Prostate Cancer

In preparation for the AUA annual meeting in May, urologist Henry Rosevear, MD, shares the 10 sessions he’s looking forward to the most.

Researchers have developed and validated a clinically useful prognostic model for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, which can be used in the front-line setting.

Radical prostatectomy performed on a Friday is associated with a higher complication rate and extended hospital stay compared with the same surgery performed on other days of the week.

A recent study has found that genetic predictors of normal PSA levels in healthy men could be used to improve the accuracy of PSA-based prostate cancer screening.

Urology-related FDA approvals from 2016 encompassed drugs and devices for prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, stone disease, and more.

Using multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging to triage men with high serum PSA could save about one-fourth of patients from having transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy, according to a recent study.

The addition of hormonal therapy in post-RP is “practice changing,” study author says.

Other products discussed include an updated prostate tissue ablation device, a contrast agent for voiding ultrasonography, a bladder cancer test and more.

"Rather than making a blanket statement regarding continued follow-up, we need to consider the pathologic features commonly known to increase the risk of [prostate cancer] recurrence-concurrent medical problems, the patient’s age at recurrence, PSA doubling time, longevity in the family, etc," writes J. Brantley Thrasher, MD.

The risk for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer remains relatively high even 10 years after radical prostatectomy, but it does not appear to be influenced by a positive family history of prostate cancer or a family or personal history of other cancer, according to a study analyzing data from the prospective German Familial Prostate Cancer database.

Salvage lymph node dissection results in an immediate complete PSA response in about one-third of patients with rising PSA and nodal recurrence following local therapy for prostate cancer, according to German researchers.

High-grade proctitis after radical radiation therapy with neoadjuvant or adjuvant hormonal therapy is significantly less likely in patients taking angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors.

Adherence to guidelines for the use of combination radiation therapy and androgen deprivation therapy in the United States for the treatment of high-risk or locally advanced prostate cancer has decreased over time, according to data presented by Paolo Dell’Oglio, MD.

“It is clear that in order to reduce the morbidity of PSA screening and early detection of prostate cancer, more needs to be done,” writes Badar M. Mian, MD.

Researchers have found that the anxiety men often experience after being diagnosed with prostate cancer could lead to potentially unnecessary treatment options.

Researchers evaluate an experimental treatment called vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy in men with localized prostate cancer.

Results of a 2-year clinical trial support switching to a less frequent administration schedule when using zoledronic acid (Zometa) to prevent skeletal-related events in men with prostate cancer.

Findings from two new studies provide insight on the impact of changing recommendations for prostate cancer screening and management.

Other pipeline developments discussed include an implantable device for OAB treatment, a subcutaneous hypogonadism treatment, efficacy results for an HPV drug, and the status of a device-based BPH treatment.

These are Urology Times' most-read prostate cancer articles of 2016.

Researchers at UCLA have discovered a previously unrecognized type of progenitor cell in inflamed areas of the prostate that have the ability to initiate cancer in response to genetic changes.

Other products discussed include a stent system for treating ureteral obstructions, a male infertility test, and more.

The novel tool could result in earlier prostate cancer diagnoses and less invasive testing, although a prostate cancer expert cautioned that the model makes multiple assumptions and has not been validated.

Use of the nomogram, along with factors such as PSA level and family history, is a reliable, useful tool for helping urologists and their patients make better treatment decisions, says the author of a recent study.

Fewer than 20% of patients with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy develop metastasis, and a smaller proportion die as a result of prostate cancer.

Other pipeline developments discussed include a bladder cancer test, a male infertility assay, and the first oral dosage treatment for hypogonadism.

A new approach to prostate cancer screening has been proposed by investigators who claim the idea of informed decision-making by primary care physicians is not working when it comes to PSA testing.