ALL ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER

Erectile Dysfunction And The Prostate: What Are The Connections?
UroToday.com - Prostate cancer is the leading malignancy in American men and causes more than 60,000 deaths annually. Treatment of prostate cancer with either surgery, radiation therapy, cryotherapy or medical treatment is associated with significant life altering morbidity. Both incontinence and erectile dysfunction (ED) are too often sequelae of these treatment alternatives. ED can be a significant complication and can alter the life of both the prostate cancer patient and his partner.

Options In Prostate Cancer Surgery: Perineal Prostatectomy In The Age Of Minimally Invasive Surgery
UroToday.com - In the age of minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopic and robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy has been associated with a substantial increase in operative costs without a significant improvement in outcomes to date. As a result, there has been renewed interest in one of the original approaches to prostate cancer.
Stroke treatment still very often delayed
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Stroke victims frequently fail to seek emergency treatment promptly enough, and even when they do get to the ER quickly, their treatment is often delayed, a new study shows.

Cheap breast cancer drug hope
A combination of two inexpensive existing drugs may offer a new way to treat breast cancer, a study suggests.
Mom, daughter lead Kenyan village in AIDS recovery (AP)

AP - Loyce Mbewa-Ong’udi was late. Family and friends milled around her parents’ house in the green hills overlooking Lake Victoria, waiting for the daughter from America to return home.

Imaging Advance Tracks Prostate Cancer in Lymph Nodes
Title: Imaging Advance Tracks Prostate Cancer in Lymph Nodes
Category: Health News
Created: 7/16/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/16/2008

U.S. Preventive Medicine Supports Testing Older Men For Prostate Cancer
U.S. Preventive Medicine, (http://www.USPreventiveMedicine.com), the leader in disease prevention, said today that routine screening and testing of men age 75 and older for prostate cancer can still be appropriate and that doing so can help older men live a longer and healthy life. The U.S.
Stress makes allergies worse and last longer
NEW YORK - (Reuters Health) - Psychological stress and anxiety can make seasonal allergy attacks worse and linger longer, according to research presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Boston.

Shaping up
‘I’ve kept a steady weight even when unable to exercise’
University opening new integrative medicine center (AP)
AP - Many academic health centers offer programs that include traditional Chinese treatments or Ayurvedic medicine from India. The University of New Mexico goes beyond that, says management of its new Center for Life.
Surgery Helps With Prostate Cancer, Sometimes
Title: Surgery Helps With Prostate Cancer, Sometimes
Category: Health News
Created: 8/13/2008 9:18:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/13/2008

Bavarian Nordic Announces Partnership With National Cancer Institute In The US And Obtains Rights To A New Vaccine Candidate
Bavarian Nordic’s US subsidiary, BN ImmunoTherapeutics has entered into a scientific partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States. Under the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) the NCI and Bavarian Nordic will jointly develop new immunotherapies for the treatment of prostate cancer. Under the CRADA, BN ImmunoTherapeutics has rights to exclusively license intellectual property that results from this collaboration.
Birth control affects sexiness of a man’s scent
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Birth control pills may affect how appealing a woman finds a man’s scent — potentially steering her toward a mate who is genetically similar to her, according to British researchers.

Cancer patients ‘failed by NHS’
A survey of cancer patients, carers and professionals suggests Scotland’s NHS is failing those with the disease.
University opening new integrative medicine center (AP)
AP - Many academic health centers offer programs that include traditional Chinese treatments or Ayurvedic medicine from India. The University of New Mexico goes beyond that, says management of its new Center for Life.
Prostate Cancer Therapy May Not Help
Title: Prostate Cancer Therapy May Not Help
Category: Health News
Created: 7/9/2008
Last Editorial Review: 7/9/2008

Radical Prostatectomy For Incidental (Stage T1a-T1b) Prostate Cancer: Analysis Of Predictors For Residual Disease And Biochemical Recurrence
UroToday.com - Patients with the stages pT1a or pT1b prostate cancer (CaP) by definition are found to have CaP on simple open prostatectomy or TURP performed for BPH. These patients must decide if they then need definitive therapy. In the online issue of European Urology, Dr.
Stress makes allergies worse and last longer
NEW YORK - (Reuters Health) - Psychological stress and anxiety can make seasonal allergy attacks worse and linger longer, according to research presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Boston.

