Prostate Cancer

Prostate problems can develop in men over the age of 50. Some men live a healthy lifestyle that includes eating the right foods, getting adequate sleep, and engaging in regular physical activity to avoid prostate-related issues. Sadly, many men are still forced to visit the bathroom frequently, despite following the proper routines. Such cases may harm their overall health. An enlarged prostate causes many problems in the urinary system. This pressures the urinary glands, leading to frequent bathroom visits. Reducing this kind of stress can help restore the normal flow of urine. Prostate enlargement, known as Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), leads to frequent urination and an inability to expel the full contents of the bladder. This can eventually lead to issues with the bladder and kidneys as well as the prostate. Some of these symptoms can be addressed naturally without any risk of side effects, thanks to the availability of prostate supplements. One such supplement is ProstaFlo...

March 15, 2022 Expert urologist Benjamin Lowentritt, MD, reviews advanced prostate cancer data from the SPARTAN and TITAN studies comparing patient-reported outcomes to changes in PSA. Transcript: Background In phase 3 placebo-controlled trials using androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), the addition of apalutamide in patients with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) and metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCRPC) resulted in the following: Improved overall survival Reduced risk of disease progression Preserved health-related quality of life In many patients, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) responses were rapid and deep, with reduction to 0.2 ng/mL or less or 90% or greater reduction compared with baseline. Reduction was associated with extended metastasis-free survival or radiographic progression-free survival. The objective of this post hoc analysis of the SPARTAN (NCT01946204) and TITAN (NCT02489318) trials was to explore the relationship between ra...

Disparities in treating patients of color for dermatologic disorders extend beyond macro concerns such as accessibility and awareness to medical issues such as bias in clinical decision-making, according to research results presented at the 18th Annual Skin of Color Society Scientific Symposium held March 24, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts. In an exclusive interview with Dermatology Times ®, lead abstract author Loren Krueger (LK), MD, assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology, associate program director, residency program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, expanded on findings showcased in the abstract "Clinical Decision-Making Bias in Darker Skin Types: A Prospective Survey Study Identifying Diagnostic Bias in Decision to Biopsy." The abstract catalogues disparities patients of color face in dermatologic care, especially regarding skin cancer and inflammatory disease diagnoses. Krueger discussed these issues, including unmet needs among patie...

Bladder cancer is cancer that starts in the cells of the bladder—a hollow muscular organ in the lower pelvis that collects urine. Older men have the highest rates of bladder cancer. Every year around 64,000 cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed in men, whereas only around 19,000 are diagnosed in women. Over 90% of cases occur in people over age 55. Despite bladder cancer occurring more often in men, it tends to carry a worse prognosis for women. When caught early, most cases of bladder cancer are highly treatable. Unfortunately, women are less likely than men to have their bladder cancer caught early. Women's early symptoms, such as blood in the urine and painful urination, are easily mistaken for other more common conditions like postmenopausal bleeding and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Because women's bladder cancer tends to be detected at a more advanced stage, it often carries a worse prognosis. SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI / Getty Ima...

Bobby Liaw, MD: We generally evaluate efficacy of our prostate cancer treatment in three ways: symptoms, PSA [prostate-specific antigen tests], and imaging. I usually repeat this to my patients every now and then, to remind them that a lot of the conversations that we have during our visit isn't really just idle banter. It's really designed to probe for symptoms that might give me concern that something's going on with their prostate cancer, or to hopefully see if the clinical symptoms stemming from the disease are starting to improve on treatment. And of course, it's to figure out if there's any side effects that we need to pick up on. But PSA remains a humongous subject in the defining of efficacy. It has been and remains a very important biomarker for us to file for prostate cancer. While we don't have quite as many studies these days that use percent PSA decline as a major endpoint, I still feel PSA kinetic provides us with a lot of valuable clinical data. T...

Common sites of lung cancer metastasis include the bone, brain, liver, and adrenal gland. Cancer metastasis to the pituitary gland or sellar region is a rare finding. Here, we present a case of pituitary gland metastasis from underlying lung cancer in a patient presenting with a predominance of pituitary symptoms over respiratory symptoms. A 48-year-old female was admitted to the hospital with progressive visual deficits, intractable headaches, constant nausea and vomiting, fatigue, polyuria, and polydipsia for about three months, all consistent with pituitary symptoms associated with secondary adrenal insufficiency, secondary hypothyroidism, and central diabetes insipidus. A brain MRI done two months earlier revealed a large mass in the pituitary gland and sella turcica area. Biochemical test abnormalities consistent with pituitary hormonal insufficiencies were noted, and subsequent imaging showed an enlarging pituitary mass and extensive metastases to the bones, brain, liver, adr...

Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. Typically, cancer begins when a tumor grows on the outer walls of the ovaries. This is called epithelial ovarian cancer, and it is the most common type of ovarian cancer. Treatment for ovarian cancer generally involves: surgery to remove the tumor treatments to kill any remaining cancer cells Radiation therapy is one of the treatment options to kill remaining cancer cells. Although radiation therapy is not as commonly used for ovarian cancer as it is for some other cancer types, it is an option, and it can be especially helpful when cancer has spread beyond the ovaries. Radiation therapy treats cancer by using X-rays to kill cancer cells. It can be used as part of a cancer treatment plan alongside other treatment options. Generally, doctors don't use radiation treatment as an early or primary treatment for ovarian cancer. Doctors may use it to treat cancer that has spread and is in later stages. External beam radiation ...

The FDA has approved the FoundationOne CDx as a companion diagnostic to identify patients with non–small cell lung cancer with tumors that harbor EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 substitutions. FoundationOne CDx has been approved by the FDA for use as a companion diagnostic to identify patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with tumors that harbor EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) substitutions who may benefit from EGFR TKIs approved by the agency for this indication. 1 "Cancer treatment decision making is growing more complex as we learn more about the mutations that drive cancers to grow and new treatments become available to target those changes," Mia Levy, MD, PhD, chief medical officer at Foundation Medicine, stated in a press release. "We believe securing a third group companion diagnostic approval for FoundationOne CDx is another critical step toward simplifying the decision-making process for oncologists and their patients by allowing them to ...

Most skin cancer begins in the epidermis , the outermost layer of skin. It occurs when cells in the epidermis grow at an out-of-control rate. These abnormal cells are usually caused by exposure to the sun.  It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70. Each type of skin cancer has its own signs, symptoms, and risk factors. Common symptoms of skin cancer include a sore that won't heal, a new spot on the skin, or a mole that is changing. This article will provide photos of the early signs of the most common types of skin cancer.  Actinic Keratosis JodiJacobson / Getty Images Actinic keratosis is a precancerous growth that is caused by sun damage to the skin. This damage usually comes from the sun or tanning beds. Actinic keratosis is very common, affecting more than 58 million Americans. Actinic keratosis is not cancerous but can become dangerous over time. About 40%–60% of squamous cell c...

Most skin cancer begins in the epidermis , the outermost layer of skin. It occurs when cells in the epidermis grow at an out-of-control rate. These abnormal cells are usually caused by exposure to the sun.  It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70. Each type of skin cancer has its own signs, symptoms, and risk factors. Common symptoms of skin cancer include a sore that won't heal, a new spot on the skin, or a mole that is changing. This article will provide photos of the early signs of the most common types of skin cancer.  Actinic Keratosis JodiJacobson / Getty Images Actinic keratosis is a precancerous growth that is caused by sun damage to the skin. This damage usually comes from the sun or tanning beds. Actinic keratosis is very common, affecting more than 58 million Americans. Actinic keratosis is not cancerous but can become dangerous over time. About 40%–60% of squamous cell c...