Category: Prostate Cancer

Advanced prostate cancer (PCa) threatens to shorten a man’s life. Advanced means PCa is no longer contained in the gland but is still within the prostate bed and groin lymph nodes. In such cases, prostatectomy is generally not done. The rationale is to avoid putting a patient through surgery with no hope of cure, yet keep reading

Satisfaction is defined as the fulfillment of a need or want. For cancer patients, including prostate cancer, fulfilling their needs and wants is a tall order. In addition to their physical well-being, patients have mental and emotional needs and expectations. Studies have shown that long-term satisfaction is more likely to prevail after treatment when... keep reading

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 10 years since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stirred up controversy by recommending against routine PSA screening. They were concerned about overdiagnosis and overtreatment due to the nonspecific nature of an elevated PSA. Overreacting (if it can be called that) is potentially costly... keep reading

The last time you were hired for a new job, you were probably concerned about salary, hours, and work satisfaction. Did you think about possible bodily harm that could occur because of the job? Most of us take work-related safety for granted, unless you’re in a field like logging, fishing/hunting, or roofers. Those are the keep reading

“When it comes to prostate cancer (PCa), perhaps the single most important thing a patient should know is the degree to which his PCa is dangerous.” I posted that declaration in a 2020 blog on the Gleason Grade Group system. A precise diagnosis allows treatment to be tailored to the disease, but it appears that keep reading

There was a time when proton beam therapy seemed to be the “Holy Grail” of prostate cancer 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 had now joined the ranks of other standard PCa treatment options... keep reading

Product warning labels, like most things, change over time. Since the 1850s, the skull and crossbones on a bottle or package has been a clear message that something inside is poisonous. Today, the word “toxic” is widely used to cover all kinds of dangerous chemicals that contaminate our environment... keep reading

Here’s hot-off-the-presses news regarding the protective benefit of metformin against a nasty side effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). ADT means cutting off a man’s androgens (male hormones, including testosterone) in order to stop advanced prostate cancer in its tracks. ADT is effective in halting the progression of PCa, but it comes with a price... keep reading

Shared decision-making (SDM) is the new hot ticket for choosing a prostate cancer (PCa) treatment. I posted a 2023 blog about the importance of doctor-patient conversations that enable patients to ask questions and share their concerns, while doctors take on the role of neutral educator and empathic listener. This collaboration helps patients avoid treatment regret keep reading

I’ve posted numerous blogs on the promising applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the medical world. Early research and development of Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) show results that offer accuracy rivaling that of humans, and speed/efficiency no human can begin to approach. This all sounds glorious! However, as AI tools have become keep reading