Men face decisions amid screening debate

As medical professionals around theUSdebate the merits of prostate cancer screening, men who care about their health have some decisions to make. This stems back to the US Preventive Service Task Force’s recommendations that men 50 and older should be informed of the risks and benefits before choosing PSA testing.

 Three doctors were in this debate. Dr. David Anderson, a urologists at CoxHealth, Dr. Jim Blaine, an independent Springfield physician in family practice and Dr. Bruce Roth, professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. David Anderson stated “the task force’s draft recommendation discouraging the use of the PSA test may lead patients to discount the seriousness of prostate cancer and obstruct physicians’ efforts to help patients make informed decisions.” Dr. Jim Blaine added “There is no risk whatsoever in the PSA test itself, it’s like a lot of other things; it’s what you do with the results. Without PSA testing, many dangerous prostate cancers would not be diagnosed early.” Dr. Bruce Roth stated “he welcomes the task force’s report, citing numerous hazards along the path that begins with screening.”

 The task force proposed downgrading the PSA test from category C (offer/provide this service only if other considerations support offering or providing the service in an individual patient) to D (discourage the use of this service.) The task force is reviewing all public comments submitted through the fall. There is no set date for issuing the final recommendation.  

 All three physicians agree that when it comes to their patient’s with elevated PSA levels, they never take action on a single elevated result, but they compile multiple results and analyze. “It’s something not trivial,”Blainesaid. “If you take away the PSA test, how are we going to diagnose it? By the time it becomes symptomatic, it’s often gone too far to end up with a cure.”

 CPC agrees with all of the physicians. PSA testing helps evaluate the patient’s levels overtime, however men should also undergo routine digital rectal exams as well.

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Supporting Prostate and Breast Cancer Awareness with the Pink and Blue Revolution!!!

Prostate Cancer Hormonal Therapy Cuts Deaths, Report Says

According to a new review of men with aggressive prostate cancer, hormone-targeted therapy cuts the overall risk of death. It also does not increase the chances of men dying from cardiovascular disease, which some researchers suggested might be the case.

Dr. Paul Nguyen, lead author of the study from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital inBostonsaid; “I think that these results should be very reassuring for the majority of patient’s who are thinking of androgen deprivation therapy for their prostate cancer.”  The study consisted of 2,500 men that were treated with androgen deprivation therapy for three months or more, and 2,300 that were not. During the follow-up period, 38% of men undergoing hormone-targeted therapy died compared to the higher death rate of 44% of men who did not undergo hormone therapy. When the researchers looked specifically at the deaths caused by prostate cancer, they noted that 14% of men on hormone therapy died from prostate cancer, compared to 22% that were not. There was no extra risk of cardiovascular death from the hormones.

“Our study does not leave ADT off the hook in terms of causing things like increased insulin resistance and diabetes. There could very well still be some adverse cardiovascular consequences that don’t lead to death.” Nguyen stated.

This study was on patients with intermediate to high-risk prostate cancer. CPC recommends for patient’s to always consult with their physicians regarding all treatment options.

Prostate Cancer Hormonal Therapy Cuts Deaths, Report Says

According to a new review of men with aggressive prostate cancer, hormone-targeted therapy cuts the overall risk of death. It also does not increase the chances of men dying from cardiovascular disease, which some researchers suggested might be the case.

Dr. Paul Nguyen, lead author of the study from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital inBostonsaid; “I think that these results should be very reassuring for the majority of patient’s who are thinking of androgen deprivation therapy for their prostate cancer.”  The study consisted of 2,500 men that were treated with androgen deprivation therapy for three months or more, and 2,300 that were not. During the follow-up period, 38% of men undergoing hormone-targeted therapy died compared to the higher death rate of 44% of men who did not undergo hormone therapy. When the researchers looked specifically at the deaths caused by prostate cancer, they noted that 14% of men on hormone therapy died from prostate cancer, compared to 22% that were not. There was no extra risk of cardiovascular death from the hormones. “Our study does not leave ADT off the hook in terms of causing things like increased insulin resistance and diabetes. There could very well still be some adverse cardiovascular consequences that don’t lead to death.” Nguyen stated.

This study was on patients with intermediate to high-risk prostate cancer. CPC recommends for patient’s to always consult with their physicians regarding all treatment options.

Well-Done Red Meat May Increase Risk for Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco offer further evidence of a link between aggressive prostate cancer and meat consumption, and suggest it is driven largely by consumption of grilled or barbecued red meat, especially when it is well-done.

The researchers embarked on the study because although established, the link between meat consumption and prostate cancer was not clear. They questioned whether inconsistency reflects an effect whereby different types of tumors are linked to different types of meat preparation, due to different cancer-causing compounds, or carcinogens.

The study consisted of 470 men with aggressive prostate cancer and 512 matched controls that did not have prostate cancer between 2001 and 2004. Each participant completed a questionnaire that enabled the researchers to access not only their meat intake for the past 12 months, but also the type a meat and how the meat was prepared.

The researchers found that:

• The higher consumption of any ground beef or processed meats was positively linked with aggressive prostate cancer, with ground beef showing the strongest association.
• Men who ate high levels of well or very well cooked ground beef had twice the odds of developing aggressive prostate cancer compared to the men who ate none. Low consumption raised the odds to 1.5.
• In contrast, no such link was found between consumption of rare or medium cooked ground beef and aggressive prostate cancer.
• Looking at the potential carcinogens by cooking meat at high temperatures, they detected an increased risk of aggressive cancer.

CPC recommends annual prostate screening which includes PSA (prostate specific antigen) and digital rectal exam (DRE). Talk to your doctor about maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle.

 

Is the Prostate Cancer Biopsy an Effective Diagnostic Tool?

