Information About COVID-19 for Prostate Cancer Patients
COVID-19, short for coronavirus disease 2019, is an infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is a newly identified pathogen that has not previously been seen in humans and is highly contagious. Though it belongs to...
Don’t Allow Prostate Cancer to Drive You and Your Partner Apart
Facing a cancer diagnosis can be tough to handle as a couple. It’s safe to assume that a prostate cancer diagnosis will be stressful for any relationship. The possible unwanted changes that can occur before, during, or after treatment can be very trying, and couples...
Recurrence Anxiety Strikes Unexpectedly
The fear of recurrence weighs heavily on the minds of every cancer survivor, some more than others. For some it can be an overwhelming fear experienced on a daily basis, and for others, less frequent. For many patients, recurrence anxiety strikes most often around...
Prostate Cancer claims more lives than breast cancer in the UK
According to recent numbers released this past week, there are now more prostate cancer related deaths in the UK than breast cancer deaths. You can read the original article here: “Prostate cancer now kills more in UK than breast cancer.” It is amazing to see the...
Dealing With Depression When You Have Cancer
Addressing depression in cancer patients is a vital part of the care provided by healthcare providers. In some cases, healthcare providers should be doing a better job in asking patients going through cancer treatment about their emotional health, and to encourage...
Tips for meeting with your doctor
Before you meet with your doctor for the first time, it’s a good idea to formulate a list of questions you want answered. Be sure to write them down, so you don’t forget to ask any of them. Also, bring someone along for moral support. Having them there will help...
FAQ’s to Help Overcome Your Fears of a Prostate Biopsy
Your Urologist felt a “suspicious lump” and wants to schedule you for a prostate biopsy. Two emotions come to the forefront….anxiety and fear. The source of these emotions are from the unknown- not knowing what expect during the procedure and not wanting to know the...
How to Avoid Buyer’s Remorse After Your Prostatectomy
A study published in the journal Research and Reports in Urology found that the rate of prostatectomy-related regret increases over time, with up to 47 percent of men reporting regret five years after surgery. You can read the original article here: "How to Avoid...
Researchers in Spain may have identified a potential therapeutic target for advanced Prostate Cancer.
Through studying the 3D structure of the androgen receptor, Researchers in Spain have identified a key protein responsible for its activation. Identifying this protein, called TFIIF, makes it a possible therapeutic target for advanced prostate cancer. You can read...
7 Things to do when facing the seemingly never-ending Misery of Cancer
For many Cancer Patients, they face a serious problem, when their cancer-related symptoms are always front-and-center in their life. Pain control or quality-of-life issues can make life miserable every minute of every day. You can read the original article here: “7...
The Key Molecular Process that Leads to Prostate Cancer Metastasis has been uncovered by Researchers
In a new Swedish study, researchers at Umeå University have identified a key protein called Snail1, which appears to be crucial to the spread of prostate cancer cells. You can read the original article here: “Researchers Uncover Key Molecular Process that Leads to...
A new Phase 1 Trial shows ProscaVax Vaccine stopped Prostate Cancer Progression in 80% of participants.
OncBioMune Pharmaceuticals’ new prostate cancer vaccine, ProscaVax, stopped cancer progression in 80% of patients in their Phase 1 clinical trial after 6 injections. You can read the entire article here: “ProscaVax Vaccine Stopped Prostate Cancer Progression in 80% of...
A New Global Study Will Look at Whether Exercise Can Help Prostate Cancer Patients Live Longer
A team of Australian Researchers plan to conduct a global study to evaluate whether prescribed exercise along with traditional treatments can help advanced prostate cancer patients live longer lives. You can read the original article here: "Global Study to Focus on...
A new study out of UCSF finds that cancer cells can alter the surrounding tissue.
The tissue surrounding the malignant tumors can look normal, but its genetic makeup may have been altered in ways that promote the spread of cancer, the study reports. You can read the original article here: “Cancer Can Change Tissue That Surrounds It, University of...
For many, the Toughest Battle with Cancer comes after Treatment
For many prostate cancer patients, their greatest battle with cancer came after treatment. You can read the full article here: "Why the Fiercest Battle with Cancer Frequently Occurs After Treatment." These men are living with a host of quality-of-life issues following...
For many, prostate cancer is a disease that strikes later in life; this simple fact combined with life experience, gives some prostate cancer patients a unique perspective
There is another side of cancer that we all tend to forget about when facing a diagnosis. Sure there are all the treatment choices, side effects to weigh, and tests to consider, but we tend to forget the emotional side that is impacted as well. For many of us,...
Prostate Cancer: It’s Not Just an Old Man’s Disease
While a man’s risk of prostate cancer does increase with age, men in their 40’s and 50’s are still diagnosed, affecting some men as young as 30 with this disease. You can read the entire article here: "Prostate Cancer: It's Not Just an Old Man's Disease" Certain...
A new study suggests that precision lymph node radiotherapy could improve prostate cancer outcomes.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a highly precise type of radiation, and a recent clinical trial suggests it may be a safer form of treating lymph nodes in prostate cancer patients. You can read the entire article here: “Precision Lymph Node...
Multiparametric MRI
Multiparametric MRI by, Dr. James W. Borrow With improvements in equipment, the introduction of new imaging sequences and studies involving thousands of men with prostate cancer, dedicated MRI has been shown to be a valuable tool in the diagnosis, treatment choice and...
