Category: Other Treatments

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

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

It is universally understood that the radical prostatectomy (RP) patient who has immediate return to baseline erectile function is a very rare case. The need to wear a catheter for several days to 2 weeks is itself a deterrent to having an erection. Even men who undergo nerve sparing robot-assisted laparascopic RP can expect a best-case scenario of... keep reading

Beam radiation has long been a mainstay in the arsenal of weapons against prostate cancer. Over 50 years ago, when more powerful radiation equipment allowed deeper penetration into the body, patients who could not have surgery began to be treated with... keep reading

If you have prostate cancer but you also have a coexisting condition like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or diabetes, are you a good candidate for a radical (meaning total gland) treatment? It could turn out to be a rougher journey than you bargained on... keep reading

“The customer is always right” is sometimes wrong, as many companies have learned when disgruntled customers use this slogan as an excuse to speak abusively to employees. As consumers of medical care, prostatectomy patients are also customers, but they often avoid expressing complaints to their surgeon about urinary or sexual side effects of treatment... keep reading

Reviews and ratings are very important in today’s world. Look at the internet. Whether it’s Yelp, Amazon, Ebay, Angie’s List or hundreds more, the number of stars or thumbs up are not as influential as the qualitative comments left by consumers. In similar fashion, radical prostatectomy is... keep reading

It is always thrilling when a treatment is working so well in a clinical trial that the study ends early and the FDA moves rapidly with approval. This was the case with a clinical study called ALSYMPCA (Alpharadin in Symptomatic Prostate Cancer Patients). keep reading

As a treatment for prostate cancer, prostatectomy (surgical gland removal) continues to be dogged by positive surgical margins. Patients who have PSMs are at higher risk for recurrence. The issue is not the surgical approach... keep reading