Radium-223 (Xofigo) is a drug for men with castrate resistant metastatic prostate cancer (mCRCP) who have multiple bone metastases. Radium-223 selectively targets bone metastases by mimicking calcium, which is attracted to the bone, especially to the fast growing areas of the tumor in the bone. It emits an alpha-emitting dose of radiation, which is mostly contained [...]
I just returned, along with Malecare’s Executive Director Darryl Mitteldorf and Dr. Wendy Lebowitz, from the ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco. The three of us often attend this meeting, but this one had a new and very special item, a research poster (abstract no. 253) that was presented by Malecare and Mitteldorf. The [...]
This afternoon I am off to the American Society for Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU) in San Francisco. There has already been some information leaking to the media about some of the presentations that will be going on at the conference. One such “leak” is about findings from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [...]
There has been a lot of conversation about the role of and the use of multi-parametric MRIs in the initial diagnostic stages of prostate cancer, but little is known about its potential clinical application in the use of early salvage radiotherapy after failed radical prostatectomy. In a study to exam the potential of multi-parametric MRIs [...]
Men of African origin are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer. You can read more Malecare's African American men and Prostate Cancer website, Twice As Many http://twiceasmany.org Three specific statistics tell the story. 1- In the United States, the incidence of prostate cancer is highest among men of African origin. 2- Prostate cancer mortality is highest among [...]
It is commonly known that men on Hormone Therapy (ADT) often experience many physical and psychological side effects from the treatment. Many of my posts have discussed the physical side effects, but I have not adequately explored the adverse psychological side effects that many of us experience when we are on ADT! Besides memory issues [...]
Last year GenomeDx Biosciences presented data showing that its Decipher® Prostate Cancer Classifier (the test), a genomic test, is capable of predicting the probability that a man will eventually develop metastatic prostate cancer, despite having surgery as a primary treatment for prostate cancer. The company claims that the test out performs other existing tests of [...]
Most of our testosterone is made in out testicles, so the first stage of hormone therapy to treat prostate cancer is to prevent them from making any androgens. Testosterone is said to “feed” prostate cancer, so stopping the creation of testosterone controls prostate cancer progression. We have a number of ways to limit the production [...]
The newest gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist therapy drug, degarelix (aka Firmagon) has become more commonly used in everyday clinical practice as an alternative hormone therapy treatment drug (ADT). Given that its use has become common it is important to understand both its safety and efficacy as compared to our older standard drugs. The best way [...]
It is a little out of the normal scope of this blog, but a recent prostate cancer study from Canada has received a lot of buzz and needs some commentary and analysis. The study concluded that for men who are diagnosed with local prostate cancer (still confined in the gland) live longer if they have [...]
