tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10478102004521375022024-03-23T06:10:40.713-04:00The PROSTATE STORM BlogSUPPORT, NEWS, OPINION, CONTROVERSY, HOPE, HUMOR & BOOK FROM PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORSteve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-52603656600933763952014-07-22T08:59:00.002-04:002014-07-22T09:02:55.236-04:00Overtreatment of prostate cancer must stop ... <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/18/health/prostate-cancer-overtreament/">http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/18/health/prostate-cancer-overtreament/</a>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-67169346890476827392012-11-27T16:24:00.001-05:002012-11-28T05:50:41.047-05:00Prostate cancer survivor conquers Africa's tallest peak | Health - WPBF Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRv07GyVjtK2HBHkKIrVZluHA3UQQvCPoK74JJscVHleDS6JeOHoAqBC9kbj8bRo98mF4sfXzWQKOHV4Lj8hY8c5EYTG44Ls_VX9M7kiJuNhWZJUsSSVVDuGCJeDyeWMmuHOLoGXdfgY/s1600/DSC01525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRv07GyVjtK2HBHkKIrVZluHA3UQQvCPoK74JJscVHleDS6JeOHoAqBC9kbj8bRo98mF4sfXzWQKOHV4Lj8hY8c5EYTG44Ls_VX9M7kiJuNhWZJUsSSVVDuGCJeDyeWMmuHOLoGXdfgY/s320/DSC01525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.wpbf.com/news/health/Prostate-cancer-survivor-conquers-Africa-s-tallest-peak/-/8788734/17564676/-/824d9xz/-/index.html#.ULUvfOZVb-A.blogger">Prostate cancer survivor conquers Africa's tallest peak | Health - WPBF Home</a><br />
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The blog author and family friends climb Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds to cure prostate cancer. We summitted a big rock -- now we need to summit and end PC. If you want to donate, click on our website on the right Climb2Cure Prostate Cancer... thanks!Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-3273667088010774512012-08-06T12:36:00.003-04:002012-08-06T12:36:28.558-04:00Future gene screen?Scientists have pinpointed a gene they say
could lead to improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate
cancer. In the future, measurement of Decorin levels could become a
reliable diagnostic test for prostate cancer and also help determine how
aggressive the disease is. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19121402">Click here for story.</a>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-62103209684731099722012-07-24T07:46:00.000-04:002012-07-25T14:03:53.569-04:00A conversation with Dr. Patrick Walsh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1drx0KPy3ZFsJofsR6wV-BK9FI5QlMnWIjkbY0wGVuvB0W03Wi7jd21b3yAdja9bb6UNAJnjx3xV1LQzijuxehMl3sKMlEF0o5rSoMJ948zaZGLaxGw4qcERfoWQJ8BIiHKp06Ajr3_g/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1drx0KPy3ZFsJofsR6wV-BK9FI5QlMnWIjkbY0wGVuvB0W03Wi7jd21b3yAdja9bb6UNAJnjx3xV1LQzijuxehMl3sKMlEF0o5rSoMJ948zaZGLaxGw4qcERfoWQJ8BIiHKp06Ajr3_g/s200/Picture+3.png" width="150" /></a></div>
Dr. Patrick Walsh is a rock star in the prostate cancer world. He invented nerve-sparring prostate surgery back in the 1980s, which was a game-changer. Before that, 100% of prostate cancer surgeries resulted in male impotence—today, it's more like 5%. He also wrote the massive<i> </i>book<i>, Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer, </i>which covers everything you need to know about this disease and the prostate.<i> </i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9016">Check out this terrific interview on Charley Rose</a> with Dr. Patrick Walsh, for a great overview of prostate cancer. The conversation includes a brief history of PC treatment and options, and how Dr. Walsh discovered nerve-sparring prostate surgery. The interview was conducted in March 2008.Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-30911329753905812292012-05-17T14:29:00.001-04:002012-05-17T14:37:02.186-04:00New drug stops prostate cancer growth in its tracks<a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/05/17/business/Cancer/Cancer-articleInline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="275" itemprop="url" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/05/17/business/Cancer/Cancer-articleInline.jpg" width="190" /></a>From <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/health/zytiga-a-prostate-cancer-drug-does-well-in-trial.html?_r=2&smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto">New York Times article</a>, "Trial Supports Earlier Use of a Prostate Cancer Drug" (May 17, 2012) ... Drug Zytiga prevents tumors from consuming the food it needs to grow in one-third of early-stage PCs. May be useful in avoiding aggressive treatments....I'd certainly ask my doctors about it before submitting to surgery or radiation, or look for another trial. Worth a read, here's the lead:<br />
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<i>A new drug used to treat advanced <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/prostate-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Prostate Cancer.">prostate cancer</a> may also help men if used early in the course of the disease, before an operation, researchers reported Wednesday. Zytiga limits the production of testosterone, which fuels prostate tumor growth. </i><br />
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In a small clinical trial, six months of treatment with the drug,
Johnson & Johnson’s Zytiga, added to standard therapy, eliminated or
nearly eliminated <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/tumor/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Tumor.">tumors</a>
in about one-third of men whose disease had not yet spread beyond the
prostate gland but was considered likely to do so. </i></div>
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The exact significance of this must still be determined through larger studies. But researchers said that with <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/breast-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Breast cancer.">breast cancer</a> and <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/bladder-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Bladder cancer.">bladder cancer</a>, patients whose tumors are eliminated before an operation, by what is called neoadjuvant <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/chemotherapy/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival health news about chemotherapy.">chemotherapy</a>, tend to live longer.... </i><br />
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My note: What is "standard therapy" in third graph? </div>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-79246102882683423812012-05-16T14:53:00.000-04:002012-05-17T14:54:07.849-04:00Ultrasound new hope for prostate cancer?Imagine treating prostate cancer in one sitting with a non-invasive therapy, few if any side effects, and it cures localized prostate cancer 95% of the time? <br />
<br />
Well, it's here -- actually it's been here for awhile, just not in the U.S.: High-intensity Focused Ultrasound, or Hifu, has recently gotten some buzz as the "new hope" for prostate cancer treatment, thanks to the release of a major study in the UK.<br />
<br />
(The research was published in the April 17 <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/onlinefirst">Lancet Oncology</a>. Here's an overview story from <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57415213-10391704/ultrasound-prostate-cancer-treatment-may-reduce-side-effects-study-shows/">CBS News' Health Pop</a>.)<br />
<br />
This is all great news — however, when I first started reading the articles hitting all the major health and news outlets, all I could think about is why a credible study on HiFU hasn't been conducted in the U.S. years ago.<br />
<br />
Hifu is a procedure where sound waves heat up the prostate and kill the cancer, without damaging healthy tissue. It's ultrasound. And you can consult a doctor in New York and head to the Bahamas for treatment, or just travel to Europe for the therapy.<br />
<br />
But instead, most American men are faced with surgery or radiation options, both of which bring significant risks of incontinence and impotence to varying degrees. <br />
<br />
Why have we spent trillions in the U.S. on radiation and surgical treatments, drained the health care system on these expensive therapies — when ultrasound might be a simpler, less expensive and more effective therapy?<br />
<br />
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<br />Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-48173298185046523722012-04-20T06:40:00.002-04:002012-04-25T13:06:24.688-04:00Why Was Warren Buffett Screened for Prostate Cancer?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdE4VhuNugE1wgbOtNhH6Kw1ZYpfcuJIm-kMdrWDzaB43_c672weOFP_ucZBUkXoJPag7oa2JLl6-BOauROcGsP2fbISrHSDd6DwGErbT-AVMVD6jfYius757vpvgvtZf0AzpkwNS-V7Y/s1600/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdE4VhuNugE1wgbOtNhH6Kw1ZYpfcuJIm-kMdrWDzaB43_c672weOFP_ucZBUkXoJPag7oa2JLl6-BOauROcGsP2fbISrHSDd6DwGErbT-AVMVD6jfYius757vpvgvtZf0AzpkwNS-V7Y/s1600/images-1.jpg" /></a></div>
