URINARY TRACT

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ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="195" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <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 often compared to the pain experienced when given a shot at the dentist's. Some doctors will administer general anesthesia. You should know which to expect before the big day. If you will be given local anesthesia, ask how the doctor will confirm the anesthesia is working. (No joke! Some report harrowing tales!) If general anesthesia is used, be sure you are aware of the risks, and that whatever benefits you derive are worth those risks. If your vasectomy will be performed under general anesthesia, you will no doubt be given special instructions regarding advance preparation.</div> <div> Some doctors will prescribe a mild relaxant to be taken an hour before the surgery. Many guys report it helps a lot. For one thing, less patient anxiety means less "shrinkage" on the table, which can mean an easier procedure (less tugging and pulling to get at testicles and tubes, so less post-operative pain). Also, less sweating and fidgeting. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="infection"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>Precautions against infection</U></B></div> <div> Ask what precautions will be taken to insure against post-operative infection. All instruments used should of course be sterilized. Will the doctor and assisting personnel wear surgical masks? Will you be given an antibiotic series to take afterwards? If you will be given antibiotics to take, be sure you know whether there are any special instructions for taking the antibiotics. Also, share with the doctor any information you have about past negative experiences with antibiotics.</div> <div> Ask the doctor how to distinguish within the first few days of the operation between normal swelling and soreness and signs of an infection. AND ASK FOR A NUMBER TO CALL IF SIGNS OF INFECTION DEVELOP. Remember: many vasectomies are performed on a Thursday or Friday to minimize absence from work. Therefore if an infection develops, it is likely to be over the weekend. Any infection needs to be treated as soon as possible, so find out what to do and who to contact over the weekend if necessary.</div> <div> Finally, see if you can't schedule a visit for a week after the operation so the doctor can confirm that you are healing correctly and that no infection is present (this post-op visit is highly recommended). </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="audience"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>An audience and / or souvenirs</U></B></div> <div> You may want to ask who will be in the room with you during the procedure. Just the doctor? The doctor and a female nurse? A bunch of nurse candidates?  Some doctors will allow the presence of a partner-some even welcome it. If you have any preferences about who will be there for your special moment, ask.If you want, some doctors will arrange for you to watch the procedure (in a mirror for example). Or to take away a souvenir (believe it or not, we have heard of guys keeping a piece of vas). If you are interested in either, speak up. Doctors have heard everything, so don't be shy. They may even oblige you. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="kids"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>What do you tell the kids / friends / relatives etc?</U></B></div> <div> The first question here is "Do I have to tell anyone about it anyway? This is a personal decision, and one that you might like to think about before the question comes up. Having said that, one question that comes up occasionally in alt.support.vasectomy is "What's the best way to tell the kids"? There is no right or wrong answer to this question - each child is different. It depends on the age, level of knowledge and the understanding of the children. The people best placed to decide what (if anything) to tell their children are of course the parents. It's mentioned here because it is better to think about how you will approach the subject and what level of detail to go into before you tell them, rather than have to answer awkward questions with no preparation! We have heard of instances where awkward questions have been asked over breakfast, causing a spluttering sound and choking on cornflakes!</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>  </U></FONT>  <A NAME="prep"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B><U>Pre-operative preparations</U></B></div> <div> Without being crude here, you probably won't feel like sex or masturbation for a while afterwards - many posters have made a point that it is a good idea to "shoot a last live round" the night (or the morning) before the operation. </div> <div>  <A NAME="shave"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> Shaving: Doctors want a clear field of action when they operate-it is an important guard against infection. This means shaving. Find out whether you can do the shaving yourself the night before (highly recommended!) rather than leaving it to them the day of the procedure. If they say yes, ask exactly what you need to shave and what you can leave hairy. For some reason, this vital bit of information often is not conveyed clearly, resulting in someone else doing the shaving on the spot, just before the vasectomy-generally, someone less careful (or expert) at tending to those parts than you are. You don't want to shave more than you need to either, since the hair growing back is often the worst part of the recovery period. Why not ask the doctor to show you what he or she wants shaved during the physical examination part of the consult? Also, ask whether you can use an electric razor: most doctors say no, as electric razors can give the impression of a rash, and they do not like to operate if a rash is present. (A regular razor, with shaving cream and warm water, might be more fun anyway!)</div> <div>  <A NAME="jock"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> What to wear: Ask what you should wear the day of the procedure - and what you should bring to wear home. A jock strap is highly recommended from the moment you get off the table, and you can usually bring a cheap one from home. It should be clean, though! By the way, it's best to buy from a sports store, not a pharmacy or department store because they probably cost less and you get a better selection. Some clinics issue something custom-made, or require a special purchase. Ask if you can't save money by bringing your own.</div> <div> Keep in mind, some guys report that wearing a strap for a week or more afterward is very helpful, so you may want extras on hand. Also on the way to the operation don't wear your favorite tight pair of 501's - wear something loose, for example sweat pants (jogging bottoms) as they will be much easier to get on, and you will be more comfortable. </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>After the operation</U></B></div> <div> Getting home: Ask whether you will need someone to help you home. The answer is usually, "yes," especially if you have been given any relaxant ahead of time. In any case, you will have had an anesthetic and this may impair your ability to legally drive. If you don't have someone to take you home you can always ring for a taxi, or ask whether arrangements can be made to wait at the clinic or office till you are ready to leave under your own power. (Under no circumstances should you bicycle!) </div> <div> Self-care: Ask what you should do to take care of yourself at home. Taking a day or two off is highly recommended, but how much time you need to stay away from work-or your usual past-times-depends on your work, past-times, and other things particular to your case (including the nature of your surgery, how well it went, etc.). When you can shower also varies. (One bit of advice, repeated by scores of guys: use lots of ice immediately after, and for the first day. ) You might want to ask about something for pain relief (no aspirin, which tends to increase bleeding!)</div> <div> It's important not to over-stretch yourself physically after the procedure. Taking things easy and giving your body time to heal will lessen your chances of giving yourself an injury that may cause pain in later years. In particular, beware post-vasectomy euphoria the first hour or two afterwards: you may feel great at first, relieved the long dreaded snip is behind you. But remember, the anesthesia is still at work - maybe even the relaxant. Take it easy, and for the next several days don't do anything that causes you pain. Pain is your body's self defense mechanism telling you to STOP IT RIGHT NOW! Listen to your body - it knows best!</div> <div> Finally, give your partner the chance to pamper you: many partners posting to the list say they expect it! Besides, you deserve it!</div> <div>  <A NAME="sex"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> Sex: Ask how soon you can resume sexual activity. Doctors usually anticipate this question (they know what we like!), but not always. They will tell you, of course, that you cannot be certain you are sterile until after semen analysis confirms no sperm are present in your semen (see below). But most of us also want to know how soon we can resume protected intercourse-or other forms of sexual activity. The answer may vary depending on the vasectomy procedure and the doctor. If you don't like the answer you hear first - we have heard reports of doctors saying two weeks. Try to get a clear picture of what the doctor is actually advising against. Does the ban include everything resulting in ejaculation no matter how gentle and careful the technique, or just intercourse? </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Semen samples and the "All clear"</U></B></div> <div> A sticky subject, so to speak. You are not sterile till the doctor says so. There are many reports of unwanted pregnancy resulting from guys jumping the gun after a vasectomy, assuming they are sterile before they get the final confirmation. The fact is, the only way to be sure is to provide samples, which are read under a microscope. The process can be inconvenient - even embarrassing. But the awkwardness can be reduced if you ask the right questions ahead of time. And often you do have to ask (maybe medicos are embarrassed, too?). Ask how many samples you need to provide - most doctors seem to want to see two clear shots before they will give you the green light for unprotected sex (sometimes this might require providing more than two samples). Ask how soon after the vasectomy you can start bringing the samples in. Ask how "fresh" the samples need be-that is, can you "give at home" and bring the samples in to be read an hour or two later, or do you need to do it at the clinic? If you arrange to give at home, ask for containers to bring the samples in. If the containers look. . .umm. . . .too small (often reported!), ask whether you can bring the stuff into the clinic in containers of your own. One method of "Collecting" samples into small pots is to masturbate into a kitchen funnel, placed over the small pot - it's a lot easier to hit a bigger target area! This has actually been tried, and it works. The funnel should be sterilized - either by using sterilizing solution from home brew or babies sterilizer kits, not forgetting to rinse the solution off! Alternatively immerse the funnel in boiling water for a minute or so.