Potential Complications of Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy, or freezing, is a method of destroying prostate cancer by subjecting the prostate gland to the extreme temperature of -40° Celsius. The procedure, done under anesthesia, consists of using ultrasound image guidance to insert thin hollow needles into the prostate gland through the perineum (skin between the scrotum and anus). When argon gas is keep readingImmunotherapy: Great Hope and Some Disappointment
The challenge to overcome cancer has been around as long as the human race has known about cancer. An Egyptian papyrus from 1600 B.C. identifies cancer and describes removal of a breast tumor by cauterizing (burning) it. The writer notes that there is no known cure for cancer.[i] In modern times, the three main methods keep readingWould You Want to Know How Your Prostatectomy Will Turn Out Before You Have It?
One of the traits of highly successful people is their ability to stay grounded in the present moment yet anticipate the future. Although no one can predict the future with 100% accuracy, knowing the odds are favorable is a definite advantage. For prostate cancer patients, the most common treatment recommendation is radical robotic prostatectomy (RRP). keep readingUncertainty and Anxiety during Active Surveillance
The word is out: Patients with early stage, low risk prostate cancer have often been rushed into radical prostatectomy when many of them could have afforded to wait to seek treatment—possibly for years. Untold numbers of men were left with urinary and sexual problems that lasted for months, or were never fully resolved. For low keep readingActive Surveillance and Testosterone Replacement Therapy
The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd. – Bertrand Russell What man over the age of, say, 45 doesn’t look back—perhaps nostalgically—on the lusty days of yore? Somewhere between the ages of eighteen to thirty, men reach a sexual peak in which desire keep readingHormone Therapy Affects Mental Function
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a treatment for prostate cancer that has spread outside the gland. It is also called hormone therapy or chemical castration. The purpose of ADT is to reduce the production of male hormones, especially testosterone, which has the effect of temporarily halting the ability of prostate cancer cells to multiply and keep readingUpdated Focal Therapy Data From NIH
Dr. Peter Pinto is one of the most respected urologic researchers in America. He is the Head of the Prostate Cancer Section of the Urologic Oncology Branch of the Center for Cancer Research (National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health). That’s a very long formal title for a man who is humble, personable and good-natured. His keep readingA Critique of Transperineal Biopsy Study On MRI/Ultrasound Fusion Guidance
I read a study on the accuracy of prostate MRI for predicting that no prostate cancer (PCa) is present. This is called the negative predictive value (NPV), and the authors make a great point in their introduction: The reliability of a negative MRI is a key clinical metric – if the MRI is reported as keep readingActive Surveillance: Things You Might Not Have Thought About
The number of prostate cancer patients who opt for active surveillance (AS) is rising. The most important reason men go on AS is to avoid the risks that accompany whole-gland treatments. In fact, it’s so important to patients that according to a Dutch study, 30% who were not considered candidates for AS chose it anyway keep reading
