Health Topics - Prostate
Fitness & Sports Health
Prostate: Prevention | Testing | Treatment
- Prostate Cancer
- Mount Sinai Researchers Discover Novel Nanoparticles in Blood With Potential to Transform Cancer Diagnosis | Mount Sinai - New York
- EVs = extracellular vesicles (a new class of RNAs packed into tiny particles)
- EV-UGRs = Extracellular Vesicles-Associated Unannotated Genomic Regions = RNA molecules
- liquid biopsies, potentially eliminating the need for more complex, painful, and infection-prone biopsy procedures
- Prostate Cancer Advances Make Late-Stage Disease More Treatable | Scientific American
- (major advances since 2015)
- Things Men Need to Know About Diagnosis and Prevention - Everything Zoomer
- Genetic Testing: Spotlight on prostate cancer - Everything Zoomer
- 'Search and destroy' radiotherapy for prostate cancer being hailed as a game changer | National Post
- PSMA = prostate-specific membrane antigen radiotherapy
- Health and Wellness Alerts
- Warning! - HealthAfter50.com is very bad at maintaining its website. Web pages and links disappear with no reason. It is risky to link to any page on HealthAfter50.
- Biopsy vs. ...
- About Us: Health and Wellness Alerts
| In addition to the Alerts program, The School of Public Health publishes 51 other consumer health and wellness publications including the Wellness Letter,
Health After 50 newsletter, Health After 50 White Papers, Health After 50 Special Reports, and Wellness Reports.
- Does Proton Beam Therapy for Prostate Cancer Live Up to Its Promise?
- A More Accurate Prostate Cancer Grading System
- PSA density, PSA velocity, Percent free PSA vs. complexed PSA, Other biomarkers.
- HIFU for Prostate Cancer: Think Twice - (high intensity focused ultrasound)
- FDA noted that 28 percent of men who underwent HIFU had positive biopsies for prostate cancer two years later.
- Post-operative ED rates ranging from 11 percent to 45 percent.
- Urinary problems are another common side effect.
- Very expensive.
- Prostate Supplements Don't Work
- IMRT = intensity-modulated radiation therapy
- Photon therapy = X-rays = conventional radiation = rarely used any more for prostate cancer
- IMRT uses X-rays = using computer-generated 3D images to irradiate tumors from many different angles
- 34% less likely to develop gastrointestinal (bleeding and ulceration) problems (compared to Proton beam therapy)
- Fewer hip fractures (compared to Photon therapy)
- More erectile dysfunction (compared to Photon therapy)
- Proton beam therapy = a form of external beam radiation therapy
- Protons = positively charged atoms
- More expensive (US$64k) than IMRT (US$39k) , but produces significantly more adverse gastrointestinal effects.
- There is no evidence to support claims that proton beam therapy provides improved cancer-free or quality-of-life outcomes when compared with less expensive alternatives like IMRT and surgery.
- BPH = benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Health and Wellness Alerts
- BPH = a prostate condition causing difficult and incomplete urination
- magnesium
- raw pumpkin seed oil
- flaxseed meal
- Minimally invasive procedures have been introduced as alternatives to transurethral prostatectomy (TURP)—the gold standard for BPH treatment. Some of these therapies use heat to vaporize tissue in the prostate, a process known as thermoablation.
- TUNA = transurethral needle ablation = a thermoablative procedure with fewer complications than TURP, such as a lower risk of bleeding. The American Urological Association's 2018 guidelines on the surgical management of BPH-related lower urinary tract symptoms advise that the procedure should no longer be recommended.
- Prostatic Urethral Lift to Treat BPH
- PUL vs. TURP
- Several other treatments are available.
- minimally-invasive therapies for BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
- TUMT = transurethral microwave therapy
- TUNA = transurethral needle ablation - (no longer recommended)
- TURP = transurethral resection of the prostate
- TUVP = transurethral vaporization of the prostate
- UroLift = prostatic urethral lift
- Rezum = water vapor thermotherapy
- laser ablation procedures
- Prostate Artery Embolization for BPH - Health and Wellness Alerts
- The Best Treatment Strategies for BPH [Digital Edition] - Health and Wellness Alerts - US$20
- fermented whey drink - whey protein protects against oxidative stress caused by destructive molecules called free radicals.