Poor Overall Survival In Septa- And Octogenarian Patients After Radical Prostatectomy And Radiotherapy For Prostate Cancer
UroToday.com - In the online issue of European Urology, Dr. Claudio Jeldres and a group of international investigators addressed the overall survival of septa- and octogenarians who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiotherapy (XRT) for prostate cancer (CaP). The Quebec Health Plan database was used to identify 6,183 men treated with RP or XRT for CaP between 1989 and 2000.
Childhood eczema tied to asthma risk later
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children with the allergic skin condition eczema are at increased risk of developing asthma well into adulthood, according to a decades-long study.

PSA Dynamics And Nomograms In The Diagnosis And Treatment Planning For Prostate Cancer
UroToday.com - The introduction of PSA as a marker for prostate cancer has dramatically altered how prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated. Along with the improvements in diagnosis and treatment options has come the realization that as men age prostate cancer is relatively common and that not all prostate cancer is fatal and necessarily needs to be actively treated.

Chinese Urologists’ Practice Patterns Of Diagnosing And Treating Chronic Prostatitis: A Questionnaire Survey
UroToday.com - Chronic prostatitis (CP) is one of the most prevalent conditions in urology, and represents an important international health problem. Throughout the past century, the diagnostic entity of CP has been recognized and its clinical characteristics well described. However, despite the multiple approaches to management of CP, no hard and fast guidelines have been developed.
Spices may lessen consequences of high blood sugar
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with diabetes may want to start spicing up their diets, if new lab research findings prove true in humans.

Struggling to pay
‘I skip meals to afford my cancer medication’
Healthy Sex Life Can Extend Into 80s (HealthDay)
HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) — A satisfying sex life is possible as you age into your 70s and 80s, new research suggests.
Obese Men Face Twin Threat From Prostate Cancer
Title: Obese Men Face Twin Threat From Prostate Cancer
Category: Health News
Created: 8/9/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/11/2008

New Prostate Cancer Test Is Ready For Commercialization Following Successful Completion Of Final Clinical Trials
Health Discovery Corporation (”HDC”) (OTCBB: HDVY) announced that HDC’s new gene-based molecular diagnostic test for prostate cancer has now successfully completed it’s Phase III double-blind clinical trial and is now ready for commercialization to be used by physicians on their patients at risk of having prostate cancer. The new prostate cancer test will be performed at Clarient’s Clinical Laboratory in Aliso Viejo, CA. HDC will receive 30% royalty on each test performed.
Study finds 140,000 bad reactions to antibiotics
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bad reactions to antibiotics, mostly allergic ones, send people to U.S. emergency rooms more than 140,000 times each year, government researchers reported on Wednesday.

New Screening Guidelines: Don’t Test Men Over 75 For Prostate Cancer
Over the age of 75 years, men should no longer be screened for prostate cancer, according to recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force published on August 5, 2008 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Additionally, they indicate that younger men should discuss the potential risks and benefits of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) treatment with their doctors before performing the test.
Gene variations linked to anxiety susceptibility
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Variations in a gene that regulates the brain chemical dopamine may help explain why some people are more prone to anxiety than others, a new study suggests.

Struggling to pay
‘I skip meals to afford my cancer medication’
Uganda turns to mass circumcision in AIDS fight (Reuters)

Reuters - Ugandan authorities have launched a mass circumcision drive with the hope it will reduce HIV/AIDS rates in the east African country.