</div> <div> One technique recommended by sperm banks is to masturbate while lying on your back, having re-positioned the jar slightly to the side of your erect penis. That way, when you ejaculate, you will not have to force your penis downward to hit the pot or funnel, but just turn it slightly to the side. Sperm banks, which should know, claim using this more natural angle makes for better and more powerful ejaculations--that is, ejaculations that produce more "product' and less spillage, which are their major concerns. From our point of view, they also feel better! If you are worried about any of this, remember, "practice makes perfect." (Practice is especially recommended if you intend to engage your partner as an assistant.)</div> <div> Ask WHERE you should bring the samples-to your doctor? to a lab? to a nurses station? Think about it: No one wants to be standing around a crowded waiting room, late to work, with a jar of semen in his hand, wondering where to put it. You might even want to ask whether there are any rules regarding how the samples are . . .umm. . . "collected." For example, will using lube or saliva interfere with the semen analysis? Some guys report being told they need to masturbate "dry", others that they can use lube. Still others that they can use a special condom, permitting them to produce their samples during intercourse. None of this may matter to you. The point is, if you have preferences or concerns, speak up.</div> <div> One point to mention regarding when you get the "All clear" - upon hearing the good news, some men experience a temporary depression or negative emotion having been told they are infertile. This is usually quite short lived and according to posters is often cured by either alcohol or unprotected sex - maybe even both. No matter how sure you were about having a vasectomy, and no matter how long you considered it, it can still strike you! It doesn't happen to all men, but it is worth mentioning here as some men do experience it.</div> <div>  <A NAME="allclear"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> A very important point - two of the medical journal extracts we feature state that between 21% and 24% of men did not return for any post vasectomy semen analysis. One of the studies makes the point that when court cases of sterilization failure arise, legal difficulties (for the medical profession) arise more often as a result of a failure to correctly counsel the patient of the risks, than as the result of a poor surgical technique. The studies expressed concern that this high percentage of men failing to have post vasectomy semen analysis may be as a result of poor counselling of the risks of pregnancy until the patient has been declared sterile after semen analysis.</div> <div> The number of samples and timing of samples before you are declared sterile varies depending who you talk to. Some doctors say you should give your first sample after 20 ejaculations, some say after a period of time (usually six weeks - two months). Some doctors require two consecutive clear samples six weeks apart, some just the one sample. The medical journal extracts quoted on this site all err on the side of caution - no bad thing bearing in mind what's at stake here! One study concludes that the complete disappearance of spermatozoa after vasectomy takes longer than is generally believed, and it suggests that semen analysis 6 months after vasectomy is cost-effective and in the patient's interest. The same study also found that in some cases it can take up to 8 months to be able to declare a man sterile post-vasectomy.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>How semen analysis is done</U></B></div> <div> Further information can be found in the "Medical Journal Extracts" section of the website, and the following information is summarized from there.</div> <div> With a post vasectomy semen analysis, the doctor or analyst is looking for the presence of any sperm, and if any are present measures their motility. The test should be done within 2 hours of ejaculation, and the sample should be kept at 37°C. A drop of fresh semen is placed on a clean, standard microscopic slide and examined. If there are no sperm present then you are cleared for take-off. Some doctors are happy with one clear sample, some prefer two clear samples.</div> <div> If any sperm are present, an assessment of the quality of forward movement of the sperm is noted. This is graded on an arbitrary scale of forward progression, from 0 upwards.</div> <div> 0 signifies no motility</div> <div> 1 denotes sluggish or nonprogressive movement</div> <div> 2 refers to sperm moving with a slow, meandering forward progression</div> <div> 3 signifies sperm moving in a reasonably straight line with moderate speed</div> <div> 4 indicates sperm moving in a straight line with high speed</div> <div> You may have some non-motile sperm present (number 0 on the above scale). If this is the case the doctor will order further samples to be examined until no sperm are present before you are given the all-clear.</div> <div> In cases of infertility, sperm counts are measured very specifically. If a series of analysis are to be performed, it is important to maintain consistency in the length of sexual abstinence prior to collection of the specimen. The specimen may be collected in the physician's office or at home and brought to the office by placing the container in a shirt pocket next to the body to keep it warm during transit. The specimen should be examined in the laboratory within 2 hours of collection.</div> <div> The analysis can be done either under the microscope (this seems to be the preferred technique) or by at technique callsed CASA (Computer-Aided Semen Analysis).</div> <div> CASA is a semiautomated technique used to visualize and digitize static and dynamic sperm images using computer-assisted image analysis. Most systems employ video with multiple frames, which when played back, creates moving images. The advantages of CASA are that one gets quantitative data. It can be standardized, and it may be useful in marketing. The disadvantages include: the equipment is expensive, the method is labor intensive, many variables can affect the results, the method is not yet standardized, and so far has not been proven to be more accurate than the standard microscope technique.</div> <div> The standard microscope technique is as follows:-</div> <div> The volume of the ejaculate should be measured to the nearest milliliter. With an abstinence period of 2 to 3 days, most normal men have seminal volumes between 1.5 and 5.0 ml.</div> <div> The semen specimen is well mixed prior to examination, and diluted at a 1:20 ratio in a test tube. The dilution may vary depending on the sperm count. A dilution of 1:10 is often used in those specimens with low sperm densities. The diluent can be distilled water or sodium bicarbonate with 1% phenol in order to immobilize the spermatozoa.</div> <div> A drop of this specimen is placed on a counting chamber, and a grid is placed over it. Spermatozoa are counted within five blocks containing 16 squares each. This number, multiplied by 106, represents the count per milliliter. Two sets of five blocks should be counted and an average calculated. There are variations to this formula depending indilution.</div> <div> It is possible to examine undiluted semen, but dilution of the specimen is still required with high sperm densities. The sperm may be immobilized by cooling the specimen in ice water or by heating it to 50 degrees. A drop of undiluted sperm is placed on the slide, and the number of sperm with the grid are counted. The number of sperm within ten blocks represents the number of sperm in millions per milliliter.</div> <div> What if I'm not declared sterile after two samples?</div> <div> The occurrence of this is rare and the course of action differs depending on if the sperm found in the semen analysis are motile or non-motile (alive or dead). It can also depend on the policy of the doctor/ local health authority etc.</div> <div> In the case of motile sperm being found after repeated semen analysis, the studies quoted suggest repeating the vasectomy.</div> <div> In the case of non-motile sperm being found after repeated semen analysis, the studies conclusions differ. One of the studies suggests that the risk of pregnancy occurring in the presence of non-motile sperms is estimated to be less than the established risk of late recanalization, and special clearance should be issued to men with few persistent nonmotile sperm after vasectomy, providing the risks of pregnancy are properly discussed and documented. Some suggest that contraception may be cautiously discontinued and repeat semen analysis performed every 3 months. Some suggest repeating the vasectomy.</div> <div> <B>Complications</B></div> <div> What if things go wrong? Reported incidents of complications following vasectomy are statistically very rare, but complications do sometimes occur. When they do occur, they tend to be relatively minor and short-term, but some men report longer-lasting problems. You should ask your doctor what kinds of complications are sometimes reported, and whether you are particularly liable to experience any of these complications given your medical history, your lifestyle, your sporting activities, work tasks, and/or the particular vasectomy procedure you are considering. You should also ask your doctor how these complications are typically treated, and with what kinds of success. Asking these questions is a good idea for at least two reasons. Firstly because you should go into your vasectomy with your eyes open to all the possibilities - even the most remote. And secondly because your doctor's answers may give you a good idea of how he or she might react if you develop complications yourself. If you do experience complications, chances are you will first turn to the doctor who performed the procedure, even if later you will also want to seek out another specialist. If your present doctor seems unwilling to talk about possible complications, or seems not to know much about how they are treated, you might want to consider finding someone else.