Men Cancer And Sexual Health
Many men affected by cancer worry about their sexual health. Sexual health is an important part of life. Sexual health is more than sex. It is the physical, psychological, emotional, and social aspects of sex. How you see yourself, how your partner sees you, starting and maintaining sexual relationships and the importance of sex to your quality of life are all part of your sexual health. Cancer affects every mans sexuality in different ways.
Symptoms To Look Out For After Sexual Activity
If you experience symptoms of prostatitis following a recent sexual activity, especially when you did not use protection, it is important to look out for accompanying symptoms.
To be more specific, look for symptoms linked to chlamydia, as this can give you a good indication of whether or not you should get tested. One of the major problems here is that many symptoms of chlamydia may also be caused by prostatitis not linked to an STI.
It is, however, important to look for any penile discharge. This may be a sign of chlamydia, as it is commonly experienced by men infected with this bacterial infection. Sometimes, chlamydia also causes the testicles to swell up. Some men complain about pain in the testicles along with swelling.
In addition to chlamydia, it is important not to overlook the possibility of gonorrhea as well. This is another relatively common sexually transmitted infection that is caused by a bacteria known as the Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Another factor to take into account here is the fact that the presence of chronic prostatitis along with an STI may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
What Is A Prostatectomy
A prostatectomy is a surgical procedure in which part or all of your prostate gland is surgically removed from your body. Its usually carried out to treat advanced benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer.
Your prostate is a small gland thats located between your penis and your rectum. Its roughly the same size as a ping-pong ball and plays a key role in your reproductive health by creating the semen that mixes with your sperm before you ejaculate.
Prostatectomy surgery is generally described as simple or radical. In a simple prostatectomy, the inner part of the prostate gland is removed through an incision thats made in your lower abdomen. This type of procedure is usually performed to treat prostate enlargement.
In a radical prostatectomy, your entire prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissue may be removed. This type of procedure is usually performed to treat prostate cancer.
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How Do Doctors Diagnose A Prostate Infection
The diagnosis of both acute and chronic prostate infections begins with the history of the symptoms described above, the physical exam, including the digital exam of the prostate and often confirmed by culture and identification of the infecting organism.
Acute bacterial prostatitis diagnosis
- Usually an enlarged, firm, and tender prostate is enough to make a presumptive diagnosis and start treatment .
- Because there is usually a low level of bacteria in urine, the doctor will perform a urinalysis to quantitate and identify infecting bacteria by urine culture.
- If the person has symptoms suggesting the infection has spread outside the prostate , blood cultures and other blood tests are likely to be ordered.
- If a spread of the infection is suspected, a doctor will often perform an ultrasound to help confirm the diagnosis and to rule out an abscess. If this ultrasound is not available, the doctor may perform a CT scan or MRI of the pelvis.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis diagnosis
One of two tests are sometimes performed to help with the diagnosis:
The classic test is a Meares-Stamey 3-glass test. Three separate urine samples are collected and examined during this test. The last sample is taken after prostatic massage.
Premassage and postmassage test
Men with recurrent urinary tract infections should have ultrasound imaging of their upper urinary tract and a plain abdominal X-ray or an intravenous urography to exclude a possible structural problem or a kidney stone.
Can Anything Be Done For Erectile Dysfunction Caused By Prostate Cancer Treatment
- How good your erections were before your treatment
- Other medical conditions you have like high blood pressure or diabetes
- Some types of medicines you may take such as medicines for high blood pressure or antidepressants
- Things you do in your life such as drinking or smoking
- The type of prostate cancer treatment you had
It is important that you and your partner speak with your doctor or healthcare team about what you can do. Your doctor or healthcare team will speak with you about what might work best for you if you have erectile dysfunction. It is important that you speak with them since some treatments for erectile dysfunction can affect other medical problems you may have.
Types of treatment for erectile dysfunction include:
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What Exactly Is The Prostate
The prostate is a walnut-size gland located between the bladder and the penis. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis. When it becomes enlarged, a common condition with age, the urethra is squeezed and urinary problems can result. The prostate plays an important role in reproduction, being responsible for much of the seminal fluid produced by a man.
