Having prostate cancer and prostate cancer treatments may cause side effects that require the immediate attention of your doctor or health care team, but it is hard to know when to call the doctor as opposed to knowing when to let it ride. Infection It can even be difficult to know when all you have [...]
A Gleason Score of 7 is often looked at as a middle range score, but clearly not as serious as an 8 or 9 score. Some recently combined research performed at the Department of Urology, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington and the Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research [...]
A chart review performed at the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB. concluded that the a quick rate of initial PSA decline in men with hormone refractory prostate cancer receiving docetaxel chemotherapy (chemo) predicts an increased overall survival (OS). Studies have demonstrated that docetaxel chemotherapy does prolong survival in metastatic hormone-refractory prostate [...]
Yesterday, November 11, 2009, I wrote that I appreciated knowing what my survival chances were after learning that I had a returning PSA, so I thought that this study was particularly relevant. At the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) conference, Dr. Buyyounouski and his colleagues from the Fox Chase Cancer Center reported on a [...]
You have been treated for prostate cancer and you find out that your PSA is rising. You are diagnosed with prostate cancer and the doctors tell you that the cancer has escaped the gland and moved on to other places in your body. You have advanced prostate cancer and there is no cure for you! [...]
David P. Wood, Jr., MD gave a presentation at the 9th International Prostate Forum (IPF) on October 8 - 10, 2009 in Izmir, Turkey on the Management the side effects of hormone therapy (ADT) when used to treat of prostate cancer. Dr. Wood indicated that the three major side effects of ADT in the treatment [...]
One of the most heated debates in prostate cancer care is around the use of 5-reductase inhibitors (5ARI) like Dutasteride as a third component of a hormone blockade (ADT3). 5-ARIs block the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is thought to be an extremely powerful “fuel” for the growth of prostate cancer. However, there [...]
The relatively new drug, denosumab, has proven itself very effective for men on a hormone blockade (ADT). In a recently completed 3-year, randomized, double-blind study at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, denosumab significantly increased bone mineral density and decreased new vertebral fractures in men receiving ADT for the treatment of advanced prostate [...]
Scott Goodwin who periodically has been writing about his journey taking chemotherapy has given us a very moving update. Sadly, Scott is not doing well physically, but he is continuing his valiant fight against this insipid disease. - JTN I thought I would send a much overdue update on my progress with chemo, etc. I [...]
A known fact is that between 15% to 35% of men who have surgery as their primary treatment after diagnosis of prostate cancer will experience a biochemical recurrence (BCR). The authors of a presentation, Michael B. Williams, MD, et al. presented at the American Urological Association Mid-Atlantic Section - 67th Annual Meeting - October 1 [...]
