Stirton.net » Men’s Health

Prostate Treatment Decisions Based On Perception More Than Fact

stirton — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:18:39 +0000

Men with prostate cancer generally make treatment decisions based on differences in the information they receive rather than their own preferences, according to a new review. Published in the May 1, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the review of studies in prostate cancer decision making suggests that a lack of medical evidence and consistent, comprehensive messages about therapeutic options compel men to turn to a wide variety of popular and biased sources, which influence their decision. This approach often results in treatments that do not generally reflect patients’ goals.

Despite new treatment options for prostate cancer, there is little evidence-based consensus in the oncology community about the most efficacious treatment. Newly diagnosed patients must still balance existing information about risks and benefits of available therapies with their own treatment objectives. Studies have shown that prostate cancer treatment varies not only among men in general but also by race and ethnicity, suggesting that the guidance patients receive is variable and confusing, and plays a part in their decision-making. Steven B. Zeliadt, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle and colleagues synthesized data from other studies to examine how and why men with prostate cancer make treatment decisions.

The review of current literature shows that cancer eradication or control was the foremost objective of treatment for men. Minimizing side effects ultimately played a minor role in decision making. However, studies report a gap between patient treatment objectives and the evidence supporting the efficacy of the treatment chosen. Men’s concerns about controlling “the cancer” correlated directly with the aggressiveness of the treatment they chose, regardless of actual disease severity. Yet, in choosing treatment, patients did not consistently rely on scientific evidence of a therapy’s efficacy to control disease or prolong life. As few as one in four patients in one study relied on evidence of a treatment efficacy for their decision.

Physicians and family, as well as race and culture may affect patients’ decisions, but the degree of their respective influence varies in the literature and is often poorly measured, according to the review. Notably, physicians tended to present therapies in ways that were both confusing and dismissive of patient concerns about risks. This either biased patients’ decisions or turned patients to other sources of information.

Finally, studies fail to show how and if patients actually critically analyze the quality of information they receive. It is very likely, the authors add, that patients “have significant limitations in their ability to identify biased information, as well as their ability to weigh complex information about the outcomes that are important to them.”

“The perceptions of treatment efficacy related to cancer control far outweigh available supporting evidence, and most patients appear to select a prostate cancer treatment primarily based on its perceived ability to control the tumor,” conclude the authors.

Fitness: Road to Happiness

stirton — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:15:23 +0000

In addition to its benefits for physical health, regular exercise has been shown to boost mood and overall mental well-being. Now new research shows that even among older people who are less-than-regular exercisers, those who are relatively lighter and fitter also seem to be happier.

In a small study of men and women between the ages of 55 and 75, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, found that those who showed more endurance on fitness tests and were relatively lean logged better scores on tests of mental health and mood.

What was surprising about the results, Dr. Kerry J. Stewart explained in an interview, was that all of the 36 participants were in good physical health for their age. So the gains in physical health linked to regular exercise — including lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure — cannot fully explain why fitness may lead to greater happiness, according to Stewart.

He presented his team’s findings this week in Baltimore at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.

While Stewart’s team did not assess the older adults’ daily activities, they did test their fitness using treadmill tests and weight-lifting exercises. They also measured the participants’ body fat. Through questionnaires on mental health and mood, the investigators found that men and women who were more fit and less fat were less likely to report tension, anxiety, anger and depression.

None of the participants followed a regular exercise plan, however, Stewart pointed out. Those who were relatively fitter and thinner, he noted, may have been simply been more active in daily life.

The next step, Stewart said, is to find out whether improving older adults’ fitness and body composition through an exercise program also boosts their mental well-being.

How fitness boosts mental well-being outside of improved physical health is unclear, but Stewart said this study “confirms the conventional wisdom” that exercise may be a boon to both the body and mind.

“People who are more fit and lean may have a better self-image,” he noted. “We also know that they may be involved in more recreational activities and be more independent.”

All of these characteristics, according to Stewart, act together to boost an older person’s happiness.

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Boys New Arm Bone Will Grow with Him

stirton — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:02:39 +0000

Reuters Health — In a medical first, a team of Florida surgeons report that they saved the right arm of a 6-year-old with a rare form of bone cancer, enabling his arm to grow along with him.

