Saturday, January 5, 2019

#ProstateCancerNews for 12/18 to January, 2019


Contents


Last IPCSG Meeting Summary

NOVEMBER 17 - Dr. Richard Lam
NEW ADVANCES - A board-certified internist and oncologist, Richard Lam, MD is the director of clinical research has been specializing full time at Prostate Oncology Specialists in the treatment of prostate cancer since 2001.
Dr. Lam has written numerous articles based on his research and is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology. Dr. Lam continues to promote prostate cancer awareness and education by giving lectures at various medical conferences and prostate support groups throughout the country. He is particularly interested in utilizing state-of-the-art therapeutics for advanced prostate cancer.

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Next IPCSG Meeting Speaker

JANUARY 19, 2019           Advances in Radiation Therapy 

Dr. A.J. Mundt is an internationally-recognized academic radiation oncologist and educator whose career has focused on the development and implementation of novel radiation technologies in a wide number of malignancies. He is the founding Chair of the UC San Diego (UCSD) Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences and serves as Senior Deputy Director of the UCSD Moores NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
An author of over 180 journal articles and book chapters, predominantly focused on advanced radiation technologies, Dr. Mundt has edited 3 academic textbooks, two devoted to intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) with over 100 contributors from the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. He has delivered over 250 invited lectures at cancer symposia and conferences throughout the United States, Europe, South America and Asia, and has been a Visiting Professor at over 20 Universities and Cancer Centers.
Dr. Mundt last briefed us in January 2018 on Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: The State of the Art in 2018. Topics discussed were “Halcyon” machine, Active Surveillance, Brachytherapy and the "Physics Direct Patient Care Initiative".and are described in the Feb 2018 Newsletter.
What a great way to start off the new year with a presentation of the advances in the field of radiation oncology.

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www.medscape.com

Combination Strategy Improves Identification of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancers

By Reuters Staff, January 05, 2019
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Combining visual-registration and image-fusion biopsy targeting strategies provides the highest rate of detecting clinically significant prostate cancers, according to results from the SmartTarget biopsy trial.
Multiparametric MRI improves the diagnostic sensitivity for clinically significant prostate cancer while reducing the overdetection of clinically insignificant cancer, but it remains unclear which MRI-targeted biopsy method is best.
Dr. Hashim U. Ahmed of the Faculty of Medicine at University College London and colleagues sought to determine whether visual registration (mentally translating MRI targets onto real-time ultrasound images) is sufficient or whether it needs augmentation with image-fusion software.
Among 129 men who underwent both visual-registration and image-fusion biopsies, 93 (72%) had clinically significant prostate cancer (Gleason pattern of 3 or higher + 4 = 7) using both biopsy strategies.
Each strategy alone detected 80 of these significant cancers, with each method identifying 13 cancers that the other missed, so that the combination of the methods resulted in a 14% improvement in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer.
Results were similar using an alternative definition of clinically significant prostate cancer (Gleason pattern of 4 or higher + 3 = 7), the researchers report in European Urology, online December 6.
The safety profiles were similar with the two biopsy strategies, and there were no significant differences in patient-reported outcome scores.
"Both strategies missed clinically significant cancers detected by the other strategy and so should be used in combination to optimize cancer detection," the researchers conclude.
"A cost-benefit analysis is a complex question beyond this study's scope," they add. "However, our results suggest potential benefits of a faster learning curve and higher repeatability that may enable less experienced centers to increase throughput and achieve cancer detection rates equivalent to those of highly experienced centers."
Several of the authors report financial ties to SmartTarget Ltd., which is commercializing the image guidance device used in this study.
Dr. Ahmed did not respond to a request for comments.
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2Ts4EXO
Eur Urol 2018.
Reuters Health Information © 2019
Cite this article: Combination Strategy Improves Identification of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancers - Medscape - Jan 03, 2019.
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Surgery and Adjuvant RT Show Superiority in Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer

