Prostate Cancers

Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer of UK men. The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland situated near the bladder in men - it produces one component of semen. There are 35,000 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in the UK each year. If found early, while still confined to the gland itself, chances of survival are excellent, and modern surgical techniques, combined with drugs such as Viagra, mean that life-saving operations don't have to mean the end of sex lives. Professor Alan Horwich, is based at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and the Institute of Cancer Research, where he carries out research funded by Cancer Research UK. He said: "There are a broad range of prostate cancers, some of which are extremely gentle and indolent, which may not cause any significant ill health. "Others have the ability to spread to other parts of the body and cause damage there." He added: "If prostate cancer is caught at a time when it is confined to the prostate, generally it can be cured by radiotherapy and surgery." The first sign of prostate cancer is usually problems passing water - usually an increased frequency or difficulty maintaining a full stream. However, these symptoms are shared with benign prostate enlargement. The symptoms are caused by the growth of cells, whether malignant or benign, pushing against the urethra, the thin tube which links the bladder to the penis. Other symptoms to look out for are: Painful urination or ejaculation, Blood in urine or semen, Pain in lower back, hips or thighs, Of course, all of these symptoms could be caused by something else, for example infection - but should be investigated. The doctor has several methods to check for the presence of prostate cancer. The simplest of these is the digital rectal examination, in which a gloved finger is inserted into the rectum, through which an enlarged prostate can be felt. Blood tests are the next step - prostate cancers cause the levels of certain chemicals in the blood to rise. More sophisticated tests include the use of ultrasound scans, and x-rays. CAUSES- The causes of prostate cancer are not yet understood. However, there are certain things which place some men at higher risk of developing the disease than others. These include other family members who have had prostate cancer. There is some suggestion that a fat-rich diet may contribute to prostate cancer, but this is not proven. Studies linking the cancer to vasectomy, an operation to remove a man's fertility, are contradictory. TREATMENTS- The key decision in prostate cancer is whether or not to treat at all. In many older men, the cancer progresses so slowly that surgery and other treatments may cause more harm than good. However, for those whose cancer is more aggressive, either already spreading or liable to spread beyond the prostate, surgery is usually the first option. A prostatectomy means that the prostate gland is removed, normally along with small parts of the lymphatic system near the gland. Unfortunately, the operation often causes nerve damage which can make it nigh-on impossible for men to achieve erection afterwards, or maintain complete control over urination. However, modern "nerve-sparing" surgical techniques - combined with drugs such as Viagra - mean that the effects on both function and quality of life can be minimised. As well as surgery, another option for doctors is radiotherapy which will be precisely targeted on the pelvic area. And doctors are also tackling prostate cancer using the body's own hormones. Prostate cells, including cancerous ones, are sensitive to levels of certain male hormones, and can be rendered far less active if levels are reduced. However, one unwanted by-product of this is to lessen the natural sex drive of the patient. The main advances in prostate cancer treatment are being made in surgery and radiotherapy. Surgeons are learning how to remove the prostate without causing the problematic nerve damage which was inevitable in the past. And radiotherapy technology advances mean that far higher doses can be targeted more precisely on the prostate, killing more cancer cells with fewer treatments. Recent advances include the use of a technique called brachytherapy. There are two major methods of prostate brachytherapy, permanent seed implantation and high dose rate (HDR) temporary brachytherapy. Permanent seed implants involve injecting approximately 100 radioactive seeds into the prostate gland. They give off their cancer-killing radiation at a low dose rate over several weeks or months, and the seeds remain in the prostate gland permanently. HDR temporary brachytherapy instead involves placing very tiny plastic catheters into the prostate gland, and then giving a series of radiation treatments through these catheters. Another option is High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, which uses sound waves to "melt" away the cancer. -(my view)-my wife loves touching and playing with my balls,penis and prostate-so I'm ok anything feels out of sorts and she'll tell me:) plus she works in a hospital to :D BUT I'd like all men to(a least every month)to take time out to feel your nuts and prostate or if you have a partner.......ask them if they'll help or examine you......don't be shy,i always say"BETTER ALIVE THEN DEAD"and not all men know this.........but men can get breast cancer to,so check your chest tissue to

