Re: What happens to the prostate?

[Guest guest]

Steve,

The simplistic answer, as I understand it,

is that the cells that die following radiation are dealt with like any other of

the billions of cells that die more natural deaths in our body every day. They

are cleared up and and passed out of the body with all the other waste.

All the best

Terry Herbert

I have no medical

qualifications but I was diagnosed in ‘96: and have learned a bit since

then.

My sites are at www.yananow.net and www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za

Dr

“Snuffy” Myers : " As a physician, I am painfully aware that most of

the decisions we make with regard to prostate cancer are made with inadequate

data "

From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of n4lq

Sent: Monday, 9 June 2008 12:12 PM

To: ProstateCancerSupport

Subject:

What happens to the prostate?

I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of

any kind, what exactly

happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the urine. Is

there anything left of it?

Steve Ellington

N4LQinsightbb

[Guest guest]

Steve,

The simplistic answer, as I understand it,

is that the cells that die following radiation are dealt with like any other of

the billions of cells that die more natural deaths in our body every day. They

are cleared up and and passed out of the body with all the other waste.

All the best

Terry Herbert

I have no medical

qualifications but I was diagnosed in ‘96: and have learned a bit since

then.

My sites are at www.yananow.net and www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za

Dr

“Snuffy” Myers : " As a physician, I am painfully aware that most of

the decisions we make with regard to prostate cancer are made with inadequate

data "

From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of n4lq

Sent: Monday, 9 June 2008 12:12 PM

To: ProstateCancerSupport

Subject:

What happens to the prostate?

I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of

any kind, what exactly

happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the urine. Is

there anything left of it?

Steve Ellington

N4LQinsightbb

[Guest guest]

Steve,

The simplistic answer, as I understand it,

is that the cells that die following radiation are dealt with like any other of

the billions of cells that die more natural deaths in our body every day. They

are cleared up and and passed out of the body with all the other waste.

All the best

Terry Herbert

I have no medical

qualifications but I was diagnosed in ‘96: and have learned a bit since

then.

My sites are at www.yananow.net and www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za

Dr

“Snuffy” Myers : " As a physician, I am painfully aware that most of

the decisions we make with regard to prostate cancer are made with inadequate

data "

From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of n4lq

Sent: Monday, 9 June 2008 12:12 PM

To: ProstateCancerSupport

Subject:

What happens to the prostate?

I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of

any kind, what exactly

happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the urine. Is

there anything left of it?

Steve Ellington

N4LQinsightbb

[Guest guest]

Steve:

Taking a stab at your question:

" After radiation treatment of any kind, what exactly happens to the

prostate? "

Prostate cancer causes the cancerous cells to multiply and develop

into tumors. They keep growing, which can cause an enlarged prostate

gland and the " nodules " felt by the specialist doing a DRE (digital

rectal exam). The cancer cells (if untreated) eventually progress to

the lymph nodes and metastasize to other (usually bony) parts of the

body.

The basic reason for radiation treatment of prostate cancer is that

the energy of the radiation " ionizes " cells in the path of radiation.

This ionization affects the DNA of cancer cells such that they lose

the ability to multiply.

(See Mayo Clinic Article http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/radiation-

therapy/CA00031) :

" Radiation therapy damages cells by destroying the genetic material

that controls how cells grow and divide. And while both healthy and

cancerous cells are damaged by radiation therapy, the goal of

treatment is to destroy as few normal, healthy cells as possible. "

The goal then is to cause the cancer cells to " die. " This cell death

is called apoptosis. (See Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoptosis .) This process (apoptosis) is

normal and is what happens in our bodies continuously as normal cells

die. The " dead " cells are removed from the body as waste.

So with prostate gland radiation, the gland itself is still there,

but the cancerous cells " die " as they lose the ability to multiply

and divide from the ionizing radiation, and are removed like normal

dead cells as body waste. With radiation, this is not instantaneous,

but occurs over a long period of time, since it is the ability of the

cancer cells to multiply that is affected.

This is a very simplified explanation of an extremely complex

process. For a more technical view, read the complete Wikipedia

article above, and research some of the references as well as " Cancer

Radiation. " .

