HEALTH REPORT - Prostate Cancer: What It Is and How Doctors

HEALTH REPORT - Prostate Cancer: What It Is and How Doctors Treat It
By Caty Weaver¹

Broadcast: Wednesday, March 30, 2005

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.

A listener in Vietnam recently asked what causes prostate cancer and how this disease² is treated.

 
 
Prostate Cells

The prostate gland³ is part of the reproductive system in males. Scientists are not sure what causes cancer of the prostate. But they have found things that can influence the development.

Men with fathers or brothers who have had prostate cancer are more likely to get the disease. Also, the World Health Organization says diet may affect a man's chances. Prostate cancer appears more common in groups that eat a lot of animal fat, such as red meats and high-fat milk products.

The W.H.O. says about two hundred fifty thousand men each year die from prostate cancer. The death rate is about ten times higher in Europe and North America than in Asia. In the United States, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. The first is lung cancer from smoking.

The American Cancer Society says exercise might help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is common in older men. The National Cancer Institute says more than seventy percent of men with the disease are age sixty-five or older.

Most prostate cancers grow slowly. Some never cause any major problems. In these cases, a doctor might suggest simply watching for changes. In other cases, doctors may want to remove the prostate. This is a complex operation.

A third kind of treatment involves the use of high energy X-rays to kill the cancer cells. Or a doctor may place small radioactive⁴ seeds in the prostate. Doctors have greater control with this method, so there is less risk of damage to healthy tissue⁵.

Cancer that has spread beyond the prostate gland may require more aggressive treatment.

An enlarged⁶ prostate can be a sign of cancer. But the prostate normally⁷ increases in size as men get older. This can put pressure on the bladder and restrict⁸ the flow of waste. It can also affect sexual⁹ ability. And it can cause pain in the lower back and upper part of the legs.

Doctors say one of the most important ways to reduce the risk of death from prostate cancer is to find the disease early. A doctor can feel the prostate for any hardness or growth. There is also a blood test to measure levels of a protein that might signal the presence¹⁰ of cancer.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Caty Weaver. I'm Gwen Outen.

1 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

2 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

3 gland   

n.腺体，(机)密封压盖，填料盖

参考例句：

• This is a snake's poison gland.这就是蛇的毒腺。
• Her mother has an underactive adrenal gland.她的母亲肾上腺机能不全。

4 radioactive   

adj.放射性的

参考例句：

• People should keep away from the radioactive waste.人们应远离放射性废物。
• The radioactive material is stored in a special radiation-proof container.放射性材料储存在防辐射的特殊容器里。

5 tissue   

n.组织；薄纱，薄纸，手巾纸

参考例句：

• As we age we lose muscle tissue.肌肉组织会随着我们日趋衰老而萎缩。
• Athletes have hardly any fatty tissue.运动员几乎没有什么脂肪组织。

6 enlarged   

扩大( enlarge的过去式和过去分词 )； 扩展； 扩充； 放大

参考例句：

• The balloon enlarged as we pumped air into it. 那个气球充气后就变大了。
• The castle was enlarged considerably in the fifteenth century. 这个城堡在15 世纪得到了相当大的扩展。

7 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

8 restrict   

n./vt.限制，限定，约束

参考例句：

• He feels this new law will restrict his freedom. 他觉得这一新法律会限制他的自由。
• Don't restrict her proper activities.不要拘束她的正当活动。

9 sexual   

adj.性的，两性的，性别的

参考例句：

• He was a person of gross sexual appetites.他是个性欲旺盛的人。
• It is socially irresponsible to refuse young people advice on sexual matters.拒绝向年轻人提供性方面的建议是对社会不负责任。

10 presence   

n.出席；到场；存在

参考例句：

• Her presence lent an air of respectability to the occasion.她的到场使那种场合增添了崇高的气氛。
• His presence is indicative of his willingness to help.他的出席表示他愿意帮忙。