Category: General Prostate

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an aging-related, noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. The exact cause is not yet known, but it is theorized that testosterone plays role (e.g. men whose testicles were removed before puberty do not get BPH). keep reading

The debate over the merits of prostate cancer screening by using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test is not likely to go away any time soon. However, the majority of men between ages 50-70 will continue to have blood tests to screen for prostate cancer (PCa). According to experts, more than two-thirds of men with an elevated PSA will not be diagnosed with PCa... keep reading

“For the last 40 years the prostate’s been unusual in that we’ve been interrogating men who were at risk of prostate cancer with a random needle deployment of the organ, which we don’t do in any other organ systems in relation to cancer. I think we always knew it was unreliable, and that the diagnosis was uncertain, but I think we just didn’t realize... keep reading

If it shrinks BPH, can it kill prostate cancer? That’s the question that sparked “the first long-term prospective randomized-controlled study of an intraprostatic molecular injectable treatment for low grade localized PCa to be reported.” The authors of the study include luminaries from sites such as Johns Hopkins and Mt. Sinai/Icahn School of Medicine... keep reading

Satisfaction is defined as the fulfillment of a need or want. For cancer patients, including prostate cancer, fulfilling their needs and wants is a tall order. In addition to their physical well-being, patients have mental and emotional needs and expectations. Studies have shown that long-term satisfaction is more likely to prevail after treatment when... keep reading

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 10 years since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stirred up controversy by recommending against routine PSA screening. They were concerned about overdiagnosis and overtreatment due to the nonspecific nature of an elevated PSA. Overreacting (if it can be called that) is potentially costly... keep reading

There was a time when proton beam therapy seemed to be the “Holy Grail” of prostate cancer treatments. In 1990, the Loma Linda University Medical Center became the world’s first hospital-based proton beam treatment center, making this treatment available to all cancer patients. A decade later, the New York Times reported that proton beam had now joined the ranks of other standard PCa treatment options... keep reading

Product warning labels, like most things, change over time. Since the 1850s, the skull and crossbones on a bottle or package has been a clear message that something inside is poisonous. Today, the word “toxic” is widely used to cover all kinds of dangerous chemicals that contaminate our environment... keep reading

Today’s world of prostate cancer is a far cry from what it was in your dad’s day. New knowledge about the disease includes a better understanding of prostate anatomy, prostate cancer genomics, the behavior of cancer cells, the role of lifestyle, etc. However, some old beliefs still linger. It’s time to put them to rest... keep reading

What’s not to love about fun facts? Most of the time they’re composed of trivia, but unlike the supposedly memorable dates you learned in high school history, fun facts tend to stick. For instance, here’s one about food: a single fast-food burger may have meat from 100 different cows! You might never have reason to keep reading