Here's a <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/why-was-warren-buffett-screened-for-prostate-cancer/">good article from the New York Times </a>that takes a look at prostate cancer in older men — Mr. Buffet — and whether or not they should be screened.<br />
<br />
Mr. Buffet, at 81, is well beyond the recommended time when men should routinely get their PSA, which is 75 years old, according to highly regarded United States Preventive Services Task Force, a government panel that issues screening guidelines.<br />
<br />
At Mr. Buffet's age, most men have signs of localized prostate cancer and don't know it, nor does it affect their lives, as the cancer is usually very slow growing. Ironically, the treatment (nine weeks of radiation in Mr. Buffet's case) can be worse than just living with the disease.<br />
That said, every guy makes their own decision based on PSAs and treatment choices, based on age, life horizon, cancer grade, risk tolerance and doctor's advice.Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-80635084958988316992012-03-10T08:49:00.001-05:002012-03-10T08:52:30.335-05:00Kilimanjaro 2012: Climb2Cure Prostate Cancer<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbw3cxbTr_zxXhUOyLGZFNVPBpdxBQoWE7Tht3PHEWCaqJ3z0Ln6w36AB3xFicPRxm6Ve-Xoh7Ep04LY1REOR7a7nF6UvGlbZ0YvFRaFq1yaCQrhXCBdmfaRXthlFoHGgIzBtq8SgRpc/s1600/kilimanjaro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbw3cxbTr_zxXhUOyLGZFNVPBpdxBQoWE7Tht3PHEWCaqJ3z0Ln6w36AB3xFicPRxm6Ve-Xoh7Ep04LY1REOR7a7nF6UvGlbZ0YvFRaFq1yaCQrhXCBdmfaRXthlFoHGgIzBtq8SgRpc/s400/kilimanjaro.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephants roaming at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMiH8Vy9pRfh_ux0ExxMnPXwU3tHpigE44921fz6xhjbUsUDo3wNMn7QT7sSfg3Ueyr4NXBILu1RJA8S3JzDlNwHG_tm2fPaeDJidz65NFQmq9peMU2jbE4pxYJK_VjOOPDPim1ukJMw/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>I need your help.</b><br />
<br />
Scientists at the front lines of prostate cancer research are on the verge of exciting breakthroughs — in better and more reliable diagnostic tests, better treatments without the risks to continence and sexual function, and the Holy Grail itself, a cure.<br />
<br />
But researchers need support — more $$$ to get to their goals.<br />
<br />
In September 2012, I'm climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa with friends and family members to help raise funds for the <a href="http://www.pcf.org/site/c.leJRIROrEpH/b.5780289/k.D2E4/Research.htm">Prostate Cancer Foundation</a> and the extraordinary projects they're working on.<br />
<br />
Since being diagnosed in March 2008, I've blogged about my experience with PC and written a book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prostate-Storm-Battles-Prostatitis-Cure-All/dp/1936539012/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293017244&sr=1-11">The Prostate Storm</a>,</i> with half of its proceeds going to the PC research. This climb is another opportunity to give back ... and have a little adventure at the same time.<br />
<br />
If you'd like to donate to a great cause, please visit my website at <a href="http://www.crowdrise.com/kiliclimb2curepc/fundraiser/stevevogel">Kilimanjaro 2012: Climb2Cure Prostate Cancer</a>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMiH8Vy9pRfh_ux0ExxMnPXwU3tHpigE44921fz6xhjbUsUDo3wNMn7QT7sSfg3Ueyr4NXBILu1RJA8S3JzDlNwHG_tm2fPaeDJidz65NFQmq9peMU2jbE4pxYJK_VjOOPDPim1ukJMw/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMiH8Vy9pRfh_ux0ExxMnPXwU3tHpigE44921fz6xhjbUsUDo3wNMn7QT7sSfg3Ueyr4NXBILu1RJA8S3JzDlNwHG_tm2fPaeDJidz65NFQmq9peMU2jbE4pxYJK_VjOOPDPim1ukJMw/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kili: One of the world's "seven summits"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>On the climb itself</b>....<br />
<br />
We've put together a team of six who will be climbing the Lemosho Route up the 19,340-foot Kilimanjaro over eight days. On the sixth day, after hiking through rainforest, arid scrubs and rock fields, we will reach a final base camp at 15,500 feet. That night, beginning at midnight, we make a final ascent for six hours under a full moon, to summit at dawn. I'll be taking photographs and eventually post here about the journey.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Thanks for your support</b></i><b> </b>of prostate cancer research through our Kili climb.<br />
<br />
--Steve<br />
<br />Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-57449476578879138552012-03-06T11:25:00.004-05:002012-03-06T11:33:30.986-05:00Rocker Ronnie Montrose dies of prostate cancer<style>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJtzL9IABZz2oU0NlMVab7YyxKsSmIRXlDIrX7gjbeJnXFq1Uuj6s1_Bm1PfQAERxpjTOEQwYfF5eB4jzgjzvwn7qZv4EoBZQ0_tpvrbijwj351_WopNA7l5RM315PKu5u4v7fge0WPA/s1600/E4IeN.AuSt.79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJtzL9IABZz2oU0NlMVab7YyxKsSmIRXlDIrX7gjbeJnXFq1Uuj6s1_Bm1PfQAERxpjTOEQwYfF5eB4jzgjzvwn7qZv4EoBZQ0_tpvrbijwj351_WopNA7l5RM315PKu5u4v7fge0WPA/s320/E4IeN.AuSt.79.jpg" width="320" /></a>Add hard-chugging rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose to the list
of <a href="http://theprostatestorm.blogspot.com/2011/05/rockers-with-prostate-cancer.html">legendary rockers who died of prostate cancer</a>, at age 64. <br />
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Besides forming his own band in 1973, Montrose performed with a
number of rockers, including Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison,
Boz Scaggs and the Edgar Winter Group. Montrose’s band by the same name was
the launching pad for singer Sammy Hagar in the 1970s. <br />
<br />
"Ronnie was the most fiery,
intense guitar player of everybody," Hagar said, in an article in the Los
Angeles Times. "There was Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Clapton, those were
the guys, but none had Ronnie's fire. He played at 100 (percent), he was just
on fire _ he jumped around, just was a really high-energy performer. I learned
all that from him, and everything I do today _ no ego involved _ it came from
him, from seeing him perform that first time with Edgar Winter and then
standing next to him within a week and rehearsing. I was always a high-energy
guy, but I wasn't that way (onstage) until I got in Montrose." (Los Angeles Time, 2012)</div>
<span id="goog_1311696821"></span><span id="goog_1311696822"></span>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-57127774732447134122012-02-29T13:19:00.000-05:002012-02-29T07:08:39.165-05:00What are the Symptoms of Prostate Cancer<style>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In my book, <i>The Prostate Storm</i>, I write at some length about my prediagnosis experience with hematuria (blood in the urine), urinary tract irritation and infections, chronic and acute prostatitis, frequency, dribbling, burning and urgency. They're all potential signs of advanced prostate cancer, as well as BPH and prostatitis, the other two common prostate diseases. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSUUXxEQRaWTAIP9iwJUfADozgd0IPcf8PHMX0vSZX_rxyLarhP-wH0hfivBxidQNvMKyu9THFeAzoSrD27HA6G-FeyxHeg1wQ-6AVAIgvd9o6WZAAHgykJ6H_AKrlBPCY_AR_tSdYnI/s1600/Prostate-Exam-----28740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSUUXxEQRaWTAIP9iwJUfADozgd0IPcf8PHMX0vSZX_rxyLarhP-wH0hfivBxidQNvMKyu9THFeAzoSrD27HA6G-FeyxHeg1wQ-6AVAIgvd9o6WZAAHgykJ6H_AKrlBPCY_AR_tSdYnI/s1600/Prostate-Exam-----28740.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">I had the targeted, high-dose radiation in 2008 and, interestingly, <i>all those symptoms have disappeared</i>. The cancer is gone, but so is the annoying BPH and prostatitis (apparently), which was everywhere in my pathology report. As one doctor later told me, "you got a three-fer."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">With that in mind, here's a look at the symptoms for prostate cancer from an excellent site on all-things-prostate, <a href="http://www.prostate-cancer.com/">Prostate Cancer Treatment Guide</a><b>:</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>First of all … there are no early prostate cancer symptoms.</b> In fact, men who develop prostate cancer may never exhibit signs and symptoms of prostate cancer, even during advanced stages. The tumor associated with adenocarcinoma of the prostate or prostatic adenocarcinoma is so small, that men do not experience symptoms. <b>The symptoms listed below occur more commonly with BPH or prostatitis</b>.