Tag: prostate cancer

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

Two academics teamed up to write an elegant review of four areas in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making increasing contributions to the world of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and treatment planning. One hails from the East Coast, the other from the West Coast. First, Dr. James B. Yu is a radiation oncologist in Hartford, keep reading

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” said the 20th century philosopher George Santayana. Though he wasn’t referring family heredity, we might rephrase his words as follows: Those who ignore a family history of cancer are condemned to a higher risk of developing it. That’s because cancer has many genetic properties keep reading

Some people are driven to seek fame, but no one wants to be a prostate cancer celebrity. And yet, as of this writing, a several notables have made recent headlines due to their prostate cancer (PCa). After some initial secrecy, it was revealed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was diagnosed, treated, and re-hospitalized for complications keep reading

Imagine it’s 1995. The PSA blood test has recently been deployed for widespread screening. You’re 73 with a mild heart problem. Your doctor suggests you have a PSA test as part of your annual physical. It comes back at 13.5 ng/mL. After a 6 needle TRUS biopsy (yes, a standard sextant biopsy back then meant keep reading