There are various tests to detect the presence of prostate cancer, the only sure way to detect the condition is through a prostate biopsy. Every year in theUS, there are approximately over a million men who undergo prostate biopsy. Within the biopsies that are preformed, around 25% indicate the existence of prostate cancer. In the other 75% of prostate biopsies, one third indicates a false negative result. With this information, researchers are concerned that prostate cancer is not being detected in the earlier stages.

A prostate biopsy is when a prostate gun which shoots tiny little needles into the prostate is used to take small samples of the tissue. This procedure is preformed in the physician’s office without the use of anesthesia. Since this procedure can be painful, the approximate numbers of tissue samples that are taken are about 6 cores. The specimen is taken to a lab for a pathologist to read to determine if cancer is present. If cancer is present the pathologist will assign a Gleason Score between 2 and 10. The lower your Gleason score is the less risk of the cancer spreading.

CPC recommends prostate biopsies as well as stereotactic transperineal prostate biopsies (STPB). The difference between the prostate biopsy and a STPB is with the STPB, the patient is under anesthesia and the physician takes samples from every octant of the prostate. STPB is performed through the perineum, rather than the rectum, resulting in less pain and lower risk of infection. STPB is extremely well tolerated and useful for diagnosis of prostate cancer. Ask your physician for all of the options and side effects before undergoing any procedure.

 

 

 

 

How to Treat Male Menopause

As men age, their total serum testosterone level decreases during the third decade of life and gradually declines by 0.4-2.6. By the age of 60, 20% of the general population is termed testosterone deficient. Many physicians are reluctant to prescribe testosterone therapy, as they have been educated in the past that elevated testosterone levels can cause metastatic prostate cancer.

This data came from researches by the name of Huggins and Hodges. Their study analyzed men that previously had prostate cancer and were treated with brachytherapy, radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. The men who received testosterone therapy had low-grade prostate cancer without evidence of metastatic disease. Eight out of the nine studies that they reviewed did not show a significant recurrence of the disease with the presence of testosterone therapy; however they did find a positive impact on treating symptoms of androgen deprivation.

If you feel that you are a candidate for testosterone therapy, discuss with your physician the various treatment options. If you do undergo therapy, remember to get your annual digital rectal exam, as well as PSA (prostate specific antigen) to monitor change.

CPC recommends patients always ask their physicians for all treatment options and to also have annual prostate screenings which includes PSA (prostate specific antigen) and a DRE (digital rectal exam).

 

Doctors defend prostate screening, PSA test does more good than harm, many argue, and saves lives

Doctors across the US are arguing with the U.S. Preventive Task Force recommendations to prevent healthy men of all ages to have their PSA’s checked, stating that PSA(prostate specific antigen) screening helps diagnosis early stages of prostate cancer. The physicians do understand that early detection of prostate cancer can often lead to unnecessary surgeries and radiation treatment, which can cause life-altering side effects, even though they don’t always extend the life of the patient. They also believe that if the physicians used up-to-date guidelines and techniques, the task force’s concerns would be minimized.

Dr. Scott Eggner, urologic oncologist at the University of Chicago Medical Center stated “In general, I think it’s a bad idea to encourage all young healthy men to stop getting tested. PSA screening definitely saves lives.”

CPC agrees with the physicians. PSA screening along with a digital rectal exam is the best option available to detect prostate cancer.

Mustache campaign promotes prostate cancer awareness

During the month of November, men around the world will grow out their mustaches for prostate cancer awareness. Participants will ask for donations from family, friends and co-workers and take pictures of their mustache growth. The mustache campaign is designed to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Live Strong to help researchers find better ways for
prostate screenings. Prostate cancer is a major concern for men, as one in six will be diagnosed with the cancer. More than 33,000 men die from prostate cancer each year. Last year this fundraiser included 11 countries and raised $81 million.

With the US Panel recommending that healthy men should not have their PSA (prostate specific antigen) checked, Adam Garone, CEO and founder of Movember states, “We can’t tell a man if he has an aggressive cancer and needs treatment immediately or if it’s moderate and should change their diet.”

Garone commented, “Movember is about getting men of all ages to be engaged in this and having discussions that we don’t normally have.” The only rule is come November 1^st men start off clean-shaven and then let physiology take over. There is a list of the top mustaches according to the American Mustache Institute: Chevron, Dali, English, Fu Manchu, Handlebar,
Horseshoe, Imperial, Lampshade, Painters Brush, Pencil, Pyramidal and Walrus. For full descriptions, go to www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/article.cgi?id=24627

 

Vitamin E Consumption and Prostate Cancer Prevention: Supplements may cause more harm than good.

A recent ten-year study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, set out to prove the benefits of vitamin E and the mineral selenium in preventing prostate cancer. This study took place in many areas of the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. The findings did not show any positive association between Vitamin E and prostate cancer prevention. When researchers further examined the study participants, there was evidence that the supplement may have actually caused prostate cancer in some participants. Based on the data, it’s hard to say if increasing Vitamin E actually causes prostate cancer, however, in the study of 35,000 men, there was a 17% increased risk of prostate cancer among those taking 400 IU/ day of vitamin E.

Dr. Samadi of the Mount Sinai Medical Center believes that prostate cancer prevention begins with the basics. “There are simple things that men can do to optimize their prostate health,” he says, “Maintain a healthy weight through regular, moderate exercise. Plan a balanced diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, that’s where the antioxidants are. And get your annual PSA
(Prostate Specific Antigen) screening. It does work and it gives us vital information about your prostate health.”

Chicago Prostate Center agrees with Dr. Samadi. Many Americans choose supplements as an easy fix for health. Prostate Cancer is a tricky cancer.  There are really no signs or symptoms of
early stage cancer. Eating healthy foods, exercise and having a yearly prostate screening is important. Prostate screening includes a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal exam (DRE).