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Prostate cancer symptoms are either urinary or sexual</b>, such as frequency or impotence. Prostate cancer symptoms require a tumor that is large or extensive enough to affect the bladder, urethra, seminal vesicles, etc. Locally advanced prostate cancer and metastatic disease are more likely to cause symptoms. Locally advanced prostate cancer that spreads throughout the gland may affect the immediately surrounding areas. Invasion into the immediately surrounding areas can involve the prostatic capsule or the seminal vesicles.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Here are the symptoms that could be associated with locally advanced prostate cancer:</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5zSnzjFDhws?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Urinary frequency </b>is the feeling of having to go to the bathroom so often that it interferes with participation in normal activities. Urinary frequency should not be confused with urge incontinence which is the strong and sudden onset of urgency that results in the inability to get to a bathroom in time.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Difficulty starting urination</b> may be caused by the growth of the prostate gland, which may be a result of either benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer. If the prostate gland is growing, the growth may constrict the urethra and result in difficulty in starting the stream of urine. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Weak or interrupted flow of urine i</b>s also caused by the growth of the prostate gland and subsequent constriction of the urethra.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Painful or burning urination</b> is also known as dysuria. Dysuria is an uncommon symptom of prostate cancer and is more likely to be associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hematuria </b>is more often associated with bladder cancer. Hematuria is the presence of blood in the urine and may not be visible to the eye.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Difficulty in having an erection</b> or less rigid erections than usual. The growth of the prostate gland can also effect the flow of blood into the penis.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Painful ejaculation</b> may occur as a result of urethral constriction by the prostate gland. The constriction creates a narrow channel through which the semen is forced to pass during ejaculation.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hematospermia </b>refers to blood in the semen. Hematospermia may not be visible to the eye.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Impotence</b> is the inability to have an erection satisfactory for penetration during sexual intercourse. The sudden onset of impotence for no apparent reason may indicate prostatic disease.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Less semen during ejaculation than usual</b>. Prostatic disease may affect the volume of ejaculary fluid which is produced by the prostate gland and the seminal vesicles.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">(About the attached video above: I'm not endorsing any product here, but the doctor's discussion about BPH and related symptoms as a potential prelude to more serious prostate issues, including cancer, is worth listening to.)</span></li>
</ul>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-52905472392392644342012-02-28T12:27:00.000-05:002012-02-29T07:09:09.644-05:00Yale Study: Prostate cancer treatment may do more harm than good in older menFrom <a href="http://news.yale.edu/2012/02/27/prostate-cancer-treatment-overused-some-older-patients">Yale News</a>, February 27, 2012:<br />
<br />
Treatment is not always warranted for older men with prostate cancer
and a short life expectancy, Yale School of Medicine researchers report
in the Feb. 27 Archives of Internal Medicine.<br />
<br />
“Treatment can do more harm than good in some instances,” said senior author on the study <a href="http://www.yalemedicalgroup.org/YMG/directory/public/profile.asp?pictid=64470&department=PB037055&physicianList=109574" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Cary Gross</a>,
associate professor of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine.<br />
<br />
“Among men who are older and have less aggressive forms of prostate
cancer, their cancer is unlikely to progress or cause them harm in their
remaining years.”<br />
<br />
Gross and his team analyzed nine years of
Medicare data and found that over the past decade, there has been a
trend towards higher use of curative treatment for prostate cancer among
men with certain types of tumors and a short life expectancy. The study
included 39,270 patients between the ages of 67 and older.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
These
results suggest that cancer treatment was increasingly aggressive in
patients who had the lowest likelihood of seeing clinical benefits,
Gross said, noting that while not treating potentially fatal cancer can
reflect poor-quality care, aggressively managing disease that is
unlikely to progress puts patients at risk for complications and
increases costs without medical benefits.<br />
<br />
“We found that the
percentage of men who received treatment for their prostate cancer
treatments increased over time from 61.2% to 67.6% from 1998 through
2007,” said Gross, who is a member of Yale Cancer Center. “However, we
were surprised to find that the biggest increase was among men with
moderate-risk prostate cancer who had the shortest life expectancy. On
the other hand, cancer treatment decreased among men with low-risk
tumors and longer life expectancy.”<br />
<br />
Treating patients with shorter
life expectancy may add costs or complications without contributing to
quality of life, he said. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network
practice guidelines in oncology recommend actively monitoring patients
as an alternative to medication for patients with less aggressive tumor
types and shorter life expectancies.<br />
Gross said that the use of
cancer therapies should be guided by clinical evidence and patient
preferences. “Future work should explore how better to incorporate both
cancer characteristics and patient life expectancy into decision
making,” said Gross.<br />
<br />
Other authors on the study included Ann c.
Raldow, M.D., Carolyn J. Presley, M.D., James B. Yu, M.D., Richa Sharma,
Pamela R. Soulos, Jessica B. Long, and Danil V. Makarov, M.D.<br />
<br />
The National Cancer Institute and the James G. Hirsch Medical Student Research Fellowship funded the study.<br />
<br />
Citation: <b>Arch. Inter. Med. </b>Vol. 172, No. 4 (February 27, 2012)Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-13935169037431259282012-01-26T15:14:00.001-05:002012-01-26T15:19:50.791-05:00Inherited prostate cancer gene discoveredMen who inherit the mutation in the HOXB13 gene are at 10 to 20 times more risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a study published January 12 in <i>The New England Journal of Medicine</i>. Scientists say they've been looking for this gene mutation for 20 years, and hopefully it will provide insight on prostate cancer development and ultimately finding a cure. <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_120695.html">Click here</a> for the story.Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-78123654688907582972011-12-01T06:44:00.001-05:002011-12-04T06:39:31.920-05:00Breakthrough—New gene screen identifies aggressive prostate cancer<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQ592Pv1A9xP0N_dZbBDJT6JFDLV4Oapk9Nfm_FTKnFUKv6PupW87xIujKvK2w3HdkJkw3_DVZEAojfnstUSN9cUzlxel5ZtQ7-foxiR2qVDK0dpByA2OOwHw43myNFicNTVT4UUX_vo/s1600/prostate-cancer-s11-photo-of-gleason-diagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQ592Pv1A9xP0N_dZbBDJT6JFDLV4Oapk9Nfm_FTKnFUKv6PupW87xIujKvK2w3HdkJkw3_DVZEAojfnstUSN9cUzlxel5ZtQ7-foxiR2qVDK0dpByA2OOwHw43myNFicNTVT4UUX_vo/s200/prostate-cancer-s11-photo-of-gleason-diagram.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gene screens will eventually replace Gleason scores</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Your Gleason score can tell you if your prostate is cancerous, but it cannot always tell you how aggressive that cancer is -- in other words, if it's likely to be lethal. Even patients with low Gleason scores of 5 or 6 can have a dangerous and aggressive form of cancer.<br />
<br />
When patients have low Gleason scores, doctors may suggest watchful waiting, but many still recommend some form of aggressive treatment -- such as radiation or surgery, which can result in "collateral damage" (varying degrees of incontinence and impotence) from the therapy.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Good news -- a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says scientists are able to identify DNA in the prostate tumor that is three times more likely to kill patients within a few years. That's a huge breakthrough -- because it could lead to less overtreatment of the disease, which is a very unfortunate reality today.<br />