Psa Testing: One Step At A Time
The PSA test is a diagnostic beginning, not an end. Its biggest limitation is that it is not cancer-specific. I have heard it best explained as a smoke alarm that can alert us to potential problems in the prostate, but it cannot distinguish between a full-blown fire fueled by cancer or one of several other medical conditions, such as an enlarged prostate or prostatitis, that can be creating smoke. This data, combined with the DRE that provides a tactile assessment for the presence of tumor growth, gives physicians information that may lead them to recommend a needle biopsy to determine if cancer cells are present in the prostate.
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Questions Adult Males Have About Cancer And Sex
Every person with cancer is different, and there are many different types of surgeries and treatments for cancer. Sexuality and intimacy have been shown to help people face cancer by helping them deal with feelings of distress, and when going through treatment. But, the reality is that a person’s sex organs, sexual desire , sexual function, well-being, and body image can be affected by having cancer and cancer treatment. How a person shows sexuality can also be affected. Read more in How Cancer and Cancer Treatment Can Affect Sexuality.
Sexuality is very personal. Because each person’s situation is different, we cannot list every possible problem here. It’s important to ask questions so your cancer care team can answer them so your stress, anxiety, and fears can be lessened, and you can get help to manage any sexual problems you might have.
This information is for adult males with cancer. If you are a transgender person, please talk to your cancer care team about any needs that are not addressed here.
Link Found Between Common Sexual Infection And Risk Of Aggressive Prostate Cancer
For immediate release: Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Boston, MAA new study from Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Womens Hospital researchers has found a strong association between the common sexually transmitted infection, Trichomonas vaginalis, and risk of advanced and lethal prostate cancer in men.
The study appears online on September 9, 2009, on the Journal of the National Cancer Institute website and will appear in a later print edition.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in western countries, and the second leading cause of cancer-specific mortality. Identifying modifiable risk factors for the lethal form of prostate cancer offers the greatest opportunity to reduce suffering from this disease, said Jennifer Stark, an HSPH researcher and lead author of the study.
One potential risk factor is inflammation, which appears to play an important role in the development and progression of prostate cancer, but the source of inflammation of the prostate is not clear. Trichomonasvaginalis, which infects an estimated 174 million people globally each year and is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection, can infect the prostate and could be a source of inflammation. With respect to prostate cancer prevention, it is noteworthy that up to three-quarters of men infected with Trichomonas vaginalis may not realize they are infected, since they may not have any symptoms.
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What You Can Do Now
Sexual side effects from prostate cancer treatment are often temporary, especially if your doctor used nerve-sparing surgery. While your body recovers, you can try a few things to maintain your sex life:
- Let your doctor know about any sexual problems youre having right away. Although it can be hard to talk about sex, being open and honest will help you get the treatment you need.
- See a therapist. Couples therapy can help you and your partner understand and deal with sexual issues.
- Take care of yourself by exercising, eating a well-balanced diet, reducing stress, and getting enough sleep. Looking and feeling your best will give your self-esteem and mood a boost.
Can Prostatitis Come Back
Men who have had prostatitis once are more likely to get it again. Antibiotics may not get into the prostate gland well. Small amounts of bacteria might hide in the prostate and not be killed by the antibiotic. Once you stop taking the antibiotic, the infection can get bad again. If this happens, you might have to take antibiotics for a long time to prevent another infection. Prostatitis that is not caused by infection is often chronic. If you have this kind of prostatitis, you might have to take medicine for a long time.
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Before Radiation Therapy Chemotherapy Hormone Therapy Targeted Therapy Or Immunotherapy
If having radiation, chemo, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy is in your treatment plan, here are some questions you might want to ask before it starts. Keep in mind not all of these questions are right for everyone. What questions you ask depend on your age, stage in life, relationship status, and the type of cancer and treatment you’re getting. If you forget or don’t think about asking questions before treatment, it’s a good idea to ask them as during your treatment visits or check-ups. It’s also good to keep asking questions and following up on problems you’ve brought up at past visits.
- How soon will treatment start?
- What side effects can I expect?
- How will this treatment affect my appearance?
- Will I lose my hair? If so, when and how much?
- Will I gain or lose weight?
- Can I exercise during treatment?
- How might treatment affect my sex life? Will it affect my sexual desire, response, or function? What can be done about these effects?
- Do I need to use birth control while I’m getting treatment? For how long?
- Does my partner need to use birth control while I’m getting treatment? What about afterward? For how long?
- Can my cancer, medication, or treatment be passed to my partner through my body fluids?
- What safety measures do I need to take, and for how long?
