Cancer of the prostate is the second most common cause of male deaths from cancer in the United States, fewer than from lung cancer and more than from colon cancer. A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increase in the circulatory system of men who have prostatic cancer. A blood sample can be taken , and an assay performed for the antigen. If the concentration of the antigen in the blood has increased, an examination for prostatic cancer is highly recommended. A test result indicating an elevated concentration of the antigen does not confirm the presence of cancer, other tests are necessary. In some cases test result can show an increase in the antigen when no cancer is apparent. Because of the prevalence of prostatic cancer should be done. There is controversy concerning the treatment for prostatic cancer. Cancer of the prostate in relatively young men and large tumors in all men generally require treatment. Treatment for prostatic cancer includes radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. The surgery often results in incontinence and generally results in the inability yo sustain an erection, although new, more successful techniques have been developed.
Archive for April, 2010
Cancer of the Prostate
Author: adminApr 23
Effects of Aging on the Digestive System
Author: adminApr 8
As a person ages, the connective tissue layers of the digestive tract, the submucosa and serosa, tend to thin, the blood supply to the digestive tract decreases. There is also a decrease in the number of smooth muscle cells in the muscularis, resulting in decreased motility in the digestive tract. In addition, goblet cells within the mucosa secrete less mucus. Through the years the digestive tract, like the skin and lungs, is directly exposed to materials from the outside environment. Some of those substances can cause mechanical damage to the digestive tract and others may be toxic to the tissues. Because the connective tissue of the digestive tract becomes thin with age and because the protective mucus covering is reduced, the digestive tract of elderly people becomes less and less protected from these outside influences. The liver’s ability to detoxify certain chemicals tends to decline, the ability of the hepatic phagocytic cells to remove particulate contaminants decreases, and the liver’s ability to store glycogen decreases. this overall decline in the defenses of the digestive tract with advancing age leaves elderly people more susceptible to infections and to the effects of toxic agents. Elderly people are more likely to develop ulcerations and cancers of the digestive tract.