askmenhealth.org

PSA screening costs too much and is ineffective

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:38:52 +0000

In a commentary in The New York Times, Richard Ablin of the University of Arizona said the screening tool he discovered four decades ago now costs too much and is ineffective.

The American Cancer Society, which does not recommend the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test — a standard screening for men since the 1990s — has urged doctors to speak to their patients about its risks and its limits.

The clinical trials found that the blood test could not be proved to save lives.

PSA does not allow to distinguish between aggressive cancers that require intervention and slow-developing tumors that, depending on the patient’s age, likely will not be a primary cause of death, according to the American Cancer Society.

Furthermore, the test can also provide erroneous results.

According to Ablin, American men have a 16 percent chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer but only a three percent chance of dying from it because most cancers develop slowly over time.

He deplored PSA screenings’ annual cost of at least three billion dollars, much of that paid for by Medicare, the insurance program for the elderly, and the Veterans Administration.

Variable blood pressure a new stroke risk factor

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:42:47 +0000

A new British research suggests that extremely variable blood pressure, and not just high blood pressure, can greatly increase a person’s risk of stroke.

Researchers found that people with the greatest variation in systolic blood pressure (the higher of the 120/80 readings) over seven visits to their doctor were six times more likely to have a major stroke. People with the highest blood pressure readings were 15 times more likely to have a stroke.

The findings challenging established medical wisdom about blood pressure and stroke and may also affect the choice of the first drugs prescribed for blood pressure control.

Changes in specific domains of sexual function and sexual bother after radical prostatectomy

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:35:18 +0000

A new study at Yale School of Medicine, USA, aimed to quantitatively assess the effect of radical prostatectomy on the specific domains that comprise overall sexual function. Researchers focused on the relationships among these domains and overall sexual function in order to identify predictors for recovery of sexual function over time, as a decline in sexual function and sexual bother are known potential complications of treatment for prostate cancer.

The study finds radical prostatectomy affects specific domains of sexual function to differing degrees. Compromised erectile function is most commonly reported among these specific domains and seems to play a more dominant role in determining overall sexual function, but notably none of the domains of function were closely linked to sexual bother. Because education is protective in the perception of bother, appropriate counselling and the setting of expectations for outcomes in overall and specific domains of sexual function might lead to improved quality of life after treatment for prostate cancer.

Home test kit helps couples hoping to conceive better understand infertility issues

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:10:41 +0000

A new home test kit developed by University of Virginia Health System cell biologist John C. Herr, PhD, can assist couples in determining if a man’s sperm count is normal, low, or very low. based on a protein in sperm.

The new device, called SpermCheck Fertility, works similarly to home pregnancy tests, with lines that become colored based on the number of sperm found per milliliter.Based on antibodies that bind to SP-10, a protein discovered in Herr’s laboratory, SpermCheck Fertility was recently cleared for sale in the European Union and is currently undergoing review by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The results are reported as the cover article in the March 2010 issue of the journal Human Reproduction.

New method to better study prostate cancer

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:15:10 +0000

Researchers at Van Andel Research Institute have developed a new method to better study the cells that line and protect the prostate in relation to the development of cancer. New model allows researchers to find that normal cells and cancer cells depend on different factors to survive. This factors help in discovering how to target cancer cells without affecting normal cells when developing treatments.

Study has discovered a genetic mutation in African-American men with family history of prostate cancer

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:18:51 +0000

A recent research study has discovered, for the first time, a genetic mutation in African-American men with a family history of prostate cancer who are at increased risk for the disease. Scientific reports linking inheritable androgen receptor mutations to prostate cancer in Caucasians are rare, and this is the first one that focuses on the African-American population. .

Researchers discovered this genetic change by testing DNA extracted from white blood cells of African-American and Caucasian men from Louisiana who had a proven medical history of prostate cancer in their families. [more about genetic mutation ]

Study supports a molecular diagnostic test for predicting prostate cancer recurrence

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:02:16 +0000

A Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYGN) today release revealed that data providing further clinical validation supporting its newest molecular diagnostic product, PROLARIS, was recently presented at the 2010 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.

The study at the Scott and White Clinic, Temple, Texas examined a well-described cohort of patients for which 10-year follow-up data were available following prostatectomy surgery. The study demonstrated that the PROLARIS molecular diagnostic test is a significant predictor of prostate cancer recurrence in training.

The abstract of the presentation entitled: “Cell Cycle Genes Predict Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy” is now available on the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s website.

Imaging tools may help address challenging clinical dilemma of prostate cancer care

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:38:33 +0000

New preliminary information from a pilot study in the Netherlands indicates that imaging tools may help address the most challenging clinical dilemma of prostate cancer care.The preliminary study, at Radboud University, demonstrated a high discriminatory performance of the novel MRI methodology (Diffusion-Weighted Imaging) in separating aggressive prostate cancer that must be treated from harmless disease conditions that don’t require treatment. The study of 51 patients will be released at the European Congress of Radiology on March 10.

However, data addresses the Central Challenge in Prostate Cancer Care as Identified by March 4 Congressional Hearing and Highlights need for further research

As men age, better health means better sex

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:11:45 +0000

A new research at University of Chicago finds better health translates into better sex lives, with healthy people more likely to engage in sex (and good sex at that) and to express an interest in sex.

The authors of the study, also created a novel measure called “sexually active life expectancy.” According to this new measure, men aged 55 could expect another 15 years of sex while women of the same age could expect 10.6 more active years. Overall, however, more men reported a satisfying sex life than women, a chasm that widened as people aged. [ read more about ]

Shift work can put a crimp on sleep

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:01:58 +0000

A new study at the Sleep Disorders Center at Saint Louis University offers some suggestions for people who have sleep problems because of irregular work schedules.
For instance, if you work the night shift and sleep during the day, make sure your blinds are closed and reduce other sources of light in the bedroom. Being exposed to sunlight after a night shift can confuse the brain so you should find ways to reduce sunlight exposure before you go to bed. Wear sunglasses on the way home from work, and, conversely, before work, spend time in a well-lit room.
Among the other tips:

Avoid vigorous activity before you go to bed and stay busy before you go to work.
Your activity level can tell your body whether it’s time for work or sleep.
Let your family and friends know about your sleep schedule and ask them not to phone or otherwise disturb you while you’re sleeping.
Consider seeing a sleep specialist if you notice that sleep deprivation is affecting your life. Perhaps you’re less productive at work or getting complaints on the job, losing your temper with your family or having difficulty staying awake at your child’s recital.

Research suggests, though, that lack of sleep can lead to memory problems, depression, cardiovascular concerns, cancer and increased risk of accidents.