GENTLEMEN we at Doctors-4U® feel that there is not really enough publicity about problems men can experience during their life. This being so we decided to provide this area for articles and comments dealing exclusively with men's health and their problems.

We will be posting articles and comments here regularly on these subjects with a view to furthering your knowledge and hopefully your health!

SO WE MAY ASK?

What About Men's Health?" Statistically, men live 7 years less than women and face major health risks that can be prevented and treated if they are diagnosed early. Some women may need help to learn more about the leading health concerns of their men because women are often their major health carers and statistically they consult a doctor 150% more frequently than men do. Therefore, women can play a key role in preserving the health of their men. They can do this by encouraging and helping their men to adopt healthy lifestyles and to take important preventive screenings.

Our Articles and links are as follows:
Prostate problems
Testicular Cancer?
Masturbation & Prostate Cancer
Erectile Dysfunction
Injections for Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Prostate Cancer Council
AMS Australia - Erectile Restoration
Impotence Australia
A Clinical Guide To Prostatitis
Peyronies Disease - Information for men as well as a public forum
Peyronie's Disease - Association Of






Prostate Problems

So what is the Prostate?
The prostate is a small organ about the size of a walnut and it is found below the bladder (where urine is stored) and surrounds the tube that carries urine away from the bladder (urethra). The prostate makes a fluid that becomes part of semen. Semen is the white fluid that contains sperm.Prostate problems are common in men age 50 and older. Sometimes men feel symptoms themselves, or sometimes their doctors find prostate problems during routine exams. Doctors who are experts in diseases of the urinary tract (urologists) diagnose and treat prostate problems. There are many different kinds of prostate problems. Many don't involve cancer, however some do. Treatments can vary and prostate problems can often be treated without affecting sexual function.

Common Problems
Several common prostate problems are:

Acute prostatitis, which is an infection of the prostate caused by bacteria. It usually comes on quickly and can cause fever, chills, or pain in the lower back and between the legs. It may also cause pain when you urinate. If you have these symptoms, please see your doctor right away.

Chronic prostatitis is a prostate infection that keeps coming back time after time. Symptoms may be somewhat milder than in acute prostatitis, however they can last longer.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the term used to describe an enlarged prostate and BPH is common in older men. Over time, an enlarged prostate may block the urethra, making it hard to urinate. This can cause dribbling after you urinate or a frequent urge to urinate, especially at night. Your doctor will conduct a rectal exam to diagnose BPH. The doctor also may look at your urethra, prostate, and bladder. Talk with your doctor about treatment. Remember, regular checkups are important!

Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among men. Treatment for prostate cancer works best when the disease is found early so please remember those regular checks! Often men are loathe to have such an examination done and this is where the woman in your life can play a big part by insisting that their men have these regular checks.

Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
Doctors will ask questions about your medical history and perform a physical exam to find the cause of prostate problems. In the exam, the doctor feels the prostate through the rectal wall. He may also suggest a blood test to check your prostate specific antigen (PSA*) level. PSA levels may be high in men who have an enlarged prostate gland or prostate cancer. PSA tests are very useful for early cancer diagnosis. But PSA test results alone do not always tell whether or not cancer is present.

Prostate Cancer Treatment
There are many options for treating prostate cancer. Each treatment plan is based on details, such as whether or not the cancer has spread beyond the prostate (stage of cancer), your age and general health, and how you feel about the treatment options and side effects. Your Doctor will talk to you about such treatments and the choices available.Remember ask your Doctor about the treatment most applicable to you.

These maybe signs of prostate problems:

• Frequent urge to urinate,
• Blood in urine or semen,
• Painful or burning urination,
• Difficulty in urinating,
• Difficulty in having an erection,
• Painful ejaculation,
• Frequent pain or stiffness in lower back, hips or upper thighs,
• Inability to urinate, or
• Dribbling of urine.

If you experience any of these symptoms, it is always wise to consult a doctor for a check up! So Gentlemen remember a regular check is important! Arrange it now!

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Testicular Cancer

Just like breast cancer, early detection of testicular cancer is a key to a good prognosis. Be on the look out for any early warning signs like a lump in one of your testicles. A good time to check for any lumps is in the shower or bath. When in hot water the heat causes the skin to relax, making it easier to feel any changes.

Check by taking one testicle at a time and gently rolling it between your thumb and first three fingers. Do this until you have felt the entire surface. If you notice any unusual mass or hardness in your scrotum, you should immediately go to your doctor and have it examined. The self examination will take only about 30 seconds. Most irregularities you find during self examination in the majority of cases, are not tumors. So if you should find something it doesn't necessarily mean you have cancer!

To play safe and put your mind at rest go and see your Doctor!

It is always wise to carry our such a self examination at least once a month.

Also please have a look at our Women's Health page in your respective City to appreciate how important it is for that Woman in your life to have a regular Breast Screen.

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Masturbation & Prostate Cancer

New findings on prostate cancer risk and sexual activity
17 July 2003

The Cancer Council Victoria has announced the results of research undertaken into the relationship between prostate cancer and ejaculation in men aged under 70.

A research team led by Professor Graham Giles, Director of the Cancer Council's Cancer Epidemiology Centre, has found that there is evidence that the more frequently men ejaculate between the ages of 20 and 50, the less likely they are to develop prostate cancer.

