Prostate Knowledge Archive

A standard treatment for localized prostate cancer is radiation, but there is a risk that it can lead to secondary cancers forming in the body later. Now, a large study of men treated with current radiation delivery methods clarifies that the amount of risk is low, but real.

After a man has had a radical prostatectomy, sometimes the level of the antigen PSA rises again later, meaning cancer may have returned. A study found that the normal therapy given when this happens is more effective when combined with other forms of treatment.

Active surveillance allows men with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer to avoid temporarily the side effects of invasive therapies, but men often feel anxious about their cancer. Emerging evidence suggests there may be a middle path between no treatment and aggressive therapies.

Prostate cancer can progress over long durations, and if a man’s tumor has features that predict slow growth, he can opt for active surveillance instead of immediate treatment. But when the time for treatment comes, up to a third of men still decide against it. Now, a new study finds that for some of these men, treatment can be safely delayed.

The FDA has approved a new medication therapy for advanced prostate cancer that is spreading in the body. The new treatment can seek out and destroy tumors that are still too small to be found via conventional medical imaging. Results of a clinical trial showed that this new drug was effective at delaying cancer progression.

Today, most surgeries to remove the prostate gland in men with prostate cancer are performed with robotic assistance, which ostensibly offers quality-of-life advantages. But how does this method compare with traditional open surgery? A recent study provides some clarity.

Prostatitis is a common inflammatory condition, but most cases have no obvious cause. Treatments are varied and include anti-inflammatory painkillers and alpha blockers, but a clinical trial showed that acupuncture has the potential to reduce symptoms of prostatitis without the side effects that drugs can cause.