</div> <div>  <A NAME="recanalise"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B>Spontaneous reversal:-</B></div> <div> Perhaps one of the worst possible outcomes of a vasectomy is a spontaneous reversal, resulting in a surprise restoration of fertility even after you have been declared "all clear." This is extraordinarily rare, and seems more common in the case of some vasectomy procedures than others, specifically where the vas deferens is not actually cut. Not surprisingly, it seems those procedures that are most easily reversed by doctors after someone changes his mind about being sterile, are also those most at risk of reversing themselves spontaneously. You might want to ask about the chances of this happening to you, given the procedure you choose. You might also want to ask whether your doctor would advise that you routinely submit semen samples to confirm you are still sterile, perhaps once a year, for example.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Post vasectomy pain syndrome - PVP</B></div> <div> Different surveys will come up with different results of how many men suffer post vasectomy pain syndrome. Also how PVP is defined varies from survey to survey. Generally speaking, PVP is where the patient experiences long term pain in excess of three months from vasectomy. In general it is treatable with good results in most cases. Many surveys recommend better counselling of patients with regard to the risk of chronic testicular pain.</div> <div> What I've tried to do in this section is to summarise the surveys quoted. The full text is available in the "Medical Journal extracts" section, and at this site we also link to a variety of surveys through the "Long term complications" section of the FAQ.</div> <div> Post Vasectomy Pain syndrome (PVP) is statistically rare, but some form of discomfort post vasectomy is not unusual. Most surveys quote between 18% and 33% of men reporting some form of discomfort or pain. The surveys quoted on this website in the "Medical journal extracts" section split this figure 80% as short term (less than three months) and not classified as PVP, and 20% long term (over three months) and classified as PVP. This represents approx. 5% or less of all vasectomies. It should also be noted that pathological examination of samples after PVP treatment surgery often reveals that the cause of the pain is not necessarily vasectomy related. </div> <div> Short term complications include post vasectomy infection, severe haemetoma (bruising), epididymal cysts and sperm granulomas. Although sperm granulomas occur in approximately 60% of vasectomies, usually the patient has no symptoms, and notices nothing unusual. About 3-5% of patients experience pain, but most have no discomfort. Most episodes of painful epididymitis and granulomas resolve with conservative treatment. We link to more information about these in the "Useful links" section. Go to the MEDICAL SITES sub section, and the two links are called "Facts about vasectomy safety" and "Well connected".</div> <div> Of those who suffered pains for over three months, about half (in one survey) considered the pain to be troublesome - the other half didn't. Those requesting further medical help varies between suveys.</div> <div> The common treatments for acute PVP include analgesics, spermatic cord denervation, epididymectomy and reversal. I'd like to summarise the various findings for each of these treatments - the full text is available in the "Medical Journal extracts" section.</div> <div> Spermatic cord denervation:-</div> <div> One survey reports that over 76% reported complete relief of pain at their first follow-up visit and were discharged. The rest of the patients had a significant improvement in the symptom score and were satisfied with the results. </div> <div> Epididymectomy:-</div> <div> On one survey, 87% of those undergoing epididymectomy had excellent initial symptomatic benefit. At 3-8 years afterward, 90% of patients interviewed had a sustained improvement of their scrotal pain. Post epidimectomy pathological analysis revealed features of long-standing obstruction and fibrosis which may have accounted for the pain.</div> <div> Reversal:-</div> <div> One of the surveys quoted states that 75% of patients who underwent vasectomy reversal for post-vasectomy pain syndrome had relief of symptoms after the initial procedure. 18.75% of the sample underwent a second reversal procedure, and half of them subsequently had relief of symptoms. Overall, 85% of the sample ultimately had resolution of the pain.</div> <div> Do men suffering PVP regret having a vasectomy?</div> <div> Surprisingly the answer is "Not necessarily". Two of the quoted surveys asked patients if they regretted having a vasectomy. Only 2% to 10% of them did. Our website online survey asks men if they regret having a vasectomy. Of those who had some form of pain other than severe bruising and/or swelling the majority of each group had no regret. the only exception to this is the ones suffering severe long term pvp - 75% regretted the vasectomy because of the problem.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Alt.support.vasectomy</B></div> <div> If you have any questions, please post to alt.support.vasectomy. The guys there will give you the benefit of their experience. The replies you get will probably answer questions you never even considered, or nudge you into asking other important questions. Also, we hope you will post to the list any issues we should have included. We want this list to be continually shaped and reshaped by our combined experience.</div> <div> Finally, when you are given the all clear please participate in our on-line survey and consider posting your "personal story" to the website.</div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="testicle"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="202ce800.png" border=0 width="718" height="896" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="zyflamend"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Herbal Treatment Shows Promise Against Prostate Cancer</B></div> <div> Fri Dec 20, 7:09 PM ET  Add Health - HealthScoutNews to My Yahoo! </div> <div>  </div> <div> By Serena Gordon</div> <div> HealthScoutNews Reporter </div> <bR> <div> FRIDAY, Dec. 20 (HealthScoutNews) -- An herbal formula sold under the brand name Zyflamend may offer new treatment and prevention options for prostate cancer (news - web sites) patients, say Columbia University researchers. </div> <bR> <div>   </div> <div> The formula, a combination of 10 different herbs, suppressed the growth of prostate cancer cells and caused many cells to self-destruct in lab experiments, report the researchers. They presented their findings at a recent meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology at the National Institutes of Health (news - web sites) in Bethesda, Md.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "This is a natural product that contains herbs and spices and in our lab studies seems to have an effect on the cancer we looked at," says one of the study's authors, Dr. Aaron Katz, director of the Center for Holistic Urology at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. "The compound needs future research on the clinical side, but it holds the potential for prevention and reducing PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, except for skin cancer. More than 189,000 men are diagnosed with this form of cancer every year, according to the American Cancer Society (news - web sites).</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Zyflamend is made with a combination of turmeric, ginger, holy basil, hu zhang, Chinese goldthread, barberry, oregano, rosemary, green tea and Scutellaria baicalensis.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The researchers added Zyflamend to prostate cancer cells in lab cultures. They also tested the effects of curcumin, a compound from the spice turmeric. Curcumin is believed to have an anti-inflammatory effect that could reduce the growth of prostate cancer.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> They found Zyflamend reduced the growth of prostate cancer cells and induced cell death, and that curcumin alone did not produce these effects.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Dr. Howard Korman, a urologist and prostate cancer specialist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., says the results of this new study are exciting.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Some of our most effective medicines come from plants," says Korman, "and these results are interesting and hopeful."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> However, he cautions, "it's a big step to go from the lab to people."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Katz says the researchers are hopeful the therapy will be as effective in people as it is in the lab, and they plan on conducting clinical trials in the future.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> If it proves as effective as they hope, Katz says the herbal formula could be used as preventative therapy because it has no significant side effects. He says it could also, perhaps, be used as a treatment for men with small tumors who don't want to undergo surgery or radiation if the trials go well.</div> <bR> <div> <U> <A NAME="zyflamend_and_prostate_cancer__112005_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U><U>zyflamend and prostate cancer  11/2005</U></div> <bR> <div> By David DouglasFri Nov 25, 1:23 PM ET</div> <bR> <div> An olive-oil based herbal extract preparation called Zyflamend suppresses the growth of prostate cancer cells and induces prostate cancer cells to self-destruct, according to a new study.</div> <bR> <div> Zyflamend has the ability, in culture at least, to reduce prostate cancer cell growth by as much as 78 percent and induce cancer cell death or "apoptosis," scientists report in the journal Nutrition and Cancer.</div> <bR> <div> "Together, these results suggest that Zyflamend might have some chemopreventive utility against prostate cancer in men," lead investigator Dr. Debra L. Bemis of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York told Reuters Health.</div> <bR> <div> Zyflamend has both COX-1 and COX-2 anti-inflammatory effects, although its anti-cancer effects against prostate cancer are independent of COX-2 inhibition. COX inhibitors have shown value for prostate cancer patients, but data from recent trials of selective COX-2 inhibitors suggest that use of these drugs might have adverse effects on the heart.</div> <bR> <div> Aspirin, a non-selective COX inhibitor, is not associated with these side effects and, instead, has well established benefits in people with heart disease. Zyflamend has a biochemical action profile similar to aspirin.</div> <bR> <div> In the laboratory, Bemis and colleagues observed that treatment of prostate cancer cells with Zyflamend dramatically decreased COX-1 and COX-2 enzyme activity and attenuated cancer cell growth.</div> <bR> <div> Bemis said "we are currently conducting a Phase I clinical trial for men with a pre-cancerous lesion of the prostate -- prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia -- to gain some information as to Zyflamend's potential to prevent or slow... progression to prostate cancer."