The Sperling Prostate Center is pleased to join seven academic centers in announcing the results of our national clinical trial of a novel focal prostate cancer treatment. keep reading
Chronic inflammation can occur in the body without your even being aware of it—and it's estimated to be the cause of up to 20% of all cancers. How to minimize this potentially deadly condition? keep reading
Prostate enlargement unpleasantly restricts urine flow...but the very same enlargement may also cause BPH to restrict prostate cancer tumor growth... keep reading
Did you ever hear the folktale about Chicken Little, who was hit on the head by a falling acorn? He wanted to warn the king – and everyone else – that “the sky is falling!” The story and its many age-old variants satirizes people who are unduly alarmed and spread exaggerated rumors. However, three recent keep reading
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT, also called hormone therapy) is a strategy of biochemically controlling prostate cancer (PCa) by depriving it of testosterone. It is used in cases where Radiation or ablation is planned and the doctor needs to “shrink” the prostate gland to increase the effectiveness of the treatment PCa had already escaped the gland keep reading
Men suspected of having prostate cancer based on rising PSA or abnormal DRE are typically sent for a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided biopsy using 12 or more needles. At least 30% of TRUS biopsies miss the disease that is present, not to mention the possible side effects of the biopsy itself. What happens next? The keep reading
When it comes to Active Surveillance (AS) decisions, there’s good news and bad news. The good news: based on biopsy results, more doctors are recommending AS for prostate cancer (PCa) patients with insignificant disease. The bad news: the biopsy might have missed significant PCa so the patient can’t know for sure if AS is a keep reading
I came across a very illuminating study titled “Physician Recommendations Trump Patient Preferences in Prostate Cancer Decisions.”[i] The researchers polled 257 newly diagnosed low-to-intermediate risk PCa patients after diagnosis but before their next urology consultation. The patients answered questions about their preferences in the following areas: Treatment preference Interest in sex Cancer-related anxiety. The study’s keep reading
Do you see yourself as taking responsibility for your health? Do you believe you can reduce the chance of developing prostate cancer—or any cancer, for that matter? Are you aware that being overweight not only puts you at risk of cardiovascular disease, but also of prostate cancer? The connection between above-normal body mass index (BMI) keep reading
A new approach to focal treatment for prostate cancer has made its entrance onto the world stage and has patients talking. It is called photodynamic therapy (photo for light, dynamic for action) or PDT. It involves administering a light-sensitive chemical called TOOKAD® by a 10-minute IV injection, which is quickly taken up in the prostate keep reading
No, the title does not refer to sex, a Ferrari, a promotion, or winning the lottery. It’s a quote from Dr. Robert Nam from Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre about the number of applicants for a clinical study of using 3T MRI to screen for prostate cancer (PCa).[i] There were 50 openings, but 300 applicants. keep reading
A newly available prostate cancer treatment has made Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest not-for-profit health plans, sit up and take notice. On October 4, 2016, the life sciences news service StatNews featured an article by Kaiser News staffer Julie Appleby, “Billboards and Websites Push Costly Prostate Cancer Treatment With Unknown Long-Term Benefits.”[i] The treatment keep reading
Testosterone has important benefits for men. When it’s at a normal level, it helps develop muscle mass, decrease fat, avoid depression, keep bones strong, maintain libido, improve erections, and may help reduce risks of cardiovascular and cognitive disease. However, about 40% of men over the age of 45 have symptoms of reduced blood levels of keep reading
