Tag: PSA

More and more prostate cancer patients and their doctors are turning to Active Surveillance (AS). Data shows that for carefully chosen low risk patients, AS is a way to hold off on treatment like surgery or radiation without significantly increasing the chances of death from prostate cancer... keep reading

Before a prostate cancer patient makes a final decision to have focal laser ablation, I go over the details of MRI-guided FLA and what to expect after treatment. I remind each person that it’s important to monitor for PCa recurrence. After any focal treatment (cryo, HIFU, Focal Laser Ablation, MRgFUS, TULSA) PCa can either come back in the treatment site—called treatment failure, meaning the treatment did not destroy all the cancer at the site—or recur in a different location... keep reading

The term “biochemical failure” means the presence of a rising PSA after any prostate cancer treatment. In fact, a rising PSA is the gold standard for suspecting prostate cancer recurrence (the cancer has come back). However, a precise, universal standard for defining biochemical failure is difficult because... keep reading

There’s a saying that beauty is only skin deep. Whether or not you buy that philosophy of beauty, you may be interested to know that scientists are studying a supplement formulated from something that’s found skin deep in citrus fruits. It is a modified form of pectin, which is a soluble fiber found in most plants. Pectin is used to... keep reading

The debate over the merits of prostate cancer screening by using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test is not likely to go away any time soon. However, the majority of men between ages 50-70 will continue to have blood tests to screen for prostate cancer (PCa). According to experts, more than two-thirds of men with an elevated PSA will not be diagnosed with PCa... keep reading

The entertainment value of a good suspense movie lies in keeping the audience guessing. Is the bad guy actually dead? Has the evil ghost actually left the haunted house for good? Why is the possessed person’s head still spinning if the demon was actually cast out? Moviegoers who are into such films happily pay for keep reading

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 10 years since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stirred up controversy by recommending against routine PSA screening. They were concerned about overdiagnosis and overtreatment due to the nonspecific nature of an elevated PSA. Overreacting (if it can be called that) is potentially costly... keep reading

When you think of Italy, what stands out in your mind? Perhaps it’s landmarks like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, or Leaning Tower of Pisa. Maybe you think of designers like Armani, Versace or Zegna. No doubt Ferrari cars spring to mind, as well as the mystique of Venice or the Renaissance wonders of Florence. And 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

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