The procedure, known as a limb salvage and bone transplant, was performed 9 months ago on a 6-year-old boy at the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at Memorial in Hollywood, Florida.

After first shrinking the grapefruit-sized osteosarcoma tumor in his right arm with chemotherapy, surgeons led by pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Jofe removed the boy’s right humerus, the bone in the upper part of the arm, and replaced it with the humerus from a cadaver. Then surgeons fused the donated bone with the growth plate of the boy’s own fibula, a bone found in the lower leg, in the hope that the boy’s own bone will eventually replace the donated bone, and that the graft would grow with him.

This week at a news conference, the surgeons reported that the procedure has worked. Months after the pioneering procedure, the arm is growing along with the patient.

Cadaver bones are commonly used in transplants, but this is the first time that a live growth plate and its blood supply were grafted to a cadaver bone so the transplant would grow. Because the patient is so young, he still has 80% more to grow, the surgeons estimate.

Doctors believe the patient will have a full-sized shoulder and arm when he grows up.

Traditional treatment for this type of bone cancer included amputation of the arm.

The boy is the second sibling in the family to be diagnosed with this rare form of bone cancer. His older sister had her arm amputated due to osteosarcoma in 1995.

Bone, Muscle, and Joint Problems

stirton — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:51:05 +0000

Topic Overview

The most common causes of bone, muscle, and joint pain are injuries. If your pain and other symptoms are due to an obvious acute injury or if they are associated with overuse of a joint, see the topic Bone, Muscle, and Joint Injuries in Related Information.

Pain that is not related to an injury may have a number of causes. Some of the more common causes include:
Overuse of a joint or limb. Although these conditions are called overuse injuries, you may not associate the pain and other symptoms with a specific injury because they often come on slowly over time. See the assessment tips to check for an overuse injury.
Muscle cramps, which may have no clear cause or may be due to dehydration or failing to stretch before exercise. See the topic Muscle Cramps in Related Information.
Forms of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or gout, and nonspecific causes of muscle pain such as fibromyalgia
Joint infection (septic arthritis)
Viral illnesses, especially influenza, which can cause muscle aches and back pain

In addition to the above possible causes, pain in the hips, legs, ankles, or feet may be related to
Sciatica may cause pain in the buttock that extends down the back of the leg toward the foot. See the topic Back Pain in Related Information.

Inflammation of a vein in the leg (phlebitis) or a blood clot in a leg vein (thrombophlebitis)
Decreased blood flow to the muscles of the leg, called intermittent claudication or peripheral vascular disease. Symptoms may include cramping pain in the calf or leg that comes on with activity or exertion and is relieved by rest. It often develops after a predictable period of walking.

Pain that starts in the chest and radiates to the jaw, shoulder, or arm may be caused by angina or a heart attack, which are related to heart disease. See the topic Chest Pain in Related Information.

When Mid Life Crisis Hits

stirton — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:40:51 +0000

In your 40s? Feeling listless, out of sorts, and uneasy—and not sure why? Medical science knows the reason, but it has more to do with your mental health than your physical well being. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not “male menopause”—it’s probably nothing more than an old-fashioned mid-life crisis.

When Garold Brown was in his late 40s, he could feel that something was different. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but he knew he didn’t feel right. He seemed more tired and less content—certainly not as vital as he had felt in years past. He certainly didn’t feel like he did when he was 30, and he wondered if this physical and psychological uneasiness had anything to do with the physical aspects of getting older.

The answer, say doctors, is yes—as well as no.

“It’s one of the most interesting questions we consider,” , an endocrinologist at Nassau County Medical Center on Long Island and an associate professor at the State University of New York. “People continue to speculate as to whether there is a male menopause similar to the female menopause. Although men certainly do go through hormonal changes as they get older, the changes aren’t nearly as drastic or as sudden as they are with women.”

“What men and women in their 40s do have in common are lifestyle changes common to that period of life,” says Doctor. “There is increased pressure at work, elderly parents to care for, or the idea of children growing up and leaving home. Those issues are likely to make men, as well as women, feel as if something is wrong, even if physically they are OK.”

