A gland that produces a liquid which mixes with sperm and is ejaculated as semen during sexual activity, is the prostate gland and is located under the bladder of a man. Cancer in the prostate is one of the most common cancers that occur among men.

The risk of developing prostate cancer increases progressively with age. Although there is no absolute prevention of prostate cancer, evidence and doctors suggest that a healthy diet can play a key role. Here are a few tips that can go a long way in prevention of prostate cancer:

Red Foods: Tomatoes, carrot, watermelon, and other red foods get their bright color from a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. Studies have proved that by having fruits that contain lycopene, you can reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Some findings suggest that cooking tomatoes make it easier for your body to absorb this antioxidant.
Fruits and Vegetables: Green vegetables contain compounds called carcinogens, which help your body in breaking down cancer-causing substances. Spreading of cancer can be slowed down through a nutrient-rich diet. Avoiding processed junk food and eating fruits and vegetables containing nutrients and vitamins may lower the risk of getting prostate cancer.
Feast on Fish: Fatty acid, also known as omega-3, is found in certain fish including sardines, tuna, mackerel, trout, and salmon. This may help in reducing the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Soy and Tea: Some studies suggest that men who drink green tea or take green tea extract supplements have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Many soy products and other foods contain a nutrient called isoflavones, which has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
Coffee: Studies show that drinking three cups of coffee a day can reduce the chances of prostate cancer by 11 percent. There is a dose-response relationship between coffee and prostate cancer. The effects of prostate cancer go up or down with the amount of coffee you take. Someone who grabs an occasional cup only, may not have these effects. However, high doses of caffeine can result in major health issues.
Fat: Studies indicate that animal fats and an increased risk of prostate cancer are linked. It is advised to replace animal-based fats with any kind of plant-based fat. In addition to this, overcooking the meat produces carcinogens, therefore it is suggested to be strictly avoided.
Quit Smoking: Smokers are more likely to have an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The chances of a recurrence of the disease are more for people who smoke. It is never too late to quit smoking.
Exercise: Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy body can help you to increase your muscle mass and metabolism. Too much fat in the middle of your body is linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. You can try walking, running, bicycling or swimming to reduce the weight to lead a healthy life.
It is important to look after yourself and start taking essential steps to prevent prostate cancer rather than trying to manage it once you get it.

8 Easy Ways By Which You Can Prevent Prostate Cancer!

Today is World Cancer Day.

Though there are no proven ways to prevent cancer, you can do a lot of things reduce your risk of getting the disease. Here are 10 good important ways to do so:

1. Eat a healthy balanced diet
2. Maintain a healthy weight
3. Drink less alcohol
4. Quit smoking
5. Say No to any form of Tobaco including Pan and Gutka
6. Do regular exercise. At least, Walking.
7. Protect your skin from sun damage
8. Cervical smear tests for women every 3-5 years
9. Breast examination for signs of lumps, dimples or puckering
10. Last but not the least, in case of any lump or doubtful mass, consult an Oncologist without delay.

10 Concrete Ways To Minimize Cancer Risk

A breast lump is a restricted swelling, projection, lump or knot in the breast that doesn't feel like a breast tissue. There are diverse reasons why breast lumps occur.

Not all lumps are cancer. These can also be breast conditions that are not harmful and which can be easily curable.Knots that feel harder or are not the same as the rest of the breast need to be checked. This kind of irregularity might be an indication of breast cancer.

A self-examination should be your starting point. This is how you can detect a lump on your own:

Step 1: Begin by taking a look at your breast in the mirror. Keep your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.

This is what you need to search for:

    Breasts that are their typical size, shape, and shading
    Breasts that are uniformly formed without distortion or swelling

In the event that you see any of the changes mentioned below, convey them to your doctor:

    Dimpling, puckering, or protruding of the skin
    A nipple that is not in its initial position
    Redness, rash or swelling

Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the changes mentioned above.

Step 3: While you're in front of the mirror, search for any indications of liquid or blood discharge from the nipples.

