Category prostate health

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and carcinogenesis
prostate health

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and carcinogenesis

Often, when doctors and experts talk about breast cancer, ovarian cancer or prostate cancer, they also name the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and their possible influence in the carcinogenic process. But what exactly are BRCA1 and BRCA2? BRCA1 and BRCA2 are two tumor suppressor genes . Tumor suppressor genes (or tumor suppressors ) play a fundamental role within the cell and the entire body: they produce proteins capable of repairing damaged DNA and suppressing the uncontrolled cellular proliferation typical of cancer cells

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prostate health

Suprapubic Ultrasound of the Prostate

Generality Suprapubic ultrasound of the prostate - or supra-pubic prostatic ultrasound - is a rather common examination, which is usually carried out in order to determine the volume of this gland and highlight any anomalies that may indicate the presence of prostatic diseases. Suprapubic ultrasound of the prostate is a non-invasive, painless examination that does not require special precautions or warnings; for this reason it is usually well tolerated by patients
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prostate health

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer

Hereditary mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes appear to have a significant influence on the premature development of several malignant tumors. The most important is definitely breast cancer (BRCA stands for Breast Cancer ), but ovarian cancer and prostate cancer should not be overlooked either. As for ovarian cancer, 12% of cases appear to be related to an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation
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prostate health

Some myths to debunk about prostate cancer

Many men are ill-informed about prostate cancer or know it very roughly. Some of the most common inaccuracies regarding this pathology are: Prostate cancer is exclusive to older people . It is wrong because, in reality, it can also affect people under 40. Advanced age is an important risk factor, but it is not the only one: in fact, family history, race, diet etc
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prostate health

The stages of gravity of prostate cancer

Based on the results of prostatic biopsy, digital rectal exploration and magnetic resonance imaging, physicians are able to establish the magnitude of prostate cancer and its spread in neighboring tissues (metastasis). Size and diffusion represent two fundamental parameters for deciding the gravity stage of the malignant neoplasm in question; in other words, they serve the doctor to determine how serious the condition is
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prostate health

The numbers of prostate cancer in Italy and in other countries of the world

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the male population. Only in Italy, in fact, every year between 36, 000 and 42, 000 new cases are diagnosed. Moreover, recent studies have shown that in the last 10 years - still in our country - the number of patients is constantly increasing. This is due to the increase in the average age of the population (NB: prostate cancer is more widespread among people over the age of 50) and the introduction of the PSA exam
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prostate health

Nuts, Prostate, Phytosterols and Cholesterol

In addition to the numerous references to the known cholesterol-lowering properties of walnuts, in the literature some evidences can be found about their protective effect against prostate cancer. These benefits are mainly due to phytosterols, molecules very similar to cholesterol present in plants. This analogy between the two molecules causes phytosterols to reduce blood cholesterol levels, reducing lipid absorption in the intestine
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prostate health

What is active prostate cancer surveillance?

When doctors talk about prostate cancer and forms of treatment for prostate cancer, they often refer to the term active surveillance . What is it about? The active surveillance of prostate cancer is the periodic monitoring, through appropriate diagnostic tests, of the neoplasm in question and its evolution over a certain period of time, without resorting to any particular therapeutic treatment
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prostate health

Active prostate cancer surveillance: advantages and disadvantages

The active surveillance of prostate cancer , or the meticulous monitoring of this neoplasm performed with periodic diagnostic tests, has its pros (obviously) but also its cons (which is less obvious). What do pros and cons consist of? As for the advantages, active surveillance is useful because: It allows to identify in the bud a possible worsening of the situation
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prostate health

Active prostate cancer surveillance: what are the planned exams?

Men in active surveillance for prostate cancer must undergo periodic visits, which are used to assess the progression of the disease and to identify any deterioration in time. During an active surveillance visit, the diagnostic evaluation tests, which the doctor can use, are: the PSA quantification test, digital rectal exploration (DRE), prostate biopsy and / or MRI
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