Prostate Cancer Archive

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.

A 2023 study confirms prior research showing that men with low testosterone levels who use testosterone replacement therapy for 14 months are not at a higher risk for prostate cancer over the following several years.

Minimally invasive surgery to remove the prostate gland is generally very well tolerated, but there can be complications, as in the case of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier this year. A Harvard-affiliated urologist answers questions about the possibility of such complications.

Infections after a prostate biopsy are rare, but they do occur. There are two ways to perform such a biopsy, with the one at higher risk of infection more common in the US. Researchers conducted a trial designed to compare the safety of the two methods.

Men with advanced prostate cancer are typically treated with hormonal treatments followed by chemotherapy, but a recent study evaluated the potential of a treatment that uses radioactive particles injected into the body.

When prostate cancer recurs after initial treatment, doctors typically treat it with hormonal therapies. But results from a large clinical trial show that a different medication (or combination of two medications) is a better approach.

Many men diagnosed with low-grade prostate cancer follow active surveillance, in which they regularly follow up with a doctor for routine PSA tests, prostate biopsies, and possibly MRI scans. If there is evidence their cancer has progressed, then they can consider treatment (radiation or surgery). While there is little men can do to slow the growth of known low-grade prostate cancer, losing excess weight and keeping it off may help keep undetected high- or medium-grade cancer from becoming more aggressive.

A transurethral resection of the prostate is considered the gold-standard treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. But newer, less invasive procedures offer faster recovery times and fewer risks of complications. Earlier this year another new procedure won the FDA's approval.

According to a 2023 observational study, greater cardiorespiratory fitness in men was linked to a lower risk of death from colon, lung, or prostate cancer.