Prostate Cancer Treatment and Symptoms

When it comes time for a man to decide if he should treat a diagnosed case of prostate cancer, the evidence is growing that treatment may not make much difference when it comes to survival. What may matter, however, are the potentially severe side effects men may experience when undergoing treatment they may not need.

Obesity is a growing concern in America and it seems to be related to several health concerns. Add one more as researchers have found that weight gain in men increases prostate cancer risk, writes US News & World Report. However, the unique element about this study is that it is not all obese men. The increased risk of prostate cancer occurs at a specific time of the weight gain.

Use of hormone therapy may increase the risk of death in prostate cancer patients who have heart disease, according to a recently published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study found that men who had localized or locally advanced prostate cancer and a history of coronary artery disease had a nearly twofold risk of death when compared with similar cancer patients who had no underlying cardiac condition or only one risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Men who have an undergone prostate cancer treatment and are obese are found to be at risk for recurrence of the disease, despite race. Past studies have suggested that obese blacks are more at risk for recurring prostate cancer than are whites. The new analysis shows that obesity increases the risk of recurring prostate cancer in both groups.