prostate-report.org

Diet for a healthy prostate

From a dietary point of view, there haven’t been enough well-controlled studies on any nutrients or supplements to be able to draw definitive conclusions regarding prostate cancer prevention.

But many reports revealed the evidence that nutrients such as lycopene (a component released when tomatoes are cooked), the herbal supplement saw palmetto (at a dose of around 500 mg per day), ground flaxseed (two tablespoons per day), soy foods and a low-fat diet can all keep levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) - a marker of prostatic growth under control. Less convincing is the evidence that taking vitamin E or selenium can prevent prostate cancer; in fact, the large SELECT study, examining the link between both supplements and the development of prostate cancer, was halted last year after it failed to produce any significant results.

New method for prostate cancer metastasis prediction

According to cancer experts at Johns Hopkins, a recent study tracking 774 prostate cancer patients for a median of eight years has revealed that a three-way combination of measurements has the best chance yet of predicting disease metastasis.

The new prediction method is based on the following data: the length of time it takes for PSA (prostate-specific antigen) to double, Gleason score (a numeric indicator of prostate cancer aggressiveness as seen under the microscope), and the interval between surgical removal of the prostate and the first detectable PSA level.

Johns Hopkins investigators, concluded that combining these three measurements more accurately estimates risk that the cancer has spread than do other methods and should help determine which patients may benefit from additional therapy when PSA levels rise after prostatectomy. Studies suggest that most men live the same length of time overall whether they receive therapy at the first sign of a rising PSA or wait until the cancer has spread to other sites.

Findings from the study presented at the June 2009 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) may also help resolve the debate on when and in what form secondary treatments should occur.

First patient in Europe to have his prostate removed with da Vinci Si gadget

The first patient in Europe was recently operated in London for prostate cancer using the £2million ‘da Vinci Si’ gadget. The Daily Express posted that patient’s operation was a great success and doctors were impressed with the enhanced ­performance of the new robot.

Using this technology, the complex operation is done through a tiny incision rather than the traditional larger cuts, so patients recover quicker and spend less time in hospital. Less than 24 hours after major surgery patients was on his way home, and he didn’t have to take any further medication for the cancer because the whole gland has been removed.

Prostate cancer patients treated with zoledronic acid suffer renal impairment

According to a report by Dr. Oh and colleagues in the online version of Cancer, nearly one-quarter of prostate cancer (CaP) patients treated with zoledronic acid (ZA) suffer renal impairment

ZA is an intravenous bisphosphonate given to decrease skeletal related events in CaP patients with bone metastases. In a phase III trial, ZA was associated with renal impairment in 17% of cases. The present study is the first observational study that quantifies the rate or renal impairment and identifies associated risk factors.

Prostate cancer screening not very beneficial, say scientists

No major medical group, including the American Cancer Society, currently recommends routine prostate cancer screening for men at average risk.

The recent release of two large randomized trials, at the American Cancer Society and, respectively, at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, suggests that if there is a benefit of screening, it is, at best, small.

The review says as prostate cancer is virtually ubiquitous in men as they age, it is clear that a goal of “finding more cancers” is not acceptable. Instead, public health principles demand that screening must reduce the risk of death from prostate cancer, reduce the suffering from prostate cancer, or reduce health care costs when compared with a non-screening scenario. The authors suggest prostate cancer screening has yet to reach one of these standards to date.

The report says the future of prostate cancer will include better screening tests, better methods to assess a man’s risk of prostate cancer, and prevention strategies, including the use of finasteride, a drug currently used for the treatment of urinary symptoms related to prostate enlargement.

Patient-reported quality of life after salvage brachytherapy for radio-recurrent prostate cancer

A scietific team at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.has reported on quality of life of a small group of patients receiving salvage brachytherapy following the failure of first-line external beam radiation for localized prostate cancer. The authors report that, patients who receive salvage brachytherapy report a worsening of bowel and urinary symptoms followed by some improvement by 27 months, while sexual function steadily declines over time. Interval to re-irradiation and type of prior radiation received may be used to counsel and optimize selection of men for salvage brachytherapy with regard to QOL endpoints.

Risk of erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer

Risk for erectile dysfunction (ED) after prostate cancer treatment is commonly assumed to be a reason why many men avoid being tested for their risk for prostate cancer. Whether that is really true or not is actually not well understood.

The authors of a study targeting men under 75 years of age and living in the Washington, report that the probability of ED  in a prostate cancer screening population increases in a nonlinear fashion with age. They note that this finding is “consistent with the findings of previous reports.”

They also point out a more significant male health risk issue, which is that there is a strong association between ED and cardiovascular disease. Given this risk, the lack of any normal contact with a primary care physician probably presents a greater risk to the health of these men than prostate cancer.

Gleason score and lethal prostate cancer: does 3 + 4 = 4 + 3?

A recent review at Department of Epidemiology of Harvard School of Public Health have compiled data from a pathological analysis on > 800 biopsy and radical prostatectomy specimens. The study conclusion clearly suggests that prostate cancer tumors with a Gleason score of 4 + 3 = 7 are three times more likely to be lethal than cancers with a Gleason score of 3 + 4 = 7.

In other words, the predominance of Gleason pattern 4 in Gleason 7 cancers is a critically important prognostic factor.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 16 percent of men born today will be diagnosed with cancer of the prostate at some time during their lifetime and the biggest risk factor for this type of cancer is age.

Urologists explain that unfortunately, prostate cancer does not commonly present with definite symptoms. In fact, prostate cancer can be quite large before causing symptoms.

When it does cause symptoms it is usually related to urine outlet obstruction symptoms. When symptomatic, prostate cancer can cause urinary urgency, nocturia, frequency and hesitancy. However it should be noted that these symptoms are also present in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and are more likely to be caused by BPH than cancer.

Outcomes from different types of radical prostatectomy

A study aiming to determine the cancer control afforded by radical prostatectomy in patients who underwent either an open, laparoscopic, or robotic procedure for localized prostate cancer has been recently completed at University Paris VI, Paris, France.

Although open radical prostatectomy remains the gold standard procedure, the study found no differences between these three techniques regarding early oncologic outcomes. These results are still preliminary, however, and further studies of larger populations with a longer follow-up are needed to make any statement regarding surgical strategy.