Men's Health Archive

A new technique for prostate cancer treatment can limit side effects from radiation therapy. It relies on specialized types of medical imaging scans that allow doctors to visualize the cancer during treatment.

The FDA has approved an over-the-counter topical gel to treat erectile dysfunction that men apply immediately before intercourse. It works in approximately 10 minutes.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening can help identify early prostate cancer, but it also can lead men to have biopsies and invasive treatments they may not need. This complexity has caused the medical community to re-evaluate how best to use PSA testing. More doctors are using PSA screening in ways that minimize the use of biopsies, such as by following a worrisome test result with MRI of the prostate. If a man does have a biopsy and a cancer is found, PSA testing can help the man follow active surveillance.

Dry skin and athlete's foot affect many men. There are several treatment options for both conditions, and steps you can take to prevent them from occurring or returning.

Men with mild-to-moderate symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia can try a conservative approach called watchful waiting. Behavior changes can help control symptoms. If these don't work, a discussion with a doctor about drugs or surgery is in order.

In some men with localized prostate cancer, focal therapy is an alternative to radical prostatectomy. This procedure removes only the cancerous part of the gland, and growing evidence shows it can be an effective strategy.

Eating a plant-based diet like the Mediterranean, MIND, or DASH diet has been shown to help people lose weight and lower their risk for heart disease and diabetes. But such a diet may also help men lower their risk for prostate cancer or help slow the spread of existing prostate cancer. The connection may be due to high consumption of inflammation-fighting fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish, and the fact that people who follow a plant-based diet eat less red meat and processed foods, high intakes of which are associated with cancer risk.

According to the FDA, many sexual enhancement products sold online and over the counter may cause potentially serious side effects and interact with other medications or dietary supplements.

Approval by the FDA of a new drug combination for treatment of advanced prostate cancer fills a need and offers new hope to men whose cancer has progressed and who have already tried other therapies.

Guidelines recommend against routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in men ages 70 and older. Still, two 2023 studies found that men in this age group are having too many PSA tests.