<br />
For more details, read the article "<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-30/aggressive-prostate-cancers-may-be-found-with-gene-screening.html">Aggressive Prostate Cancers Maybe Be Found with Gene Screening</a>," in the Bloomberg Businessweek.<br />
<br />
Perhaps as high as 50 percent of all men diagnosed with prostate cancer have a nonlethal form of the disease. In the study, which followed 281 men in Sweden between 1977 and 1999, they found the aggressive gene in 29 percent of patients.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the new gene screen may not be ready for clinical use for as long as five years, as follow up studies are required. In any case, it's progress to keep an eye on, because a reliable gene screen could revolutionize how doctors go about treating prostate cancer.Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-45945370184194184482011-11-03T15:23:00.002-04:002011-11-08T13:46:02.525-05:00What to do if diagnosed with "low risk" prostate cancerAs much as half of all diagnosed prostate cancer is low risk, meaning it's nonlethal and growing very slowly, if at all, and may be something you can live with, depending on your age and health. Yet most men, once they hear they have prostate cancer, want to get rid of it and often decide on an aggressive treatment such as surgery or radiation. As a result, they risk some potentially nasty side effects -- i.e., varying degrees of incontinence and impotence. Unfortunately, there is no single test that can clearly differentiate between low risk and high risk or aggressive prostate cancer. <br />
<br />
In deciding what you should do if diagnosed with prostate cancer, here is criteria that the Brady Urological Institute at John Hopkins Medicine has published on its website, in an article entitled "<a href="http://urology.jhu.edu/prostate/advice1.php">Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer: What A Man Needs to Know Before Deciding on Treatment</a>." <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Use this information as a guide in discussing options with your doctor and please visit JHM's website for more information. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cgVv1zIwwqBy8bpquLlEB2n_-c_mwu5XKW_fYImpIxlHJ11g59H-wEKXHLjSZfgYDqrX9eLV5DzK4EXLCw3VRHouNQ8QXQHaOV34V_EB5eMqqmw0mCP6vvLnMqtnp_pzpOwppcX16MM/s1600/JHMI.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cgVv1zIwwqBy8bpquLlEB2n_-c_mwu5XKW_fYImpIxlHJ11g59H-wEKXHLjSZfgYDqrX9eLV5DzK4EXLCw3VRHouNQ8QXQHaOV34V_EB5eMqqmw0mCP6vvLnMqtnp_pzpOwppcX16MM/s1600/JHMI.gif" /></a><i><b>Eligible men (for Active Surveillance) should meet the following criteria for Very Low or Low Risk Disease:</b><br /><br /><b>Very Low Risk Prostate Cancer</b></i>
<br />
<i>
</i><br />
<ul>
<li><i>Life expectancy less than 20 years</i></li>
<li><i>Cancer not felt on digital rectal examination (stage T1c)</i></li>
<li><i>PSA density (PSA divided by prostate volume) is less than 0.15</i></li>
<li><i>Gleason score is 6 or less with no Gleason pattern 4 or 5</i></li>
<li><i>No more than 2 cores with cancer, or cancer involving no more than 50% of any core on at least a 12 core biopsy</i></li>
</ul>
<i>
</i><i><b>Low Risk Prostate Cancer </b></i><br />
<i>
</i><br />
<ul>
<li><i>Life expectancy less than 10-15 years</i></li>
<li><i>Cancer not felt on digital rectal examination and/or small nodule (stage T1c or T2a)</i></li>
<li><i>PSA below 10ng/ml</i></li>
<li><i>Gleason score is 6 or less with no Gleason pattern 4 or 5 on at least a 12 core biopsy</i></li>
</ul>
<i><b>How does a man who qualifies for surveillance make a choice between active surveillance and treatment?</b></i> <br />
<i><br />
At the Brady Urological Institute we do not encourage healthy men in
their 50’s to strongly consider active surveillance because of their
longer life expectancy and time horizon for cancer progression. For
older men, especially over age 65 years who meet criteria, active
surveillance is one of the options that should be seriously considered. <br /> </i><br />
<i>In a recent study with colleagues in the Bloomberg School of Public
Health, we evaluated the factors that influenced a decision regarding
active surveillance versus surgery using a computer simulation (Markov
model). The men best suited for surveillance would appear to be those
that:</i>
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>have the ability to live with cancer without worry reducing their quality of life</i></li>
<li><i>are most concerned about the potential side effects of treatments</i></li>
<li><i>value near term quality of life to a greater extent than any long term consequences that could occur </i></li>
</ul>
<i>
Each man should carefully weigh the potential loss of quality of
life with treatment (radiation or surgery), against the possibility
that the window of opportunity for cure will disappear without
treatment. </i>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-22320304404139385272011-10-28T08:12:00.001-04:002011-10-28T11:38:17.976-04:00Guest Column: Q&A with a Radiologist on Prostate Cancer<style>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">How does radiation kill prostate cancer cells—and leave healthy cells to recover? What is the difference between proton therapy and high-dose radiation? What is the future of radiotherapy in treating prostate cancer? </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynAVQHD4k7FCG-vA5emx4Z7ICU8z0LwMjWCk2Qn1nIj6Unkj7v-s2aXhThxtYsSrp9zjGxQHs7IvfQ8fdXAeEH_3cTo0rpJ97T0lDbFeY0yBnzcsfhe26eJ2rGuJ7VwpLpftOj0i1oP8/s1600/Lisa+Livingston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynAVQHD4k7FCG-vA5emx4Z7ICU8z0LwMjWCk2Qn1nIj6Unkj7v-s2aXhThxtYsSrp9zjGxQHs7IvfQ8fdXAeEH_3cTo0rpJ97T0lDbFeY0yBnzcsfhe26eJ2rGuJ7VwpLpftOj0i1oP8/s200/Lisa+Livingston.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radiologist Lisa Livingston</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Radiologist Lisa Livingston tackles
these and other questions, as our first guest columnist. Lisa has created the online
site, <a href="http://onlineradiologytechnicianschools.com/">Radiation Technician Schools</a>, a good resource for radiation technicians on schools, career options, scholarship opportunities and more. Plus, you can find interesting articles on the
history of the pharmaceutical industry in America, how mobile computing is changing health care delivery, and many other health care
topics that interest everyone. Check out her website and
blog — and if you have additional questions about radiation and prostate cancer, send them to The Prostate Storm blog,
and we’ll get them answered. (SV)</span></i></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">How does radiation kill cancer cells?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Radiation stops or slows the growth of cancer cells. It kills
the genes (DNA) in cancer cells so that they can no longer grow and divide.
Cancer cells tend to divide quickly and grow out of control, but radiation can
impede this growth. It can also shrink a tumor and keep it from spreading to
other parts of the body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Radiation therapy does not always kill cancer cells
immediately. Sometimes it can take days or weeks of treatment to kill cancer
cells, and they may even continue to die after treatment ends. Tissues that
grow quickly such as skin and bone marrow are generally affected right away,
while nerve, breast, prostate and bone tissue will take longer to show affects.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Why do healthy cells in the prostate recover from
radiation exposure? </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Radiation therapy may kill healthy cells in the short term,
but healthy cells recover if the radiation doses are short and spread out over
time. Normal cells have the ability to repair themselves from damage or be
replaced with new cells.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">During radiation treatment, doctors try to protect healthy
cells by using as low of a dosage as possible and spreading out treatment
times. Newer forms of technology have found better ways to target cancer cells
with higher doses of radiation, while reducing radiation to nearby healthy cells.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> What are the different types of high-dose radiation
therapy?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">External beam radiation therapy directs one or multiple
beams of x-ray radiation through the skin at the cancer and main tumor area.
