How Do Doctors Know If Prostate Cancer Has Spread
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may need to undergo further testing to determine whether it has metasticized beyond your prostate to other parts of your body.
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Computed tomography scans. This type of scan uses X-rays to create detailed images from multiple angles. It can be used to determine the size of tumors on your prostate. You also may undergo this if your doctor suspects that your cancer has spread beyond your prostate to nearby lymph nodes.
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Bone scans. When it spreads, prostate cancer often affects the bones. To see if this has happened, you will be injected with a small amount of radioactive material that will allow a special type of camera to pick up signs of cancer in your bones.
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Additional MRI scans. MRI images can help your doctor determine how far your prostate cancer has progressed, including whether it has spread beyond your prostate to other parts of your body.
Surgery To Remove The Prostate
You no longer ejaculate semen if you have had a radical prostatectomy. This is because the prostate gland and 2 glands called the seminal vesicles are removed. The seminal vesicles make the liquid part of the sperm. Your testicles will still make sperm cells but they will be reabsorbed back into your body.
You are still able to have an orgasm, but it will be a dry orgasm. Some men say that a dry orgasm without semen feels normal. But other men find that their orgasm is less intense and pleasurable.; The loss of a visible ejaculation can be significant for some men and their partners. Some men say that it feels different but they have managed to find ways to adjust to this.
If you are used to having anal sex and you are the receiving partner, surgery to remove the prostate gland can change this experience. Some men can find the penis rubbing against the prostate gland pleasurable. So if the prostate gland is no longer there, anal sex might feel different. You could look at different ways of enjoying sex and being intimate. Counselling and sex therapy might help.
It Can Help You Fall Asleep
There are many things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep, from losing weight to eating certain kinds of food . Masturbation can also help: having an orgasm releases chemicals like prolactin, serotonin, and oxytocin into the brain, all of which have been linked to feelings of happiness and relaxation. So if you find that you’re tossing and turning at night, paying a lil’ visit to Pornhub might be worth a shot.
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What Are The Best Treatments For Prostate Cancer
Surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapylots of treatment options exist for prostate cancer. And, in some cases, you may need no treatment at all. Whats right for you will depend several factors:
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Your PSA level
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Your Gleason score
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Your current health and comorbidities
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The stage of your cancer, particularly whether it remains confined to your prostate or has spread to other parts of your body
Now, lets take a look at the different possibilities:
Is It Easy To Orgasm This Way
Lets say it may take some practice and patience.
Actual clinical research on prostate-induced orgasms is seriously lacking, so we dont know how common it is or if its possible for everyone with a prostate to have this type of orgasm.
Every body is different, so some experimenting to see what feels good is in order. If you do manage to have one, reproducing it will be easy.
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Sex And The Prostate: Overcoming Erectile Dysfunction When You Have Prostate Disease
If you are concerned about erectile function, its important to understand what erectile dysfunction really is. Failing to have an erection one night after youve had several drinks or even for a week or more during a time of intense emotional stress is not erectile dysfunction. Nor is the inability to have another erection soon after an orgasm. Nearly every man occasionally has trouble getting an erection, and most partners understand that.
Erectile dysfunction is the inability to attain and maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse at least 25% of the time. The penis doesnt get hard enough, or it gets hard but softens too soon. The problem often develops gradually. One night it may take longer or require more stimulation to get an erection. On another occasion, the erection may not be as firm as usual, or it may end before orgasm. When such difficulties occur regularly, its time to talk to your doctor.
Erectile dysfunction can have many causes, including some forms of prostate disease and medications and surgery for prostate cancer. Fortunately, in many cases, this problem can often be effectively addressed. Some men find relief by taking medications to treat erectile dysfunction. If these arent effective for you, a number of other options, including injections and vacuum devices, are available. The possibility of finding the right solution is now greater than ever.
It Improves Heart Health
Contrary to popular belief that rigorous sex can up your risk of a heart attack or stroke, regular orgasms can actually help protect you against cardiovascular disease. A report from the Massachusetts Aging Study found that men who had sex once a month or less were 45% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than men who had two or more orgasms per week. So if you cancel plans with friends to stay home and M-bate, just tell them it’s for your own health. Hey, you won’t be lying.
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Study Raises Biological Questions
Researchers say the findings raise several questions about the biological role of sexual activity and ejaculation in the development of prostate cancer.
Leitzmann says that until now, sexual activity had been associated with prostate cancer risk due to the hormone hypothesis. The male sex hormone testosterone is known to spur the growth of prostate cancer cells and it also fuels the male sex drive. Therefore, it had been proposed that very sexually active men had a higher risk of prostate cancer because they had higher testosterone levels.
But he says this theory has its shortcomings because testosterone levels alone do not predict prostate cancer risk and they do not appear to correlate with sexual desire as much as previously thought.