</div> <bR> <div> SOURCE: Nutrition and Cancer, October 2005. </div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="herbal_supplement_might_prevent"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Herbal Supplement Might Prevent Prostate Cancer</B></div> <bR> <div> FRIDAY, Sept 24 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- The first clinical trial of the herbal supplement Zyflamend in patients with a precursor to prostate cancer is being conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.</div> <bR> <div> Zyflamend, which is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory, may prove effective in preventing prostate cancer. Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) is a clinical precursor to prostrate cancer. Without intervention, men with PIN have a 50 percent to 70 percent risk of developing prostate cancer, the researchers said.</div> <bR> <div> "Zyflamend has shown an ability, in vitro, to reduce prostate cancer cell proliferation by as much as 78 percent and to induce cancer cell death or apoptosis," principal investigator Dr. Aaron E. Katz, an associate professor of urology and director of the Center of Holistic Urology at Columbia, said in a prepared statement.</div> <bR> <div> "These results are exceptionally promising and have led us to initiate this clinical trial," Katz said.</div> <bR> <div> The Phase I study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of Zyflamend in up to 48 men, aged 40 to 75, with PIN. The men will receive the herbal supplement three times a day for 18 months, according to the researchers.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Patient Information</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="cialis___see_al_iss_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>CIALIS</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>? </B></FONT><B>(See-AL-iss)</B></div> <div> <B>(tadalafil)</B></div> <div> <B>tablets</B></div> <div> Read the Patient Information about CIALIS before you start taking it and again each time you</div> <div> get a refill. There may be new information. You may also find it helpful to share this information</div> <div> with your partner. This leaflet does not take the place of talking with your doctor. You and your</div> <div> doctor should talk about CIALIS when you start taking it and at regular checkups. If you do not</div> <div> understand the information, or have questions, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.</div> <div> <B>What important information should you know about CIALIS?</B></div> <div> <B>CIALIS can cause your blood pressure to drop suddenly to an unsafe level if it is taken</B></div> <div> <B>with certain other medicines. </B>You could get dizzy, faint, or have a heart attack or stroke.</div> <div> <B>Do not take CIALIS if you:</B></div> <div> <B>? take any medicines called ?nitrates.?</B></div> <div> <B>? use recreational drugs called ?poppers? like amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate.</B></div> <div> <B>? take medicines called alpha blockers, other than Flomax</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>? </B></FONT><B>(tamsulosin HCl) 0.4 mg</B></div> <div> <B>daily.</B></div> <div> (See ?Who should not take CIALIS??)</div> <div> <B>Tell all your healthcare providers that you take CIALIS. </B>If you need emergency medical care</div> <div> for a heart problem, it will be important for your healthcare provider to know when you last took</div> <div> CIALIS.</div> <div> <B>After taking a single tablet, some of the active ingredient of CIALIS remains in your body</B></div> <div> <B>for more than 2 days. </B>The active ingredient can remain longer if you have problems with your</div> <div> kidneys or liver, or you are taking certain other medications (see ?Can other medications affect</div> <div> CIALIS??).</div> <div> <B>What is CIALIS?</B></div> <div> CIALIS is a prescription medicine taken by mouth for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED)</div> <div> in men.</div> <div> ED is a condition where the penis does not harden and expand when a man is sexually excited, or</div> <div> when he cannot keep an erection. A man who has trouble getting or keeping an erection should</div> <div> see his doctor for help if the condition bothers him. CIALIS may help a man with ED get and</div> <div> keep an erection when he is sexually excited.</div> <div> <B>CIALIS does not:</B></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >cure ED</FONT></div> <div> <B>2</B></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >increase a man?s sexual desire</FONT></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >protect a man or his partner from sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Speak to</FONT></div> <div> your doctor about ways to guard against sexually transmitted diseases.</div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >serve as a male form of birth control</FONT></div> <div> CIALIS is only for men with ED. CIALIS is not for women or children. CIALIS must be used</div> <div> only under a doctor?s care.</div> <div> <B>How does CIALIS work?</B></div> <div> When a man is sexually stimulated, his body?s normal physical response is to increase blood</div> <div> flow to his penis. This results in an erection. CIALIS helps increase blood flow to the penis and</div> <div> may help men with ED get and keep an erection satisfactory for sexual activity. Once a man has</div> <div> completed sexual activity, blood flow to his penis decreases, and his erection goes away.</div> <div> <B>Who can take CIALIS?</B></div> <div> Talk to your doctor to decide if CIALIS is right for you.</div> <div> CIALIS has been shown to be effective in men over the age of 18 years who have erectile</div> <div> dysfunction, including men with diabetes or who have undergone prostatectomy.</div> <div> <B>Who should not take CIALIS?</B></div> <div> <B>Do not take CIALIS if you:</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT><B>take any medicines called ?nitrates? </B>(See ?What important information should you</div> <div> know about CIALIS??). Nitrates are commonly used to treat angina. Angina is a</div> <div> symptom of heart disease and can cause pain in your chest, jaw, or down your arm.</div> <div> Medicines called nitrates include nitroglycerin that is found in tablets, sprays, ointments,</div> <div> pastes, or patches. Nitrates can also be found in other medicines such as isosorbide</div> <div> dinitrate or isosorbide mononitrate. Some recreational drugs called ?poppers? also</div> <div> contain nitrates, such as amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate. Do not use CIALIS if you are</div> <div> using these drugs. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure if any of your</div> <div> medicines are nitrates.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT><B>take medicines called ?alpha blockers?, other than Flomax</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>? </B></FONT><B>0.4 mg daily. </B>Alpha</div> <div> blockers are sometimes prescribed for prostate problems or high blood pressure. If</div> <div> CIALIS is taken with alpha blockers other than Flomax<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>? </B></FONT>0.4 mg daily, your blood</div> <div> pressure could suddenly drop to an unsafe level. You could get dizzy and faint.</div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>you have been told by your healthcare provider to not have sexual activity because</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>of health problems. </B>Sexual activity can put an extra strain on your heart, especially if</div> <div> your heart is already weak from a heart attack or heart disease.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT><B>are allergic to CIALIS or any of its ingredients. </B>The active ingredient in CIALIS is</div> <div> called tadalafil. See the end of this leaflet for a complete list of ingredients.</div> <div> <B>What should you discuss with your doctor before taking CIALIS?</B></div> <div> <B>Before taking CIALIS, tell your doctor about all your medical problems, including if you:</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT><B>have heart problems </B>such as angina, heart failure, irregular heartbeats, or have had a</div> <div> heart attack. Ask your doctor if it is safe for you to have sexual activity.</div> <div> <B>3</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT><B>have low blood pressure or </B>have high blood pressure that is not controlled</div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>have had a stroke</B></FONT></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>have liver problems</B></FONT></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>have kidney problems or require dialysis</B></FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT><B>have retinitis pigmentosa, </B>a rare genetic (runs in families) eye disease</div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>have stomach ulcers</B></FONT></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>have a bleeding problem</B></FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT><B>have a deformed penis shape </B>or Peyronie?s disease</div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>have had an erection that lasted more than 4 hours</B></FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT><B>have blood cell problems </B>such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia</div> <div> <B>Can other medications affect CIALIS?</B></div> <div> Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription</div> <div> medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. CIALIS and other medicines may affect each</div> <div> other. Always check with your doctor before starting or stopping any medicines. Especially tell</div> <div> your doctor if you take any of the following:</div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >medicines called nitrates (See ?What important information should you know about</FONT></div> <div> CIALIS??)</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT>medicines called alpha blockers. These include Hytrin<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(terazosin HCl),</div> <div> Flomax<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(tamsulosin HCl), Cardura<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(doxazosin mesylate), Minipress<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(prazosin HCl)</div> <div> or Uroxatral<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(alfuzosin HCl).</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT>ritonavir (Norvir<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >?</FONT>) or indinavir (Crixivan<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >?</FONT>)</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT>ketoconazole or itraconazole (such as Nizoral<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>or Sporanox<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >?