A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology comprising a large-scale analysis of medical records revealed that men undergoing androgen deprivation (hormonal) therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer treatment may be at almost twice the risk of eventually developing Alzheimer’s disease, and that the increased likelihood of the disease is proportional to ADT duration. The researchers emphasized more »
Are you a man over 40 years of age and you are either concerned about or simply have some questions about prostate cancer? Hopefully you may never need treatments of any kind but being informed is positive. The November, 2014 Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PCRI) Insights contains a collection of blogs and videos discussing the more »
A recent study from UCLA published in the December 1st issue of Cancer, included 3,600 men who had opted for active surveillance in place of aggressive treatment as a means of following the status of their prostate cancer. The study found that only 4.5% received proper monitoring in collaboration with their physician. Recommended monitoring includes regular more »
The following is an edited version of a November 30th blog from Prostate Snatchers. While I have experienced stressful episodes in my 20-year cancer experience, I find nothing works better than entrusting my body and its imperfections to its Creator with whom we can have a personal relationship through Jesus Christ. Whether you are newly more »
The following November 12th, 2015 article comes from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the largest institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Antioxidants are often advertised to prevent the types of free radical damage that have been associated with cancer development. Multiple large, placebo-controlled, prevention clinical trials have never confirmed this hypothesis. Instead, evidence more »
A major trial has concluded that a pioneering drug from AstraZeneca, olaparib, developed to treat women with inherited cancers, can also benefit men with certain types of advanced prostate cancer. Olaparib inhibits the enzyme, poly (ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP), a protein used by cancer cells to carry out DNA repairs. PARP inhibitors work on cancers more »
I recently came across the following menu of prostate cancer diagnostic tests offered by a specific facility. The tests are mainly used to identify those cancers that may be aggressive requiring further biopsies or treatment. The first group of tests would be applicable to men whose PSA values indicate the possibility of cancer while the more »
Bayer HealthCare is a strong proponent for men speaking up about prostate cancer. They recently sponsored a symposium on the subject in which I participated. If men were more vocal, prostate cancer funding hopefully might increase following the example of women who are such excellent communicators about breast cancer. The linked Bayer HealthCare site provides more »
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) publishes a highly recommended e mail periodical entitled NewsPulse to which one can subscribe. The October issue contained two articles which I will simply summarize and link. The first article concluded that popular prostate supplements such as those containing saw palmetto do not benefit prostate cancer patients. They do not more »
A total of 413 relapsing prostate cancer patients whose PSA doubling time was less than nine (9) months and whose PSA was over 1.0 were evaluated. Half of the men were treated with Lupron and the other half received Lupron and Taxotere (docetaxel®). The study information is preliminary after only 2.5 years of follow-up but more »
When we as individuals put our faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for the payment of our sin debt to God, and asked Him to come into our lives, we received a special gift, namely the presence of the Holy Spirit Himself. John 14:16-17 (NewAmerican Standard version) expresses it this way. “And I will ask the more »
A recent article written by researchers from the University of Southern California was published in the August 2015 issue of Prostate Insights from the Prostate Cancer Research Institute. The article discussed how exercise may help with treatment-related side effects of hormone therapy (ADT) and what types of exercise were most effective. Two of the primary more »
When prostate cancer becomes “hormone resistant” or refractory, anti-androgen drugs such as enzalutamide (Xtandi®) and abiraterone (Zytiga®) are often prescribed. But not all patients respond equally. Some 30 percent of men with advanced prostate cancer have an abnormal version of a prostate cancer protein that connects with testosterone. The protein is missing a key connector more »
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The following is from the October 7th Prostatesnatchers, as written by Ralph Blum and urinary oncologist, Dr. Mark Scholz. I urge the readers to subscribe to their periodic e mail posts. In the old model of prostate cancer care, you were rushed into radical treatment–usually surgery or radiation–often without fully understanding all your options, or the more »
Whether a prostate cancer patient is just presenting with localized high risk prostate cancer, presenting with metastatic prostate cancer, or experiencing a metastatic recurrence, earlier treatment with taxane chemotherapy may prolong survival. June 19, 2015 — Chemotherapy with docetaxel® (taxotere) has traditionally been used to treat prostate cancer patients only after they have developed resistance more »
The post below comes from a multi-year study at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. It should be noted below that repeat biopsies performed on men undergoing active surveillance were performed using MRI-guided technology and pathologists checked biopsy tissue levels of proteins made by the PTEN gene, a biomarker for prostate cancer aggressiveness. Men with relatively unaggressive more »
A total of 22,110 high-risk prostate cancer patients were evaluated of which 1,365 died of prostate cancer. The study authors concluded that the use of a statin medication in combination with metformin was associated with a 43% reduction in prostate cancer mortality. The benefit was present in all men but was present to a larger more »
Stereotactic Body Radiation (SBRT) accurately delivers very high doses of external radiation beams to the whole prostate gland thereby treating the tumor within while minimizing extra-prostactic radiation exposure to the adjacent normal tissues. Because SBRT delivers a much higher dose of radiation during each treatment visit, the overall treatment time is sharply reduced. Generally a more »
I was recently made aware of an unexpected, undesirable side effect of prostate cancer radiation therapy called radiation cystitis which first occurred more than ten years after radiation treatment. This can be caused by the incidental irradiation of the bladder during radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Radiation cystitis is characterized by blood in the urine more »