Prostate Disorders

Urinary Incontinence: A Common Side Effect of Prostate Cancer Treatment

One of the side effects of prostate cancer treatment that concerns men the most is urinary incontinence. As treatments for prostate cancer improve, this complication will become less common. For now, however, men should be aware that there are effective ways to alleviate urinary incontinence.

Understanding the TNM Prostate Cancer Staging System

Determining the extent of prostate cancer is important for predicting the course of the disease and in choosing the best treatment. The TNM (tumor, nodes, metastasis) staging system is used to describe a cancer's clinical stage, or how far it has spread. This Health Alert provides an explanation of this important prostate cancer staging system.

True or False: Prostate Cancer Growth Is Faster in Black Men?

Black men of West African ancestry are more likely than white men to develop prostate cancer and to die of it, but the reasons why remain unclear. Now data from The Journal of Urology (Volume 183, page 1792) suggest that prostate cancer may grow more quickly in black men or transform earlier from the latent to the aggressive form.

Using Nomograms to Predict Prostate Cancer Risk

If you have just had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening test, the words "Your PSA level is 4" are not particularly welcome. In general, the higher the PSA, the greater the likelihood cancer is present. So a score of 4 ng/mL is likely to sound warning bells for your doctor to order a biopsy, the results of which are used to help confirm or rule out the presence of prostate cancer.

Research on Smoking and Prostate Cancer

Apparently, there's another reason to quit smoking: A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that smoking at the time of prostate cancer diagnosis is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer recurrence as well as an increased risk of dying of prostate cancer. This is the first large-scale study to demonstrate that smoking increases the risk of dying of prostate cancer. …

"Plan B”: Cryotherapy as Salvage Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Every year, approximately a third of men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer will be treated with external beam radiation therapy or brachytherapy as their primary treatment choice. Unfortunately, many will experience a recurrence of cancer, with failure rates ranging up to 32 percent. This is when salvage cryotherapy becomes a possible option.

Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Hormone Therapy Before Brachytherapy

A reader of our Prostate Disorders White Paper asks: I'm 75 years old and will be having brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer. Should I have hormone therapy first? Here’s our advice …

Should You Have a PSA Screening Test? Johns Hopkins Responds to Recent USPSTF Recommendations

By now, you’ve probably heard that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is no longer recommended for healthy men under age 75. This controversial draft recommendation was issued by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Given previous recommendations from the medical community encouraging PSA screening, many men are confused. Following are answers to some questions you may have about this recommendation -- and our advice on whether you should follow it. …

Imaging Studies for Prostate Cancer: What to Expect

Determining the extent of prostate cancer is important for predicting the course of the disease and in choosing the best treatment. Depending on the Gleason score and the initial PSA results, your physician may order imaging studies to determine whether the prostate cancer has spread to distant sites.

Some men will need to undergo a bone scan to determine whether their prostate cancer has spread to the bones. The bone scan involves intravenous injection of…

What You Should Know About External Beam Radiation Therapy

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer involves aiming beams of radiation at the prostate from outside the body. External beam radiation therapy is a treatment option for men with localized prostate cancer (stage T1 and T2) or locally advanced disease (stage T3). Although no randomized trial has directly compared radical prostatectomy and external beam radiation therapy, available evidence suggests that for patients with cancer confined to the prostate, either approach offers a good chance of being cancer free five to 10 years after treatment.

First Prostate Cancer, Now Osteoporosis

It seems unfair that trying to treat your prostate cancer can make you vulnerable to bone loss and fractures, but that's exactly what could happen with long-term hormone therapy. Also known as androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT, hormone therapy reduces levels of testosterone and estrogen, both of which help maintain bone density in men.

What’s Next for Provenge?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) approval of sipuleucel-T (Provenge) -- the first vaccine for the treatment of cancer -- marks an important milestone in the war against prostate cancer. Provenge doesn't prevent prostate cancer (in the sense that most traditional vaccines prevent disease), or cure it or even slow its spread. But it does prolong life in some men with advanced prostate cancer. The extra time, slightly more than four months, is modest, at best, but important because it is proof that a cancer vaccine to boost the immune system can prolong life, suggesting that future vaccines might be even better.

Focus on the Gleason Score

If you have had prostate cancer, you probably know that the Gleason score is the most important factor in predicting your current state of prostate cancer and its probable outcome. The score is based on tumor grade -- an indication of the tumor's aggressiveness. Tumor grade reflects how far the cancer cells deviate from normal, healthy cells.

More Prostate Cancer: Fact or Fiction

This excerpt from a recent Johns Hopkins Prostate Bulletin looks at four common misunderstandings about prostate cancer.

Hormonal Treatment for Recurrent Prostate Cancer

In our Special Report on Advanced Prostate Cancer Treatments, Dr. Jacek Mostwin, Professor of Urology at Johns Hopkins, answers questions on hormonal treatment for recurrent prostate cancer. Here are some of Dr. Mostwin’s comments.