One of the health issues of prostate problems is called bph or benign prostate hyperplasia. This problem will cause extreme discomfort. Urinary problems arise because as the prostate gland increases, it will place pressure on the are of the urethra.

This results in frequent drips to the bathroom at night time. This makes getting back to sleep more awkward and lack of sleep brings additional health problems over the long term. Bladder stones and a more serious problem such as kidney failure can result from the issue of urinary retention.

The treatment used to be removal of part of the prostate gland. This involved a significant stay in hospital. However a brand new procedure is now being introduced in this field and no cutting is involved.

The procedure uses a special gas to vaporize the affected area of the prostate. The result is the same as traditional surgery. The vaporization procedure is carried out using a small button electrode.

Virtually no blood is spilled during this twenty minute procedure. Overall the patients do quite well and are able to go home after just an hour.

The procedure is aimed mostly at men not obtaining the required relief from the prescribed medication

It’s reckon that nearly a quarter of a million will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and unfortunately over 30000 will die from the disease. The normal treatments for prostate cancer are surgery such as radical prostatectomy  where they would remove the prostate. Another option is the use of radiation. Unfortunately there are serious side effects such as urinary incontinence or erectile dysfunction.

Prostate Cancer Treatment – PSA Screening

In 1987 PSA screening was introduced. This are routine blood tests conducted in men over the age of fifty. Here more and more low risk tumors are being detected which are not fatal.  Before the PSA screening, the disease was usually detected at a far more advanced prostate cancer stage. This was either during a rectal prostate exam by a doctor or the symptoms of advanced prostate cancer manifested themselves.

Now today, over fifty percent of prostate cancers which are detected are of the low risk type and the mortality rate is at only around five percent. Before the introduction of the PSA tests, these low risk cancers would never have been discovered.

Cancer is still an extremely frightening word and over ninety percent of patients will want to be treated immediately, which is understandable. However the experts are asking for an “observational strategy.” in the overall prostate cancer treatment.

The approach that they recommend is either delaying treatment until there are signs that the cancer has progressed. Another suggested option is to forgo treatment and use treatment for symptoms as and when they arise.

Research was conducted on 1500 newly diagnosed low risk cancer patients.

They found that not all types of cancer were treated equal. It is extremely hard for people in general to grasp that not all prostate cancer is deadly. The important message that is being received is that the the  earlier the detection of the cancer, the better for all concerned.

It will mean that the patient will have more better treatment options in prostate cancer treatment and not have to deal with the serious side effects that some conventional treatment brings.