The researched showed that the protective effect of ejaculation is greatest when men in their twenties ejaculated on average seven or more times a week. This group were one-third less likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer when compared with men who ejaculated less than three times a week at this age.

Professor Giles said, "We looked at a number of different aspects of sexual activity including the number of sexual partners, the frequency of ejaculation, as well as the number of times men ejaculated at different ages, from their twenties through to their fifties.

"The study looked at ejaculation in the context of intercourse with another person, masturbation, nocturnal emissions etc.

"This is a different approach from previous studies which have mostly looked at links between sexual intercourse and prostate cancer.
"Our research indicates that there is no association between prostate cancer and the number of sexual partners, which argues against infection as a cause of prostate cancer in the Australian population."
"We also found no association between maximum number of ejaculations in a 24 hour period and prostate cancer. Therefore, it is not men's ability to ejaculate that seems to be important.
"While it is generally accepted that prostate cancer is a hormone dependent cancer, apart from age and family history, its causes are poorly understood."

"For this reason, our explanations are fairly speculative - one possible reason for the protective effects of ejaculation may be that frequent ejaculation prevents carcinogens building up in the prostatic ducts."
"If the ducts are flushed out, there may be less build up and damage to the cells that line them."

"However, this is only one study and our findings require further corroboration in other studies.

The research was conducted with men who were under the age of 70 when they were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and with a group of similarly aged healthy men. There were 1079 men with prostate cancer and 1259 healthy men in the study. The men were from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

The men filled in a confidential questionnaire which sought details of their sexual activity at various times in their life. The results of the survey were treated confidentially.

Professor Giles said, "We believe that the men who participated in the study were likely to have been honest about their sexual activity because of the way the research was conducted, particularly using a questionnaire that men filled out themselves, and respecting their privacy."

"The fact that we did not find any association with the number of sexual partners argues against the possibility of the finding in regard to ejaculation being due to bias, as if this was the case we would have expected both associations to be positive."

The project involved researchers from The Cancer Council Victoria, The University of Western Australia, The European Institute of Oncology and the Dunedin Medical School, University of Otago, New Zealand.
The research was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and supported by funding from Tattersall's and The Whitten Foundation, as well as The Cancer Council Victoria.

The research is being published in the British Journal of Urology International vol 92, p 211.

The Australian Prostate Cancer Site can be seen here: www.prostatecancer.com.au/

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Erectile dysfunction: don't suffer in silence
2 March 2004
Reporter: Martin King

It's estimated 1.5 million Australian men suffer erectile dysfunction. But for many, there is a reluctance to go and see a doctor about the problem.

Now, as ACA reports, actor Gary Sweet has thrown his support behind a new campaign designed to raise awareness of the condition in an effort to encourage it to be discussed more openly.

Actor Gary Sweet, who plays detective Luke Harris in the popular television series Stingers, says he's put his face to an information campaign called "The Performance Pack" because erectile dysfunction is a serious men's health issue. The aim of the campaign is to give men an easy conversation starter with their GP because many men, like Brisbane's Lee Porter, simply suffer in silence."I think the problem is gradual and with our marriage, that's when I began to realise I needed to so something about it," he says.

Lee says his self-esteem was suffering and his marriage was in trouble, too."I just thought we grew apart because the affection wasn't there that should have been there," he says.The short story is, Lee went to a doctor and took a short course of tablets. Now, his marriage is back on track and the relationship is better than ever.

According to Dr Chris McMahon, who works at the Australian Centre for Sexual Health in Sydney, the average Australian man reckons they're bullet proof and hates going to the doctor, particularly with regard to sexual dysfunction. But he says, if there is a problem, treatment is available.

"Well, basically there are two forms of treatments, medical treatment which is suitable for the vast majority of men, and surgical treatment which is available for a very small number of men," he says. "The most common form of treatment is a tablet and there are three forms of tablets available in this country and overseas."Men who have not had success with one treatment should not simply give up - there are a number of new treatments available.

A special thank you to ACA and Channel 9 for this important article.


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Injecting quality of life to cancer patients
Wednesday June 7, 2006
By Sheryl Taylor
National Nine News medical reporter

Many of the 20,000-odd Australian men receiving treatment for prostate cancer are set to benefit from a new six-monthly injection that delays the cancer's progress.

The injection, known as Eligard, suppresses testosterone production which stops the growth of cancer cells and reduces the number of injections sufferers need to just two a year. It can keep cancer in remission and is available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

You'd never know Ted Oliver is being treated for prostate cancer - he can go on an extended holiday and not worry about treatment until the end of the year. Even then he won't have to go in to hospital, just a doctor's visit for a six-monthly injection, for his Eligard treatment, to keeps his cancer in check.

"I'm overjoyed, because in terms of quality of life, it's certainly a benefit to the patient," Mr Oliver said.

The male hormone testosterone that makes prostate cancer grow can be operated on or reduced with radiation if caught early. But if it has spread, hormone injections help delay cancer's progression; this latest formulation is injected as a gel - active ingredients released slowly over the next six months.

"By giving hormone therapy we're blocking testosterone and in 90 percent of men we're sending the prostate cancer into remission," said Dr Phillip Katelaris, a urological surgeon with the Prostate Cancer Rehabilitation Centre in Sydney.

For further information : Prostate Cancer Rehabilitation Centre in Sydney's website at www.prostatecancer.com.au

A special thank to National 9 News and ACA for this article.