Colorado CyberKnife

Prostate Cancer Basics

Did you know that prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer among men in the United States? This highly common type of cancer can grow rapidly and threaten an individual’s health if it is left untreated.

As this video explains, prostate cancer grows by feeding off of male hormones like testosterone, which are naturally produced in the body. Over time, the cancer can begin to produce its own fuel for growth with independent hormone production that can lead to a serious and potentially fatal state of the cancer.

For information about prostate cancer treatment with the advanced technique of radiosurgery, contact Colorado CyberKnife VSI on our website or at (888) 592-8185. We offer sophisticated cancer care through a freestanding facility located in the breathtaking scenery of the Rocky Mountains just 20 minutes north of Denver.

Read Through These Articles To Find The Cancer Advice You're Looking For

If you have been recently diagnosed with cancer, you probably have several questions about your condition and treatment options. The resources below can give you some background on cancer care before you seek treatment with Colorado CyberKnife VSI in the scenic Rocky Mountains just 20 minutes from the Denver International Airport. Contact us to start planning your treatment by calling (888) 592-8185 or visiting our website.

This article from CNN explores the link between cigarette smoking and prostate cancer.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation offers some prostate cancer statistics and facts about common risk factors.

See how genetics have changed the understanding of breast cancer and its treatment with this article from the New York Times.

Read about heredity and cancer at the American Cancer Society’s website.

Find out if prostate cancer screening is right for you by visiting CDC.gov.

Understanding the Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a common type of cancer among older adult males. In fact, the Prostate Cancer Foundation reports that about one in six men in the United States. There is a considerable list of factors that can increase an individual’s prostate cancer risk, and many of these are preventable. Below are some details on the preventable risk factors that you might examine in your life to reduce your chances of getting prostate cancer in the future.

Obesity

Obesity does not necessarily increase the risk for developing prostate cancer, but it does raise an individual’s chances of having a more aggressive type of prostate cancer. Losing weight through improved diet and significant increases in physical activity will have a sizable impact on the obesity-related risks of prostate cancer and slow the progression of the cancer if it has already developed.

Smoking

Smoking cigarettes can put you at a higher risk for many different cancers including aggressive prostate cancer. In addition to the direct effects that cigarettes have on the body, smoking can be a cancer risk because smokers generally do not seek the regular check-ups and screenings necessary to detect cancer early on. This means that smokers are not only more likely to get prostate cancer, but they also have a higher chance of dying from it.

Diet

Studies have shown that men who do not consume a vegetable-rich diet are commonly diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is green vegetables from the broccoli family specifically that lower cancer risk, so these should be eaten regularly and often. Shifting to a healthier diet will also reduce obesity risk, thereby lowering the risk for prostate cancer even more.

Patients who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer can take comfort in knowing that radiosurgery is a highly successful treatment option for this disease. Learn more about this treatment and what it can do for you by contacting Colorado CyberKnife VSI on our website or at (888) 592-8185.

What Is Involved with Diagnosing Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer may be diagnosed through preventive screening or testing following symptoms characteristic of this disease. In both cases, there are three tests that may be included in the diagnostic process. These tests are helpful for patients to understand what these tests involve so that the diagnosis is not so scary. Here is a closer look at each of these tests and their usefulness in identifying prostate cancer.

Digital rectal exam

This exam allows a doctor or nurse to check the size of the prostate while feeling for irregularities such as lumps or hardened tissue that could be indicative of cancer. During the exam, the physician will examine the prostate with a gloved finger inserted through the rectum. Testing of this nature is typically performed in conjunction with prostate-specific antigen testing, which shows different prostate cancer indicators.

Prostate-specific antigen

The PSA test is a blood test that measures the level of this antigen in the blood. The prostate naturally produces PSA, and higher levels of it generally signal problems in the prostate. However, there are a significant number of men with elevated PSA levels and no prostate cancer, which is why prostate-specific antigen screenings are considered to be controversial procedures. Still, the test can be valuable in determining the need for further testing in patients who are at high risk for prostate cancer.

Biopsy

If abnormalities are identified through one or both of the initial exams detailed above, a biopsy may be recommended. The biopsy will likely be performed by a specialist such as an oncologist or urologist, and it will include minor surgery to obtain a tissue sample that will be examined for the presence of cancerous cells.

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, radiosurgery with the CyberKnife is a treatment with high success that you might consider. Contact Colorado CyberKnife VSI on our website or at (888) 592-8185 to learn more about how this treatment can help you.

A Look at the CyberKnife VSI Treatment for Prostate Cancer

CyberKnife VSI is one of the most advanced stereotactic radiosurgery systems utilized today, enabling cancer care physicians to target multiple beams of high-dose radiation directly to a tumor from almost any angle.

This video takes a closer look at CyberKnife surgery for prostate cancer. The prostate gland moves unpredictably as their bladder empties and fills and air passes through their rectum. While conventional radiation therapy does not take this into account, the CyberKnife VSI system continually identifies the exact location of the prostate during the course of the treatment, enabling for more comfortable, precise radiation delivery. Watch this clip to learn more.

For more information on the uses and indications for CyberKnife surgery, contact Colorado CyberKnife VSI in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains by calling (888) 592-8185.