 |
Check out these newly released Special Health Reports from Harvard Medical School |  |
New ReleasesYou can't buy good health but you can buy good health information. Check out these newly released Special Health Reports from Harvard Medical School: |
Sign Up Now ForGet health information and advice from the experts at Harvard Medical School.
Most men eventually develop some type of prostate problem, and when they do there are usually no easy solutions. The three most common prostate problems are benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis, and prostate cancer. Men with the same condition and symptoms might opt for very different treatments — or choose to do nothing at all.
A number of exciting new treatment options have emerged for prostate diseases, including new medications and refined surgical techniques. But daunting challenges remain. A major disappointment has been in the area of chemoprevention — an approach that uses drugs or supplements to try to reduce risk of prostate cancer. Two leading contenders — 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and vitamin E supplements — not only don’t seem to prevent prostate cancer but actually may increase risk of developing it. And in a major development, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended against routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening — arguing that for most men screening does not save lives and causes more harm than benefit.
That’s why this unique publication is more than a primer on prostate conditions; it includes roundtable discussions with experts at the forefront of prostate research, interviews with patients about their treatment decisions, and the latest thinking on complementary therapies.
The goal of this publication is not to relate easy answers. Rather, our mission is to provide you with the information you need to understand the current controversies, avoid common pitfalls, and work with your doctor to make informed choices about your prostate health.
Prepared by the editors of Harvard Health Publications in consultation with Marc B. Garnick, M.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Hematology/Oncology Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. 136 pages. (2013)
Time to develop your own game plan
This report is published each year around the time of the NFL playoffs. And if you’re a football fan, as I am, it’s hard to escape the steady barrage of ads for drugs to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and erectile dysfunction, or the celebrity pitches urging men to undergo PSA screening for prostate cancer.
It can be overwhelming. That’s why this publication is intended to help you become the quarterback when it comes to treatment decisions about BPH, prostatitis, erectile dysfunction, and other common prostate problems. And if I can stretch the football analogy a little further, I’d like to call for a whole new game plan when it comes to diagnosing and treating prostate cancer.
Research published over the past year has made it even more evident that widespread PSA screening is detecting cancers at such an early stage that it is doing more harm than good. In May, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for any man, regardless of age, race, or family history—arguing that for most men screening does not save lives and causes serious and long-lasting harms. Certainly the consensus has been building in this direction for quite a while, but the USPSTF is one of the nation’s most authoritative voices on this matter. Meanwhile, a long-awaited American study, the Prostate Cancer Intervention Versus Observation Trial (PIVOT), concluded that men who underwent surgery for localized prostate cancer were no more likely to survive than those who avoided treatment.
But it wasn’t all bad news. Several new drugs for late-stage prostate cancer have come on the market, and others are far along in the pipeline. These developments have helped to redefine metastatic disease from a death sentence to a condition men can live with—often for years, and without the disabling pain and crippling bone problems of the past.
That’s why this unique publication is more than a primer on prostate conditions; it includes insights from experts at the forefront of prostate research, interviews with patients about their treatment decisions, and the latest thinking about diet and complementary therapies. The companion website, www.HarvardProstateKnowledge.org, offers additional features and research updates throughout the year.
The goal of this publication is not to relate easy answers—because in many instances there are none. Rather, our mission is to provide you with the information you need to understand the current controversies, avoid common pitfalls, and work with your doctor to make informed choices about your prostate health.
The following reviews have been left for this report. Log in and leave a review of your own.
With all the ads on TV and in magazines heralding pills to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), it’s tempting to think that treatment for ED begins and ends with Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis. But it’s important to be aware that many men can ease, or even reverse, ED by making simple lifestyle changes — such as losing excess weight and quitting smoking — that also are likely to boost their overall health and reduce their chances of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. This report offers a comprehensive review of these treatments, as well as the causes of erectile dysfunction and how ED may be an early warning sign for other serious health problems.
Learn more »
A Guide to Men’s Health Fifty and Forward, this Special Health Report offers steps and strategies to lessen — or prevent — threats to your well-being and longevity. It provides a wide-ranging, clear-eyed look at the leading causes of death for men at midlife and beyond. It examines those factors that put you at risk for a variety of problems and explains the important measures you can take to reduce those risks.
Learn more »© 2000-2013 Harvard University. All rights reserved. Site Map
