Cancer and Women’s and Men’s Health The American Cancer Society estimates that by the end of 2012, more than 226,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 241,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (American Cancer Society, 2012a; American Cancer Society 2012b). With such a prevalence of women’s and men’s cancers, patient education and preventive services are essential. In clinical settings, advanced practice nurses must assist physicians in educating patients on risk factors, preventive services, and for patients diagnosed with cancer, on potential drug treatments. The clinical implications of women’s and men’s cancer greatly depend on early detection, which is primarily achieved through preventive services. In this Assignment, you consider the short-term and long-term implications of cancer and drug treatments associated with women’s and men’s health, as well as appropriate preventive services. To prepare:

 Diagnosing Cancer in Men and Women
Cancer and Women’s and Men’s Health
Cancer is a puzzling and frightening disease or set of diseases. Cancer has afflicted multicellular living being for more than 200 million years, and there is evidence of cancer among ancestors of modern humans going back well over a million years. Unlike infectious diseases, parasites, and many environmental diseases, cancer is not primarily caused by some entity that is foreign to our bodies. Cancer agents of destruction are human cells that have, as it were, slipped their reins, and have been recruited and, to some extent, transformed into pathological organisms or the building blocks of tumors (Daniel 778). Prostate cancer occurs in the prostate, which is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm, and it is one of the most common types of cancer. Changes in the DNA of a normal prostate cell mainly cause prostate cancer. Prostate cancer has no cure, but it is often treatable for quite some time. Most people outlive their prostate cancer, even those who have advanced disease. Prostate cancer grows slowly, and effective treatment options extend life even further. This essay aims to describe preventive services that providers might recommend for patients at risk of prostate cancer and explain how genetics and age impact decisions related to preventive services, and finally, the essay will describe treatment options for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Preventive Services that Providers Might Recommend for Patients at Risk of Prostate Cancer
Men in western countries have much higher rates of prostate cancer than men in Asia, while no one can explain this phenomenon, experts suspect differences in eastern and western diets are to blame. Poor eating habits and diets heavily relying on fats and animal proteins can cause DNA damage and cancer (Marta and Gra?yna 3), and to minimize the risk of cancer, it would be essential for one to incorporate a wide variety of produce, including plenty of leafy greens—cruciferous vegetables containing sulforaphane that may protect against cancer. Obesity can be a risk factor for developing more aggressive prostate cancer (Claire et al. 7). In general, losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight as one’s ages can help reduce the risk of cancer and many other health problems, and regular exercise is also essential in the prevention of prostate cancer as it can reduce inflammation and improve immune function hence preventing prostate cancer. Healthcare providers can also recommend that one to stop smoking and drink less, as this can lower the risks of prostate cancer. Finally, a health provider should recommend that one be sexually active, as men who have a higher frequency of ejaculation are up to two-third less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is essential for one to understand the preventive measures in order to minimize the risks of cancer.

The Impact of Genetic on the Prevention of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer seems to run in some families, which suggests that there may be an inherited or genetic factor in some cases where most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history of it having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing this disease and genetic changes can lead to cancer by altering how cells grow and spread. Most cancer-causing DNA changes occur in genes, which are sections of DNA that carry the instructions to make proteins or specialized RNA such as microRNA (Aslam et al. 262). Understanding genetic factors and genetic disorders is essential in learning more about promoting health and preventing disease.  A small percentage of prostate cancers are hereditary and occur in families. These hereditary cancers are associated with inherited gene variants. Hereditary prostate cancers develop earlier in life than non-inherited cases. It is crucial for one to understand the impact of genetics on the prevention of prostate cancer so that we can minimize its complications.