Tag: prostate cancer

These days it seems like the pace of living is continually ramping up. As one blogger expresses, “We live in a culture of hurry, which assumes that doing something more quickly is always better than doing it more slowly. At the root of that is a veneration of productivity: the more quickly you can do keep reading

What do these fictitious characters have in common? Oedipus Rex, Gollum, Hamlet, Achilles. Each one had a trait called a “tragic flaw”, an innate obstacle to achieving their intended goal or desire. In myths, legends, and works of literature, it’s a vulnerability with the potential to bring about their downfall. Many scientists hold the view keep reading

Are you confused about whether annual PSA screening is right for you? One can hardly be blamed, as guidelines have been zigzagging since 2012. Currently, shared decision-making between men and their medical caregivers is a compromise recommendation. Still, ongoing debate shows up in published literature backed up by data. Those in favor of annual testing keep reading

If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you want to know, with as much accuracy as possible PSA and its variants - determined by blood test, Gleason score/Gleason Grade Group - determined by biopsy, and clinical stage - determined the old-fashioned way by combination of digital rectal exam or DRE, biopsy, inadequate information from ultrasound, and educated guess... keep reading

A sickening feeling Has this ever happened to you? You want to retrieve something small but important. Maybe it’s the key to your safe deposit box, or an heirloom gold watch chain from your great-grandfather. You go to the place you usually keep it, like a box in the back of a drawer, or a keep reading

Prostate cancer is a global disease, but not uniformly so. In fact, the incidence rates vary widely from one nation or region to another. Because of this, researchers have been very interested in the possibility that environmental and lifestyle factors could play a role in either promoting or preventing prostate cancer. Chief among these factors is nutrition, especially fruits and vegetables... keep reading

Numerous studies have validated the hypothesis that if mpMRI does not detect significant prostate cancer (PCa), no biopsy is needed; but if a biopsy is indicated, MRI-targeted biopsy overcomes the problems of the TRUS random biopsies. It minimizes the number of needles while maximizing diagnostic accuracy. As one paper states... keep reading

Inflammation is a normal response to injury, disease, invasion by bacteria or viruses, exposure to toxins, and radiation. Acute inflammation is rapid, temporary, and protective. It gradually disappears as healing proceeds. However, other types of inflammation are “silent” and can linger indefinitely. This is called chronic inflammation. It can trigger cancerous mutations in many organ cells, including the prostate gland... keep reading

British physicist Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) was globally recognized as one of the most gigantic intellects in our time. According to study.com, Hawking was awarded “…thirteen honorary degrees, the Franklin Medal, the Hughes Medal, the Albert Einstein Medal, the Wolf Prize in Physics, the Albert Einstein Award, and many more.” For Hawking, unraveling the mystery of keep reading

At the time of this writing, the long-time co-host and weatherman of the Today show, Al Roker, is recovering from prostate cancer (PCa) surgery. Roker used his air time to announce his diagnosis of early stage but aggressive disease, in part as a chance to raise awareness of PCa among black men. Roker’s summary reflects the ongoing dialogue—and at times, debate—in the clinical world over prostate cancer (PCa) among African American men. Are black men at greater risk, and if so, why? keep reading