Instead, researchers say ejaculation may protect the prostate through a variety of biological mechanisms that merit further research, such as:
- Flushing out cancer-causing substances. Frequent ejaculation may help flush out retained chemical carcinogens in the prostate glands.
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Reducing tension. The release of psychological tension that accompanies ejaculation may lower nervous activity associated with stress and slow the growth of potentially cancerous cells in the prostate.
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Promoting rapid turnover of fluids. Frequent ejaculation may help prevent the development of mini-crystals that can block ducts within the prostate gland, reducing cancer risk.
Risk Factors For Zinc Deficiency
Certain groups of people are more likely to have low zinc levels. Conditions that can cause an increased risk of zinc deficiency include:
- gastrointestinal diseases
- a purely vegetarian or low-protein diet
- High levels of alcohol consumption can result in a zinc deficiency.
- Some medications can reduce zinc levels. These include ACE inhibitors, thiazide diuretics, and stomach acid reducers like Prilosec.;
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Dealing With Erectile Dysfunction: For You And Your Partner
The following information is based on the general experiences of many prostate cancer patients. Your experience may be different. If you have any questions about what prostate cancer treatment services are covered by your health insurance, please contact your health care provider or health insurance provider. This education material was made possible by a Grant from the California Department of Justice, Antitrust Law Section, from litigation settlement funds to benefit Californians diagnosed with cancer or their families.
Sex After Prostatectomy: How To Have A Healthy Sex Life After Surgery
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
Prostate health issues such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer affect hundreds of thousands of men in the United States every year.;
If youve been diagnosed with a serious prostate issue, your healthcare provider may suggest a prostatectomy a surgical procedure in which your part or all of your prostate gland is surgically removed from your body.
Prostate removal surgery is usually highly effective at treating cancer and prostate enlargement , but it can potentially lead to complications.
These include some sexual performance issues, such as erectile dysfunction and difficulty ejaculating normally.
Although these effects can change your sexual experience, many men are still able to enjoy a fulfilling, satisfying sex life after prostate surgery by making certain lifestyle changes and using medication.;
Below, weve talked about what to expect if youre scheduled to undergo a prostatectomy and want to maintain an active sex life after surgery.;
Weve also explained how you can have a healthy sex life after a partial or complete prostate removal, whether through exercises to improve sexual functioning, medications, devices or a combination of different approaches.
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Prostatectomy Surgery & Your Sex Life: The Basics
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Your prostate gland plays a key role in your sexual and urinary function. If your prostate is surgically removed, youll likely experience changes to your ability to have sex.
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Several different methods are used to remove part or all of the prostate gland. The type of technique thats used for your prostatectomy may have an effect on your sex life and sexual performance after surgery.
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Because your prostate plays a key role in producing and secreting semen, you may not be able to ejaculate normally after its surgically removed.
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Its normal to experience erectile dysfunction after prostate surgery. Although most men regain the ability to get an erection in the months and years after surgery, some develop persistent erectile dysfunction that doesnt improve over time.
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Medications like sildenafil , tadalafil and others can often help to improve your sexual performance after prostate removal.
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When these arent effective, other treatments, such as injectable medications or penile prosthesis, may help you to enjoy a healthy sex life.;
Should Men Have More Sex In The Name Of Reducing Prostate Cancer Risk
Men who are already sexually active might see plenty of good news in the results. And those who arent might wonder if they should be having more sex in order to mitigate their prostate cancer risks. So should men prioritize more sex ;or at least ejaculating 21 times a month for their health?
Well, Dr. Freedland tells SurvivorNet, men can actually benefit by prioritizing other lifestyle matters to boost their health outcomes. In terms of preventing prostate cancer, there are now compelling data that obesity and smoking are both linked with death from prostate cancer, he explains. Similarly, the data seem to suggest benefits for more exercise too.;Thus, the best thing men can do is to obtain and maintain a normal body weight, dont smoke, and exercise.
As well, he explains, men should make it a priority to talk to their doctor about screening, since we know screening also reduces the risk of dying from prostate cancer.
In other words, men can empower themselves by taking control of the lifestyle factors known to be good for their health whether or not frequent sex is on the menu.
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Can You Prevent Prostate Cancer
Because experts cant definitively say what causes prostate cancer, they havent issued recommendations on how to prevent it. But according to Harvard Medical School , quitting smoking and eating a heart-healthy diet focused on fish, poultry, plant-based protein, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and salads may reduce your risk. Getting regular exercise and using 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors have been shown by some studies to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer And Sexual Health
A prostate cancer diagnosis can leave you feeling anxious, frustrated, and depressed.
It may also leave you wondering about your ability to have sex. You may also be questioning how prostate cancer treatment can affect your sex life.
Prostate cancer rarely causes problems with sex, but the treatments for prostate cancer often affect penile function and reproduction.
