Tag: biopsy

Good detective stories may have crossed your early path in life. Perhaps you read vintage classics like the classic Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books, or more recently Nate the Great and Encyclopedia Brown. If you got hooked, you advanced to classic tales about Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and others. Our TVs brought Sgt. Columbo keep reading

Numerous studies have shown that multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) of the prostate before biopsy improves the detection rate and diagnosis accuracy of targeted biopsies. If you or someone you love is being recommended for a prostate biopsy, here are key points about traditional 12-core TRUS biopsies to keep in mind... 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

No doubt you are aware that many toxic substances are associated with higher cancer risk, and when there’s definite evidence of causing cancer, they are called carcinogens. For example, several national and international bodies have linked Agent Orange with prostate cancer (PCa) and numerous other cancers or cancer precursors. However, there are studies that suggest keep reading

“The Human Pincushion”. Back in 2016, I posted a blog in which I referred to the conventional TRUS prostate biopsy as a pincushion. Why? Because it involved at least 12 needles placed in a gland roughly the size of a walnut. Not only did this often entail pain, it came with risk of infection, blood keep reading

“I can’t afford it.” Unless you’re an impulse buyer, no matter how attractive a purchase looks you’re going to take the cost into account. Will your budget accommodate your desire? Of course, there strategies that can bring you closer to getting what you want. For example, you can: Shop around and compare prices for the keep reading

Why has it taken so long for someone to denounce the digital rectal exam (DRE) as a screening tool? Despite expert opinion against the DRE, many primary care doctors still do a DRE as part of routine annual checkups. The DRE has also been considered an essential monitoring practice for prostate cancer (PCa) patients on keep reading

“Cancer screening should be a regular part of your life,” states the American Cancer Society (ACS). When it comes to screening tests (e.g., Pap smear, mammogram, colonoscopy, PSA blood tests, etc.) there are two kinds of people: those who wholeheartedly embrace ACS’s advice, and those who don’t. Those in the first group believe that not keep reading

When you think of Sweden—which you probably don’t do often—what springs to mind? Maybe it’s tall blonde people, IKEA, or those cute painted horse carvings. Perhaps you picture Hollywood legends Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman, or you recall the cocktail party where the hostess served tasty Swedish meatballs. If you’re a music lover, you can keep reading

If you’ve been diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer, chances are your doctor has said you may be a candidate for Active Surveillance (AS). The National Cancer Institute defines AS as a cancer management strategy to avoid or delay treatments with side effect risks. It “involves closely watching a patient’s condition but not giving any treatment keep reading