Men's Health Archive

When cancer patients are treated with radiation, it's possible that the therapy itself may cause new tumors to form in the body later. Canadian researchers published findings in 2014 finding no difference between groups of men treated with cancer or with surgery — but following up another decade later, there was a clear increase in risk.

Active surveillance (AS) is the most common choice for men facing a diagnosis of low-risk prostate cancer, in which the tumor is confined to the prostate gland and unlikely to grow or spread. Men can potentially continue AS indefinitely until their condition changes. There are situations in which they should move to treatment because the cancer has become more aggressive. Or they may be ready to stop if there has been no cancer progression or they no longer wish to continue with the regular monitoring and testing of AS.

Not all drug side effects are created equal: some are tolerable, some are dangerous –– and some may turn out to be surprisingly beneficial with weight loss and hair growth as superstar examples. Silver linings like these can lead to a new purpose for some medications.

Exfoliation — the process of removing dead cells from the skin's outer layer — can make skin glow, help even out coloring, and offer other benefits, but it can also irritate or inflame. Which products should you choose and how often can you exfoliate?

When a PSA test produces an abnormal result, the next step is usually a prostate biopsy, but these have drawbacks. Researchers are exploring strategies to avoid unnecessary biopsies, and a test that screens for prostate cancer in urine samples has shown promising results in testing.

Most older men live with some prostate cancer. However, only a small number will develop aggressive cancer that affects their quality of life. Certain habits might lower men's risk, like eating a plant-based diet, doing vigorous activity, and having frequent ejaculations.

In a 2024 study, men diagnosed with erectile dysfunction who took popular PDE5 inhibitors to treat their condition had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than men who didn't use medication.

It can be frustrating to be asked to fill out medical forms yet again for a health care visit. But even if you have an electronic medical record, a practice might need you to provide or update information, and it's helpful to know what is most important or likely to be requested.