Tag: biochemical recurrence

As a treatment for prostate cancer, prostatectomy (surgical gland removal) continues to be dogged by positive surgical margins. Patients who have PSMs are at higher risk for recurrence. The issue is not the surgical approach... keep reading

A characteristic of good mystery stories is the use of clues designed to mislead the reader. These literary devices are called red herrings, and they are meant to throw the reader off track. Most prostate cancer (PCa) patients who are treated with beam radiation or brachytherapy (seed implants) can expect they are on the road keep reading

If there were an accurate crystal ball, would you want to know your future? And if you knew something bad was going to happen, would you try to take steps to avoid it? The ancient Greek notion that you can’t escape your fate is illustrated by the tragic tale of King Oedipus, who was informed keep reading

PSMA-PET scans have become the most sensitive prostate cancer (PCa) detection for metastasis (cancer that has spread to other parts of the body), including recurrent PCa after treatment. PET uses a radioactive tracer that has been molecularly bonded with a substance readily taken up by prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA). keep reading

Patients who choose robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) believe it’s the best way to eradicate prostate cancer (PCa). In their mind, this equates to a cure. In fact, PCa can recur (come back) as long as 15 or more years after any whole-gland treatment. Increasingly, no one talks about “cure” anymore. Instead, “success” is defined as keep reading

If you know someone with a medical crystal ball who can predict a prostate cancer patient’s outcome with 100% certainty, I’d like to hire that person to help my PCa patients gain the optimum treatment plan. Until that day, I continually seek top technology advances I can use in the service of my patients. Increasingly, keep reading

It was true when we posted the blog below in 2017, and it’s still true now: surgical removal of the prostate gland does not guarantee a cure for prostate cancer. What it does offer, in the words of expert European urologists, is “a high chance of cure.” In fact, published rates of recurrence at 5 years after radical prostatectomy (RP) are as high as... keep reading

Good news! The widespread integration of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and MRI-guided targeted biopsies has resulted in both better initial qualification of AS candidates, and significantly better ability to monitor for significant PCa by PSA + mpMRI. As a side benefit... 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