Poor Overall Survival In Septa- And Octogenarian Patients After Radical Prostatectomy And Radiotherapy For Prostate Cancer
UroToday.com - In the online issue of European Urology, Dr. Claudio Jeldres and a group of international investigators addressed the overall survival of septa- and octogenarians who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiotherapy (XRT) for prostate cancer (CaP). The Quebec Health Plan database was used to identify 6,183 men treated with RP or XRT for CaP between 1989 and 2000.
Seniors often don’t tell docs about surgery fears
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older people considering major orthopedic surgery only bring up about half of their concerns when they meet with their surgeon to discuss the operation, a new study shows.

1 In 5 Young Men Has Had Recent Prostate Cancer Test
A new analysis finds that one in five men in their 40s has had a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test within the previous year and that young black men are more likely than young white men to have undergone the test. The study, published in the September 15, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, provides valuable information as experts discuss possible changes to prostate cancer screening recommendations.
Brain trouble tied to diabetes duration, severity
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Developing diabetes before age 65 and greater severity of diabetes may be important in the development of mild cognitive impairment among individuals in their 70s and 80s, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, report.

Weather alerts boost lung health
A scheme warning people with lung problems about weather which could worsen symptoms has cut hospital admissions.
PET Scans May Help Detect Alzheimer’s Brain Plaques (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Aug. 12 (HealthDay News) — PET scans may provide doctors with a non-invasive method of detecting Alzheimer’s disease-related brain plaques, Finnish researchers say.

Critical Assessment Of Tools To Predict Clinically Insignificant Prostate Cancer At Radical Prostatectomy In Contemporary Men
UroToday.com - In the August 2008 issue of Cancer, Dr. Felix Chun and associates present data to discriminate between men with indolent and important prostate cancer (CaP) to help stratify those electing active surveillance (AS). The authors point out that even the criteria suggested by Dr. Epstein and the nomogram by Dr. Kattan will only have about 80% accuracy at radical prostatectomy (RP) for estimating insignificant prostate cancer (ICaP).

US Preventive Services Task Force Updates Prostate Cancer Screening Recommendations - No Benefits For Over 75s
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), updating its 2002 report, now recommends against routine prostate cancer screening for men over the age of 75. More evidence is needed to determine if men under 75 could benefit from screening. Previously, the Task Force concluded that there was insufficient scientific evidence to recommend screening for all men, and found inconclusive evidence that early detection improves health outcomes.
Gene raises risk of lifetime smoking habit: study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - For most people, the first experimental drags on a cigarette bring on nausea, coughing and other signals from the brain that say, “Turn back. This is a bad idea.” But for some, they bring a wave of pleasure.

Flu pandemic ‘gravest risk to UK’
A National Risk Register commissioned by the prime minister cites a flu pandemic as the gravest threat to security.
Rabies from bats suspected in Venezuela deaths (AP)

AP - At least 38 Warao Indians have died in remote villages in Venezuela, and medical experts suspect an outbreak of rabies spread by bites from vampire bats. Laboratory investigations have yet to confirm the cause, but the symptoms point to rabies, according to two researchers from the University of California at Berkeley and other medical experts.

Imaging Advance Tracks Prostate Cancer in Lymph Nodes
Title: Imaging Advance Tracks Prostate Cancer in Lymph Nodes
Category: Health News
Created: 7/16/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/16/2008

Pathologic T2 Stage Subgroups And Recurrence-Free Survival After Radical Prostatectomy
UroToday.com - In the online version of Urology, Dr. James McKiernan and a group of investigators at Columbia University reported that while clinical subgroups of stage cT2 prostate cancer (CaP) have prognostic significance, pathologic subgroups of stage pT2 do not. In 1997, the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) eliminated the stage cT2 sub-staging, based upon the degree of prostatic lobar involvement. T2a was classified as unilobar, and T2 as bilobar disease.
Internet program helps diabetics monitor sugar
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An Internet-based blood-sugar monitoring program appears to help people with type 1 diabetes better manage their condition, researchers report.