Step 4: Next, examine your breasts while resting.Use Your right hand to feel your left breast and use your left hand to feel your right breast. Cover the whole breast from your collarbone to the highest point of your mid-region, and from your armpit to your cleavage to search for any lumps.

Step 5:Examine your breasts while either standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest approach to examine their breasts is when their skin is wet, so this step could be done while taking a bath as well.

Diagnosis:

    Mammogram: Mammography is a technique using X-rays to diagnose and locate tumours of the breasts.
    Breast ultrasound: Breast ultrasound utilises sound waves to create pictures of the breasts from the inside.
    Breast MRI:This involves using an effective and attractive field, and radio frequency pulses to create photos of the insides of the breasts.
    Ultrasound-guided biopsy: During this sort of biopsy, utilising ultrasound imaging to discover the bump, a radiologist will give you anesthesia and afterward insert a needle into the lump to evacuate some tissue for assessment under a magnifying lens. Stereotactic biopsy and an X-ray-guided biopsy may also be used.

Possible treatments:

    In case the knot turns out to be cancerous, surgery is typically performed.
    You may have a few discussions with different doctors for additional treatment, including radiation treatment and chemotherapy or hormone treatment.

What You Should Know About Breast Lump Detection

Lasers have come as a boon to treat many medical conditions very safely and effectively. They are absolutely indispensable for permanent hair removal, tattoo removal, freckle removal, skin rejuvenation, treatment of birthmarks and many other internal medical conditions. There is a common misconception that lasers are harmful for your skin and can cause skin cancers. This is far from the truth, since lasers are actually used to treat skin cancers and also help in keeping the skin youthful and rejuvenated. 

Lasers use non-ionising light (like red or green light) and not ionising radiation like x-rays or gamma rays. These spectrums of light do not induce cancer formation. 
Fair skinned races are at much greater risk than skin of color. Melanin in darker skin does not allow harmful UV light in sunlight to penetrate through and the risk of skin cancers in darker skin is therefore small with normal sun exposure. Also, common lasers do not use UV light. 
Laser treatments are administered not in prolonged durations but in pulses much less than a second and parameters in the range of milliseconds and microseconds are most commonly used. Prolonged sun exposure is the most common precipitating factor for skin cancers. 
Laser light does not reach any internal organ. In fact, it requires some expertise even to make laser light reach its target just 1-2 millimeters below the skin. This is because melanin pigment in skin blocks laser light from getting through. An expert dermatologist with sound knowledge of skin optics and laser physics is able to achieve this safely and effectively. 
Laser treatments work on the principle of ''selective photothermolysis'. This means that laser light very specifically destroys only the intended target. Thus, a hair removal laser will destroy only the hair roots while leaving surrounding skin structures unharmed. Similarly, blood vessels in birth marks, collagen in wrinkles or scars, abnormal growths and cancers and individual inks in tattoos can be targeted very specifically with lasers without affecting any other structure.

Lasers - Do Not Cause Cancers!

Can Ayurveda Treat Cancer?

The development of abnormal cells that can spread to other areas of the body is known as cancer. It has about 100 types and includes cancer of the skin, lung, prostate gland and so on. Compared to normal body cells that follow a proper path of cell division, growth, and termination, cancer cells don't die but continue to develop and divide.

Holistic treatment of cancer involves purification and strengthening of body's immune system.

Ayurvedic treatment of cancer comprises an all-around approach keeping in mind your temperament and body characteristics, the affected energies in the body as well as the tissues involved. More importantly, the treatment focuses not only on the malignant spot but your entire body system. This is because Ayurveda believes in restoring harmony to your entire being for the ailment to be treated effectively so as to prevent its recurrence.

The treatment plan involves the purification of the body and of the toxins that influence the cells to attack your body. Certain blood cleansing herbs are administered alongside the recommendation of a detoxifying diet. To stimulate blood flow in your body, herbs that improve blood circulation are prescribed by a practitioner. This renders an efficient removal of toxins, prevents stagnant blood from forming and assists in the healing process of your tissues. Since it's a debilitating disease, herbs and minerals that boost your immunity are also suggested.

What are the holistic methods of treating cancer according to Ayurveda?

