Prostate Cancer

Radical prostatectomy is associated with a substantial long-term reduction in mortality in men with localized cancer, especially in younger patients, according to newly published data from one of the few randomized trials to directly address the surgery-versus-surveillance issue.

Prostate cancer patients who undergo robot-assisted radical prostatectomy have fewer positive surgical margins and less need for additional cancer treatments such as hormone or radiation therapy than patients undergoing open surgery, an observational study from UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found.

Most prostate cancer experts aren’t ready to call the incorporation of MRI fusion into prostate biopsies the gold standard in prostate cancer imaging and diagnosis. But they envision a day when it will be.

In clinical practice, experts told Urology Times, men who may benefit from MR-guided prostate biopsy generally fall into one of four scenarios.

Drugs and devices in the pipeline from VIVUS, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, OPKO Health, and Oxthera AB.

The makers of the Decipher and ConfirmMDx prostate cancer tests have announced separate agreements that will expand insurance coverage for the two tests.

High-dose supplementation with both selenium and vitamin E increases the risk of high-grade prostate cancer, according to a recent multicenter study. This risk depends upon a man’s selenium status before taking the supplements.

The type of primary treatment received for prostate cancer-surgery or radiation therapy-is the strongest predictor of lesser-known complications such as the need for additional surgical procedures and development of secondary cancers, according to the authors of a recently published study from the University of Toronto.

The second-generation androgen receptor antagonist enzalutamide (XTANDI) significantly improved survival and delayed the time to chemotherapy in men with previously untreated metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer, according to a recent study.

Promotion of strategies for the repeal of the sustainable growth rate formula and preservation of access to appropriate PSA screening are among the AUA’s top legislative priorities for 2014, the association announced.

A 46-gene diagnostic test accurately predicted, based on biopsy specimens, which men would develop biochemical recurrence (BCR) or metastatic disease following radical prostatectomy, a recently published study found.

In this article, I outline my patient discussion concerning prostate cancer screening, which includes defining what the PSA test is, why to screen or not to screen, the screening controversy, current guidelines, and decision aids.

Prostate cancer patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy experienced changes in mental and emotional well-being during treatment, although there was no meaningful decline in emotional quality of life 2 years after treatment, a recent study found.

A genomic test capable of predicting the probability of developing metastatic prostate cancer outperformed existing clinical risk factors for predicting biochemical failure and distant metastasis following radiation therapy, researchers reported at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.

Separate studies at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium highlighted the utility of prostate cancer tests Prolaris and ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer for treatment planning and identifying aggressive disease, respectively.

The androgen-receptor blocker enzalutamide (XTANDI) increases survival by 29% in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and delays progression of the disease by 81%, according to new phase III study results in men who had not previously received chemotherapy.

Drugs and devices in the pipeline from Medivation, Astellas Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Boston Scientific, Northwest Biotherapeutics, and Generex Biotechnology.

New products and services from UroGPO, Caldera Medical, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, VIVUS, and Jeffrey Albaugh, PhD, APRN.

Higher levels of melatonin, a hormone involved in the sleep-wake cycle, may suggest decreased risk for developing advanced prostate cancer, according to a recent study.

Urologists across the country offer their opinions on high-intensity focused ultrasound.

Men who walked at a fast pace prior to prostate cancer diagnosis had more regularly shaped blood vessels in their prostate tumors compared with men who walked slowly, providing a potential explanation for why exercise is linked to improved outcomes for men with prostate cancer.

Type of surgical approach-open or robot assisted-appears to have no effect on specific clinical outcomes in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for high-risk prostate cancer, nor does the procedure influence the pathway subsequent therapy might follow, according to a recent study.

More than 85% of patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy may not require opioid analgesia either immediately post-op, in hospital, or upon release, according to a recent study.

A lawsuit was filed against both the urologist and the radiologist involved in the treatment of the kidney stone, claiming that he was not informed of the abnormality on the left kidney noted on the CT scan and the recommendation for follow-up.

Both the death rate and incidence rate for prostate cancer continues to decline, according to the latest round of statistics from leading U.S. cancer groups.