Medical notes
A comprehensive guide to clinical conditions
FDA: Some cholesterol and heart drugs don’t mix (AP)

AP - Patients taking some common medications for high cholesterol and irregular heart beats can suffer severe muscle damage because of a problem in the way the drugs interact, the government warned on Friday.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Title: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 12/31/1997
Last Editorial Review: 6/23/2008

Poor Overall Survival In Septa- And Octogenarian Patients After Radical Prostatectomy And Radiotherapy For Prostate Cancer
UroToday.com - In the online issue of European Urology, Dr. Claudio Jeldres and a group of international investigators addressed the overall survival of septa- and octogenarians who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiotherapy (XRT) for prostate cancer (CaP). The Quebec Health Plan database was used to identify 6,183 men treated with RP or XRT for CaP between 1989 and 2000.
Internet program helps diabetics monitor sugar
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An Internet-based blood-sugar monitoring program appears to help people with type 1 diabetes better manage their condition, researchers report.

Aids conference ends with warning
An international Aids conference ends with a warning that funding commitments for treatment may not be met.
More Than Temperature Puts Elderly at Risk in Heat (HealthDay)
HealthDay - SUNDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) — Because aging affects the body’s ability to respond to summer heat, older adults are particularly at risk for heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat fatigue, heat cramps and heat exhaustion, according to the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Study Links Agent Orange to Prostate Cancer in Vietnam Vets
Title: Study Links Agent Orange to Prostate Cancer in Vietnam Vets
Category: Health News
Created: 8/7/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/7/2008

Fluctuations In PSA And The Use Of Antibiotics
UroToday.com - A two to four week course of antibiotic therapy is often used in patients with an elevated PSA to exclude inflammation as an etiology of the elevated level. This talk reviews the data regarding variations in PSA, etiology and the practice of antibiotic use. Fluctuations in PSA are anticipated as the concentration of PSA in prostatic fluid is approximately a million fold higher than in serum.
Gene raises risk of lifetime smoking habit: study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - For most people, the first experimental drags on a cigarette bring on nausea, coughing and other signals from the brain that say, “Turn back. This is a bad idea.” But for some, they bring a wave of pleasure.

Prostate Health Research And Awareness Initiative Launches During Hall Of Fame Weekend
Fourteen retired National Football League (NFL) players took charge of their prostate health by getting screened for prostate cancer during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival and game, which took place August 2-3 in Canton, Ohio. The screening represented the kickoff of a prostate cancer research and awareness initiative launched by the AUA Foundation and funded by the NFL Player Care Foundation. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Critical Assessment Of Tools To Predict Clinically Insignificant Prostate Cancer At Radical Prostatectomy In Contemporary Men
UroToday.com - In the August 2008 issue of Cancer, Dr. Felix Chun and associates present data to discriminate between men with indolent and important prostate cancer (CaP) to help stratify those electing active surveillance (AS). The authors point out that even the criteria suggested by Dr. Epstein and the nomogram by Dr. Kattan will only have about 80% accuracy at radical prostatectomy (RP) for estimating insignificant prostate cancer (ICaP).

Exposure To Agent Orange Linked To Prostate Cancer In Vietnam Veterans
UC Davis Cancer Center physicians released results of research showing that Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange have greatly increased risks of prostate cancer and even greater risks of getting the most aggressive form of the disease as compared to those who were not exposed. The findings, which appear online now and will be published in the September 15 issue of the journal Cancer, are the first to link the herbicide with this form of cancer.
Family breast cancer may not mean early screening
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that just because a woman has family members with breast cancer, it does not mean that she should undergo early screening for the cancer. According to the report, there are certain factors doctors can look for to determine whether early screening is advisable.

From BBC Health
The immunisation jabs your child will be offered
All U.S. adults could be overweight in 40 years (Reuters)

Reuters - If the trends of the past three decades continue, it’s possible that every American adult could be overweight 40 years from now, a government-funded study projects.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Title: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 12/31/1997
Last Editorial Review: 6/23/2008