19

Apr

Prostate cancer: Case to test men in their 40s

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in cancer, prostate
Men could be offered a screening test for prostate cancer in their late 40s, a study suggests.
The idea is controversial as prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing can be unreliable, throwing up false positive results that can cause undue worry and even treatment over something benign.
Swedish researchers say checking every man aged 45-49 would predict nearly half of all prostate cancer deaths.
Their findings, in The BMJ, come from a study of more than 21,000 men.
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19

Apr

Screening men before 50 can lower prostate cancer mortality rates

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in prostate

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening is widely used for the early detection of prostate cancer, but remains highly controversial, as it became widespread long before evidence to prove its value.

There is now evidence that PSA screening can reduce prostate cancer mortality in men who would not otherwise be screened. However, this can come at considerable harm.

As there is little evidence to support many aspects of screening guidelines, researchers from Sweden and the USA carried out a case-control study taking data from the Malmo Preventative Project (MPP) cohort, in an attempt to develop an evidence-based scheme for prostate cancer testing.

The researchers conclude that PSA levels are informative of the current risk of cancer as well as being “predictive of the future risk of prostate cancer” and any cancer-specific death.

They say that screening programmes can be designed so as to “reduce the risk of over-diagnosis whilst still enabling early cancer detection for men at highest risk of death from prostate cancer”.

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16

Apr

Penis health: Identify and prevent problems

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in men's health, sexual health
Penis health involves more than erections. Find out what affects penis health, the most common penis problems and strategies to promote penis health.
Penis health is an important part of men’s health — and it goes beyond your ability to get and keep an erection, ejaculate and reproduce.
Penis problems can be a sign of an underlying health condition. Ongoing health issues affecting your penis also can impact other areas of your life, causing stress or relationship problems and harming your self-confidence. Know the signs and symptoms of penis problems and what you can do to protect your penis health.
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16

Apr

‘Aggressive’ prostate cancer gene find

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in cancer, prostate
Men with prostate cancer and an inherited gene mutation have the worst form of the disease, research reveals.
The BRCA2 gene is linked to hereditary breast cancer, as well as prostate and ovarian cancer. Now scientists say that as well as being more likely to get prostate cancer, men with BRCA2 are also more likely to develop aggressive tumours and have the poorest survival rates. They say these men should be treated quickly to save lives.
This study shows that doctors need to consider treating men with prostate cancer and a faulty BRCA2 gene much sooner than they currently do, rather than waiting to see how the disease develops.
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16

Apr

Circumcision alters penis microbiome, could explain HIV protection

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in hiv, men's health
According to a study to be published on April 16 in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, circumcision drastically alters the microbiome of the penis, changes that could explain why circumcision offers protection against HIV and other viral infections.
Research team studied the effects of adult male circumcision on the types of bacteria that live under the foreskin before and after circumcision. By one year post-procedure, the total bacterial load in that area had dropped significantly and the prevalence of anaerobic bacteria, which thrive in locations with limited oxygen, declined while the numbers of some aerobic bacteria increased slightly.
Researchers concluded the change in the communities is really characterized by the loss of anaerobes. From an ecological perspective, it’s like rolling back a rock and seeing the ecosystem change. The foreskin removal increases the amount of oxygen, decreasing the moisture – changes the ecosystem.
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16

Apr

New Procedure May Shrink Enlarged Prostate Without Surgery

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in prostate
Men who need treatment for an enlarged prostate may soon have a new nonsurgical option, a small, early study suggests.
Called prostatic artery embolization (PAE), the technique uses a catheter threaded into an artery in the leg. The catheter is guided to the artery that supplies blood to the prostate. Then, tiny beads are injected into the artery, which temporarily block the blood supply to the prostate.
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16

Apr

Study Questions Value of PSA Test for Older Men

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According to a new studythe U.S. National Cancer Institute only one-third of men over age 65 who receive an abnormal result from their PSA test actually undergo prostate biopsy to look for disease, .
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening measures the level of a key marker protein for prostate cancer in the blood. In general, the higher the level of this protein, the more likely it is that a man has prostate cancer.
The value of the PSA test has recently come into question, however, with several studies suggesting it causes men more harm than good - spotting too many slow-growing tumors that, especially in older patients, may never lead to serious illness or death.
The new study concluded the older the man, the less likely he was to have a prostate biopsy after having an abnormal PSA screening test result. Men with other health problems were also less likely to undergo a prostate biopsy.
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12

Apr

Postie bike ride delivers prostate cancer message

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in cancer, prostate
26 men on postie bikes are currently zooming across Australia, carrying an important message about ‘male bags’ with them.

