Tag: prostate cancer

There’s an exciting new development in treating metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) that no longer responds to hormone therapy. Such cancer is clinically called metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, or mCRPC. There is currently no cure when PCa reaches this stage, but new drugs and immunotherapies can prolong life. Researchers are exploring and testing therapies that destroy keep reading

The quote, “Aging is not for sissies,” is attributed to actress Bette Davis but no doubt millions of senior citizens can easily get on board with that sentiment. After age 65, chances of disease and accidents begin to increase, including chronic disease (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke are the most common), falling, depression, anxiety, dementia keep reading

I’ve said it before, and I’ll undoubtedly say it again: multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) can avoid unnecessary biopsies. In a previous blog, “A PROMIS is a Promise for Multiparametric MRI,” I cited the results of the PROMIS study in which 576 men initially had an mpMRI scan, then underwent 2 types of needle biopsy (ouch!) so keep reading

Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) has sparked a revolution in prostate cancer (PCa) detection, diagnosis and image-guided treatments. Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) does not even begin to compare with the anatomic definition and tissue characterization provided by high-resolution, 3D mpMRI scans. This breakthrough technology has been a godsend for patients in such areas as Avoiding unnecessary needle biopsies keep reading

It has been suggested that in multifocal prostate cancer (PCa), focal therapy to the largest (index) lesion is sufficient, because secondary non-index lesions are unlikely to contribute to disease progression.[i] In the world of urology, the belief that prostate cancer (PCa) is a multifocal disease has long dominated diagnosis and treatment decisions. Thus, treating PCa keep reading

What do breast cancer (BCa) and prostate cancer (PCa) have in common? As it turns out, they share several characteristics: They are both the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. They are both related to sexuality and reproduction They are both subject to hormone-driven cancers that respond to drugs that affect hormone keep reading

In the not-so-distant past, a PSA blood test that showed an elevated or rising PSA most often led to a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided needle biopsy of the prostate. Most TRUS biopsies involve 12 or more needles for the simple reason that ultrasound cannot clearly identify what’s a tumor and what isn’t. And unfortunately, this keep reading

Do you ever worry about the quality of the air you breathe or the water you drink from public sources? What about urban overcrowding? Noise pollution? Light pollution? There is no doubt that man-made factors can play a causal role in genetic errors that lead to disease. Many studies have demonstrated an association between poor keep reading

In today’s medical fields, lasers are used therapeutically to treat a broad spectrum of disease as well as cosmetic conditions. As summarized by the Johns Hopkins website, lasers are now commonly used to debulk or destroy tumors, to seal blood vessels to diminish blood loss, in some eye surgeries and dental procedures, and to treat skin imperfections or lesions. Clinical use of lasers takes advantage of tissues’ light absorption... keep reading

Let’s say you never had a problem with ants in your kitchen. Then, one day you spy a single ant zigzagging its way around the floor. You don’t jump to the conclusion that your home is infested, and you can live with a random ant or two. But what if that first ant is a keep reading