Prostate cancer is a disease that affects millions of men and is one of the top two that kill men in North America each year. In order to progress in the fight against prostate cancer, there are many organizations that are designed to get the public informed of the problem and help medical researchers with funding to conduct clinical trials that may one day help these millions of people survive the disease.
There are different types of clinical trials that are being conducted each year, some are government clinical trials, while others are public or privately funded through one of the prominent philanthropists in the world or with the help of the public and the organizations that plan yearly events to raise funds and prostate cancer awareness.
Reasons to Take Part in Clinical Trials
By taking part in a clinical trial prostate cancer patients will have a chance to gain from medical advancements and help researchers learn more about the effectiveness of the particular drug or treatment that’s being studied. This not only helps the patients taking part in the study to help themselves but also help others who may one day have to treat prostate cancer.
Government Clinical Trials for Prostate Cancer
The main prostate cancer treatment and therapy options that are generally used in traditional medicine are the following:
- Drug Development
- Surgery
- Radiation Therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Nutrition
- Hormone Therapy
- Gene therapy
- Targeted Therapies
The most common traditional treatments that most prostate cancer patients are recommended are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. The biggest problem that patients face with these treatments and procedures is the fact that each one has different levels of invasiveness and most will have a number of side effects. While some side effects can easily be handled, there are others that weaken the patient’s body and cause other harm as well.
Some of the most common side effects from the following treatments are:
Surgery
- erectile dysfunction
- incontinence
- infertility
- impotence
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy varies from one individual to another. There are generally two sets of side effects that occur, with both of them having varying levels of discomfort or pain. There are different forms of alternative therapies that many choose in combination with radiation therapy in order to ease these side effects and promote a healthier recovery.
Short-terms Side Effects:
- burning sensation when urinating
- blood in the urine
- discomfort in pelvic area
- increased urination
- urinary incontinence
Long-term Side Effects:
- erectile dysfunction
- infertility
- rectal discomfort or pain
Chemotherapy
- anemia
- bone marrow suppression
- constipation
- diarrhea
- fatigue
- fluid retention
- hair loss
- tingling in the limbs
- vomiting
- weakness
Hormone Therapy
- diarrhea
- heart problems (palpitations, weakness)
- impotence
- loss of sex drive
- liver malfunctions
- nausea
- osteoporosis
In order to advance in the efficiency and benefit of these forms of treatment, there are several government, public or privately funded clinical trials prostate cancer researchers are currently conducting. The most important thing that the public must do in terms of staying informed and supporting these efforts is to take part in the community or in one of the not for profit organizations that are committed to the cause.
Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials
There are several common traditional treatment options like surgery, radiation and medicine, and there are also many alternative prostate cancer treatment options available that may use natural medicines from herbs or a variety of Eastern style therapy for prostate cancer like acupuncture and yoga.
Whether a patient is undergoing traditional cancer treatments or not, many do explore complementary and alternative options to give them a better chance to fight the disease and promote better health for a stronger working system.
Prostate cancer treatment or the different types of therapy for prostate health depend on the age, health and level of prostate cancer that a patient may have. This causes a problem for some patients since particular criteria eliminate the treatment options that are available.
To have a broader scope of prostate cancer treatment, it’s necessary to discover and advance in clinical trials for traditional and alternative treatment and therapies. Proper treatment for prostate cancer is very important regardless of which stage a patient may be.
Clinical Trial Programs for Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatments
Although there are few medical practitioners who promote the use of alternative medicine, there are many who promote alternative options to either complement some of the traditional treatments and therapies or to consider them as the main form of treatment against the disease.
There is a variety of alternative treatment options available that are slowly growing in popularity for the simple fact that many people are becoming more and more skeptical about the efficacy of traditional methods and the harmful treatment interactions from radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
Cancer Clinical Studies
It’s possible to find out about the types of clinical trials that have been conducted along with their findings through designated medical sites or simply by checking any of the top prostate cancer organizations like the Prostate Cancer Foundation or the Prostate Cancer Society.
Clinical Trial Listings
There are many ways to find out about clinical trials that are currently being conducted or future clinical trials that are in the planning stages. Whether you would like to learn more about the topics and types of clinical trials related to prostate cancer or if you would like to be a volunteer for a clinical trial, there are several places that offer this information along with volunteer forms to anyone in the public.
Some of the top resources for finding clinical trial listings are:
- General health practitioner
- Medical clinics and community medical centers
- Prostate cancer sites like Prostate Cancer Foundation and Prostate Cancer Society
- Prostate cancer support groups
- Medical Journals or Medical Section of Newspapers
The best way to help clinical trials advance at a faster pace is to get the support of the government and the public, especially when it comes to volunteers and funding. Without these clinical trials, the fight against prostate cancer is lost.