Treatments are typically given once a day on weekdays. This allows enough
radiation into the body to kill the cancer cells while allowing normal cells to
recover over the weekend. There are several specific types of external beam
therapy. For example, 3D conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) uses computer
imaging to tailor the beams to the shape of the tumor. Another type, called
image-guided radiation therapy, uses conformal techniques guided by imaging
taken just before the treatment. This accounts for tumors or organs that may
move between treatments, including the prostate and rectum.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Internal beam radiation therapy, or brachytherapy, implants
radioactive “seeds” into the cancerous area. The seeds are smaller than a grain
of rice. They are placed in the prostate while the patient is under anesthesia,
and ultrasound techniques are used to ensure accuracy. The seeds emit radiation
that destroys the cancer cells. This technique is less likely to affect normal
cells because the seeds are already inside the body, so the radiation doesn’t
have to pass through other healthy cells.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">What is proton therapy, and how does it differ from
high-dose radiation therapy?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Proton beam therapy is similar to external beam therapy,
except it uses protons rather than electron x-rays. Compared to electron beams,
proton beams cause less side scatter in the tissue, thus affecting fewer
healthy cells near the cancer cells. However, the equipment used in this type of
therapy is expensive and so it is only available at a few centers around the
country. While proton therapy has been more successful with certain types of
cancer, its advantages for treating prostate cancer remain uncertain.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">What is the Cyberknife?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">The Cyberknife is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for
cancer treatment, including in the prostate. Similar to other radiation treatments, it delivers high doses
of radiation beams to the cancerous area, but with much more accuracy than
other treatments. One of the difficulties of treating prostate tumors with
radiation is the fact that the prostate moves in unpredictable ways. However,
the Cyberknife can continuously identify the exact location of the prostate as
it performs radiosurgery. This provides a more accurate treatment and reduces
the risk of harming healthy cells.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">What is the future of radiotherapy in prostate cancer
treatment?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">The future lies in new technologies like the Cyberknife that can
better detect the location of cancer cells and minimize damage to healthy cells
with precise radiation doses. As proton beam therapy becomes less expensive,
new tests will hopefully determine whether it is more effective than electron
beam treatments. With more accurate treatment options, the amount of time
needed for treatment may also be reduced in the future. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Ed.: As always, discuss these treatment options with your doctor.</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-46084901165653647232011-10-12T08:09:00.001-04:002011-10-12T08:52:16.518-04:00The final debunking of Vitamin E: Now it raises prostate cancer risk<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueQCqC4wxdZNTW2nn2RCG0u1BCRN3xOErEf4JU0Jr2NNt9vOgRkocBU88p6EzM82UtbU-uw8LqH0M8QL1dWcSkrby0_BseUioI4c7IjT3fHQy1HkWefQ78URENo97Is_VZJtPX9q8nWA/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueQCqC4wxdZNTW2nn2RCG0u1BCRN3xOErEf4JU0Jr2NNt9vOgRkocBU88p6EzM82UtbU-uw8LqH0M8QL1dWcSkrby0_BseUioI4c7IjT3fHQy1HkWefQ78URENo97Is_VZJtPX9q8nWA/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitamin E -- No longer miracle supplement for PC.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tough week for guys trying to deal with the threat of prostate cancer: First the PSA screen came under attack (previous post), now vitamin E.<br />
<br />
Once believed to be a super supplement that could reduce the risk of prostate cancer, vitamin E (and selenium) were shown to have no benefit at all several years ago. That was about the time of my diagnosis, years after I'd begun taking vitamin E. <br />
<br />
Natually, this came as disappointing news. Since the early 2000s, men had been popping high doses of vitamin E, thinking this was an easy over-the-counter antidote to the second most deadly cancer among American men. <br />
<br />
I was among the poppers. Since the late '90s, I'd been besieged by urinary tract issues and an enlarged prostate, so I tried everything — including buying bottles of vitamin E at the local GNC and trying high doses, believing vitamin E was good for prostate health and would relieve my symptoms. It didn't seem to help much. But I took vitamin E off and on for years, adding it to a cocktail of other so-called "miracle" supplements.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, the researchers who revealed vitamin E and selenium had no benefit in 2008, continued to study the 35,000 men in the trial. Now, three years later, they're reporting high doses of vitamin E actually <i>increase</i> the risk of prostate cancer.<br />
<br />
They found an increased risk of 17 percent in men who took 400-unit capsule of vitamin E every day for about five years. Look, that's a lot of vitamin E — about 20 times more than the recommended amount. But that wasn't unusual for guys who believed they might be preventing prostate cancer, or at least improving prostate health — like me.<br />
<br />
Just goes to show you, if you wait long enough, all common wisdom will eventually be upended by another study.Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-78330445244509691872011-10-07T15:21:00.001-04:002011-10-13T15:20:06.396-04:00PSA test not recommended by Task Force — but have they gone too far (again)?<br />
The PSA test is an unreliable test that has led to serious overtreatment of prostate cancer. Few argue it's anything but a lousy screen for the second deadliest cancer among American men.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmhXemhTi07L6Aue5G1_sIBcOiDIjmB9Xadubmy1QnT_Ty2oDVphmNUjsZt9eVAQZvfgJmSWV4WSuCYUpwILJIQZOlZwBTkfgwLt8q0ct8gly4hJUDioAgAZ_4WN4UECD5CJOqUuUDqs/s1600/prostate-cancer-s11-photo-of-gleason-diagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmhXemhTi07L6Aue5G1_sIBcOiDIjmB9Xadubmy1QnT_Ty2oDVphmNUjsZt9eVAQZvfgJmSWV4WSuCYUpwILJIQZOlZwBTkfgwLt8q0ct8gly4hJUDioAgAZ_4WN4UECD5CJOqUuUDqs/s320/prostate-cancer-s11-photo-of-gleason-diagram.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grading cancer from 1 to 5, the least to the most aggressive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force's recommendation (released next Tuesday, Oct. 11th) that the screen should no longer be given to healthy men is going way too far. (Reuters--<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/07/us-cancer-prostate-idUSTRE79605220111007">PSA Test for prostate cancer not recommended: panel.) </a>Also read <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20111009/LIVEWELL01/710109963">Prostate cancer test under fire</a>.) <br />
<br />
They may've over-reached in trying to protect men from the "collateral damage" of radiation and surgical treatments — i.e., varying degrees of impotence and incontinence.<br />
<br />
I understand giving guys a "warning" that the test is not cracked up to what everyone may think — but hey, it's still the only game in town for early detection.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>First of all, guys in high risk groups, such as those with fathers, brothers and uncles who have had prostate cancer, need to watch for any changes in PSA. No other test exists that suggests the possible presence of cancer. A genetic link can increase the risk of cancer by four times. Unfortunately, the PSA test is the only test to keep an eye on it.<br />
<br />
Prostate cancer is often asymptomatic or expresses the same signs as prostatitis (infection) or BPH (an enlarged prostate). So don't count on symptoms to tell you that it's arrived.<br />
<br />
Secondly, overtreatment is the result of physicians treating nonlethal prostate cancer. Studies have shown that perhaps as much as 50% of all diagnosed prostate cancer fall into this category. <i>It won't kill you, you just live with it</i>.<br />
<br />
Problem is, science has not developed a screen to distinguish between the lethal and nonlethal varieties. Therefore, by not taking a PSA test, you're actually gambling that if you develop prostate cancer -- and most men eventually do -- that you will have the nonlethal kind. Which is a coin flip. 50/50. Heads you win, tails... good luck.<br />
