Dr. Shameer Hameed - Best Private Hospital in Dubai Al Mankhool | IMH Dubai

Self-Examination.. an easy tool for early detection of testicular cancer

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer for men aged between 15 and 45 Fortunately, it’s one of the most treatable cancers and with good survival rates. The incidences of testicular cancers are increasing in incidence worldwide. It is important to identify testicular cancer early to improve the chances for successful treatment.

This cancer may not cause noticeable symptoms until a late stage. That is why self-examination is so important – it is often the only way to catch testicular cancer at an early stage .

The most common symptom is

  • a painless lump
  • swelling appearing on the testicles.

 

Until proven otherwise, any lump or firm part of the testicle should be considered a potential tumor. The testicle may also seem to be larger than usual. Other symptoms include a dull ache or a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum. Unfortunately, it is common for men not to reveal about these signs for up to an average of 5 months. Since the tumor can spread during that time, it is vital to reach out to your doctor right away.

 

The factors that increase the risk of testicular cancers are

  • Undescended testicles
  • Family history
  • previous history of testicular cancer

 

Men with undescended testicles are about three times more likely to develop testicular cancer than men whose testicles descend at birth or shortly after. Generally men are unaware about the disease and they have a psychological inhibition for self-examination. Monthly testicular self-examination helps us to Identify changes in testicle early and should be done after a warm shower,when the skin of the scrotum is relaxed. Stand in front of the mirror and look for any swelling on the skin of the scrotum and then examine each testicle separately.

Hold your testicle between your thumbs and fingers and roll it gently between your fingers.

Look and feel for any hard lumps or nodules or any change in the size,shape, or consistency of your testicles.
It’s normal for one testicle to be slightly larger than the other, and for one to hang lower than the other. If you have any concerns, get an expert opinion from your specialist.

Testicular cancer is diagnosed by

  • the physical examination
  • ultrasound
  • blood tests that measure tumor markers.

 

Surgical removal of the involved testicle is the first line of treatment followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy depending on the stage of the disease. Around 95 % of all men with testicular cancer make a full
recovery after receiving treatment. Testicular cancer treatment can cause infertility. Patients may consider sperm banking (freezing sperm and storing it) if they want children after their testicular cancer treatment. Other
side effects are due to radiation and chemotherapy.

Follow-up is necessary because testicular cancer may recur. Follow-up treatment involves regular tumour marker blood tests and possibly CT scans.A quantitative study conducted in the UAE in efforts to test the level of awareness regarding general knowledge on testicular cancer and self- examination practices among residents revealed that nearly 50% either never or rarely self-examined. This study suggested that the general public in the region currently possesses little information regarding the symptoms, risk groups and self-examination practices Monthly testicular self-examination is a good tool to pick up changes in testicle early and thus detecting cancer in the initial stage. Programs for improving the level of awareness regarding the disease and importance of testicular self-examination is highly recommended.

 

Dr. Shameer Hameed

MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DIP. LAP, MCh (Urology) FECSM (Sexual Medicine)

Specialist Urologist writes in Khaleej times and now available in our blog.

 

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Don’t Procrastinate with Pelvic Pain

If you have recurring pain in your pelvis or bladder, you probably don’t think “interstitial cystitis.” It’s a long name for a condition that can be difficult to diagnose because it can have multiple, interrelated causes.

Interstitial cystitis, or “IC,” is a chronic health issue in which patients feel pain or pressure in the bladder area. An estimated 4 million people in the U.S. suffer from IC, approximately 80 percent of them female.

Pelvic Pain Women

Several different conditions – or combinations of conditions – can cause IC. That’s why it’s important to consult with your physician if you’re experiencing pelvic pain. A proper diagnosis may require time and you don’t want to suffer any longer than necessary.

To further complicate the diagnosis, symptoms range from mild to severe and vary from person to person. Any of the following could indicate IC:

  • Pain ranging from ‘nagging’ to ‘intense’ in the bladder and surrounding pelvic region
  • A sense of urgency and/or increased frequency of urination
  • Pain that worsens during menstruation
  • Painful sexual intercourse for women
  • Pain or discomfort in the scrotum or penis
Pelvic Pain Man

For many, IC feels like a bladder infection, though antibiotics make no impact because there’s no infection to treat. The exact cause of pain with IC is actually not clear, but several theories exist. These range from an allergic response to autoimmune reaction to an excessive inflammatory response to even the slightest stimulus which would not generally be perceived as painful in a patient who does not have IC.