New study data shows low-to-intermediate risk prostate cancer patients who receive low-dose brachytherapy have excellent long-term outcomes
Recently presented study data shows that low-to-intermediate risk prostate cancer patients who received low-dose permanent brachytherapy had excellent long-term outcomes. Read the original article here: "Low-dose Brachytherapy Seen as Viable Choice for Lower Risk...
SpaceOAR Hydrogel Quality-of-Life benefits are re-confirmed with new Long-term data.
Prostate cancer patients who received the SpaceOAR System prior to their radiation therapy continue to report better long-term bowel and sexual function. Click here to read the original article. The new 5-year long-term bowel and sexual quality-of-life results...
PCa Commentary
Expert Commentary On The Latest Prostate Cancer Topics
Written by Dr. Ed Weber
PCa Commentary is a well-researched, clearly presented commentary targeted to medical providers and others interested in current prostate cancer treatment. Each PCa Commentary edition offers an analysis of new developments in the field of prostate cancer with essays discussing and evaluating treatment management options for this disease.
PCa Commentary #195 – NEW CLINICAL DEVELOPMENTS: 1) The Patch Trial 2)Outcome of Active Surveillance in the PASS Study 3) Artificial Intelligence in Patient Selection for Active Surveillance
The PATCH Trial Results in Perspective: Lupron was approved for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer in 1985 on the basis several seminal articles establishing Lupron as equivalent to orchiectomy and oral estrogen but having fewer adverse effects than...
PCa Commentary #194 – The EMBARK TRIAL: Enzalutamide (Xtandi) Monotherapy for Non-metastatic Hormone Sensitive Prostate Cancer.
The Basics - What is Non-metastatic Hormone-sensitive Prostate Cancer (nmHSPC)? In staging terminology this disease state is termed M0 (no metastases) and refers to a rising PSA following primary therapy (including salvage radiation post-surgery) which is...
PCA Commentary #193 – Tumor-derived Exosomes — a Prostate Cancer Cell-to-Cell Communication System — A Primer:
The Basics: Exosomes are microvesicles extruded from cancer cells (and normal cells) into bodily fluids such as saliva, blood and urine carrying microRNA, DNA and proteins. They facilitate cell-to-cell and cell-to-microenvironment communication promoting metastases,...
PCa Commentary #192 – Androgen Suppression, Estrogen, Bone density and Fracture Risk
The Basics: Lupron and similar agents lower serum testosterone (T) by 90+% achieving the target level of 20 - 30 ng/dL but simultaneously also result in an 80% reduction of serum estrogen. The explanation for this is that in males more than ~1/2 of serum...
PCa Commentary #191 – Radioligand Therapy (RLT): 177Lu-PSMA-617: Pluvicto Update and Introducing 225-Actinium-617 RLT.
A comprehensive discussion of RLT was presented by Viscuse et al., J Nucl Med 2024: “Clinical Management of Advanced Prostate Cancer: Where Does Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Fit in the Treatment Algorithm?” — the subject for this Commentary. The Vision Trial of...
PCa Commentary #190 – PARADIGM SHIFT — Changes in the Management of De Novo Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer (mHSPC).
De novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer refers to a state wherein metastatic spread is diagnosed before any treatment has been administered. Currently, when there are 5 or fewer metastatic lesions (on conventional CT scans) this presentation is termed...
PCa Commentary #189 – Non-metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer: What it is; management options, associated adverse effects, and treatment outcomes.
‘Non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer’ (nmCRPC) applies to a wide variety of patients with different risks for disease progression. It refers to patients who have had primary therapy intended for cure who then experience a rising PSA while receiving...
PCa Commentary #188 – Prostate Cancer Heterogeneity — Clinical Consequences and Therapeutic Relevance.
Prostate cancer is heterogeneous throughout - within the prostate are divergent clones of varying malignant potential vying for escape. Within and among metastatic sites heterogeneity reigns. This complex biology presents diagnostic challenges and complicates...
PCa Commentary #187 – Liquid Biopsy – Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA): A Heads-Up Primer: Emerging clinical usefulness and a look to the future…but this is only a snapshot of the first steps of a remarkable technology.
Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA): In cancer patients fragments of DNA from tumor cells are found in the blood along with short stretches of DNA from healthy cells (cell-free DNA, cfDNA) shed during cell turnover. In early-stage disease the ctDNA fraction of...
PCa Commentary # 186 – ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE: Patient selection, Outcome and Monitoring for Gleason Grade Progression.
Question: Why not be treated at initial diagnosis of prostate cancer— and hope for cure? Answer: Because all treatments are associated with unwelcome adverse effects that most men would prefer to avoid. Who should receive immediate treatment, and which men may safely...
Remission versus Recurrence?
Relapse of prostate cancer is way more common than you might think. Many men treated for prostate cancer have their cancer return, which can lead to a lifetime of treatment. Prostate Cancer Free studies treatment outcomes documented in "The STUDY", recently updated for 2021. Take this Study to your doctor, and discuss your chance of cancer recurrence. The Study is available with the new, just released booklet, to help you learn about prostate cancer. Both the Prostate Cancer Free Study and the booklet, “What You Need to Know About Prostate Cancer” are available NOW for you to VIEW, PRINT or DOWNLOAD.
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The Prostate Cancer Free Foundation, reviews the results of hundreds of thousands of men treated for prostate cancer. Tracking them for years. This information is available to you, and others like you, to help find the best prostate cancer treatment. This work takes time, effort, resources all of it done by volunteers. Please help us continue. Please Donate!