Tag: prostate cancer

• December 20, 2016
• Focal Treatment & Laser Ablation

Let’s Talk About Preserving Sexual Function

I came across a very illuminating study titled “Physician Recommendations Trump Patient Preferences in Prostate Cancer Decisions.”[i] The researchers polled 257 newly diagnosed low-to-intermediate risk PCa patients after diagnosis but before their next urology consultation. The patients answered questions about their preferences in the following areas: Treatment preference Interest in sex Cancer-related anxiety. The study’s keep reading

• December 13, 2016
• General Prostate

Reduce Weight, Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk, Live Long and Healthy

Do you see yourself as taking responsibility for your health? Do you believe you can reduce the chance of developing prostate cancer—or any cancer, for that matter? Are you aware that being overweight not only puts you at risk of cardiovascular disease, but also of prostate cancer? The connection between above-normal body mass index (BMI) keep reading

• November 28, 2016
• Other Treatments

Photodynamic Therapy with TOOKAD®

A new approach to focal treatment for prostate cancer has made its entrance onto the world stage and has patients talking. It is called photodynamic therapy (photo for light, dynamic for action) or PDT. It involves administering a light-sensitive chemical called TOOKAD® by a 10-minute IV injection, which is quickly taken up in the prostate keep reading

• November 24, 2016
• Imaging & mpMRI

Men Enthusiastically Want It

No, the title does not refer to sex, a Ferrari, a promotion, or winning the lottery. It’s a quote from Dr. Robert Nam from Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre about the number of applicants for a clinical study of using 3T MRI to screen for prostate cancer (PCa).[i] There were 50 openings, but 300 applicants. keep reading

• November 14, 2016
• Other Treatments

Treatment Billboards: Half Truths in Advertising?

A newly available prostate cancer treatment has made Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest not-for-profit health plans, sit up and take notice. On October 4, 2016, the life sciences news service StatNews featured an article by Kaiser News staffer Julie Appleby, “Billboards and Websites Push Costly Prostate Cancer Treatment With Unknown Long-Term Benefits.”[i] The treatment keep reading

• October 30, 2016
• Imaging & mpMRI

Multiparametric MRI Can Save Millions of Healthcare Dollars

It’s time to silence the economic naysayers who claim that multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) is too expensive for detecting and diagnosing prostate cancer. Results from a new study out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital[i] (Boston, MA) in partnership with AdMeTech reflect how the Sperling Prostate Center has been ahead of its time. The study demonstrates how keep reading

• October 20, 2016
• Other Treatments

Patients Need to Know about Focal Alternatives

One of the most respected robotic surgeons, Dr. David Samadi, is an active online participant, with regular blogs on relevant prostate cancer topics. The New York Daily News recently (Sep. 22, 2016) carried an article by Dr. Samadi, “Prostate Cancer Means Deciding between Surgery or Radiation.”[i] In talking about the necessity of doing research in keep reading

• October 5, 2016
• Other Treatments

Potential Complications of Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy, or freezing, is a method of destroying prostate cancer by subjecting the prostate gland to the extreme temperature of -40° Celsius. The procedure, done under anesthesia, consists of using ultrasound image guidance to insert thin hollow needles into the prostate gland through the perineum (skin between the scrotum and anus). When argon gas is keep reading

• September 19, 2016
• Imaging & mpMRI

Would You Want to Know How Your Prostatectomy Will Turn Out Before You Have It?

One of the traits of highly successful people is their ability to stay grounded in the present moment yet anticipate the future. Although no one can predict the future with 100% accuracy, knowing the odds are favorable is a definite advantage. For prostate cancer patients, the most common treatment recommendation is radical robotic prostatectomy (RRP). keep reading

• August 9, 2016
• Active Surveillance

Uncertainty and Anxiety during Active Surveillance

The word is out: Patients with early stage, low risk prostate cancer have often been rushed into radical prostatectomy when many of them could have afforded to wait to seek treatment—possibly for years. Untold numbers of men were left with urinary and sexual problems that lasted for months, or were never fully resolved. For low keep reading