Married men who undergo prostatectomy (prostate surgery) are more likely to survive than men who never married, according to a study presented at the American Urological Association’s annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, May 20, 2011. Researchers also found that men who never married were more likely to die of any cause after prostatectomy than were…
It has been a common practice among clinicians to prescribe hormone therapy for early prostate cancer. This approach is effective at suppressing the production of testosterone, a hormone that fuels the cancer. At the same time, however, hormone therapy is associated with significant side effects and, so it appears, another important factor. Now the authors…
Comparing Xofigo to Provenge is a factor that men with prostate cancer may have to consider. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new medication, Xofigo (radium-223 dichloride), for late stage castration-resistant prostate cancer on May 15, 2013. With this new addition of medication on the market, prostate cancer patients will want to ask…
Xofigo compared to Xtandi is an evaluation that may mean that men with prostate cancer have another treatment option to consider. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new medication, Xofigo (radium-223 dichloride), for late-stage castration-resistant prostate cancer on May 15, 2013. With this new addition of medication on the market, prostate cancer patients…
Provenge success stories provide hope for prostate cancer patients. Richard Hamablet is a 15-year prostate cancer survivor who has been through multiple prostate cancer treatments, but the cancer always returned. He recently underwent a new therapy for advanced prostate cancer called Provenge. According to Dr. Vikas Malhora, M.D., of Florida cancer specialists, Provenge is unique…
Among men who have high-risk prostate cancer, the combination of hormone therapy and radiation therapy has been shown to improve overall survival. A new study, however, shows that hormone therapy may increase the risk of death in men with prostate cancer who also have pre-existing heart disease. The 15-year study (1991-2006) included 14,594 men with…
Investigators from the University of Bristol evaluated vitamin D levels and prostate cancer risk and determined that the risk of developing the disease does not appear to depend on a man’s levels of this nutrient. The authors presented their findings in the Journal of Cancer Causes and Control. To arrive at this conclusion, Rebecca Gilbert…
A team of researchers from several institutions have discovered a new subtype of prostate cancer which they say involves mutations in the SPOP gene. The scientists suspect the mutations cause changes that are involved in the growth of prostate cancer, perhaps from the earliest stage. Over the years, scientists have made a number of discoveries…
The problem with stress is that we are no longer being chased by ferocious lions on the African plain. Stress can be beneficial when it stimulates the fight or flight response and allows you to outwit a predator, but not so much in everyday life. Stress can affect your body in so many ways –…
Men who like their red meat and hamburgers well done or very well done may be at increased risk of advanced prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the 2011 American Urological Association Annual Meeting. This finding is in addition to previous research suggesting an increased risk of prostate cancer from eating meats cooked…
If your prostate cancer has spread outside of the prostate then you will need to look at your metastatic prostate cancer treatment options. While most prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated while the disease is localized to the prostate, some men are diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer treatment initially and need treatment for that. Other…
Experts have discovered strong evidence that there is a relationship between insulin-like growth factor and prostate cancer. This finding may make it possible for men to take steps to reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer by lowering their levels of this hormone if it is elevated. What is insulin-like growth factor? Insulin-like growth factor…
A diagnosis of prostate cancer is almost certainly one of the most significant events in any man’s life. Becoming an informed patient is one way that you can regain control over your life. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options, which may include hormone therapy. Hormone therapy is also sometimes called androgen deprivation therapy….
The risk of urinary incontinence with radiation therapy is a real concern for men who are considering this treatment approach. Use of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) as a treatment for prostate cancer is associated with a low risk of urinary incontinence, according to a new study of more than 1,000 men who underwent this treatment…
Results of a new study support what researchers have known for some time: there is a connection between breast cancer and prostate cancer—at least when it comes to certain genes. The new study reports on how a breast cancer gene impacts prostate cancer. That is, men who have the mutated breast cancer gene BRCA1 are…
When we talk about a free PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, we’re not referring to the cost. Rather, a free PSA test is one that measures the level of unbound (free) PSA in the bloodstream. This information is helpful for physicians when they are diagnosing conditions such as prostate cancer and prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate)….
Advanced prostate cancer (PCa), along with breast and lung cancer, has a preference for spreading first to bone (bone mets). Bone mets differ from primary bone cancer, which is rare and begins in the bone itself. Bone mets are much more common; nine out of ten advanced PCa patients will eventually have bone mets. This…
The Provenge FDA approval in April of 2010 increases doctors’ options for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Most patients eventually experience some sort of progression or are diagnosed with advanced disease before receiving Provenge. Provenge (sipuleucel-T) is generally not indicated as a first-line treatment for prostate cancer. Rather, Provenge will usually follow later either due…
High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a radiation-free therapy that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for prostate tissue ablation, which means it can be used to treat prostate cancer, although the approval is not specifically for that. Thus far, two types of HIFU systems have garnered the FDA’s okay: the Sonablate 450 (approved…
Can pesticides cause prostate cancer? The use of pesticides has been linked to prostate cancer among farmers and those with high occupational contact with the chemicals. But what about general everyday exposure to pesticides that men might face in their home environments? A new study from the University of Southern California (USC) links men who live in…