Caroline Seymour
Grace Lu-Yao, PhD
Higher survival rates were observed with radical prostatectomy (RP) and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) compared with radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with locally advanced prostate cancer, according to a comparative analysis published in Cancer.1,2
Results showed that 10 years after treatment, 89% of men who received radical prostatectomy and RT were still alive, compared with 74% of those who received RT and ADT, demonstrating a 15% survival benefit in the prostatectomy arm. The coprimary endpoints were prostate cancer–specific survival and overall survival (OS), both of which were improved in the prostatectomy/RT arm, regardless of tumor stage or Gleason score.
“There is a lot of debate about whether to remove the whole prostate and follow up with radiation therapy,” senior author Grace Lu-Yao, PhD, associate director of Population Science at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, said in a statement. “Or, as a second option, to spare the prostate and treat it using radiation therapy plus hormone-blocking therapy. Our study suggests that removing the prostate followed by adjuvant radiotherapy is associated with greater overall survival in men with prostate cancer.”
The analysis compiled data from the SEER database from 1992 to 2009 of men older than 65 years old who were diagnosed with locally or regionally advanced prostate cancer and had received either radical prostatectomy/RT or RT/ADT. Additional exclusion criteria included a history of previous malignancy; stage T1/T2, in situ, or M1 disease; distant lymph node involvement; Health Maintenance Organization coverage during the 6 months following diagnosis; no Part A or B Medicare coverage during the 6 months after diagnosis; indiscernible treatment; and primary chemotherapy.
Men who had received surgery that was not considered curative were excluded from the prostatectomy/RT group. This included cryotherapy, subtotal prostatectomy, and transurethral resection of the prostate. The study defined adjuvant RT as RT received within 6 months after RP. RT/ADT was defined as ADT given 2 months prior to receiving RT until anytime 3 years after RT.
Among men who received prostatectomy/RT, >55.7% were aged 65 to 69, 9.6% were aged 75 to 79, and <1 .3="" 80="" aged="" older="" or="" were="" whereas="">26.7% of men who received RT/ADT were aged 65 to 69, 26.1% were 75 to 79, and 13.5% were aged 80 or older (P < .0001).
Of the 13,856 men eligible for evaluation, 6.1% (n = 848) received prostatectomy/RT versus 23.6% (n = 3272) who received RT/ADT. Among men who received RT after prostatectomy, 29.8% (n = 253) also received concurrent ADT.
Comorbidity index scores of 0 (90.1% and 79.2%), 1 (7.8% and 13.7%), and 2 (2.1% and 7.1%) were attributed to patients who received prostatectomy/RT as opposed to RT/ADT (P < .0001).
Patients were staged according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer criteria, and comparison groups were matched by age, race, and comorbidity. Propensity score methods were used to account for differences between treatment arms. The 10-year survival analyses were conducted with the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. Prostate-specific antigen data were excluded from all analyses.
The adjusted 10-year survival advantage seemed to favor those without lymph node metastasis, though men with high-risk disease that was not localized still seemed to derive benefit from prostatectomy/RT (T3a/bN0M0, 88.9%; T3a/bN1M0, 75.7%; T4N0M0, 72%) over RT/ADT (T3a/bN0M0, 74.2%; T3a/bN1M0, 58.6%%; T4N0M0, 60.5%).
The prevalence of treatment-associated adverse events served as a secondary endpoint of the study. Higher rates of erectile dysfunction (28.3% vs 20.4%; P = .0212) and urinary incontinence (49.1% vs 19.4%; P < .001) were seen with prostatectomy/RT versus RT/ADT, respectively. Additionally, men on the prostatectomy arm were more likely to undergo procedures to address urinary incontinence (12.4% vs 1.6%; P = .0007) and erectile dysfunction (8.4% vs 3.7%; P = .0186). Higher rates of bladder neck contractures (37.6% vs 18.3%; P < .0001) and corrective procedures (34.3% vs 12.8%; P < .0001 were also observed in men who received prostatectomy/RT compared with RT/ADT.
Rates of acute myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, coronary artery disease, thromboembolic events, skeletal fractures, and osteoporosis were similar between groups.
“Prostatectomy is an unpopular treatment,” said Lu-Yao. “Our study showed that only 6% of men with high-risk cancer were treated with it. It’s not just the risk of side effects. For some men, especially those who are not fit enough for the surgery, prostatectomy is not an option. However, this may be an option for some patients to reconsider.”
Moving forward, the authors noted there should be a surgical arm in future clinical trials for men with high-risk prostate cancer in addition to prospective trial data to confirm these findings.
References
    Jefferson University Hospitals (2018). Combination therapy of prostatectomy plus radiotherapy may improve survival in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer. Published September 25, 2018. https://bit.ly/2P1Doxt. Accessed 4 Oct. 2018.
    Jang TL, Patel N, Faiena I, et al. Comparative effectiveness of radical prostatectomy with adjuvant radiotherapy versus radiotherapy plus androgen deprivation therapy for men with advanced prostate cancer [published online September 25, 2018]. Cancer. doi: 10.1002/cncr.31726.
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Radiotherapy Shows Benefit in Select Patients With Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Brandon Scalea
Chris Parker, MD
Radiotherapy should be a standard treatment option for patients with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer who have a low metastatic burden, said Chris Parker, MD.
In the multi-arm, phase III STAMPEDE trial, one arm of which was presented at the 2018 ESMO Congress, patients were randomized to receive either the standard of care or the standard of care plus radiotherapy. Standard treatment consisted of lifelong androgen deprivation therapy or docetaxel, and radiotherapy began 8 weeks after randomization or the introduction of docetaxel. The primary endpoints of the trial were failure-free survival (FFS) and overall survival (OS).
In the general cohort, radiotherapy improved FFS (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.68-0.84), but not OS (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.80-1.06). However, in a subgroup analysis of patients with low metastatic burden (n = 819), OS was improved by 32% (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52-0.90).
Additionally, there was no benefit observed in patients with high metastatic burden (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.90-1.28).
In an interview with OncLive, Parker, who is the lead author of the study and a consultant clinical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, discussed the clinical implications of STAMPEDE and how radiotherapy fits into the treatment paradigm for these patients.
OncLive: Please provide some background to this study.
Parker: Men with metastatic prostate cancer have always been managed with systemic treatment only. They have not had specific treatment of the prostate unless they had symptoms of progressive disease. In terms of radiation therapy and surgery, it was palliation only. In some preclinical models, it looks like when you treat the primary cancer, the metastases actually slow down and you can improve survival. That was the hypothesis we wanted to test in this trial of men with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer. Metastatic disease is, sadly, incurable and the average survival is around 4 years. There is clearly scope to improve that considerably. Radiotherapy is a very simple treatment and it is very well tolerated, so if it works, it is an important addition to treatment.
What were the findings?
The trial included just over 2000 patients and they were randomized to receive drug therapy alone or drug therapy plus radiation to the prostate. The primary endpoint was OS, and it was significantly improved by radiotherapy. The hazard ratio was 0.9. However, we did a prespecified subgroup analysis according to metastatic disease burden. In patients with high metastatic disease burden, the trial was completely negative. In patients with low metastases, we saw a benefit—about a 30% improvement in OS.
What is your take-home message from these data?
I should perhaps start by saying some people are skeptical about subgroup analyses in general, but this particular subgroup finding is robust, and one can be confident about it. Our group meets the standard criteria in evaluating subgroup effects. In the future, prostate radiotherapy should be a standard treatment option for men with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer and a low metastatic burden.
There is a second interesting message as well, and that includes men with pelvic node-positive prostate cancer. They were not included in the trial, but if you think about it, prostate radiotherapy improved survival in men with distant metastases; it should surely improve survival in men with regional metastases.
There is a third, more speculative message. That is, we have proven the principle that radiotherapy to the primary tumor improves survival. It is quite possible that this approach will be applicable to metastatic disease in other cancers.
Our findings are sufficient to change clinical practice. When patients come to the clinic with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer with low metastatic burden, they should receive radiotherapy. Going forward, there are a couple of other questions we should ask. Is there potential for radiotherapy to oligometastases? Also, can we expand this to other solid tumors?
Parker CC, ND James, C Brawley, et al. Radiotherapy (RT) to the primary tumour for men with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer (PCa): survival results from STAMPEDE (NCT00268476). In: Proceedings from the 2018 ESMO Congress; October 19-23, 2018; Munich, Germany. Abstract LBA5.
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News digest – a cancer breath test, tumour VR, lab culture and 2019 predictions