- Gleason Score
- Globe & Mail
- TheLancet.com
- Mark's Daily Apple
- Mayo Clinic
- Med Guru
- Aspirin could lower prostate cancer recurrence | TheMedGuru - 2009-11-07
- Montreal Gazette
- Prostate cancer treatment: New cocktail drug doubles life expectancy | Montreal Gazette - 2015-11-27
- ARN-509 and JNJ-56021927 | The drug blocks genes that affect prostate cancer cell growth. It’s combined with anti-androgen drug Zytiga (abiraterone acetate), which stops the production of the hormone testosterone that feeds prostate cancer cells.
- Study links finger length to prostate cancer risk - 2010-12-01
- Britain's Warwick University and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)
- Men whose index and ring fingers were the same length -- about 19 per cent of those studied -- had a similar prostate cancer risk, but men whose index fingers were longer than their ring finger were 33 per cent less likely to have prostate cancer.
- Screening for prostate cancer is controversial because the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests used cannot differentiate between men with aggressive cancer and those who would never have symptoms or need treatment.
- NEJM = The New England Journal of Medicine: Research & Review Articles on Disease & Clinical Practice
- GenitoUrinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco - 2018
- Androgen receptor inhibitors block testosterone from binding to prostate cancer cells and entering them.
- Apalutamide - NEJM study published 2018-02-08
- Enzalutamide - study not yet published
- Oncolink.com - Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
- ReadersDigest
- Vancouver Sun
- Wellness Letter - prostate - UC Berkley
- Wrong Diagnosis
- ZoomerMag
- Prostate Gland - Zoomer Health
- Good News for Early Prostate Detection « Zoomer Magazine | Canada's Boomer Lifestyle Magazine - 2010-06-03
- a urine test can detect signs of prostate cancer better than a blood test measuring levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) alone, the currently used method
- With the new urine test, called Progensa, men with elevated PSAs and an abnormal digital rectal exam will be measured for elevated levels of PCA3, a genetic, seemingly benign material that has been found in prostate cancer patients. The test will hopefully help patients avoid the pain and potential inaccuracies of biopsies or unnecessary treatments, such as radiation, or surgeries. Used together with the PSA test, adding Progensa to the diagnostic mix can potentially create a powerful combination in early detection and proper treatment of prostate cancer.
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- Op-Ed Contributor - P.S.A. prostate screening is inaccurate and a waste of money. - NYTimes.com -|$$$|- (CDN$20/4weeks)
- PCAW
- Profound Medical Inc. - Profound Medical Inc. (PMI) of Toronto, Canada, is a spin-out of Sunnybrook Research Institute, and is a multi-award winning medical device company developing an MRI-guided, trans-urethral procedure for the treatment of localized prostate cancer.
- Prostate Cancer Canada | Information, Testing, Treatment, Research, Support Services - Prostate Cancer Canada
- Prostate Cancer Supportive Care |
- University of Michigan News Service | Super-fine sound beam could one day be an invisible scalpel
- Urine TMPRSS2:ERG Fusion Transcript Stratifies Prostate Cancer Risk in Men with Elevated Serum PSA
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force > Topic Index > Screening for Prostate Cancer
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- Prevention
- Vitamins & diet
- PSA = Prostate Specific Antigen
- Prostate info - (800)777-3035
- US Dept of Health (800)358-9295
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- See also: Coffee ...
- B = Vitamin B
- Folic acid. Studies have produced mixed results, with some showing an increased risk with high intakes of this B vitamin. Notably, a large 10-year study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2009 found that the risk of prostate cancer more than doubled in men taking folic acid supplements (1,000 micrograms a day). But folate from food seemed to reduce the risk slightly. Calcium is a possible risk factor for prostate cancer, especially for men consuming 2,000 mg or more of calcium daily.
- Ca = Calcium
- A sensible approach is to limit calcium consumption to no more than 1,200 mg per day and to obtain it through food sources.
- D = Vitamin D
- There is no solid evidence that higher vitamin D blood levels or higher vitamin D intake prevents prostate cancer.
