On the Horizon: Understanding Exactly How Prostate Cancer Targets Men of African Ancestry
When it comes to lethal prostate cancer, men of African descent are born with a genetic Achilles heel – or more likely, several points of weakness that make them vulnerable. It’s not all genetic; the deck is stacked against these men for many reasons, including the high-fat, low-vegetable Western diet,. Read More
Prostate Cancer and African Ancestry
Men of African descent are more likely to develop prostate cancer, and African American men are more than twice as likely caucasian men to die from it. Although lifestyle habits contribute to this greater likelihood, it is chiefly the result of certain genes that men of African descent possess. Learn. Read More
Treatment for Prostate Cancer: Surgery
The operation to remove the prostate, called a radical prostatectomy, is one of the most difficult surgical procedures there is. There are several reasons for this: One is simply the prostate’s hard-to-get-to location deep in the pelvis. Two, there are a lot of blood vessels and important nerves around there,. Read More
10/12/2016
On the Horizon: More Accurate Biopsy
First, for the future, we have something we’ve never had in the past: excellent imaging of the prostate. Thanks to multi-parametric MRI, doctors have an unprecedented look inside this difficult-to-access gland. It’s not as good as it needs to be yet, but it’s much better than it was – and it’s already. Read More
Biopsy: What the Diagnosis Means
The pathologist has just looked under the microscope at 12 tissue samples from your prostate. What’s in there? First, there are normal cells. Pathologists can tell that they’re normal, because they are round and uniform, with well-defined edges and clear centers. As cancer progresses, the cells become more oblong; then. Read More
Interview With An Expert: Why the Biopsy Is Not Perfect
Your prostate feels like a pincushion, and you’ve been waiting for the biopsy results. They’re finally here. Now what? That’s a good question. You might think that the diagnosis of prostate cancer would be a fairly straightforward thing – especially if you’ve been through several biopsies and watched your PSA. Read More
On the Horizon: Radiation Plus Immunotherapy
The body’s immune system has incredible power. When it turns on something it recognizes as an enemy, its effects can be brutal; just ask anyone suffering from an autoimmune disease. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could somehow harness these cell-killing abilities and use them against cancer? A great idea. Read More
Treatment for Prostate Cancer: External-Beam Radiation Therapy
If you have localized prostate cancer that needs curative treatment, you have two good options: Radiation and surgery. (You can read more about surgery here.) More than 60,000 American men opt for radiation every year, and the cure rates are excellent. It doesn’t require anesthesia, and this makes it an. Read More
What Stage is My Prostate Cancer?
When doctors talk about prostate cancer, they use something called the TNM system. The “T” tells you the local extent of the tumor – how big it seems to be within the prostate, whether it has reached the border of the prostate, or whether it has spread locally into the. Read More
Interview with An Expert: African Ancestry and Prostate Cancer
If you are a man of African ancestry, prostate cancer needs to be on your radar. This is because, of all the men in the world, you are in the group that prostate cancer hits the hardest. Prostate cancer is different in you than it is in other men. It. Read More