Prostate Knowledge Archive

Marketed as a natural remedy for an enlarged prostate, saw palmetto is a top-selling dietary supplement. By one estimate, more than a third of all US adults who take supplements use saw palmetto. But experts at Harvard say men should view its supposed benefits for prostate health skeptically.

The troubling symptoms of prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate, accounts for roughly two million doctor visits every year. Fortunately, research advances are leading to some encouraging developments for men suffering from this condition.

Most men with prostate cancer have low-grade cancer, meaning the cancer is unlikely to spread or affect quality of life or longevity. But men whose initial prostate biopsy shows an intermediate-risk or high-risk cancer, or those who began active surveillance for low-risk cancer but develop a rising PSA or new symptoms suggesting aggressive cancer, have several treatment options available. These include different combinations of radiation, surgery, androgen deprivation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and anti-androgens.

Most men over 50 will develop an enlarged prostate. Many different therapies are available, including medications and various types of surgery. Aquablation is gaining in popularity, and a recent study showed that improvements in urinary function from aquablation were still holding up after five years.

Roughly one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives, but these cancers usually aren't life-threatening. The least risky form of the disease occurs frequently with age, will not metastasize to other parts of the body, and it doesn't require any immediate treatment. So, should it even be called cancer?

Researchers are developing tools for predicting how fast prostate cancer might progress; among the most promising are those that count circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood samples. Research shows that high CTC counts predict poorer survival and faster disease progression. But they are also predictive for early-stage metastatic prostate cancer that still responds to hormonal therapy.

Radiation therapy for prostate cancer used to involve weeks or months of treatment. Today, radiation delivery is moving toward higher doses given with fewer sessions over shorter durations. Results from a clinical trial show that the two types of therapy offer the same long-term benefits.

Abnormal results on a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening test for cancer are typically followed by a systematic biopsy. But systematic biopsies can be problematic, and researchers are seeking alternatives. A large European study provides encouraging evidence favoring a different approach that uses MRI instead of biopsy.