<br />
Now, to clear all this up, what the world needs is a prostate cancer screen that identifies the lethal strains, and then we (and our doctors) can make intelligent, prudent decisions about who undergoes surgery and radiation or some other aggressive treatment, and who does not need it. <br />
<br />
But to simply say that you or your doctor do not need basic information about <i>possible</i> cancerous changes in your prostate — a rising PSA can SUGGEST cancer — seems to me <i>bad medicine</i>. <br />
<br />
Since my prostate cancer in 2008, I've not been a fan of the PSA test. As mentioned, it's unreliable. It leads to false positives. It scares the crap outta guys unnecessarily, and leads to abusive use of biopsies, which is <i>no</i> fun. <br />
<br />
Almost worst than a biopsy, physicians have used the screen to justify unnecessary radical treatments (and benefit financially) -- again, because there is no way to distinguish between lethal and nonlethal prostate cancer. <br />
<br />
Look, I hate the PSA test but I'd still have it -- especially if prostate cancer is in the family. That way, at least I had the knowledge of any significant changes in my prostate, particularly in the 40s, 50s and 60s when prostate cancer TENDS to be more aggressive. If levels become elevated, you and your doctor(s) can decide what is best for you, including choosing active surveillance.<br />
<br />
The lethal strain of prostate cancer is a nasty cancer that can get in your bones and become very painful... not to mention, it's also the second leading cancer killer among American men.<br />
<br />
The Task Group may be determining that the PSA test is doing more harm than good, but maybe the harm is more related to medical decisions made after the test (and after a biopsy result), rather than the test itself. <br />
<br />
It's tricky. All of this points to the importance of a new and more reliable screen.<br />
<br />
I have a feeling this Task Group is gonna take a lot of heat in the coming days. Basically, they're recommending that men opt <i>to do and know absolutely nothing until it may be too late</i> -- what is that? It's just being willingly stupid.<br />
<br />
The Task Group has just gone too far.<br />
<br />
Weighing all this, remember the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force is the same group that recommended that doctors scale back on routine mammograms for women in their 40s and 50s. That didn't go over well either with the early detection crowd -- I expect more of the same with the men.<br />
<br />
***Another good article to read by <a href="http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/ProstateCancer/29015?pfc=101&spc=224">MedPage Today</a>.Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-78824172795586049052011-09-01T13:40:00.005-04:002011-09-01T13:54:35.931-04:00September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month; Raiders-Jets Show Support<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rtl0ay6wSAFWrxFeRkdk4wREPg5qHSBndJpvR0Kh-AC4PC-TOJ66lNZjvwL-Z330hiTmnodZfGCegm5yWa78qIUHH5VKMO8uct1ATF-_pEyyAv7K_fX-z4f2efI3ZckIBjWF1MaQ2c0/s1600/Blue-September.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rtl0ay6wSAFWrxFeRkdk4wREPg5qHSBndJpvR0Kh-AC4PC-TOJ66lNZjvwL-Z330hiTmnodZfGCegm5yWa78qIUHH5VKMO8uct1ATF-_pEyyAv7K_fX-z4f2efI3ZckIBjWF1MaQ2c0/s400/Blue-September.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Employees are encouraged to GO BLUE on Friday, September 16, 2011 to raise awareness for prostate cancer within the workplace. This campaign encourages employees to wear casual Friday attire, paint employee faces blue and create a blue fundraising event benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Learn more about </span><a href="http://www.blueseptember.org/blue_friday.php" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">BLUE FRIDAY</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;"><h3><span style="font-size: 14px;"><img alt="" height="178" src="http://www.blueseptember.org/userData/Video_news_Images/Raiders_go_blue.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 5px;" width="270" /></span></h3><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>OAKLAND RAIDERS SUPPORT PC RESEARCH </b></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Oakland Raiders NFL team is supporting Blue September at their home game opener against the New York Jets on Sunday, September 25. The game will support prostate cancer awareness and a portion of specially priced tickets purchased <a href="http://www.prostatecancerstore.org/Oakland-Raiders-Tickets-for-9-25-RAIDERS-TICKETS.htm"><b>HERE</b></a> will go to support prostate cancer research.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Raiders legend Jim Otto, a Blue September supporter since 2010, was diagnosed with a severe case of prostate cancer in 2002 and underwent treatment that was hard on him and his family. Jim encourages people to support Blue September and support the Raiders by buying tickets to the game and getting the word out.</span></div><h3 style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> --PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION </span></h3>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-17211957138433762222011-08-03T15:45:00.001-04:002011-08-04T05:44:02.790-04:00Urine test for prostate cancer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRw_RsaA554zM9taLiXhAQwnpUCA71w1-o0T57gMTZbP_9Tlp4aMXgeH3nNsE-Tbg6cJiq3h_6olQoEQ-W1zzM2XwmLokYhVTh4cAdpB89P9TSaUQLdwBJ0fLm7Zr_NJB2Pw8p5_3-e8/s1600/x10237949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRw_RsaA554zM9taLiXhAQwnpUCA71w1-o0T57gMTZbP_9Tlp4aMXgeH3nNsE-Tbg6cJiq3h_6olQoEQ-W1zzM2XwmLokYhVTh4cAdpB89P9TSaUQLdwBJ0fLm7Zr_NJB2Pw8p5_3-e8/s320/x10237949.jpg" width="214" /></a>This development might save guys a lot of pain and suffering — with unnecessary biopsies and even unnecessary surgeries and radiation.<br />
<br />
A new urine test may be "significantly better" at identifying aggressive prostate cancer than a PSA test, which is very unreliable as most everyone knows. Here's the article from the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-prostate-cancer-20110803,0,6012203.story">Los Angeles Times</a> article with all the details and the link to the journal Science Translational Medicine, where the study was published.<br />
<br />
The urine test could be a first step toward putting the brakes on overtreatment, which takes place about half the time when prostate cancer is detected through a PSA test and then verified with a biopsy. Biopsies can't differentiate between nonaggressive and aggressive cancers, so treatment is often recommended when cancer is found.<br />
<br />
I suspect the way it MIGHT work is that physicians will continue to give PSA tests. But if cancer is detected, they might then take the urine test and see if the lab can find the two gene markers for aggressive prostate cancer in the urine. If the markers are not found, guys could be spared a biopsy and treatment — instead, proceed on a "watchful waiting" track.Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-55726826704759408682011-08-03T14:53:00.002-04:002011-08-03T14:53:39.439-04:00FREE Guides from Prostate Cancer Foundation<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 10px; padding-right: 15px;" valign="top"><a href="http://www.pcf.org/prostatecancer/guides/order"><img alt="" border="0" class="border-3" src="http://www.pcf.org/atf/cf/%7B7c77d6a2-5859-4d60-af47-132fd0f85892%7D/GUIDE_AN_INTRODUCTION_TO.JPG" /></a></td> <td style="padding-bottom: 10px;" valign="top"><strong><em>An Introduction to Prostate Cancer</em></strong> is designed to help men, their families, and friends quickly understand the risk factors for prostate cancer, find out how it is diagnosed, and review different treatment options. (8 pages) <br />
<a href="http://www.pcf.org/prostatecancer/guides/order">Order a <strong>free </strong>copy</a> or <a href="http://www.pcf.org/atf/cf/%7B7c77d6a2-5859-4d60-af47-132fd0f85892%7D/INTRO_PROSTATE_CANCER_GUIDE.PDF" target="_blank">download a copy</a> in PDF format. </td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="padding-bottom: 10px; padding-right: 15px;" valign="top"><a href="http://www.pcf.org/prostatecancer/guides/order"><img alt="" border="0" class="border-3" src="http://www.pcf.org/atf/cf/%7B7c77d6a2-5859-4d60-af47-132fd0f85892%7D/GUIDE_REPORT_TO_THE_NATION.JPG" /></a></td> <td style="padding-bottom: 10px;" valign="top"><strong><em>Report to the Nation on Prostate Cancer: A Guide for Men and Their Families</em></strong> provides in-depth information about the diagnosis of prostate cancer, the available treatment options at each stage of the disease, key issues men face at every step, and more. (108 pages)<br />