</FONT>)</div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >erythromycin</FONT></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >other medicines or treatments for ED</FONT></div> <div> <B>How should you take CIALIS?</B></div> <div> Take CIALIS exactly as your doctor prescribes. CIALIS comes in different doses (5 mg,</div> <div> 10 mg, and 20 mg). For most men, the recommended starting dose is 10 mg. <B>CIALIS should be</B></div> <div> <B>taken no more than once a day. </B>Some men can only take a low dose of CIALIS because of</div> <div> medical conditions or medicines they take. Your doctor will prescribe the dose that is right for</div> <div> you.</div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >If you have kidney problems, your doctor may start you on a lower dose of CIALIS.</FONT></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >If you have kidney or liver problems or you are taking certain medications, your doctor</FONT></div> <div> may limit your highest dose of CIALIS to 10 mg and may also limit you to one tablet in</div> <div> 48 hours (2 days) or one tablet in 72 hours (3 days).</div> <div> Take one CIALIS tablet before sexual activity. In some patients, the ability to have sexual</div> <div> activity was improved at 30 minutes after taking CIALIS when compared to a sugar pill. The</div> <div> ability to have sexual activity was improved up to 36 hours after taking CIALIS when compared</div> <div> to a sugar pill. You and your doctor should consider this in deciding when you should take</div> <div> CIALIS prior to sexual activity. Some form of sexual stimulation is needed for an erection to</div> <div> happen with CIALIS. CIALIS may be taken with or without meals.</div> <div> <B>4</B></div> <div> Do not change your dose of CIALIS without talking to your doctor. Your doctor may lower your</div> <div> dose or raise your dose, depending on how your body reacts to CIALIS.</div> <div> Do not drink alcohol to excess when taking CIALIS (for example, 5 glasses of wine or 5 shots of</div> <div> whiskey). When taken in excess, alcohol can increase your chances of getting a headache or</div> <div> getting dizzy, increasing your heart rate, or lowering your blood pressure.</div> <div> If you take too much CIALIS, call your doctor or emergency room right away.</div> <div> <B>What are the possible side effects of CIALIS?</B></div> <div> The most common side effects with CIALIS are headache, indigestion, back pain, muscle aches,</div> <div> flushing, and stuffy or runny nose. These side effects usually go away after a few hours. Patients</div> <div> who get back pain and muscle aches usually get it 12 to 24 hours after taking CIALIS. Back pain</div> <div> and muscle aches usually go away by themselves within 48 hours. Call your doctor if you get a</div> <div> side effect that bothers you or one that will not go away.</div> <div> <B>CIALIS may uncommonly cause:</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >? </FONT><B>an erection that won?t go away (priapism). </B>If you get an erection that lasts more than</div> <div> 4 hours, get medical help right away. Priapism must be treated as soon as possible or</div> <div> lasting damage can happen to your penis including the inability to have erections.</div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >vision changes, such as seeing a blue tinge to objects or having difficulty telling the</FONT></div> <div> difference between the colors blue and green.</div> <div> These are not all the side effects of CIALIS. For more information, ask your doctor or</div> <div> pharmacist.</div> <div> <B>How should CIALIS be stored?</B></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >Store CIALIS at room temperature between 59</FONT>? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >and 86</FONT>?<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >F (15</FONT>? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >and 30</FONT>?<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >C).</FONT></div> <div> ? <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B>Keep CIALIS and all medicines out of the reach of children.</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>General Information about CIALIS:</B></div> <div> Medicines are sometimes prescribed for conditions other than those described in patient</div> <div> information leaflets. Do not use CIALIS for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not</div> <div> give CIALIS to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm</div> <div> them.</div> <div> This leaflet summarizes the most important information about CIALIS. If you would like more</div> <div> information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for</div> <div> information about CIALIS that is written for health professionals.</div> <div> For more information you can also visit www.cialis.com, or call 1-877-CIALIS1</div> <div> (1-877-242-5471).</div> <div> <B>What are the ingredients of CIALIS?</B></div> <div> <B>Active Ingredient: </B>tadalafil</div> <div> <B>5</B></div> <div> <B>Inactive Ingredients: </B>croscarmellose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, iron</div> <div> oxide, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium lauryl</div> <div> sulfate, talc, titanium dioxide, and triacetin.</div> <div> Rx only</div> <div> Norvir<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(ritonavir) and Hytrin<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(terazosin HCl) are registered trademarks of Abbott Laboratories</div> <div> Crixivan<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(indinavir sulfate) is a registered trademark of Merck & Co., Inc.</div> <div> Nizoral<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(ketoconazole) and Sporanox<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(itraconazole) are registered trademarks of Janssen</div> <div> Pharmaceutica, Inc.</div> <div> Flomax<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(tamsulosin HCl) is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals,</div> <div> Inc.</div> <div> Cardura<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(doxazosin mesylate) and Minipress<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(prazosin HCl) are registered trademarks of</div> <div> Pfizer, Inc.</div> <div> Uroxatral<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >? </FONT>(alfuzosin HCl) is a registered trademark of Sanofi-Synthelabo</div> <div> Literature revised November 24, 2003</div> <div> <B>Manufactured for Lilly ICOS LLC</B></div> <div> <B>by Eli Lilly and Company</B></div> <div> <B>Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA</B></div> <div> <B>www.cialis.com</B></div> <div> PV 4601 AMP PRINTED IN USA</div> <div> Copyright <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Symbol" >. </FONT>2003, Lilly ICOS LLC. All rights reserved.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="update_on_drugs_for"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>update on drugs for erections(viagra,cialis,levtra etc</U></B></div> <div> INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Viagra has its first direct competitor in Europe with the approval of an erectile-dysfunction drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co. and joint-venture partner Icos Corp. </div> <div> Lilly and Icos on Thursday said they won regulatory approval to market Cialis in all 15 European Union (news - web sites) countries, with sales expected to begin in the first half of next year. </div> <div> Indianapolis-based Lilly and Icos, of Bothell, Wash., hope to win U.S. approval late next year for Cialis, a drug shown in a clinical study to last longer than Viagra, which is made by Pfizer Inc. </div> <div> Despite a new competitor in Europe, Pfizer Inc. expects to benefit from the rivalry. Pfizer earned $1.5 billion last year on Viagra, with sales on pace to top that number this year. </div> <div> More men with erectile dysfunction are likely to seek treatment in response to the marketing of Cialis and other emerging rivals, said Dr. Mike Sweeney of Pfizer's urology group. </div> <div> "What we have in the United States is 20 to 25 percent of men with ED seeking treatment, and in Europe it's just 10 to 15 percent," Sweeney said. "More competition will actually increase sales in Europe." </div> <div> Robert Hazlett, an analyst with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, said any European sales increase Viagra enjoys will be accompanied by erosion in Viagra's market share. </div> <div> "We think the (European) market will expand, but largely due to Cialis sales," he said. </div> <div> Hazlett believes Cialis has clinical advantages over Viagra, and expects European sales of Cialis will reach $200 million to $250 million a year. </div> <div> Cialis is Viagra's first competitor in Europe that acts in a similar fashion biologically. </div> <div> An anti-impotence drug called Uprima, produced jointly by Abbott Laboratories and a Japanese partner, won approval in Europe last year. Unlike Viagra and Cialis — which are pills that are swallowed — Uprima is administered under the tongue. </div> <div> GlaxoSmithKline and Bayer AG expect to win U.S. approval for another potential Viagra rival, Levitra, next year. An application also is pending in Europe. </div> <div> In May, Lilly and Icos reported that patients in a study were able to achieve erections for 24 to 36 hours after taking Cialis. Viagra's effects typically wear off within 12 hours. </div> <div> The drugs target the same enzyme that increases blood flow to the penis, but they act at different rates in the bloodstream. No clinical study has directly compared the drugs. </div> <div> In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) has indicated it will eventually approve Cialis. But it asked for further studies and discussions on the drug's label. </div> <div> Cialis is not among the new Lilly drugs delayed by FDA concerns about manufacturing problems at Lilly plants, primarily in Indianapolis. Cialis will be produced at a Lilly plant in Puerto Rico that has passed FDA inspections, Lilly spokeswoman Carole Copeland said. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="firefly_glow_used_to_track_prostate"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Firefly Glow Used to Track Prostate Cancer Spread </U></B></div> <div> Sun Jul 21, 2:19 PM ET </div> <div> <I>By Deena Beasley</I> </div> <div> LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The substance that gives fireflies their glow can be used to detect the spread of prostate cancer ( <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>news</U></FONT> - <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>web sites</U></FONT>) in mice -- technology that could eventually be used to improve cancer treatment for humans, according to new research. </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="12" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="4"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="4" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> "Once you know where the cancer is, you have a handle on how to treat it. It's much better than treating the whole body with chemotherapy," Dr. Lily Wu, assistant professor of urology and pediatrics at the University of California at Los Angeles, said in an interview. </div> <div> Prostate cancer patients who undergo surgery are then monitored for blood levels of "prostate-specific antigen," or PSA, a protein marker of the cancer. "If PSA shows up, it's an ominous sign because it means the cancer has come back, but there is no way to detect where the cancer is," Wu, lead author of the research study, explained. </div> <div> By attaching light to cancerous cells "we are able to say aha, it's over there and then go after it," she added. </div> <div> Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men. </div> <div> The UCLA researchers engineered a virus that can identify prostate cancer cells based on the PSA protein. By using the virus to deliver the substance that makes fireflies glow, they were then able to identify, through high-tech imaging, prostate cancer cells in primary tumors as well as distant organs. </div> <div> The imaging technique could be used to diagnose the progress of cancer therapies. The next step would be to attach gene-based therapies to the virus, which would act as a vehicle to deliver the toxic treatment directly to the prostate cancer cells and, hopefully, kill them, Wu said. </div> <div> Despite high expectations created by major breakthroughs in cracking genetic codes, the use of gene therapy to restore healthy gene activity is still in early stages and clinical trials have been closely scrutinized since the death in 1999 of a teenage trial volunteer. </div> <div> "This could make any kind of gene therapy much safer, and we wouldn't be doing it blindly," Wu said. </div> <div> The UCLA study, published in the August 1 issue of Nature Medicine, showed that three weeks after tumor-bearing mice were injected with the virus, an imaging camera could locate and illuminate small groups of cancer cells on the spine and the lung. </div> <div> Wu said the gene-based tracking system could potentially be used to detect the spread of many types of cancer. "The control element we used is prostate cancer-specific, but it could be swapped with other controls," the researcher said. </div> <div> "The idea would be to image and deliver side-by-side a toxic gene to the cancer that would not harm surrounding healthy cells," Wu said. </div> <div> Experimental gene-therapy treatments for prostate cancer are being studied in clinical trials, but they have yet to reach advanced stages of development. </div> <div> Doctors administering gene therapy now have no way to determine quickly that it reaches the cancer cells it's targeting. </div> <div> "This discovery allows us to more rapidly assess how cancers that are growing in animals respond to various treatments, and, ultimately, will allow for the more rapid development of therapies to treat advanced prostate cancer," said Dr. Kenneth Pienta, director of urologic oncology at the University of Michigan Medical Center. </div> <div> Although the camera detected the "hot spots" in animal models, a different system will be needed to do the same thing in a much larger human body, Wu said. To do that, the UCLA researchers are developing a system using positron emission tomography, or PET scanning, she said. </div> <div> Wu estimated that the gene-based delivery system could be tested in humans within three to five years. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="red_meat_gene_linked_with_prostate"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Red Meat Gene Linked with Prostate Cancer in Study</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <I>Wed Apr 17, 6:10 PM ET</I> </div> <div> <I>By Christopher Doering</I> </div> <div> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gene involved in digesting red meat is also highly active in cells taken from prostate cancer (<U>news</U> - <U>web sites</U>) tumors--a finding that could lead to new dietary and chemical treatments to prevent the disease, researchers said on Wednesday. </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="12" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="4"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="4" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Cells removed from prostate tumors showed a nine-fold increase in activity by a gene called AMACR as compared to healthy cells, a team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found. </div> <div> The AMACR fatty acid molecule is found in high levels in dairy and beef products. The gene of the same name produces an enzyme that helps break down the fatty acid. </div> <div> Previous studies have shown that diets high in red meat are linked with an increased risk of prostate cancer. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>National % Susceptibility Data</B> 1st and 2nd quarters 2002 </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="700" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="129"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="38" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="129" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="60"><div> Q</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Ampicillin</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Amoxicillin/</div> <div> clavulanate</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Cephalothin</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Ciprofloxacin</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Levofloxacin</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Nitrofurantoin</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Norfloxacin</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Trimeth/sulfa</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER ROWSPAN=2 BGCOLOR=#00FFFF HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> <U>Escherichia coli</U></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q2</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 59.36</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 82.60</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 72.26</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 93.68</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 93.28</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 97.41</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 92.38</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 80.95</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q1</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 59.09</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 82.86</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 71.53</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 93.29</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 92.69</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 97.70</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 92.60</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 80.62</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER ROWSPAN=2 BGCOLOR=#00FFFF HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="129"><div> <U>Enterobacter cloacae</U></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q2</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 5.28</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 7.03</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 2.52</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 85.28</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 86.90</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 51.69</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 83.15</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 81.14</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q1</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 5.60</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 4.53</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 1.17</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 83.52</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 84.53</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 54.44</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 81.82</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 82.33</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER ROWSPAN=2 BGCOLOR=#00FFFF HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> <U>Enterococcus spp.</U></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q2</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 89.37</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 55.69</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 58.46</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 96.24</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 49.43</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q1</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 89.78</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 55.33</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 58.84</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 96.69</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 51.27</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER ROWSPAN=2 BGCOLOR=#00FFFF HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="129"><div> <U>Klebsiella pneumoniae</U></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q2</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 1.94</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 93.37</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 85.29</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 95.37</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 95.49</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 54.29</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 94.03</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 90.93</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q1</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 1.35</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 93.04</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 85.97</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 94.07</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 94.80</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 55.29</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 93.15</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 90.39</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER ROWSPAN=2 BGCOLOR=#00FFFF HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> <U>Proteus mirabilis</U></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q2</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 82.56</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 96.77</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 85.86</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 