Category: General Prostate
Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Radiation: A Synergistic Effect
There is a saying from the world of computer programming: “Theory is when you know something, but it doesn’t work. Practice is when something works, but you don’t know why.” This saying also captures something that mystified urology/radiation oncology teams for two decades. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) boosts the effectiveness of radiation therapy as a keep readingStereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: Quality of Life vs. Possible Risks
The evolution of prostate cancer (PCa) treatment often seems like a moving target. Suddenly there’s a revolutionary new treatment, or an exciting development in an existing one. Patients benefit from technological advances, gains in experience, and improved scientific knowledge—but even the most promising must survive the test of time, since unintended consequences can show up keep readingHow Can Immunotherapy Boost Focal Laser Ablation?
In the years since I first began treating localized prostate cancer using Focal Laser Ablation (FLA), I have acquired a broader perspective on cancer and the whole person. The human body contains an amazing defense mechanism with a “seek and destroy” mission against invasion from without and abnormality from within. It is called the immune keep reading
Prostate Cancer in Families – Get the Word Out!
How much do you know about prostate cancer? Take this short quiz: 1.What is the greatest risk factor for prostate cancer? a) Exposure to environmental toxins like agent orange b) Family history c) Obesity d) Smoking e) Lack of exercise 2. How many cases of prostate cancer are hereditary? a) Less than 3% b) 3 keep reading
The Biggest BPH Treatment Breakthrough Yet?
The 18th century French writer and philosopher Voltaire was known for his wit. One remark is especially apt for this blog: “In the case of news, we should always wait for the sacrament of confirmation.” In January, 2018 the Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation made a big urology news splash with the announcement that the World Journal keep reading
When it Comes to Food, Are You a Risk-Taker?
How would you rate yourself in terms of healthy eating habits? In a 2016 survey of 3,000 Americans, 75% of respondents said their diets were good, very good, or excellent. And yet, “…more than 80 percent of Americans fail to eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. At the same time, many Americans overeat refined grains keep reading
The PIVOTAL Trial: The Safety of Aggressive Radiation for Prostate Cancer
Thanks to PSA screening and early detection, most prostate cancer (PCa) is diagnosed while it is still contained in the prostate gland. This implies favorable odds that any whole-gland treatment is potentially curative: radical prostatectomy, beam radiation, brachytherapy (seed implants), cryotherapy (freezing), or HIFU. For patients whose PCa exists as an unifocal disease—that is, an keep reading
To Beam or Not to Beam? That is the Proton Question
There was a time when proton beam therapy seemed to be the “Holy Grail” of prostate cancer (PCa) treatments. In 1990, the Loma Linda University Medical Center became the world’s first hospital-based proton beam treatment center, making this treatment available to all cancer patients. A decade later, the New York Times reported that proton beam keep reading
How to Get a Lot of Attention by Claiming to Cure Cancer
If you want to stand in a scientific spotlight, you have to have a great act. What act could be grander than curing cancer? Not just any cancer, but all cancer. Not at some vague future date, but next year! This is exactly what an Israeli development-stage biopharmaceutical company did. On January 28, 2019 the keep reading