Incidentally, the statement above: … " the goal of treatment is to

destroy as few normal, healthy cells as possible. " is precisely why

proton beam therapy was developed.

From a personal standpoint, my gland was about double size when I was

diagnosed, with a defined nodule on one side, and " hardness " on the

other. One year after proton treatment, my gland, as described by

the doc doing the DRE, was: " Very small and smooth, no evidence of

nodules or hardness. "

One other point: in this business of prostate cancer, there are

NO " dumb questions. "

Fuller

>

> I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of any kind, what

exactly

> happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the

urine. Is

> there anything left of it?

>

> Steve Ellington

> N4LQ@...

>

[Guest guest]

Steve:

Taking a stab at your question:

" After radiation treatment of any kind, what exactly happens to the

prostate? "

Prostate cancer causes the cancerous cells to multiply and develop

into tumors. They keep growing, which can cause an enlarged prostate

gland and the " nodules " felt by the specialist doing a DRE (digital

rectal exam). The cancer cells (if untreated) eventually progress to

the lymph nodes and metastasize to other (usually bony) parts of the

body.

The basic reason for radiation treatment of prostate cancer is that

the energy of the radiation " ionizes " cells in the path of radiation.

This ionization affects the DNA of cancer cells such that they lose

the ability to multiply.

(See Mayo Clinic Article http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/radiation-

therapy/CA00031) :

" Radiation therapy damages cells by destroying the genetic material

that controls how cells grow and divide. And while both healthy and

cancerous cells are damaged by radiation therapy, the goal of

treatment is to destroy as few normal, healthy cells as possible. "

The goal then is to cause the cancer cells to " die. " This cell death

is called apoptosis. (See Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoptosis .) This process (apoptosis) is

normal and is what happens in our bodies continuously as normal cells

die. The " dead " cells are removed from the body as waste.

So with prostate gland radiation, the gland itself is still there,

but the cancerous cells " die " as they lose the ability to multiply

and divide from the ionizing radiation, and are removed like normal

dead cells as body waste. With radiation, this is not instantaneous,

but occurs over a long period of time, since it is the ability of the

cancer cells to multiply that is affected.

This is a very simplified explanation of an extremely complex

process. For a more technical view, read the complete Wikipedia

article above, and research some of the references as well as " Cancer

Radiation. " .

Incidentally, the statement above: … " the goal of treatment is to

destroy as few normal, healthy cells as possible. " is precisely why

proton beam therapy was developed.

From a personal standpoint, my gland was about double size when I was

diagnosed, with a defined nodule on one side, and " hardness " on the

other. One year after proton treatment, my gland, as described by

the doc doing the DRE, was: " Very small and smooth, no evidence of

nodules or hardness. "

One other point: in this business of prostate cancer, there are

NO " dumb questions. "

Fuller

>

> I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of any kind, what

exactly

> happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the

urine. Is

> there anything left of it?

>

> Steve Ellington

> N4LQ@...

>

[Guest guest]

Steve:

Taking a stab at your question:

" After radiation treatment of any kind, what exactly happens to the

prostate? "

Prostate cancer causes the cancerous cells to multiply and develop

into tumors. They keep growing, which can cause an enlarged prostate

gland and the " nodules " felt by the specialist doing a DRE (digital

rectal exam). The cancer cells (if untreated) eventually progress to

the lymph nodes and metastasize to other (usually bony) parts of the

body.

The basic reason for radiation treatment of prostate cancer is that

the energy of the radiation " ionizes " cells in the path of radiation.

This ionization affects the DNA of cancer cells such that they lose

the ability to multiply.

(See Mayo Clinic Article http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/radiation-

therapy/CA00031) :

" Radiation therapy damages cells by destroying the genetic material

that controls how cells grow and divide. And while both healthy and

cancerous cells are damaged by radiation therapy, the goal of

treatment is to destroy as few normal, healthy cells as possible. "

The goal then is to cause the cancer cells to " die. " This cell death

is called apoptosis. (See Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoptosis .) This process (apoptosis) is

normal and is what happens in our bodies continuously as normal cells

die. The " dead " cells are removed from the body as waste.

