Category: Prostate Cancer Radiation

“I’m sorry to say your prostate cancer has recurred.” No one wants to hear that message after an initial whole-gland treatment like surgery or radiation. While 5-year survival rates for localized prostate cancer approach 100%, over the longer term as many as 20-40% of patients will experience recurrence. Recurrence after radiation treatment offers a unique opportunity... keep reading

Imagine it’s 1995. The PSA blood test has recently been deployed for widespread screening. You’re 73 with a mild heart problem. Your doctor suggests you have a PSA test as part of your annual physical. It comes back at 13.5 ng/mL. After a 6 needle TRUS biopsy (yes, a standard sextant biopsy back then meant keep reading

The term “biochemical failure” means the presence of a rising PSA after any prostate cancer treatment. In fact, a rising PSA is the gold standard for suspecting prostate cancer recurrence (the cancer has come back). However, a precise, universal standard for defining biochemical failure is difficult because... keep reading

There’s a saying that less is more. However, The Minimalists wonder, “But is less really more? And if so, is the opposite true? Is more actually less?” For some patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa), more may be too much—at least in the short term after treatment. I came across two newsworthy April 2023 journal keep reading

Radiation as a prostate cancer treatment is an alternative to surgery, especially for patients whose age or other health conditions means they’re not good candidates for surgery. There are other reasons for choosing radiation, especially among men who don’t like what they learn about the potential urinary and sexual side effects of prostatectomy or a keep reading

When it comes to treating prostate cancer (PCa) with radiation, there’s a new kid on the block. Conventional external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) has been routinely performed for more than half a century. EBRT targets the whole gland. It is considered a safe and effective alternative to surgical gland removal (radical prostatectomy). Since its original keep reading

Not long ago, I posted a blog on the ability of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to boost the effectiveness of radiation therapy for prostate cancer. This synergistic effect is very important for men with intermediate or higher risk cancer who can’t have (or don’t want) radical prostatectomy, since the greater the risk, the more likely keep reading

What goes up may not come down.  At least, that’s what a new trend in prostate radiation therapy might lead you to believe. The trend is radiation dose escalation. It is occurring in patients who have a radical prostatectomy but whose clinical factors are considered to be a high risk for recurrence. By clinical factors, keep reading