- Will I be able to have children after treatment?
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Symptomatic treatment of an enlarged prostate usually involves a combination of medication and lifestyle changes. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may be the best option if you suffer from chronic urination. It will help the body adjust to the increased size of the prostate. Also, taking regular urination intervals will help retrain the bladder to function properly. Inactivity also contributes to urine retention, and cold temperatures can increase the urge to urinate.
Invasive treatment of enlarged prostate includes medication that relieves the pressure on the urethra and bladder. However, if the condition is severe, it may require surgical intervention. If treatment is not successful, the enlarged prostate can become a potentially life-threatening disease. As the hormone levels in the body change, the enlarged prostate can lead to various complications, including urinary retention and even cancer. This is why it is critical to see a doctor for further evaluation.
A physician can recommend a number of treatments to address an enlarged prostate. An enlarged prostate will require surgery to relieve the symptoms. In most cases, surgical treatment for an enlargement of the penis is enough. Moreover, a doctor may recommend a course of treatment based on symptoms. A TURP procedure is not painful and requires less recovery time than open surgery. The recovery period will be shorter and less traumatic.
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Std And Prostate Cancer
Trichomoniasis affects both men and women and as many as 7.4 million new infections occur each year, according to the CDC.
The STD is caused by the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis.
Though easily treated with medication, 50%-75% of men with trichomoniasis never develop symptoms so they never find out they have the STD. And many, but not all, clear the infection in a matter of weeks without treatment. Also, people can be reinfected even after treatment.
At least one previous study has suggested a link between trichomoniasis and more aggressive prostate cancers, but that study was smaller and had shorter follow-up than the one reported by Mucci and colleagues in the Sept. 9 online version of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Using data from an ongoing trial involving more than 22,000 male physicians first recruited in 1982, the researchers compared prostate cancer incidence and outcomes among men with and without evidence of infection with the STD.
In all, 673 men who went on to develop prostate cancer and 673 men without cancer matched to the patients for age, smoking status, and follow-up time were included in the analysis.
A history of trichomoniasis infection was confirmed by testing stored blood samples drawn from the men soon after they entered the study.
The samples revealed a slight, but not statistically significant, increase in prostate cancers among men with evidence of a prior infection.
Safe Sex During A Prostate Infection
If you decide to have sex before the prostate infection has cleared up, you should consider taking some precautionary safety measures.
Start by getting tested for common bacterial sexually transmitted infections that can result in a prostate infection. Make sure your partner understands the results of these tests before initiating any activity.
It is also important to wear appropriate protection when having sex. This will help reduce the risk of bacteria spreading particularly in situations where you have an infection caused by an STI. Condoms are generally considered to be highly effective at reducing these risks.
You also need to consider your symptoms. If you experience pain during sex, it might be a better idea to stop the activity. Talk to your partner and make sure they understand the condition, as this allows them to be more understanding in such a situation.
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How To Enhance Male Libido Naturally
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Prostate Cancer Linked To Sexually Transmitted Disease
- Story Highlights
- Study: Men with trichomonas vaginalis more likely to have aggressive prostate cancer
- The germ is a type of parasite that can infect the prostate
- Trichomonas affects 174 million people around the world each year
Men with prostate cancer who were previously infected with the sexually transmitted germ Trichomonas vaginalis are more likely to have an aggressive form of the cancer, compared with men who never had the STD, a new study says.
Researchers say trichomonas, an STD, is most common in men ages 25 to 39.
The germ, a type of parasite, can infect the prostate and may cause inflammation that spurs the growth of prostate cancer later in life, says senior author Lorelei Mucci, Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
“Our underlying hypothesis is around inflammation and, in particular, we believe that inflammation from a variety of sources is leading to prostate cancer progression,”she says.
In the study, Mucci and colleagues compared 673 prostate cancer patients to 673 men without prostate cancer, and tested their blood for signs of a past infection with trichomonas. All the men were enrolled in the Physician’s Health Study, according to the report published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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However, it’s an important issue to consider, he says.
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Ladies: Check Your Prostates
Okayyou may not have one physically, but if you are married to a man or care about other males in your life, you might as well resign yourself to becoming an advocate for this small and mysterious part of the male anatomy. Men are often their own worst enemy when it comes to their healthcare, making a strong dose of feminine persistence just what the doctor ordered. Heres an introduction to the number one mens health issue that might be affecting someone you love.