An informative and comprehensive analysis of existing research studies evaluating the merits of early vs. deferred commencement of hormone therapy in men with advanced prostate cancer was recently published. The analysis (Wilt T, Nair B, MacDonald R, Rutks I. Early versus deferred androgen suppression in the treatment of advanced prostatic cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic [...]
U.S. News and World Review, in their HealthDay section reported an interesting aspect of the continuing debate about treatment vs. “watchful waiting” (active surveillance). The article, written by Karen Pallarito “Rethinking Prostate Cancer in Older Men” suggests aggressive treatment is viable, even for patients in their late 70s! Her premise, that increasing life expectancies, improved [...]
Coincidentally, when I experienced my PSA recurrence of prostate cancer my rheumatologist suggested that I have an MRI to check up on the status of spinal involvement from my arthritis. After going through the usual struggles with the insurance company, I did have the MRI. While still dealing with the emotional issues of learning about [...]
Many of us, who are dealing with advanced prostate cancer, become understandably concerned about our rising PSA. Given free choice, we all would be much happier if our PSA just disappeared and became undetectable. Granted, a rising PSA is indeed a bad sign, but the rate of rise and how we actually feel is more [...]
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, have found the hormone estrogen plays a major role in about half of all prostate cancers. Their findings were published in the May 27 online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. They have found that the estrogen-linked signaling helps drive a discrete and aggressive [...]
My wife Wendy and I wrote the following as a response to a Father's Day article in the New York Times. Gina Kolata published a front page article in today’s (Sunday, 15 June 2008) New York Times entitled “New Take on a Prostate Drug, and a New Debate.” The article is about the use of [...]
Increasingly, it seems as if I am hearing more and more about much younger guys being diagnosed. I don’t mean men who have a little bump in PSA and having gleason scores of six or less. I am talking about men who on diagnosis have prostate cancer that has left the capsule and already have [...]
I am a firm believer in survivors helping other men deal with their prostate cancer, however there are areas of caution. What treatment should I move on to; hormone blockade; Keto or chemotherapy. Should I participate in a clinical trial? What’s best for me? It seems that there is a lot of advice out there, [...]
I recently read about a woman on a breast cancer sight who was getting ready to publish a list of "things I would liked to have known about prior to my treatment." I think that a similar list could be valuable to men newly diagnosed and newly recurrent. I would like to publish two lists, [...]
Once again, the prostate cancer community has been rocked by startling and conflicting news. According to a research study from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine androgen deprivation therapy (hormone blockade- ADT) may encourage prostate cancer cells to produce Nestin, a protein that makes prostate cancer cells more likely to spread through out the body! [...]
