under local anesthesia, which entails considerably less risk and expense than general anesthesia. There are cases where doctors suggest having a general anesthetic. These seem to be for good reasons related to the patient's medical history, but of course you should discuss this with the doctor.</div> <div>  <A NAME="pain"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> In the case of a local anesthetic being used, an injection is administered at each incision site in the scrotum - NOT into the testicle itself. This is the "little prick" that many report as the only painful part of the procedure. It's o