Before men with prostate cancer undergo prostatectomy, one of the most burning questions they ask is, “What are the side effects?” Although urinary incontinence has long been identified as a significant side effect of radical prostatectomy, a new study suggests urinary incontinence risk after prostatectomy remains high for longer than many once believed, even as…
For some men, there is often the question of whether they should have radiation after prostatectomy for advanced prostate cancer. An evaluation of radiation therapy for men who had undergone prostatectomy for locally advanced prostate cancer showed that adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with better disease-specific survival than salvage radiation therapy. Adjuvant therapy is typically given…
Abiraterone (Zytiga), a hormone therapy drug approved for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, may also help eliminate localized high-risk prostate cancer, according to researchers who will present their findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago June 1-5, 2012. Most hormone therapy drugs for prostate cancer work by inhibiting androgen production in the…
If your doctor has recommended that you undergo a prostate biopsy to examine your tissues for prostate cancer, you’re probably reading everything you can find on the procedure. It’s important to become an informed patient. Talk to your doctor about what you can expect during the procedure. Every man’s experience is different. For some it…
Weight gain increases prostate cancer recurrence risk among men who have undergone a prostatectomy when compared with men who maintain a normal weight postsurgery, according to a Johns Hopkins study. This finding suggests men should make efforts to avoid weight gain as a way to help prevent the return or reemergence of prostate cancer. Investigators…
As the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. However, a common over-the-counter product, the humble aspirin, may help keep the urologist away by helping prevent prostate cancer (PCa). A presentation at the January, 2016 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (GuCS) in San Francisco reveals some good news, but with a few cautions. Data…
Incontinence and prostate cancer treatment frequently go hand-in-hand, whether it’s radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, or brachytherapy. For example, the external sphincter, which controls the flow of urine, often does not function properly in men after they have undergone radical prostatectomy, especially in the early weeks after surgery. This malfunction of the sphincter can result in stress…
An international team of scientists has successfully used a human vaccine to cure prostate cancer in mice, and without side effects. Results of the revolutionary study, which appear in the journal Nature Medicine, herald the potential for a way to eliminate prostate cancer in men, should future studies prove the vaccine also works in humans….
This may not be the “news you’ve been waiting for” but if you want to prevent prostate cancer, it is certainly noteworthy. A November, 2016 study published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research should have men rushing to the produce department! A study of 777 men diagnosed with prostate cancer showed that those who consumed…
Men can lower their risk of prostate cancer, including aggressive prostate cancer, if they undergo circumcision before their first experience with sexual intercourse. That’s the latest word from the results of a new study appearing in the online journal Cancer. According to one of the study’s co-authors, Jonathan L. Write, MD, of the University of…
What possible good could meditation do against prostate cancer? Do not underestimate the power of the mind and its ability to affect the immune system. You may think meditation is good only to help you relax and reduce stress, and while meditation has been shown to be an effective stress management tool for this purpose,…
What do you think are the 4 best supplements for prostate cancer? This is an interesting question, and experts don’t necessarily agree on the answer. However, the important thing is, there are numerous candidates, and each of them possess qualities that put them in the running. You will find the four discussed here on various…
George Burns made people smile when he said, “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” Who doesn’t love the idea of staying young at heart? But staying young in body is another matter. For example, urinary tract infections (UTIs) like bladder infections are rare in men younger than 50, but…
Men are often told that while the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is not perfect nor specific for detecting prostate cancer, it’s the best test available. Now, however, a new PSA test, called the Prostate Health Index (phi), has received premarket approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Prostate Health Index was designed to differentiate prostate…
Treatments for castrate resistant prostate cancer have only been studied individually for the most part, but a case report published in the journal Urology begins to shed some light on whether combining Provenge with Xtandi might have benefit for some patients with castrate resistant prostate cancer . Nearly 1 in 3 men treated with local…
If Provenge treatment for advanced prostate cancer is a match for you, then your next step is to set up an appointment at a cell collection center. Provenge is intended for autologous use only, which means that your own blood cells are used to manufacture each dose of the drug. You will visit the cell collection center…
Provenge® (sipuleucel-T) is a unique treatment option for men who have asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) and also resisted hormone therapy (also referred to as metastatic castrate resistant or hormone refractory prostate cancer). Before the introduction of Provenge, men with this type of prostate cancer had no promising treatment opportunities….
Does vitamin E increase risk of prostate cancer? If you have seen the new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) about the extended findings of the SELECT trial which stated that vitamin E can significantly increase the risk of prostate cancer, don’t panic. There are some important things you should…
In a new case-control study, researchers uncovered a reason why omega-3 fatty acids can reduce prostate cancer risk. It appears that these popular polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), found mainly in coldwater fatty fish such as tuna and salmon and in supplements, can counteract the activity of pro-cancer molecules called soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (slCAM-1). The…
Xofigo compared to Zytiga means 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 (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer on May 15, 2013. With this new medication addition to the market, prostate cancer patients will want to ask…