<a href="http://www.pcf.org/prostatecancer/guides/order">Order a <strong>free </strong>copy</a> or <a href="http://www.pcf.org/atf/cf/%7B7c77d6a2-5859-4d60-af47-132fd0f85892%7D/REPORT_TO_NATION_GUIDE.PDF" target="_blank">download a copy</a> in PDF format. </td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="padding-bottom: 10px; padding-right: 15px;" valign="top"><a href="http://www.pcf.org/prostatecancer/guides/order"><img alt="" border="0" class="border-3" src="http://www.pcf.org/atf/cf/%7B7c77d6a2-5859-4d60-af47-132fd0f85892%7D/GUIDE_NUTRITION_EXERCISE_AND.JPG" /></a></td> <td style="padding-bottom: 10px;" valign="top"><strong><em>Nutrition, Exercise and Prostate Cancer</em></strong> summarizes the “best of the best” data and information available in the research arena today. Newly revised in 2009, the guide can help everyone affected by or at risk for prostate cancer understand how to incorporate key nutritional and lifestyle strategies into their everyday life. (32 pages)<br />
<a href="http://www.pcf.org/prostatecancer/guides/order">Order a <strong>free</strong> copy</a> or <a href="http://www.pcf.org/atf/cf/%7B7c77d6a2-5859-4d60-af47-132fd0f85892%7D/NUTRITION_EXERCISE_GUIDE.PDF" target="_blank">download a copy</a> in PDF format. </td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="padding-bottom: 10px; padding-right: 15px;" valign="top"><a href="http://www.pcf.org/prostatecancer/guides/order"><img alt="" border="0" class="border-3" src="http://www.pcf.org/atf/cf/%7B7c77d6a2-5859-4d60-af47-132fd0f85892%7D/GUIDE_STRAIGHT_TALK_FOR_AFRAIAN-.JPG" /></a></td> <td style="padding-bottom: 10px;" valign="top"><strong><em>Straight Talk for African-American Men and Their Families</em></strong> provides special facts and guidance regarding African-American men and prostate cancer. Research shows that African-American men are 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 2.4 times more likely to die from it than Caucasian men. The guide includes personal thoughts from Charlie Wilson, D.L. Hughley and Snoop Dogg. (8 pages) <br />
<a href="http://www.pcf.org/prostatecancer/guides/order">Order a <strong>free</strong> copy</a> or <a href="http://www.pcf.org/atf/cf/%7B7c77d6a2-5859-4d60-af47-132fd0f85892%7D/STRAIGHT_TALK_GUIDE.PDF" target="_blank">download a copy</a> in PDF format. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-3593405746836484822011-07-24T07:27:00.002-04:002011-08-03T14:58:36.933-04:00Five Powerful Foods for Prostate Cancer Prevention<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh490tkuR0byucIEQ_4smlHhW7F92FM2vv5IWZiuCC17OmklBC1m5CpQdjL4PRFy20stzlTC0K8PwQItz5w3TnZx3fCquUtB8xci2g0m4HiQCshmTWMy50ynaXkwrnnDf0qUBR8p-vFsUE/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh490tkuR0byucIEQ_4smlHhW7F92FM2vv5IWZiuCC17OmklBC1m5CpQdjL4PRFy20stzlTC0K8PwQItz5w3TnZx3fCquUtB8xci2g0m4HiQCshmTWMy50ynaXkwrnnDf0qUBR8p-vFsUE/s1600/images.jpg" /></a><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times;">I found this article about eating for a healthy prostate from <a href="http://www.cancerproject.org/media/news/060918.php">The Cancer Project</a>, </span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Times;">a collaborative effort of physicians, researchers, and nutritionists who have joined together to educate the public about the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival. Based in Washington, D.C., The Cancer Project is a program of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The article was written in 2006, but it supports the current view that an <b>anti-inflammatory diet</b>, as I discuss in </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">The Prostate Storm,</span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Times;"> can reduce the risk of prostate disease, including prostate cancer. ***</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">In the battle against prostate cancer, men need all the ammunition they can get—and five healthy foods can help them reduce their risk. An estimated 234,460 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, many of which may be preventable with diet alone. A healthy vegetarian diet may reduce men’s risk of this disease.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">“Broccoli, beans, and other low-fat vegetables, fruits, and legumes are great for prostate cancer prevention, while dairy products appear to increase risk,” says Cancer Project nutritionist Jennifer Reilly, R.D. “Scientific studies are also finding that a meatless diet, combined with other lifestyle changes, can help keep early-stage prostate cancer from worsening.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">Here are five foods that can help prevent prostate cancer:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times;">1. Beans.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"> Black, pinto, small red, and kidney beans are high in fiber, which helps the body rid itself of excess testosterone, and are among the 20 most antioxidant-rich foods. Beans are also rich in inositol pentakisphosphate, a known cancer-fighter. Add beans to soups, salads, or pasta sauce.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times;">2. Tomatoes.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"> Tomatoes and other lycopene-rich foods, such as watermelon and pink grapefruit, are associated with a reduced risk of prostate and other cancers. Studies from the Harvard School of Public Health have shown that men who frequently consume lycopene-rich foods cut their prostate cancer risk by one-third.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times;">3. Sweet potatoes.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"> Sweet potatoes, carrots, and cantaloupe are rich in beta-carotene, which gives them their orange color and helps the immune system keep cancer at bay. Try mashed sweet potatoes or baked sweet potato wedges for a satisfying side dish.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times;">4. Broccoli.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"> Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetable, including kale and cauliflower, are rich in sulphoraphane, a cancer-fighting phytochemical that helps rid the body of excess testosterone and reduces the risk of prostate and other cancers. Serve steamed broccoli with roasted garlic and lemon juice for a powerful cancer-fighting dish.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times;">5. Soy milk.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"> Soy, nut, and rice milks are a healthy alternative to cow’s milk, which is known to increase the risk of prostate cancer. According to two major Harvard studies, men who avoided dairy products cut their prostate cancer risk by as much as 25 percent to 40 percent. Soy foods are associated with a lower risk of cancer. Try adding soy or rice milk to your morning cereal or oatmeal.</span></div>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-7067020448533365752011-06-22T15:10:00.006-04:002011-06-22T15:48:51.730-04:00Vaccine cures prostate cancer in mice: Mayo Clinic<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDompI61dV2brbyWtHpq_6w9h72w_IHecr4JUxZxakL1zuXSunaJKUbO2yL8xqvupnUEMcE1zCEr_TbMozAkZmzhHhrCN3z4w0mdWe-LE19N9Xkqd56fllQUtD6J3eCOGbX80LyIlot4/s1600/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDompI61dV2brbyWtHpq_6w9h72w_IHecr4JUxZxakL1zuXSunaJKUbO2yL8xqvupnUEMcE1zCEr_TbMozAkZmzhHhrCN3z4w0mdWe-LE19N9Xkqd56fllQUtD6J3eCOGbX80LyIlot4/s320/images-1.jpg" width="204" /></a>Mayo Clinic researchers have <i><b>successfully cured</b></i> <i><b>prostate cancer </b></i>in mice (80% of the time) ... using a HUMAN vaccine that triggers a response in the immune system ... a response that recognizes and attacks prostate cancer tumors ... with no side effects ... leaving the surrounding healthy tissue unharmed.<br />
<br />
A vaccine, really? You get a shot in your arse, instead of emasculating major surgery, radiation or chemo. Granted, this is another study with mice, but it sounds very promising and...it's the Mayo Clinic.<br />
<br />
Human trials are still 2-5 years away (why years?????) ... According to Majo researchers, the vaccine also shows promise for treating melanoma, and lung, brain and pancreatic cancer. <br />
<br />
Here's an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/21/scientists-cure-mice-with_n_881789.html">article and video about it in the Huffington Post</a> ... another longer <a href="http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=654078">article in Health Day </a>.... and here's the abstract of the <a href="http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.2390.html">study</a>, published in the journal <i>Nature Medicine </i>this week.Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-28523666866248970172011-06-22T14:08:00.001-04:002011-06-22T14:26:32.422-04:00Smoking linked to more aggressive prostate cancer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYSunQKjY2Xadf23yLMPksjzwnzXyBkW9nrHhrf1SiVVqhHgx3xlGhSfRB-YmAzuV_-Lf4J_VIw1eaoy1R395v_GpWseGgpLInN9WjrS05lo8CqPyJUy9w5xdyn-k5HiaBP_rcJ0NVk8/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYSunQKjY2Xadf23yLMPksjzwnzXyBkW9nrHhrf1SiVVqhHgx3xlGhSfRB-YmAzuV_-Lf4J_VIw1eaoy1R395v_GpWseGgpLInN9WjrS05lo8CqPyJUy9w5xdyn-k5HiaBP_rcJ0NVk8/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Smokers, if you're sweating lung cancer or heart disease or stroke, put prostate cancer on your list of diseases now stalking you. The bad news...<br />