80.87</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 83.20</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 1.16</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 76.66</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 81.08</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q1</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 82.84</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 97.41</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 88.46</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 80.66</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 82.03</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 1.69</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 79.87</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 81.74</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER ROWSPAN=2 BGCOLOR=#00FFFF HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="129"><div> <U>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</U></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q2</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 59.88</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 57.46</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 60.60</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 3.77</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q1</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 58.54</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 56.96</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 57.65</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 3.51</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER ROWSPAN=2 BGCOLOR=#00FFFF HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="129"><div> <U>Staphylococcus saprophyticus</U></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q2</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 30.53</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 49.32</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 55.17</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 96.27</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 96.60</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 99.48</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 93.65</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 94.44</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q1</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 31.08</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 46.67</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 50.00</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 100.00</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 100.00</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 98.50</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 100.00</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 96.86</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER ROWSPAN=2 BGCOLOR=#00FFFF HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="129"><div> <U>Group B Streptococci</U></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q2</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 100.00</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 96.85</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> Q1</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 100.00</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><div> 96.91</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#C0C0C0 WIDTH="60"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="60" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> All data in cells expressed as percent susceptible. Empty cells indicate that sufficient data are unavailable this quarter, or no NCCLS categorical interpretations are published for the combination.</div> <bR> <div> Source: TSN ® Database-USA Copyright © 2002, Focus Technologies, Inc</div> <div> For more information, visit the Focus Technologies website at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>http://www.focusanswers.com</U></FONT> or call 1-877-480-2500. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="impotence_drugs_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><B><U>Medical Encyclopedia: Drugs that may cause impotence</U></B></div> <div> URL of this page: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/004024.htm</U></FONT> </div> <div>  <A NAME="alternative_20names"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B>Alternative names</B> </div> <div> Impotence caused by medications; Drug-induced erectile dysfunction <A NAME="information"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A> </div> <div> <B>Information</B> </div> <div> Various medications and recreational drugs can have an affect on sexual arousal and sexual performance. It should be noted that what causes impotency in one man may cause an erection in another.</div> <div> If you suspect that a medication you are taking is having a negative effect on sexual performance, discuss the matter with your health care provider. NEVER stop taking any medication without first consulting your health care provider because some medications can produce life-threatening reactions if they are not tapered or switched appropriately.</div> <bR> <div> The following is a list of medications and non-prescription drugs that may cause impotence:</div> <bR> <div> Antidepressant and other psychiatric medications:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Amitriptyline (Elavil) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Buspirone (Buspar) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Clorazepate (Tranxene) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Desipramine (Norpramin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Diazepam (Valium) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Doxepin (Sinequan) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Fluoxetine (Prozac) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Fluphenazine (Prolixin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Imipramine (Tofranil) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Lorazepam (Ativan) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Meprobamate (Equanil) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Mesoridazine (Serentil) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Nortriptyline (Pamelor) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Oxazepam (Serax) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Phenelzine (Nardil) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Phenytoin (Dilantin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Thioridazine (Mellaril) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Thiothixene (Navane) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Tranylcypromine (Parnate) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Trifluoperazine (Stelazine) </div> <div> Antihistamine medications: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Hydroxyzine (Vistaril) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Meclizine (Antivert) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Promethazine (Phenergan) </div> <div> Antihypertensive and diuretic medications: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Atenolol (Tenormin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Bethanidine </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Chlorothiazide (Diuril) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Chlorthalidone (Hygroton) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Clonidine (Catapres) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Enalapril (Vasotec) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Guanabenz (Wytensin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Guanethidine (Ismelin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Guanfacine (Tenex) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Haloperidol (Haldol) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Hydralazine (Apresoline) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Labetalol (Normodyne) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Methyldopa (Aldomet) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Metoprolol (Lopressor) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Minoxidil (Loniten) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Phenoxybenzamine (Dibenzyline) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Phentolamine (Regitine) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Prazosin (Minipress) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Propranolol (Inderal) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Reserpine (Serpasil) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Spironolactone (Aldactone) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Triamterene (Maxide) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Verapamil (Calan) </div> <div> Among the anti-hypertensive medications, thiazides are the most common cause of ED, followed by beta-blockers. Alpha-blockers are, in general, less likely to cause this problem.</div> <div> Anti Parkinson's disease medications: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Benztropine (Cogentin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Biperiden (Akineton) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Bromocriptine (Parlodel) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Levodopa (Sinemet) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Procyclidine (Kemadrin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Trihexyphenidyl (Artane) </div> <div> Chemotherapy medications: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Antiandrogens (Casodex, Flutamide, Nilutamide) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Busulfan (Myleran) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Ketoconazole </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">LHRH agonists (Lupron, Zoladex) </div> <div> Other medications:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Aminocaproic acid (Amicar) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Atropine </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Clofibrate (Atromid-S) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Cyproterone </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Digoxin (Lanoxin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Disopyramide (Norpace) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Estrogen </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Finesteride (Propecia, Proscar) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Furazolidone (Furoxone) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">H2 Blockers (Tegamet, Zantac, Pepcid) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Indomethacin (Indocin) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Lipid lowering-agents </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Licorice </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Metoclopramide (Reglan) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, etc.) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Orphenadrine (Norflex) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Prochlorperazine (Compazine) </div> <div> Opiate analgesics (painkillers)</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Morphine </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Methadone </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Fentanyl (Innovar) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Meperidine (Demerol) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Codeine </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percodan) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) </div> <div> Recreational Drugs:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Alcohol </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Amphetamines </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Barbiturates </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Cocaine </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Marijuana </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Heroin </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f099006600.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Nicotine </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="working_out_to_fight_impotence"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Working Out to Fight Impotence</U></B></div> <div> Fri Jul 11, 7:01 PM ET  Add Health - HealthDay to My Yahoo! </div> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> FRIDAY, July 11 (HealthDayNews) -- Pelvic floor muscle exercises can help restore erectile function in men, says a British study.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The study by researchers at the University of the West of England in Bristol found men with erectile dysfunction who did pelvic floor exercises had the same overall improvement as men in a large trial of Viagra.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The pelvic floor is made up of layers of muscle and other tissues.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> This study included 55 men, average age 59, who had experienced erectile dysfunction for six months or longer. The men were given five weekly sessions of pelvic floor exercises and did daily home exercises. They were assessed at three and six months.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The study found that 40 percent of the men regained normal erectile function, 35 percent had improved function and 25 percent failed to show improvement. The pelvic floor exercises also resulted in dramatic improvement in the 65.5 percent of the men with erectile dysfunction who suffered dribbles of urine after urinating.</div> <bR> <div> The findings will be published in a textbook for health professionals.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> For many decades, women have been advised to perform pelvic floor exercises before and after childbirth, hysterectomy and menopause. This study indicates that it's also important for men to maintain pelvic floor muscle tone and function</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="psa_misses_prostate_cancers"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>PSA misses prostate cancers</U></B></div> <div> The failure to perform prostate biopsy in all members of a screened<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>population affects the sensitivity and specificity of the measurement<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Correction for verification<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>bias with the use of a mathematical method revealed that the<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>usual threshold value of 4.1 ng of PSA per milliliter for a<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>recommendation of biopsy misses 82 percent of prostate cancers<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>in men younger than 60 years and 65 percent in older men.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> The authors of this provocative study argue that the threshold<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="arial" > </FONT>for prostate biopsy should be lowered, perhaps to 2.6 ng of<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="arial" > </FONT>PSA per milliliter, especially for men under 60 years of age.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" ><B><U> <A NAME="breast_cancer_drug_approved_for"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Breast Cancer Drug Approved for Prostate Cancer</U></B></FONT> <B>Taxotere Available When Hormone Therapy Fails</B> <B>May 28, 2004 07:08:03 AM PDT , ACS News Center</B> The Food and Drug Administration has approved the chemotherapy drug Taxotere (docetaxel) for men with advanced <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>prostate cancer</U></FONT> that is not responding to <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>hormone therapy</U></FONT>. The drug is to be given with the steroid prednisone. Taxotere has already been approved to treat breast and lung cancer. </div> <div> The approval is particularly important because Taxotere is the first chemotherapy drug shown to improve the survival of men in the advanced stage of this disease. </div> <div> "Patients need as many effective treatment options as possible and Taxotere, in combination with prednisone, offers hope to certain patients who have not responded to other treatments," said acting FDA commissioner Lester M. Crawford, PhD, in a statement. </div> <div> Until now, chemotherapy given to prostate cancer patients was primarily intended to slow the growth of the cancer and reduce pain from metastasis; no studies had shown that chemotherapy helped men live longer. For this reason it has been reserved for men who have failed all other treatments (radiation, surgery, or hormone therapy). </div> <div> The FDA based its decision on a study of more than 1,000 patients. The Taxotere-prednisone combination increased survival by more than 2 months, when compared to standard chemotherapy. Details of the trial will be presented next week at a national cancer conference. </div> <div> The most common side effects of the Taxotere regimen were nausea, hair loss and bone marrow suppression. Some men also experienced fluid retention and tingling in the arms and legs.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="vitamin_e_protects_against_____prostate"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Vitamin E protects against  -- prostate and bladder CANCER</U></B></div> <div> <I>By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent</I> </div> <div> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vitamin E protects against at least two common forms of cancer -- prostate and bladder -- but popping supplements is probably not the best way to get the vital nutrient, researchers said on Sunday. </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="12" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="4"><div>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Two studies found that people who either ate the most vitamin E containing food or who had the highest levels in the blood were the least likely to have cancer. </div> <div> But the researchers also noted that there are several different forms of vitamin E and the kind you eat -- in this case alpha tocopherol -- is key. And the best-absorbed form of alpha tocopherol is not found in supplements but in foods such as <B>sunflower seeds, spinach, almonds and sweet peppers. </B></div> <div> In one of the studies presented to the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in Orlando, Stephanie Weinstein of the U.S. National Cancer Institute and colleagues found men with the most vitamin E in their systems had the lowest risk of prostate cancer. </div> <div> They looked at data from 29,133 Finnish men aged between 50 and 69 taking part in a smoker's study. All gave blood at the beginning of the study and then took vitamins to see whether the supplements might prevent various forms of cancer. </div> <div> This study is best known for showing that smokers who took beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, actually had higher rates of lung cancer. </div> <div> Weinstein looked at vitamin E and prostate cancer, and they looked at how much E the men had in their blood before they ever took a supplement. They looked at 100 men with prostate cancer and 200 men who did not. </div> <div> "We found that the men who had higher serum (blood) levels of vitamin E had a lower chance of getting prostate cancer," Weinstein told a news conference monitored by telephone. </div> <div> NOT ALL E'S ARE EQUAL </div> <div> Then they looked at the two main forms of vitamin E -- alpha tocopherol and gamma tocopherol. </div> <div> Men with the highest natural levels of alpha tocopherol were 53 percent less likely to later develop prostate cancer. Men with the highest levels of gamma tocopherol, which only represents about 20 percent of the vitamin E in blood -- had a 39 percent lower chance. </div> <div> Taking supplements further reduced prostate cancer rates. </div> <div> "Nuts and seeds, whole grain products, vegetable oils, salad dressings, margarine, beans, peas and other vegetables are good dietary sources of vitamin E," Weinstein said. </div> <div> In a similar study, Dr. Xifeng Wu of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, John Radcliffe of Texas Woman's University in Houston and colleagues studied 468 bladder cancer patients and 534 cancer-free volunteers. </div> <div> They asked their 1,000 volunteers what they ate, and estimated how much alpha-tocopherol and how much gamma tocopherol they got in their everyday diets and from supplements if they took them. </div> <div> Those with the highest intake of alpha tocopherol from food had a 42 percent reduced risk of bladder cancer, and those who had a vitamin E-rich diet and took supplements too had a 44 percent lower risk. </div> <div> But when broken down into types, they found gamma tocopherol offered no protection against bladder cancer. </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="12" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="4"><div>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> "It would not be reckless to encourage people to try and meet the dietary allowance of vitamin E, which is about 50 milligrams a day," Radcliffe told the news conference. Current average U.S. intake of E is only 8 mg a day. </div> <div> One of the best sources, said Radcliffe, a dietician, is a handful of sunflower seeds. Almonds, spinach, mustard greens and green and red peppers are also good sources of alpha tocopherol. </div> <div> Many E supplements, he said, contain both active and inactive forms of E and may not be the best source. Plus, he said, sunflower seeds are high in selenium, another key nutrient, while greens are loaded with desirable nutrients. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>