- E = Vitamin E & Selenium
- Findings from SELECT (Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial) demonstrated an increased risk of prostate cancer among vitamin E users with lower levels of selenium at the start of the trial.
- Flax seed
- Lycopene is an antioxidant that is found in cooked tomatoes (tomato sauce, ketchup, etc.).
- Two servings a week may reduce the chances of contracting prostate cancer by up to 36%. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute - March 2002)
- Tomatoes, red and pink grapefruit, guava, apricot, watermelon
- Oils like olive oil increase the absorption of lycopene
- enzyme prostatis??
Casodex - for prostate cancer - no side effects - injection suppresses testosterone in testes.
avoid fat
genisene - tofu derivative?
Agency for Health Care Policy & Research - benign prostate hyperplasia - BPH treatment guidelines (free guide)
- LaPresseAffaires.com 2006-03-16
Pour «préserver» votre prostate et éviter les mauvaises nouvelles, surveillez votre alimentation.
-Mangez moins de viande
-Mangez 5 à 10 portions de fruits et légumes par jour
-Mangez plus de poisson (saumon et thon)
-Mangez plus de tomates (jus et sauce)
-Mangez moins gras
-Mangez plus de noix
-Mangez du tofu
Les médecins recommandent fortement de prendre le temps d'aller passer un test. «Deux moyens sont facilement accessibles chez un médecin de famille: une prise de sang et un touché rectal», dit Paul Perrotte.
La cigarette et l'alcool n'auraient par ailleurs aucune incidence sur la prostate, selon Paul Perrotte.
- Proteonics isolate - protein Pca-24 - could signal the presence or prostate cancer - This is a new technique that may be more accurate.
- Quercetin - May help to prevent prostate cancer
Quercetin is found in apples, onions, black tea, garlic, peppers, berries, grapes, tomatoes
- Saw palmetto - Promotes prostate health
- Selenium is an essential mineral that has antioxidant properties and has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties
- 200 micrograms/day
- Chronic intake of over 400 micrograms/day can be toxic.
- Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, whole grains, wheat germ seafood, meats.
- Vitamin E and selenium have both been shown to be associated with an increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer.
- Benefits of Green Tea You Never Knew Before
- Some studies suggest that taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, including finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart), may reduce the overall risk of developing prostate cancer. These drugs are used to control prostate gland enlargement and hair loss.
However, some evidence indicates that people taking these medications may have an increased risk of getting a more serious form of prostate cancer (high-grade prostate cancer).
- Testing
- PRS = Polygenic Risk Score
- PSA = Prostate-Specific Antigen blood test
- “The current PSA test often leads to unnecessary treatments and, more worryingly, fails to detect some cancers. There is an urgent need for a better screening test."
- "The problem is that PSA tests falsely indicate prostate cancer in men three out of four times, and can detect cancers that grow so slowly they are unlikely to ever be life-threatening – meaning that men may undergo unnecessary MRI scans, invasive biopsies and treatments whose side effects can include urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction."
- "25% of men with a high PSA level will actually have prostate cancer."
- DRE
- Biopsy
- Needle biopsy
- Transrectal biopsy and antibiotics
- Transperineal biopsy with minimal to no antibiotics
- MRI = magnetic resonance imaging
- CT = bone scans using radiopharmaceuticals and with abdominal-pelvic computed tomography (CT) scans
- PET-CT = advanced scanning that combines radiodiagnostic positron-emission tomography (PET) with CT
- These scans can detect molecules commonly found in prostate cancer cells, such as prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA).
- Treatment
- Risk Stratification
- Active surveillance
- Local treatment
- Surgery
- radical prostatectomy
- NanoKnife Therapy (see below)
- Cryotherapy. Also known as cryoablation or cryosurgery, cryotherapy is a treatment that kills cancer cells by freezing them. In the procedure, thin needles (cryoprobes) are inserted through the perineum (the area between the scrotum and anus) and into the prostate. Needle placement is guided with an ultrasound probe placed in the rectum. Freezing gases drop the temperature of the cryoprobes to about –40°C. The extremely low temperatures create ice balls that freeze the entire prostate and some of the nearby tissue. Warm saline is circulated through the urethra and bladder to protect them from the freezing temperatures.