Prostate surgery and radiation are the two most common treatments for prostate cancer. Both of these can affect the nerves in your penis and could cause sexual problems like erectile dysfunction .
Cryotherapy and ultrasound therapy can also cause ED. Your doctor may recommend hormone therapy or radiation therapy, as well. This therapy can lower your sex drive.
Radical prostatectomy is the most effective nerve-sparing surgery for prostate cancer. It can substantially limit the duration of post-surgical ED but requires a surgeon to be highly skilled and trained in the process.
In this type of procedure, the surgeon takes care not to damage the erectile nerves that surround the prostate as it is removed.
However, if cancer has infiltrated these nerves, it may not be possible to save them.
Preventing injury to these nerves dramatically improves the chances of a man recovering erectile function within two years of the surgery.
In addition to ED, you may also find that your orgasms are different after undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
They may not feel as strong, and you will not see as much ejaculate.
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A Link Between Ejaculation And Prostate Cancer
- A recent study showed that;men who ejaculate more frequently can reduce their risk of prostate cancer by up to 33 percent.
- Research showed the optimal frequency of ejaculation is 21 times per month.
- Doctors suggest prioritizing other lifestyle factors to reduce risk: not smoking, maintaining a normal body weight, and getting screened regularly.
Prostate cancer is the second most frequent cause of cancer death in the U.S. But despite its prevalence, its still mysterious, with its causes remaining largely unknown to the scientific community. Genetics, diet, and physical fitness are all generally known to play roles but how about sex and masturbation?
There are a couple of studies that show that more ejaculations are associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer, Dr. Stephen Freedland, faculty physician in the urology division at the Cedars-Sinai Department of Surgery, tells;SurvivorNet in a previous interview.
The doctor notes that the research does not distinguish between types of ejaculationfor instance, sex or masturbationbut there is an association in the literature.
What Is The Gleason Score
So, how do you know where your biopsy stands? Your biopsy samples will be assigned whats called a Gleason score, the most commonly used way to grade prostate cancer, which will help your doctor make treatment decisions.
It works like this:
Your doctor compares each of the tissue samples taken during your biopsy to normal, healthy prostate tissue.
He or she gives each sample a score, or grade, ranging from 3 to 5.
The more abnormal your cells, the higher your grade. A 5 represents the most aggressive cancer.
Once each sample has been graded, your doctor then takes the two most common scores from all the samples and add them together. These two numbers are then weighted for prevalence. This is your Gleason Score, which can range from 6 to 10, with 10 being the most aggressive cancer.
To make it super clear, lets walk you through an example.
Lets say a man has a biopsy in which 12 tissue samples are removed from his prostate.
After careful study in a lab, each tissue receives a score. Eight of the tissue samples score a 3, while the other four samples each receive a 4.
His doctor then writes the two most common scores, 3 and 4, as the final score: 3+4=7. He writes 3 first because more of the slides were graded as a 3, thus giving these readings more significance.
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Prostate Cancer Diagnoses And Treatment
All cancer is complex, but prostate cancer testing and treatment is particularly complicated.
In some men with prostate cancer, the cancer will grow very slowly, and wont significantly affect them during their lifetime. Other mens prostate cancer can grow and spread very quickly. At the moment, there is no test that can tell what type of prostate cancer a man has when he is diagnosed.
Because some treatments for prostate cancer can cause side effects which might impact on quality of life, its important for men to discuss with their doctor all their options for testing and treatment, and to discuss these with their partners and families. These might include watchful waiting, which means waiting to see what the cancer does over time, radiation, surgery or taking medications.
You can read more about what kinds of questions to ask your doctors about prostate cancer testing and treatment on the Cancer Council website.
Additional Types Of Therapy For Prostate Cancer
A few other treatments exist for advanced prostate cancer or prostate cancer that has stopped responding well to other forms of hormone therapy. They are usually taken with one of the therapies discussed above.
Chemotherapy. For cases of very aggressive prostate cancer, or when hormone therapy isn’t effective, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy. This class of anti-cancer drug, taken by mouth or injected, fights cancers that have spread beyond the prostate to other parts of your body. The schedule of your treatment will depend on the specific drugs you require, but chemotherapy is typically given in cycles that last two to three weeks. Once you finish a cycle, the next cycle begins. The length of your treatment hinges on how well it works and whether you can cope with the side effects. Chemotherapy drugs are used to help you live longer. They rarely cure prostate cancer, according to the ACS, and can cause unpleasant side effects, including hair loss, nausea, and fatigue.
Immunotherapy. This type of treatment harnesses the power of your immune system to fight cancer. While it has been used successfully in several types of cancer, it hasnt proved as effective in prostate canceryet. Researchers are working to discover the best ways to incorporate immune therapy into prostate cancer care, particularly for men whose cancer no longer responds to hormone treatment. In 2019, more than 100 such studies were underway.
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