So with prostate gland radiation, the gland itself is still there,

but the cancerous cells " die " as they lose the ability to multiply

and divide from the ionizing radiation, and are removed like normal

dead cells as body waste. With radiation, this is not instantaneous,

but occurs over a long period of time, since it is the ability of the

cancer cells to multiply that is affected.

This is a very simplified explanation of an extremely complex

process. For a more technical view, read the complete Wikipedia

article above, and research some of the references as well as " Cancer

Radiation. " .

Incidentally, the statement above: … " the goal of treatment is to

destroy as few normal, healthy cells as possible. " is precisely why

proton beam therapy was developed.

From a personal standpoint, my gland was about double size when I was

diagnosed, with a defined nodule on one side, and " hardness " on the

other. One year after proton treatment, my gland, as described by

the doc doing the DRE, was: " Very small and smooth, no evidence of

nodules or hardness. "

One other point: in this business of prostate cancer, there are

NO " dumb questions. "

Fuller

>

> I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of any kind, what

exactly

> happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the

urine. Is

> there anything left of it?

>

> Steve Ellington

> N4LQ@...

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Steve, as Fuller said there are no dumb questions. I too was

curious a while back about what the prostate is like after radiation.

It is very difficult to find any kind of description on the Internet,

or in books for that matter. I did find this, which is a pretty

simple, but easily understood paragraph.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill prostate cancer

cells, shrink tumors, and prevent cancer cells from dividing and

spreading. It is difficult to direct these rays only at the cancer

cells. As a result, both cancer cells and healthy cells nearby may be

damaged. Radiation therapy is not given all at once; it is usually

given in small doses spread out over time. This potentially allows

the healthy cells to recover and survive, while the cancer cells

eventually die.

But, the gland is still present after radiation. I found a site that

said that prostate tissue effects of radiation include, vascular

occlusion, tissue hypoxia and fibrosis.

>

> I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of any kind, what

exactly

> happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the

urine. Is

> there anything left of it?

>

> Steve Ellington

> N4LQ@...

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Steve, as Fuller said there are no dumb questions. I too was

curious a while back about what the prostate is like after radiation.

It is very difficult to find any kind of description on the Internet,

or in books for that matter. I did find this, which is a pretty

simple, but easily understood paragraph.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill prostate cancer

cells, shrink tumors, and prevent cancer cells from dividing and

spreading. It is difficult to direct these rays only at the cancer

cells. As a result, both cancer cells and healthy cells nearby may be

damaged. Radiation therapy is not given all at once; it is usually

given in small doses spread out over time. This potentially allows

the healthy cells to recover and survive, while the cancer cells

eventually die.

But, the gland is still present after radiation. I found a site that

said that prostate tissue effects of radiation include, vascular

occlusion, tissue hypoxia and fibrosis.

>

> I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of any kind, what

exactly

> happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the

urine. Is

> there anything left of it?

>

> Steve Ellington

> N4LQ@...

>

[Guest guest]

It shrivels up, becomes compact, and firm raisin-like according to my uro.

I seriously considered radiation and seeds, but after speaking with three different physicians, opted for surgery. The radiation guys told me that it is difficult to develop a salvage plan post radiation should radiation not eradicate the cancer. [the cancer in my body was hper aggressive, according to the good folk at Bostwick and confirmed by s Hopkins] Two yrs post op, my psa remains <0.1.

Incontinence and ED are different issues. Hans

What happens to the prostate?

I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of any kind, what exactly happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the urine. Is there anything left of it? Steve EllingtonN4LQinsightbb (DOT) com

[Guest guest]

It shrivels up, becomes compact, and firm raisin-like according to my uro.

I seriously considered radiation and seeds, but after speaking with three different physicians, opted for surgery. The radiation guys told me that it is difficult to develop a salvage plan post radiation should radiation not eradicate the cancer. [the cancer in my body was hper aggressive, according to the good folk at Bostwick and confirmed by s Hopkins] Two yrs post op, my psa remains <0.1.

Incontinence and ED are different issues. Hans

What happens to the prostate?

I have a dumb question. After radiation treatment of any kind, what exactly happens to the prostate? Someone told me it passes out through the urine. Is there anything left of it? Steve EllingtonN4LQinsightbb (DOT) com