IC can frustrate patients because besides a challenging diagnosis, not everyone responds the same way to the same treatment. In addition, IC treatments can take several weeks to several months to provide relief.

If you suffer from pelvic pain, begin with an open discussion with your physician. Whether or not you are diagnosed with IC, you can start to work toward solutions to your condition. Treatment options, such as pharmaceuticals, nerve stimulations or surgery can be evaluated and your doctor can help you decide on the appropriate approach for you.

Aggressive prostate cancer can be caused by vitamin D deficiency…..

“Aggressive prostate cancer caused by vitamin D deficiency” scientists now declare

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Men with suboptimal or deficient levels of vitamin D are much more likely than other men to develop prostate cancer, according to a new study conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Researchers from NorthwesternUniversity ,Chicago found that vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of aggressive prostate cancer in some men, highlighting the need for increased focus on natural sunlight exposure and supplementation.

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The study, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, suggests that vitamin D may play an important role in how prostate cancer starts and spreads, although it does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Vitamin D seems to regulate normal differentiation of cells as they change from stem cells to adult cells. And it regulates the growth rate of normal cells and cancer cells

The research was based on an assessment of more than 600 men from around the Chicago area who came from varying ethnic backgrounds. Each of the men had elevated PSA levels or some other risk factor associated with prostate cancer going into the study, and each was evaluated for vitamin D deficiency prior to undergoing a prostate biopsy.

After adjusting for external factors that may have influenced the results, including things like diet, obesity, smoking status and family history, the researchers determined that vitamin D levels are inversely associated with prostate cancer risk. This means that, for each unit of decrease on the vitamin D scale, there is a corresponding increase on the prostate cancer risk scale, and this increase is even more pronounced among certain ethnic groups.

Vitamin D deficiency is more common and severe in people with darker skin and it could be that this deficiency is a contributor to increased incidence of prostate cancer and cancer progression among African-Americans.Vitamin D deficiency could be a biomarker of advanced prostate tumor progression in large segments of the general population.

The latest prostate cancer discovery demonstrates the need  to pay closer attention to vitamin D intake.Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin is an essential Vitamin that is a part of the steroid hormone superfamily.Hormone sources include both dietary intake and conversion from an inactive to active Vitamin D in the skin through sunlight exposure.

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Most foods that contain vitamin D only have small amounts, so it’s almost impossible to get what your body needs just from food. Because there are only small amounts of vitamin D in food there are only two sure ways to get enough vitamin D:” “Exposing your bare skin to sunlight to get ultraviolet B (UVB)” and taking vitamin D supplements.”Normal vitamin D levels are in the range of 30 to 80 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml).

VITAMIN D AS A DETERMINANT OF PROSTATE CANCER RISK ALSO COMES FROM SEVERAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC OBSERVATIONS:

1. Men living in Northern latitude with less exposure to sunlight-derived UV exposure, have a    higher mortality rate from Cancer Prostate.

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2. Prostate Cancer occurs more frequently in older men, in whom Vitamin D deficiency is more common both because of less UV exposure and age related declines in hydroxylases responsible for synthesis of active Vitamin D.

3. African-American, whose skin Melanin block UV radiation and inhibit activation of Vitamin D, has the highest worldwide incidence and mortality rates for Prostate Cancer.

4. Dietary intake of dairy products rich in calcium, which depresses serum level of Vitamin D, is associated with higher risk of Prostate Cancer.

5. Native Japanese, whose diet is rich in Vitamin D derived from fish have a low incidence of Prostate Cancer.

It is recommended that more men should be screened for vitamin D deficiency, since minor deficiencies can be asymptomatic.  A  good rule of thumb for  health maintenance is to spend at least 15 minutes out in the sun every day without sunscreen during the summer, or to supplement with at least 5,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3.

Dr. Shameer Hameed
MBBS, MS (General Surgery),Dip Lap, MCH (urology)
Specialist Urologist

 
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