Ballywho News

Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer in American men. It is estimated that one in five men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives. The good news is that the vast majority of patients recover from prostate cancer. The better news is that it is possible to take steps to reduce your likelihood of ever developing the disease in the first place.

Risks for Prostate Cancer

Lifestyle factors are often the biggest contributor to developing prostate cancer. First and foremost, staying active and maintaining an exercise regimen, while helpful overall, also helps you avoid prostate cancer. Regular exercise, especially cardiovascular routines, can increase blood flow and the amount of oxygen that is distributed to muscle tissue. These factors aid in controlling glucosamine levels in the body. High levels of glucosamine have been shown to increase your chances of developing cancers including prostate cancer.

Diet also plays an important role. If you tend to eat a lot of fatty meats and dairy products while skipping out on fiber, you are far more likely to develop prostate cancer. We could lecture on about how your diet needs to contain significant levels of selenium and licopene to help skirt prostate cancer, and we would be right, but let’s just talk food. You already know about a lot of the foods on our list because they are healthy. It will be beneficial to incorporate many of these food sources into your diet:

· Tomatoes

· Pomegranates

· Whole Wheat Breads

· Kelp

· Proteins (eggs, chicken and fresh fish are some of the better choices and try nuts as a snack

Keeping in tune with the healthy aspect of a cancer reducing diet, avoid refined sugars and flour. The refining process adds elements to your food that your body does not need.

Prostate Cancer Treatments Offered By HCA East Facilities

If you do develop prostate cancer we have an array of treatment options available.

· The da Vinci System®- This procedure offers multiple benefits. It is far less invasive than traditional surgery, leading to less pain, less bleeding and a faster recovery time physically and sexually. The da Vinci System has also been shown through studies and comparison to be equal or better than traditional surgery in terms of the number of cancer cells left behind after the cancerous portion of the prostate is removed.

· Radiation Technology- whereby specifically concentrated radiation is applied to the cancerous area in an effort to kill the cancer cells themselves. Our radiologists are experienced and able to provide you with not only superior medical care but any information you may want.

· Radiofrequency Ablation- With this method we apply heat to the cancerous tissue to destroy it.

Patients are evaluated individually and our medical team will decipher which procedure is best for your situation. As we consider patients on a case by case basis we take a patient-centric approach to treating prostate cancer. Our commitment to incorporating technology like the da Vinci System as a means of continually improving medical care is evident in our addition of this technology to several of our facilities:

• Aventura Hospital & Medical Center
• Kendall Regional Medical Center
• Westside Regional Medical Center

If you have questions about prostate health or robotic surgery options, please contact us. Call Consult-a-Nurse® at 1-866-442-2362 for answers to your questions and free physician referrals.