Orchietomy is a radical prostate cancer treatment in which the testicles are completely removed. This is done because most cases of prostate cancer develop and progress because of the presence of male sex hormones, or more specifically testosterone and this hormone is produced by the testes.
This type of prostate cancer treatment is a form of hormone therapy which works by manipulating the hormone levels in the body so that the cancerous cells stop growing and dividing. While this therapy is known to have a positive effect on the cancer you must realise that the operation is non-reversible and the chances of your sex life being affected are virtually 100%.
Men who have undergone this form of prostate cancer treatment often report that their libido decreases and so does their desire to have sex. Unfortunately even when they do have the desire for sexual intercourse they may find themselves to be impotent and this can lead to psychological problems in the long term. These side affects of orchietomy are very common and you should take them in to account and discuss them with your partner before you decide to undergo this form of prostate cancer treatment.
Other side effects of this radical prostate cancer treatment are associated with the unbalancing of the male and female hormone levels within the body. By removing the testicles the concentration of testosterone in your body will be reduced by around 90% however the concentration of oestrogen, the female hormone will remain the same. This means that on occasion breast tenderness, growth of the breast tissue and osteoporosis can develop. Other side effects include anaemia, weight gain, and depression and fatigue however your oncologist will be able to explain each of the side effects in much more detail.
Before deciding for or against this form of prostate cancer treatment you need to decide what exactly you want to get out of the treatment. If you want to eliminate the cancer from your body then an orchietomy is a possibility however there are other ways to remove the cancer totally and these alternative treatments have fewer and less severe side effects. If however you are 60+ and do not want to have surgery then this procedure is not for you and radiation therapy can be used to simply control the growth of the cancer. Similarly if you are still relatively young and do not want to be plagued with impotence and lack of sex drive then, again, an orchietomy is probably not the prostate cancer treatment for you.
Because impotence is a major side effect of this radical prostate cancer treatment you should think long and hard before agreeing to anything. Talk to your partner and your oncologist and look into the alternative forms of treatment. There may be a better one for you that only has temporary side effects so that after a few weeks or months you can once again enjoy a full sex life.
By: Khim Lim
Archive for September, 2009
Orchietomy For Prostate Cancer Treatment
September 30th, 2009How To Handle Impotence Caused By Your Prostate Cancer Treatment
September 29th, 2009It can be very depressing for you if you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and as a result of your treatment, have to combat impotence as well. You have feelings of inadequacy and feel as if you have lost your manhood.
Prostate cancer treatment has been known to cause impotence. This is because the prostate gland is in close proximity to the nerves that control and enable erection and any nerve damage sustained during surgery or radiotherapy can cause penile dysfunction. You should therefore discuss about the chances of developing impotence with your oncologist before you start your prostate cancer treatment.
Fortunately, many of the impotence cases that are caused by prostate cancer treatments are only temporary. Normal erections do return within 6-12 months. Even so this is a long time to be impotent and many men worry how their inability to have sex will affect their relationships. If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer and your chosen form of treatment is known to affect the functioning of the penis, then you must talk to your partner and explain that it is what you want to do. You really should have little to worry about as most partners would prefer you to be alive and impotent than not alive at all.
There are drugs available that can cause an erection and these can be prescribed until normal functioning returns. Talk to your doctor about this and find out if there are any side effects from taking the tablets.
Alternatively you and your partner can find other ways to pleasure each other so that sexual intercourse is no longer the main part of your sex life.
In addition to impotence there is a chance that your prostate cancer will also make you sterile. The prostate gland adds the fluid part to semen and so removal of the gland means that ejaculate is no longer produced. This makes it virtually impossible to impregnate a female as the fluid is needed to carry the sperm. This complication should also be a factor when considering which prostate cancer treatment to choose, especially if you are still young and want children in the future.
Sterility is often only temporary with radiation and chemotherapy treatments for prostate cancer however surgery to remove the entire gland will ultimately result in permanent sterility.
Discussing the various options with your partner will help to put things in perspective. Your prostate cancer affects her as much as you. So you should not remain silent about your suffering. It is crucial that you talk about your prostate cancer treatment as you will need her support during this tough period.
By: Khim Lim
Skin Cancer Treatment – What are the Options
September 28th, 2009Everybody loves spending time outdoor on a hot summer day. Whether it is at the local swimming pool or just trying to get that perfect tan, too much sun is bad for your skin. If you are exposed to too much of the harmful ultraviolet sunrays, you can develop not only a really bad sunburn, but it may also lead to skin cancer.
Skin cancer is something most people don’t even think about because they think that it won’t ever happen to them, but the truth is that it can happen to anybody. The good thing about skin cancer is that the symptoms directly affect the skin so it is very easy to detect in the early stages. Seeking a proper skin cancer treatment at these early stages increases the prognosis of this disease.
There are several types of skin cancer treatment commonly used to treat skin cancer. Which treatment method used is dependent on where the cancer is and at what stages of its development. Most skin cancers can be effectively treated by the removal of the skin lesion and making sure that the edges of the lesion are free from tumor cells. This is probably the most effective treatment and cure for both the early and high-risk skin cancer patients. For a lot of low risk skin cancer patients, a mix of radiation therapy and cryotherapy (or freezing) will be used to treat and control this disease. The downside of this treatment method is that the curing rate is much lower than removal by the surgical method.
One common surgical treatment of skin cancer is a technique called the Moh’s Microsurgery. This is a technique where the cancer is removed with the least amount of surrounding tissue and then the edges are immediately checked for any remaining traces of the tumor. This technique is good because it removes the least amount of healthy tissue and is ideal for people who have developed cancer in places where there are not much tissue to spare, for example, the face. The only limitation to this technique is that there are very few of these specialists available. You may have to spend some time locating such a specialist. If the disease begins to spread into other areas, other treatment like chemotherapy might have to be implemented.
Skin cancer is one of those diseases that is not only harmful to your health but is also not very good cosmetically. There are several treatments out there that are able to remove the cancerous lesions while still keeping your skin cosmetically appealing. However, in more serious cases, keeping healthy is more important than looking good. If you suspect you may have contacted this disease, do consult your doctors immediately to seek medical advice on the proper skin cancer treatment available to treat and control the disease.
By: Lester Lee