<ul><li>If smoking when diagnosed with prostate cancer, you're 61% more likely to die from it than a nonsmoker</li>
<li>Smoking might directly affect the aggressiveness of cancer</li>
<li>Smokers are 61% more likely to experience a recurrence of prostate cancer after treatment</li>
<li>Men who smoked a pack a day for 40 years (or the equivalent of two packs over 20 years) were 82% more likely to die of prostate cancer than non-smokers</li>
<li>Even former smokers who kicked the habit are more likely to succomb to PC than nonsmokers. </li>
</ul>This from a new <a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/305/24/2548.short">study</a>, published in the Journal of American Medical Association, that <br />
<a name='more'></a>followed 5,366 men with prostate cancer over an average of eight years, from 1986 and 2006. Here's the story from <a href="http://health.com/">Health.com</a>....<br />
<br />
And the good news? Those who quit 10 years before getting a prostate cancer diagnosis were no more likely to die of the disease than men who had never smoked at all. Even men who quit less than a decade before diagnosis had similar survival rates to nonsmokers, provided they were not heavy smokers to begin with.<br />
<br />
The authors wrote that the carcinogens in tobacco smoke could encourage tumor promotion, as well as higher testosterone levels. The researchers concluded:<i> </i><br />
<br />
"In summary, smoking at the time of diagnosis was associated with substantially increased overall mortality and prostate cancer mortality and recurrence. Ten-year quitters had risks similar to never smokers. These results provide further support that smoking may increase risk of death from prostate cancer."<br />
<br />
<a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/305/24/2548.short" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>"Smoking and Prostate Cancer Survival and Recurrence"</i></a><br />
Stacey A. Kenfield, ScD; Meir J. Stampfer, MD, DrPH; June M. Chan, ScD; Edward Giovannucci, MD, ScD<br />
<i></i>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-85491340797110013532011-06-18T07:24:00.006-04:002011-07-12T15:30:35.735-04:00Prevention: Coffee, green tea lower risk of prostate cancer<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFRH3DO6ksP1uYJJK2OaDOQvaKYGJVYCsrMZ997Iz2PDdjMYfl3OrXRiV4Vmo4gg_v1gAyHDNmXonRbOv7cE76R8patB7Y5up31eXW_lLgRgmKH7-5DmmOP8v75jhWNxxC-ja0LgWXlc/s1600/CoffeeLogo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFRH3DO6ksP1uYJJK2OaDOQvaKYGJVYCsrMZ997Iz2PDdjMYfl3OrXRiV4Vmo4gg_v1gAyHDNmXonRbOv7cE76R8patB7Y5up31eXW_lLgRgmKH7-5DmmOP8v75jhWNxxC-ja0LgWXlc/s200/CoffeeLogo.JPG" width="145" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Men who regularly drink coffee – caffeinated or decaf – are significantly less likely to develop prostate cancer.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> And the more java, the better.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">According to a Harvard <a href="http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/05/17/jnci.djr151.abstract">study</a> published online on May 17 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Harvard scientists followed 47,911 men who periodically described their coffee intake. The researchers found that those who consumed six or more cups a day were almost 20 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer over two decades than those who drank none. The study was part of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;">The study also showed that men who drank six or more cups of coffee a day were 60 percent less likely to develop deadly metastatic prostate cancer than men who drank no coffee. A similar reduction was shown with decaffeinated coffee drinkers. One to three cups cut the risk of lethal prostate cancer by 30 percent. Coffee and chocolate both contain anti-inflammatory antioxidants and minerals that are associated with reducing the prostate cancer risk.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Green tea lowers risk too</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Consumption of green tea has long been a favorite anti-inflammatory antioxidant among holistic healers. Apparently, they are right. In 2009, a study published in Cancer Prevention Research showed that men with prostate cancer who drank green tea showed a significant reduction in certain serum markers — including protein-specific antigen — which are predictive of prostate cancer progression.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Researchers in China have also found that the risk of prostate cancer declined with green tea consumption. Green tea contains antioxidants, which destroy free radicals produced when our bodies convert food to energy. Left unchecked, free radicals can lead to cell and DNA damage, putting people at greater risk of cancer and other diseases.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1047810200452137502.post-35197448138834101092011-06-10T08:23:00.006-04:002011-06-10T08:52:54.928-04:00Controversy? FDA warns hair loss, BPH meds increase prostate cancer risk. Or not...<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdfuM2KRlGEIvzManebQnWVGio17SQGK4AFCIYIdth7auUSMLGLk-kDFj7R7Cg7kELQ0kRZ-mbJQvbFVQp01NIMXXa40uFnExFdT8iwafkpgACGxNQsHBOSCsE6co84Of6b_t1JmzVvk/s1600/DSC00410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdfuM2KRlGEIvzManebQnWVGio17SQGK4AFCIYIdth7auUSMLGLk-kDFj7R7Cg7kELQ0kRZ-mbJQvbFVQp01NIMXXa40uFnExFdT8iwafkpgACGxNQsHBOSCsE6co84Of6b_t1JmzVvk/s200/DSC00410.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small;">The FDA now warns that Proscar, Propecia, Avodart and Jalyn increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. But not every expert agrees, including the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small;">Bloomberg reports: <i>Merck and GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK)’s drugs for hair loss and enlarged prostate will carry new U.S. warnings about a low risk of being diagnosed with a more serious form of prostate cancer.</i></span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"></span></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small;"><i>The Food and Drug Administration revised the prescribing information for Merck’s Proscar and Propecia and Glaxo’s Avodart and Jalyn based on the findings of two studies, the agency said today in a statement. From 2002 to 2009 about 5 million men were prescribed one of these drugs, known as 5-ARIs, including almost 3 million men ages 50 to 79, the FDA said.</i><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-09/merck-glaxo-drugs-to-carry-warnings-about-prostate-cancer-risk.html?cmpid=yhoo"> (Merck, Glaxo Drugs Add Warnings About Prostate Cancer Risk – Bloomberg</a>.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>However, Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Societ</b>y and a prostate cancer doctor himself, wrote to <a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/matthewherper/2011/06/09/do-merck-glaxo-prostate-drugs-raise-cancer-risk-maybe-not/">Forbes’ MatthewHerper</a>:</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small;">“I and most docs who have reviewed the data believe that these drugs cause small high grade tumors that already exist to be more easily diagnosed by shrinking the normal prostate and not the cancer within it. It is does not cause high grade cancer in my opinion. There are a small number of people who think these drugs might cause high grade cancer. I seriously do not see evidence for that.”</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>About these drugs</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The male hair-loss drug Propecia has the same active ingredient as Proscar, although at one-fifth the dose. But the FDA says Propecia should carry the same prostate cancer warning as Proscar. Proscar, Avodart, and Propecia are in the same class of drugs, known as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors or 5-ARIs. Jalyn has the same active ingredient as Avodart, together with a drug called tamsulosin Flomax. The FDA warning does not include Flomax, which is in a different class of prostate drugs called alpha blockers. Other alpha blockers include Cardura, Hytrin, Uroxetral, and Rapaflow. But Flomax and these other alpha blockers produce a whole different set of problems. </span></div>Steve Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770347199936985201noreply@blogger.com2