The treatment methods for cancer include:

- Elimination of toxins from the body through Panchakarma (a therapy that involves five cleansing procedures)
- Abstinence from lifestyle and foods that lead to the imbalance of the tridosha namely, vata (air), pitta (heat) and kapha (water and earth forces)
- Restitution of the functions of your digestive system
- Rejuvenation through a special form of treatment called rasayanas
- Recommendations on Ayurvedic preparations that can be taken along with radiotherapy or chemotherapy
- Suggestions on Ayurvedic medications for minimizing the side effects of the various cancer therapies

In addition to these, treatment also involves suggesting ways to relax the mind. Yoga, meditation, and praanayam (an ancient practice involving ways to control your breath) are some of the ways that are recommended for bringing about deep personal healing for cancer patients.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Can Ayurveda Treat Cancer?

Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs. These abnormal cells do not carry out the functions of normal lung cells and do not develop into healthy lung tissue. As they grow, the abnormal cells can form tumors and interfere with the functioning of the lung, which provides oxygen to the body via the blood.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death due to cancer in both men and women throughout the world. According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, approximately one out of every 14 men and women in the U.S. is diagnosed with cancer of the lung at some point in their lifetime. Lung cancer is predominantly a disease of the elderly; almost 70% of people diagnosed with lung cancer are over 65 years of age, while less than 3% of lung cancers occur in people under 45 years of age.

What Causes Lung Cancer?

The development of lung cancer is strongly associated with cigarette smoking, approximately 90% of lung cancers are attributable to use of tobacco. Pipe and cigar smoking can also cause lung cancer, but the risk is not as high as with cigarette smoking. Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds, many of which are cancer causing (carcinogens). Passive smoking, i.e. the inhalation of tobacco smoke by non-smokers who live or work with smokers, is also an established risk factor for the development of lung cancer.

Genetic susceptibility (i.e. family history) may play a role in the development of lung cancer. Other causes of lung cancer include air pollution (from vehicles, industry, and power generation) and inhalation of asbestos fibres (usually in the workplace).

Lung Cancer Symptoms

Early symptoms and signs of lung cancer

There may be no symptoms at the onset of the disease. When present, common symptoms of lung cancer may include:

Coughing: This includes a persistent cough that doesn't go away or changes to a chronic smoker's cough, such as more coughing or pain.
Coughing up blood: Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm) should always be discussed with your doctor.
Breathing Difficulties: Shortness of breath, wheezing or noisy breathing (called stridor) may all be signs of lung cancer.
Loss of Appetite: Many cancers cause changes in appetite, which may lead to unintended weight loss.
Fatigue: It is common to feel weak or excessively tired.
Recurring infections: Recurring infections, like bronchitis or pneumonia, may be one of the signs of lung cancer.
Signs of advanced stages of lung cancer

Advanced stages of lung cancer are often characterized by the spread of cancer to distant sites in the body. This may affect the bones, liver or brain. As other parts of the body are affected, new lung cancer symptoms may develop, including:

Bone pain
Swelling of the face, arms or neck
Headaches, dizziness or limbs that become weak or numb
Jaundice
Lumps in the neck or collar-bone region
Treatment

Treatment for cancer involves a combination of surgery to remove cancer cells, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to kill cancer cells. Lung cancer is incurable unless complete surgical removal of the tumour cells can be achieved. Surgery is the most effective treatment for lung cancer, but only a few percentage of lung cancers are suitable for surgery i.e. Stage I and II NSCLC and cancer that has not spread beyond the lung.

Radiation therapy may be used for both NSCLC and SCLC and is a good option for people who are not suitable for surgery or who refuse surgery. Chemotherapy is used for both NSCLC and SCLC. Chemotherapy drugs may be given alone or in combination with surgery or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is the treatment of first choice for SCLC since it has usually spread extensively in the body by the time it has been diagnosed.

Also used in the treatment of lung cancer are targeted therapies. These are drugs (gefitinib and erlotinib) or antibodies (cetuximab, bevacizumab) that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in tumor growth and progression. They are used in some patients with NSCLC that does not respond to standard chemotherapy.

Lung Cancer: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

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