- HIFU. This is a relatively new technique whereby sound waves are directed at the prostate using a probe placed in the rectum. The directed sound waves heat the prostate to a high temperature, destroying cancerous tissue.
- Prostatic Artery Embolization | Johns Hopkins Medicine - PAE is a minimally invasive treatment that helps improve lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
- Radiation
- Photodynamic therapy - photodynamic therapy for prostate cancer
- General treatment
- ADT = androgen-deprivation therapy
- Side effects of ADT are similar to those experienced during menopause. In fact, “andropause” is the term that captures the effects of ADT. Lower levels of testosterone are accompanied by a multitude of symptoms, including but not limited to loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, weight gain, hot flashes, bone loss, cognitive impairment, mood changes, diminished energy, and worsening of preexisting heart and vascular problems. - Prostate Cancer Advances Make Late-Stage Disease More Treatable | Scientific American
- Luteinizing hormone–releasing hormone analogues that lowered testosterone by shutting off the signal in the brain that instructs the testicles to make testosterone. Today newer agents have been added that further lower and block testosterone’s action. - Testosterone and its active form, dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
- Newer agents that further lower and block testosterone’s action:
- Docetaxel, a chemotherapy
- Lutetium-177PSMA-617 (marketed as Pluvicto)
- Gene therapy - BRCA mutation - Wikipedia
- Germline mutations
- Somatic mutations
- Groundbreaking drug triggers immune cells to destroy prostate cancer - (R)-9b
- NanoKnife Therapy = Irreversible Electroporation
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- ReadersDigest.ca - Health : 10 Foods for a Healthy Prostate (www.readersdigest.ca/health/cms/xcms/10-foods-for-a-healthy-prostate_2212_a.html)
- Adapted from: Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal, Reader's Digest Canada
- One in six North American men will develop prostate cancer. A nutrient-rich, low-fat diet can play a vital role in preventing cancer from developing in this important gland.
- Prostate cancer is the most common form in men, which is why the American and Canadian Cancer societies urge all men over 40 to undergo annual or biannual screening, starting with a digital rectal examination.
- Highly Treatable
- Prostate cancer, if treated in an early stage, is highly curable. In many cases, however, it may have spread to other organs by the time of diagnosis. For this reason doctors recommend that men aged 50 and over get the A blood test to measure prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a possible cancer indicator. If detected early enough, prostate cancer has a high rate of recovery.
- Eating for Prevention
- Health researchers and scientists have found that diet plays a crucial role in maintaining prostate health and may help ward off cancer . Here are the top 10 foods they recommend:
- Vegetables from the cruciferous family—broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower—contain isothiocyanates, which are phytochemicals that appear to be protective. These foods also offer the added benefits of antioxidants.
- Fish and vegetable oils high in omega-3 fats seem to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
- Vitamin E is known to reduce prostate inflammation and may protect against cancer. Good sources include margarine, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, wheat germ and whole grains .
- Whole grains offer fibre, selenium, vitamin E and phytochemicals, all of which play a role in the prevention of cancer.
- Bump up the lycopene . A study of nearly 48,000 men found that this substance, found in such foods as tomatoes, tomato products, red grapefruits and watermelons appears to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Cooking appears to release more of the lycopene in tomatoes; so tomato-based pasta sauces and soups may be especially beneficial. Lycopene is fat soluble so is better absorbed when eaten with a little fat.
- Selenium is another mineral that may offer protection. This antioxidant is found in nuts—especially Brazil nuts—seafood, some meats, fish, wheat bran, wheat germ, oats and brown rice.
- Soy products can help prevent prostate enlargement and may slow tumour growth. This effect is attributed to isoflavones, plant chemicals that help lower dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male hormone that stimulates the overgrowth of prostate tissue.
- Cut back on red meat. It is high in saturated animal fats and has been linked to an increased incidence of prostate problems. Excessive weight has also been linked to prostate troubles and cutting back on red meat can help you lose weight.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Anyone with an enlarged prostate should drink plenty of water and other non-alcoholic fluids to flush the bladder. Caffeine and beer should be reduced to a minimum.
- Avoid spicy foods as well as alcohol, caffeine and other substances that irritate the urinary tract.