Call For Migrant Fund

authorities have told a House of Lords select committee that £250m should be set aside to support areas under pressure from immigration. The Local Government Association (LGA), representing 400 councils in England and Wales, said a contingency fund would help shore up public services. The LGA also called for a change to the system used to measure migration. Leaders from Westminster, Slough and Boston councils gave evidence at the immigration inquiry. 'Real grasp' Sir Simon Milton, chairman of the LGA, said he told the committee that while the country benefited from migration, the benefits were being felt nationally and the costs felt locally. There needed to be a significant improvement in how the numbers coming in were counted, he said. "We need to ensure those councils that are getting big increases have enough money to pay for public services," he said. He highlighted language classes, housing and the turnover of pupils in schools as areas which can come under pressure. He also said he wanted other sources, such as GP registrations and National Insurance numbers, to be used to get a clearer picture of migration movements. Mick Gallagher, chief executive of Boston Council in Leicestershire, told the select committee: "We have experienced a significant growth that has been completely under-represented." A low unemployment rate, lots of work on the land and reasonably priced housing have attracted a large number of workers to the area. He cited Boston's estimated population as 79,000 - about a quarter higher than the official estimate of 58,000. He said the council had looked at other sources including the number of children in schools with English as a second language which he estimates stands at 50%. "It's very difficult to know who you have got living in a community at any one time and to try to determine the cost of that in financial terms is extremely difficult," he said. Hidden population Westminster, home to Victoria coach station, a gateway for eastern Europeans seeking employment in the UK, has long been campaigning for a change in the way London's population is calculated. It says current methodology is flawed and in Westminster that at least 11,000 short-term migrants at any one time are missed out by official estimates. It has also estimated a further 13,000 illegal immigrants are living there. The council does not receive funding for the hidden population and says it loses up to £18m in government grants as well, Tracy Turner, from the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (Solace), told BBC News ahead of the hearing that the greatest need was for clear, simple information, but she said there was no money in council budgets for this. This meant eastern Europeans did not know to register with a GP and instead were going straight to hospital, she said. Some also decided against sending their children to the local Catholic school thinking they were fee-paying as they often are in Eastern Europe, she said. Of the recent influx of migrant workers particularly in rural areas, she said: "It's an issue for a lot of councils but it's not a problem. "I think people are genuinely concerned to ensure that any new arrivals are able to integrate and get housing and employment, and become part of the local community. "This applies to Eastern Europeans as much as people moving into new towns from other parts of the UK." (my view)-Fuck them off back to their own country,because when they get here they break the law and sponge off us and GIVEN jobs that are taken away from us(the English people) just so companies can save a few pounds-it may sound harsh but its the truth,since the first fucker came over crime HAS climed.......and this is a FACT that people are ignorant about........92% of all crime in england are coursed by Brown people ie:paki's,muslims,indians ect