That’s why most experts don’t like the term “male menopause.” It’s probably more correct, they say, to call it a mid-life crisis, emphasizing that the crisis isn’t all that terrible.
Hormonal changes
Male hormonal changes are, in fact, amazingly slow and surprisingly late when compared to similar changes in women. In men, hormonal changes don’t usually begin until they are 50 or so (women can start 10 years earlier), with some men showing normal hormone levels well into their 70s. Additionally, most men lose only about one percent of their testosterone, one of the most important male hormones, annually. By the time they are 60 years old, 60 percent of men are still within the normal testosterone range (although usually at the lower end). Women, on the other hand, can see their estrogen levels drop from normal to nil within a two-year period. Men are also spared the physical side effects—the hot flashes, emotional swings, the sleeplessness, and bone mass loss—that can make menopause difficult for some women.

“Why are there such big differences between men and women? That’s a good question,” an internist who is an instructor in clinical medicine at the Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. “There are a couple of ways to look at it. Probably, and this isn’t definite, the reason has to do with the rate of hormone loss. If a man lives long enough, his hormone level will eventually be as low as as a woman’s. But since it doesn’t happen as dramatically, there aren’t going to be the same side effects.”

Dad’s Guide to the Delivery Room

stirton — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 05:36:16 +0000

In between moments of excitement and adrenaline, most expectant fathers feel a bit nervous about what goes on in the delivery room. Here are some ideas to help prepare you to help your partner during the labor and delivery process:

1. Know what to expect.

Go to prenatal classes and read as much as you can about the process. Get good, solid information so you’ll understand what labor entails.

2. Ask questions.

Don’t worry about feeling silly – ask questions about procedures if you aren’t sure what is going on. Doctors and nurses will be glad to put you and your partner at ease by explaining what they’re doing and why.

3. Bring some things for yourself.

Bring a change of clothes, comfortable shoes for walking the halls with mom-to-be, and something to snack on. Labor is a long, hard process, and you’ll need to feel rested and comfortable while you coach your partner.

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4. Be supportive.

Although your partner will be surrounded by medical experts, you will be her single most important support. Make her comfortable, hold her hand, and let her know you’re there for her, whatever she needs. Your support will be the most important thing to her.

Control Premature Ejaculation with Herbal Supplements

stirton — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:08:39 +0000

Premature Ejaculation (PE) is quite a common complaint. It affects millions of men the world over. Here are some of the best Premature Ejaculation Pills for Controlling Rapid Climax or PE. The frustration this causes for both partners can have a very negative effect on your relationship. This article explains early ejaculation and the use of herbal remedies to help with this problem.

Muscular relaxation can help control ejaculation. It can happen by decreasing or stopping thrusts of the pelvis. With PE, other useful methods are the squeeze techniques. One saying is retarded ejaculation. Aging, anxiety and other emotional factors are frequently the cause. It can also be done by self control training as a method of extending the enjoyment of intercourse.

There are several causes of premature ejaculation. If stress is the cause, the guy needs to attempt to get through it with medicine or meditation. There are various anti-stress treatments, as well as supplements, that assist with brain chemistry restoration and a fix for male sex hormone imbalance.

Mind control is another vital thing in dealing with PE. Some things that have to be handled are worry, madness, and anxiety to handle rapid climax. Meditation, pranayama, and yoga are some holistic exercises that can help you achieve this.

Kegel exercises serve a vital part in limiting PE. You can build your pelvic muscles and increase your libido with these exercises. A technique called ballooning also assists in helping premature ejaculation. Masturbating might assist in helping fast climax, according to some sexologists.

Rapid climax can be effectively treated with herbal premature ejaculation pills. Delay is the product that we recommend. Made of herbal extracts and natural nutrients, this high quality premature ejaculation pill allows you to take back control of your sexual performance. Delay contains natural ingredients that increase penetration time and delay ejaculation by controlling the hyperactivity experienced by the sexual sensors.

Physicians recommend this premature ejaculation pill to help restore the normal hormonal balance in the body.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is for general information only and is not meant to offer advice regarding your health.