Travelling from Perth to Melbourne, the ‘Male Bag Run’ passed through South Australia this week, its swarm of red bikes making it across the Nullarbor, through the outback to Adelaide, and down to Mount Gambier.

While most of the postie bikes had nice soft seats, some even layered with a sheep skin cover, the long ride was still taking its toll of the bikers’ derrieres.
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11

Apr

11 steps to take if your prostate test comes back abnormal

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in cancer, prostate
Based on the very latest medical knowledge and technologies, here is a safer, leading-edge approach to take after tests show that you have an elevated PSA level.
Step 1: Ask your doctor for a DRE (digital rectal exam) to feel for any irregularities, bumps, or elevations, and an ultrasound to measure prostate size. Then…
Step 2: If there is a possible prostate infection, treat with antibiotics. Then…
Step 3: Get a second PSA test. There are a number of factors that can skew PSA numbers, so it is important to repeat the test. If again elevated, then…
Step 4: Obtain an Advanced Prostate MRI from a center that has the 3.0 Tesla machine. This is a breakthrough technology that is 85-90% accurate in identifying a cancer mass, even small masses of 5 millimeters. Then…
Step 5: Consider getting a Color Doppler Ultrasound test if there’s a center near you that offers it. This test can show you a high-resolution image and pinpoint where cancer is present. If cancer is found, your urologist will then be able to perform a more accurate, targeted biopsy. Then…
Step 6: If possible, try to obtain a targeted biopsy instead of the typical blind biopsy. Doctors knowledgeable about the advanced prostate MRI and Color Doppler Ultrasound will know about the benefits of a targeted biopsy. Rather than taking random samples as is usually done, your doctor will now be able to guide the biopsy needle to the most suspicious areas, greatly increasing the chance of obtaining highly reliable results. Then…
Step 7: If the targeted biopsy reveals cancer, ask if it would be helpful to obtain a second pathology analysis from a different center or institution. You have nothing to lose from doing this, and labs do make mistakes. Then…
Step 8: Join a prostate cancer support group, where you can obtain valuable information from a patient’s point of view. Sometimes these men are better informed about the newest technologies and treatments than doctors. Also, do your own research, searching the internet for information about tests, treatments, benefits, and risks. Then…
Step 9: Collect your data and have all your test results and dates in a single table so you can track changes over time. Discuss your results with your doctor and ask as many questions as you need. You’ll want to know what treatment your doctor suggests for your type of cancer. If he recommends surgery or radiation therapy, ask if you may speak with the surgeon or radiologist. Then…
Step 10: Consider getting a second opinion. Your urologist is most likely a surgeon, so it is natural for him to have a surgical point of view. Be sure to find out if there are alternatives to surgery or radiation therapy you should consider such as cryotherapy, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), or laser therapy. Then…
Step 11: Decide on your treatment based on all your test results and the knowledge you’ve gained. Congratulate yourself for taking an active role in your present and future health, and for making decisions that are well informed and based on the most up-do-date information available.
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11

Apr

Prostate Cancer With Faulty BRCA2 Gene Spreads More Quickly

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in cancer, prostate

A new study finds that prostate cancer spreads more quickly and is more likely to be fatal in men who have inherited a faulty BRCA2 gene. The researchers say such patients should be treated straight away with surgery or radiotherapy rather than just be monitored.

Research has already established that men who inherit a faulty BRCA2 gene have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, but this, the largest study of its kind, is the first to show that the faulty gene also means carriers are more likely to experience more rapid spread of the disease and poorer survival.

The study, reported this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, poses a potential challenge to health systems like the UK’s NHS where carriers of the faulty gene are offered the same prostate cancer treatment options as non-carriers.

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