A strong push in recent years to raise awareness about prostate cancer has gone a long way in improving the survival rate associated with this disease. Even so, some 180,000 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year alone. Some 26,000 men in the United States will die from the disease.

Surges in awareness, early screening and careful intervention have all gone a long way in making this disease much more survivable. More work, however, still needs to be done. People who want to do their part to help eradicate prostate cancer will find there are actions they can take. Here are just a few of them:

* Spreading the word - Awareness is critical in the battle against prostate cancer. Men and women alike can help spread the word about the disease, the need for early screening and the importance of taking preventative measures when possible.

* Fundraising - While many treatments exist for prostate cancer, more work still needs to be done on this front. Clinicians are working to develop more accurate early screening tests and research continues in regard to treatments that may offer men even better chances for survival while cutting down side effect risks.

* Understanding risks - All men are technically at risk for the development of prostate cancer, especially as they age. Certain factors, however, may elevate personal risks. They include ethnicity, family history and genetic mutations. Obesity, diet, chemical exposure and other factors may also play a role.

* Going in for early screening - Prostate cancer is considered one of the most treatable forms of cancer when it is detected in its earliest stages. It is recommended that men at low to average risk begin going in for early screening around the age of 50. Men at higher risk may find that early screening should start much younger for them. Routine screening may include a simple blood test and a digital rectal exam.

* Following through - Prostate cancer is not something that can be screened for once and then be forgotten about. Following through with routine exams is important to help detect this disease in its earliest stages should it form.

Prostate cancer has been beaten back, but it hasn't been defeated. There are many steps that can be taken to help in the fight against this disease. Raising awareness is one of the most important contributions men and women alike can make to the battle. To find out more about prostate cancer and personal risks, men are encouraged to talk with their healthcare providers.

Getting a positive diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is one of the most frightening things to hear from a doctor. This particular form of cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of all types of cancer for a few very striking reasons. Responsible for an estimated 41,000 American deaths each year, pancreatic cancer has a survival rate of less than 10 percent. Researchers are hoping, however, that a new surgical tool may provide them a life-saving, or at least, life-extending edge. Known as the Canady Helios Cold Plasma Scalpel, the new tool is providing hope where it had once been lost.

The new scalpel is employed after a surgeon after a pancreatic tumor is removed. It operates at a very low temperature and enables the surgeon to remove surrounding cancerous tissue and cells. It is able to specifically target cancer cells while sparing tissue that is healthy in the process. The scalpel may offer a life-saving edge by enabling surgeons to not only remove the main tumor, but help prevent a return of the cancer down the road.

Although still very much under study, the scalpel may offer a way to successfully treat pancreatic cancer that was once deemed inoperable. Whether it will provide a "cure" for the disease remains to be seen, current tests have shown it is able to extend anticipated lifespan in some patients with pancreatic cancer.

The potential the plasma scalpel holds may very well represent a tremendous step forward in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This form of the disease is deemed so deadly because it generally develops and progresses with no symptoms at first. Considering the location of the pancreas in the body, it is also tremendously difficult to detect early and treat. Since most patients are not diagnosed until the cancer has progressed to later stages, outcome is generally less than satisfactory even when treatments are performed. In some cases, surgery may be deemed inappropriate because the chances for success are so low. The scalpel could change that.

With an estimated 53,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed each year in America, researchers have been working hard to develop new treatments for this disease. Breakthroughs like the cold scalpel could pave the way for better outcomes for patients. The next step for this tool is full-blown clinical trials. How soon those may occur remains unknown.

People who are concerned about their risks for pancreatic cancer are urged to speak with their doctors. Family history of the disease, diabetes and chronic pancreatitis may raise a person's risk level for developing pancreatic cancer. Routine early screening for the disease is not yet available, but those at especially high risk will find screening tests are available to them.