'Bedroom snooper' row over census

(JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T GET ANYMORE INTRUSIVE,THEY WANT US TO REVEAL OUR BEDROOM ACTIVITIES) Ministers will invade peoples' privacy by asking "intrusive" questions in the census, the Conservatives are claiming. When the 2011 survey is conducted everyone in the UK will have to answer the questions or face fines. Details will be sought about the number of bedrooms in peoples' homes and information about "overnight visitors". The Tories said this would amount to "bedroom snooping" but ministers said all questions would be justified in the public interest. The census, which is conducted every 10 years, is designed to give an accurate snapshot of demographic and social changes in the UK. The 2011 survey is set to be carried out on 27 March 2011. Officials are planning to introduce new methodology and ask a wider range of questions after the 2001 survey was sharply criticised. 'Invading privacy' For the first time, people will be asked to provide details of the number of bedrooms they have as well as the names, sex and birth dates of any overnight guests in their homes. Other new questions include how well people can speak English, the date overseas nationals entered the UK, how people define their national identity and whether they are in civil partnerships. Those who do not complete the census risk being prosecuted while those giving false answers face being fined. The Conservatives said the nature of the some of the questions amounted to a breach of privacy. "An increasingly invasive and intrusive census will erode public support, cost more and result in a less accurate survey," said shadow Cabinet Office minister Nick Hurd. "These 'bedroom snoopers' are yet another sign of how the Labour government has no respect for the privacy of law-abiding citizens." The details of the census must be approved by Parliament in advance. The Office for National Statistics has published a list of specimen questions and said it does not expect any major changes to them. Ministers have said the questions were decided following extensive consultation and take into account the importance of the information requested as well as whether it was acceptable to ask for it.

'Veggie' spider shuns meat diet

--------The spiders have to dodge ants to get to the leaf tips--------- A spider that dines almost exclusively on plants has been described by scientists. It is the first-known predominantly vegetarian spider; all of the other known 40,000 spider species are thought to be mainly carnivorous. Bagheera kiplingi, which is found in Central America and Mexico, bucks the meat-eating trend by feasting on acacia plants. The research is published in the journal Current Biology. The herbivorous spider was filmed on high-definition camera. Running the gauntlet The jumping arachnid, which is 5-6mm long, has developed a taste for the tips of the acacia plants - known as Beltian bodies - which are packed full of protein. But to reach this leafy fare, the spider has to evade the attention of ants, which live in the hollow spines of the tree. The ants and acacia trees have co-evolved to form a mutually beneficial relationship: the aggressive ants protect the trees from predators, swarming to attack any invaders; and in return for acting as bodyguards, the ants get to gorge on the acacias' Beltian bodies themselves. But the crafty Bagheera kiplingi has found a way to exploit this symbiotic relationship. One of the study's authors, Professor Robert Curry, from Villanova University, Pennsylvania, told BBC News: "The spiders basically dodge the ants. "The spiders live on the plants - but way out on the tips of the old leaves, where the ants don't spend a lot of time, because there isn't any food on those leaves." But when they get hungry, the spiders head to the newer leaves, and get ready to run the ant gauntlet. Professor Curry said: "And they wait for an opening - they watch the ants move around, and they watch to see that there are not any ants in the local area that they are going after. "And then they zip in and grab one of these Beltian bodies and then clip it off, hold it in their mouths and run away. "And then they retreat to one of the undefended parts of the plant to eat it." Like other species of jumping spider, Bagheera kiplingi has keen eyesight, is especially fast and agile and is thought to have good cognitive skills, which allows it to "hunt" down this plant food. Fierce competition The spider's herbivorous diet was first discovered in Costa Rica in 2001 by Eric Olsen from Brandeis University, and was then independently observed again in 2007 by Christopher Meehan, at that time an undergraduate student at Villanova University The team then collaborated to describe the spider for the first time in this Current Biology paper. Professor Curry said he was extremely surprised when he found out about its unusual behaviour. He said: "This is the only spider we know that deliberately only goes after plants." While some spiders will occasionally supplement their diet with a little nectar or pollen, Bagheera kiplingi's diet is almost completely vegetarian - although occasionally topped up with a little ant larvae at times. Professor Curry said there were numerous reasons why this spider might have turned away from meaty meals. He said: "Competition in the tropics is pretty fierce so there are always advantages to doing what someone else isn't already doing. "They are jumping spiders, so they don't build a web to catch food, so they have to catch their prey through pursuit. And the Beltian bodies are not moving - they are stuck - so it is a very predictable food supply." Acacias also produce leaves throughout the year - even through the dry season - which would make them attractive. And Professor Curry added: "Because the plants are protected by ants, they have none of their own chemical defences that other plants do."