Prostate cancer is more prevalent in higher latitudes. This has been correlated with Vitamin D metabolism and its effect on tissue differentiation. Autopsies have shown that incidental prostate cancer is noted in 30% of men in the 6th decade of life and increases significantly through the ninth decade. These data have been reproduced in populations [...]
One of the major causes of prostate cancer morbidity and mortality is bone metastases. Currently, when it comes to treating prostate cancer metastases we are very limited in effective therapies that actually prolong survival. Kirschenbaum A, etal (Departments of Urology and Medicine Division of Pulmonary Diseases Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Bone Diseases, Mount Sinai [...]
The use of denosumab (Xgeva) as an alternative to the more commonly prescribed zoledronic acid (Zometa) to slow down the development of bone metastases in men with advanced prostate cancer is becoming more common. The most common concern for men taking Zometa and now Xgeva has been osteonecrosis of the jaw. Osteonecrosis of the jaw [...]
Again, prostate cancer confusion continues to reign. A recent study reported at the ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncology) conference claims that the addition of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with clinically localized prostate cancer was not associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. According to Jason A. Efstathiou, MD, Ph.D.l, of the Massachusetts General Hospital [...]
We have just reached a red letter moment in the area of medical insurance. The provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires medical insurers to spend 80% of the consumers’ premium dollars they collect—85% for large group insurers—on actual medical care rather than overhead, marketing expenses and profit just kicked in to effect. This [...]
A recent article in the journal Cancer reported that there is an association for men being treated for prostate cancer with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and a risk of developing blood clots. The article, written by Edhaie et al. analyzed the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) –Medicare database to identify 154,611 men over the [...]
Sometimes you have a good idea and you aren't sure why others don't get on board right away. It gets frustrating for some because they realize that the idea of "if you build it, they will come" does not hold up very well in reality. In fact what becomes more true is that if you [...]
We know that both a positive family history and racial background are among the strongest epidemiological risk factors for prostate cancer. It is also recognized that the role of candidate genetic markers to prostate cancer is more difficult to identify than the identification of other cancer susceptibility genes. Despite the localization of several susceptibility loci, [...]
According to Bloomberg News Celgene Corp. said it will stop a study (Mainsail) of its blood-cancer pill Revlimid as a treatment for prostate cancer because the drug failed to help patients more than chemotherapy and steroids alone. This conclusion was drawn after the data-monitoring panel found the drug did not meet its primary goal of [...]
Amgen announced that they have published the results from their Phase 3 trial (the '147 study) that evaluated XGEVA® (denosumab) for use in preventing or delaying the onset of bone metastases in men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The results were published in The Lancet. The study found XGEVA significantly prolonged bone metastasis-free survival, [...]
