Posts Tagged ‘even’

Even With High PSA Levels Man’s Doctors Fail To Diagnose His Prostate Cancer

Doctors use diagnostics tests to doctors to determine if a patient has the cancer. Still because of the possibility of false negatives (a negative test outcome even though the patient in reality has cancer) physicians have to follow up and redo tests as appropriate when patient complaints and screening tests continue to indicate the possibility of cancer. The failure to do so might leave the doctor liable for malpractice.

In one published case a man told his primary care physician that he was having urinary frequency and burning. The doctor commenced him on antibiotics and refered the man to a urologist. The urologist did a cystoscopy which showed that the individual had an enlarged prostate. The urologist also took a PSA blood test which registered a 16.3 (anything higher than a 4.0 is ordinarily accepted as high). As a result the urologist took a biopsy two months later. The biopsy was read by a pathologist as benign.

The next year the individual went back to the urologist. On this occasion the PSA registered a 2.9 (typically considered to be normal). The urologist diagnosed the patient with BPH (a benign enlargement of the prostate). After 3 months the individual went to the primary care physician with complaints of fever and nocturia (having to urinate during the night). The physician put him on a second round of antibiotics. A follow up urine culture registered negative. The primary care physician thus referred the patient to the urologist. The urologist ordered a PSA test which registered a 6.4 ( high).

A biopsy examines parts of the prostate. As a result, a biopsy can miss the cancer. But, the urologist chose to depend on the preceding year’s biopsy and to not perform an additional one as a follow up. Instead, the urologist did nothing to follow up on the man’s complaints and abnormal PSA. The following year the individual returned to his primary care physician. His symptoms continued to include nocturia. On physical examination the physician documented that the patient had a very enlarged prostate. Yet, the doctor did not do another a PSA or re-refer him to a urologist. Regular blood testing 4 months afterwards revealed that the male patient’s PSA was at 7.4 Neither physician did anything to follow up.

The next year the primary care physician noted that the PSA level was 9.8 Again, no follow up or referral to a urologist. Yet one more year and the man continues to have problems with nocturia. Now the PSA was 9.7 No follow up and no referral. Five years after the person’s initial claims of urinary problems the primary care physician once more documented a substantially enlarged prostate gland and a PSA level that had reached a 31. The doctor lastly refered the individual back to the urologist.

The urologist confirmed that the patient’s prostate was enlarged and started the man a two week regimen of antibiotics to be followed by another PSA test. When the PSA test was repeated 2 weeks soon after it registered a level of 33. A biopsy followed which uncovered cancer every sample taken.

Testing later found that the man had prostate cancer which had spread to the lymph nodes, the liver and the bone. Even after hormone therapy and radiation therapy the patient died close to 18 months subsequent to his diagnosis. The law firm that represented his family announced that a settlement for $1,000,000 was attained in the case.

Even in remission, cancer still touches all parts of Rowdies fullback Graham Tatters’ life

Even in remission, cancer still touches all parts of Rowdies fullback Graham Tatters’ life
TAMPA — Rowdies fullback Graham Tatters doesn’t sweat the small stuff anymore.

Read more on St. Petersburg Times

More exercise prescribed for cancer survivors, even before they finish therapy

More exercise prescribed for cancer survivors, even before they finish therapy
WASHINGTON – New guidelines urge cancer survivors to exercise more, even, difficult as it may sound, those who have not yet finished their treatment. There Is growing evidence that physical activity improves quality of life and eases some cancer-related fatigue.

Read more on Brandon Sun

Even Moderate Drinking Can Lead To Breast Cancer

While most people avoid alcohol due to its intoxicating effects, which usually causes a lot of accidents and untoward incidents, and the high risk of a number of diseases, including liver cirrhosis, infection of the pancreas, among others, its positive effects and health benefits are also gaining popularity especially when it is taken in moderation.

Moderate drinking means one to two glasses of wine daily. From improving heart health to lowering cholesterol, moderate consumption of red wine can help you stay healthy. The antioxidants in red wines have been shown to provide certain protection against heart disease as they act like warriors, preventing the oxidation process whereby reactive particles known as “free radicals” cause damage to healthy cells. Alcohol has been shown to help your heart in several ways: by raising your HDL (high-density lipoproteins) or “good” cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and preventing the formation of blood clots.

However, there’s a new twist of fate to alcohol drinkers, especially among party girls, as recent studies show some link between alcohol and breast cancer in women.  Having one to two drinks a day, once considered as moderate drinking, is now being linked to the higher risks of breast cancer in women.  The said increase in risk of breast cancer among women who regularly consume alcohol has risen by 10 percent. Make that three or more drinks a day, and the risk triples to 30 percent.

According to Dr. Yan Li, lead researcher at Kaiser Permanente, they were able to compile and analyze data on the drinking habits of 70,033 women of various races and backgrounds.  Their study was focused on determining whether the type of alcohol or just the amount a woman drinks impacts her breast cancer risk. “It makes no difference if a woman drinks wine, beer or liquor.  It’s the alcohol itself and the quantity consumed that is critical,” Dr. Li said.  In fact, drinking three or more drinks a day may translate into an extra 5 percent of all women developing breast cancer as a result of heavy drinking.

In 2000, a Danish study had found that red wine drinkers had half the risk of dying from heart disease as non-alcohol drinkers. However, some researchers are not convinced and recommends further studies regarding health benefits of red wine.  The American Heart Association requires for more research until they do consider drinking wine or any other alcohol for its benefits.

Though the cause of increased risk for breast cancer by heavy use of alcohol remains a mystery, Dr. Li and her colleagues believe that further study may support the evidence that alcohol could alter the pathway of female hormones and produce more hormone sensitive breast cancer.

According to Heather Spencer Feigelson, spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society, “the risk of drinking one glass of red wine a day is very low. It’s an individual choice.” With further studies still needed to prove whether the heart-health benefits outweigh the newly shown risk of breast cancer, the decision is up to the women if they still want their glass of red wine as long as they analyze their own risk of heart disease and breast cancer.  “Each woman has to analyze her own risk factors to determine what alcohol will do to them,” said Dr. Li

Can you get breast cancer even if your breasts arent fully developed yet?

i barely have like any boobs, but under about a half inch of tissue there is a large continuous lump its like a cauliflower plate… i don’t really know how to describe it but i only want serious answers… could this be bad?