Conventional prostate cancer treatments increase risk of blood clots by 250 percent

Here is a reason to take pause with traditional gold standard prostate cancer surgery:

A recent study published in The Lancet Oncology has found that men with prostate cancer are twice as likely as healthy men to suffer a blood clot, and those with the disease who undergo certain conventional treatments are at an even greater risk.

The study involved 76,000 Swedish men who were evaluated based on the number of cases of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism and arterial embolism that occurred. Participants on hormone therapy were twice as likely to suffer a pulmonary embolism and two-and-a-half times more likely to have DVT than those who did not receive the treatment.

Similar results were observed for those receiving curative prostate cancer treatments. Pulmonary embolism risk doubled as a result of the treatment while DVT risk increased by 173 percent.

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Prostate cancer treatment sex truths played down

Many doctors play down the possible side effects of prostate cancer treatment on men's sex lives, for fear they'll be scared off, a world leader in the field has told an international conference on the Gold Coast.

"It's surprising to me how many men I see after radical prostate surgery who are unaware they will not ejaculate again," he said.

"There has been a bit of a tradition in the field of minimising the side effects and quoting only the best possible results, or talking about partial sexual function as thought it's full sexual function."

Director of the Sloan-Kettering centre's sexual and reproductive medicine program Dr John Mulhall says GPs have a responsibility to educate their patients.

If you have recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and researching your options please read my many resources on this blog. This is why I chose proton therapy to minimize side effects and continue a normal life. You have the same options too. Please feel free to drop me a note at Email Curtis I will answer your questions about this wonderful proton beam treatment for prostate cancer.

Credit for this story can be read here.

Brunswick man, cancer survivor to recruit patients for proton radiation treatment

Here is recent article published about my cancer journey:

When Curtis Poling found out he had prostate cancer, he momentarily considered doing nothing over the treatment options he was presented.

"It's devastating what it could do to a man," said Poling, who was 53 at the time.

"When (the surgeon) said I'd have to wear diapers for a year and the words 'leakage' and 'lose sexual function,' I was just sick."

The side effects of treating prostate cancer can be overwhelming. In addition to the effects of chemotherapy and surgery, radiation can cause urinary, bowel and erectile dysfunction.

Poling believes he found a better way.

Please read on here.

Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

For those visiting this blog for the first time, I am re posting the start of my prostate cancer journey:

My PSA doubled from 2.9 in 8 months to 5.8 in 2007. Family doctor thought I should see an Urologist. No symptoms just getting up a couple of times at night in the last year. Besides my father didn't have prostate cancer until age 71 (successfully treated with seeds to date). I figured I had 20 more years not to worry.

Well the Urologist performed a digital on my prostate said it felt normal but slightly enlarged. He decided to test my PSA again but it shouldn't be anything to worry about. My PSA came back at over 5.0 so he decided to schedule a biopsy. They did the ultrasound and cored 12 samples out of me. The anxiety of the procedure was worse than the actual biopsy. No sweat! They said the ultrasound looked just like any 53-year-old prostate and looked normal from that point. I left the office feeling a little sore but somewhat relieved.

They called my wife the next day and said I had cancer and to see the Urologist the next day. It was a tough day for me, needless to say, thinking I was home free for now. Please read on.