Category: Science blog January 5, 2019 Gabriella Beer0 comments
A cancer breath test trial launches
The launch of a trial we’re supporting for a potential cancer breath test in people was widely reported. The device uses Breath Biopsy® technology that analyses the presence and quantity of chemicals in breath. Researchers based at a hospital in Cambridge hope to find out if the tech can spot signs of cancer in people’s breath to detect a range of cancers earlier. Read our blog post and press release for the details.


Cancer in virtual reality

The BBC visited our scientists in Cambridge to step inside their immersive 3D models of cancer. The team is developing a new way to look at tumours using virtual reality.
Advanced liver cancer patients to receive life-extending treatment on the NHS
The National Institute for Health and Care excellence (NICE) has said that people with a type of advanced liver cancer should have access to a targeted cancer drug on the NHS. Read PharmaTimes for more.
Further calls to ban nitrates in processed meat
The Evening Standard reports calls from health experts and politicians for nitrates found in processed meats, like bacon, to be banned. Meat that has been processed by adding nitrates, or other ingredients like salt, can increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.
Mixing a new lab cocktail
The Atlantic investigates research showing the liquid used to keep cells alive in the lab, commonly known as cell culture media, may be skewing results. As a result, research groups around the world are now mixing their own culture media cocktails that better mimic conditions inside the body.
Trial to reduce side effects of prostate cancer surgery launches
The Evening Standard reports that a new prostate cancer surgery technique is undergoing trials in hospitals in London. The procedure aims to preserve nerves around the prostate gland when it’s removed to stop a patient developing erectile dysfunction, a side effect that can occur after conventional surgery.
And finally
To mark the New Year, the BBC looked back at the medical discoveries from 2018 that could impact our lives in the future and reviewed the pressures the NHS is facing in the year ahead. We also asked some of our experts for their 2019 research ambitions, which you can read in this post.
Gabi
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Radical Prostatectomy or Watchful Waiting in Prostate Cancer — 29-Year Follow-up | NEJM:

Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine —
Abstract
Background
Radical prostatectomy reduces mortality among men with clinically detected localized prostate cancer, but evidence from randomized trials with long-term follow-up is sparse.
Methods
We randomly assigned 695 men with localized prostate cancer to watchful waiting or radical prostatectomy from October 1989 through February 1999 and collected follow-up data through 2017. Cumulative incidence and relative risks with 95% confidence intervals for death from any cause, death from prostate cancer, and metastasis were estimated in intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses, and numbers of years of life gained were estimated. We evaluated the prognostic value of histopathological measures with a Cox proportional-hazards model.
Results
By December 31, 2017, a total of 261 of the 347 men in the radical-prostatectomy group and 292 of the 348 men in the watchful-waiting group had died; 71 deaths in the radical-prostatectomy group and 110 in the watchful-waiting group were due to prostate cancer (relative risk, 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41 to 0.74; P<0 .001="" 10="" 11.7="" 18.2="" 2.9="" 23="" 2="" 5.2="" 5="" 6="" 7="" 8.4.="" 95="" a="" absolute="" aggressive="" among="" and="" any="" as="" associated="" at="" avert="" cancer="" cause="" ci="" death="" difference="" extension="" extra="" extracapsular="" from="" gained="" gleason="" high="" higher="" in="" indicating="" life="" lower="" mean="" men="" more="" needed="" number="" of="" one="" or="" p="" percentage="" points="" prostate="" prostatectomy.="" prostatectomy="" radical="" range="" risk="" score="" scores="" than="" that="" the="" times="" to="" treat="" underwent="" was="" were="" who="" with="" without="" years="">
Conclusions
Men with clinically detected, localized prostate cancer and a long life expectancy benefited from radical prostatectomy, with a mean of 2.9 years of life gained. A high Gleason score and the presence of extracapsular extension in the radical prostatectomy specimens were highly predictive of death from prostate cancer. (Funded by the Swedish Cancer Society and others.)
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Back to basics: two useful articles to pass along

Posted on
The Prostate Cancer Foundation posted two useful and basic articles on its blog site this December that may be useful resources for men concerned about their risk for or newly diagnosed with prostate cancer or monitoring their PSA over time (for any one of all sorts of possible reasons).
The first, “Make sure your PSA is as accurate as possible” by Janet Farrar Worthington discusses the importance of understanding that PSA levels can vary over time for all sorts of possible reasons. It is therefore rarely a good idea to make critical decisions on the basis of a single PSA test.
Indeed, Prostate Cancer International and The “New” Prostate Cancer InfoLink advises men who need to get their PSA levels checked on a regular basis to get all their tests done (if possible) at the same laboratory, using the same type of PSA test, and to have blood drawn for those PSA tests at the same time of day (probably best first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, which is what is requested when one has blood drawn for things like cholesterol levels too).
The second, derived from interviews with a whole bunch of prostate cancer survivors is headed “Prostate cancer survivors: what advice would you give the newly diagnosed?” by Tim Barley, and is full of good, straightforward guidance and advice, with the basic messages being “Don’t freak out” and “Do your homework”.
This correlates well with the core article on this web site entitled, “For newly diagnosed patients …” with its four-step set of suggestions

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Links to Further Reading:

·         North County Cancer Fitness: (NCCF) promotes wellness and strength for those who are newly diagnosed, undergoing treatment, recovering from treatment, and/or living with cancer. Our program of fitness, education, referral, and support is designed to improve how you feel and to help you deal with treatment and practice a healthier lifestyle. Wether you have been active in the past or are just beginning, physical activity can be beneficial to your health in many ways. Our cancer fitness program, designed for both women and men, is safe and tailored especially for you. Medical studies show that a fitness program helps cancer survivors feel better, lead healthier lives and, reduces the risk of recurrence. North County Cancer Fitness, located in North San Diego County, CA, is here to help. Find out more about NCCF’s approach to cancer fitness. SLOW … STEADY … SAFE … STRONG
·         Radical Prostatectomy or Watchful Waiting in Prostate Cancer — 29-Year Follow-up | NEJM: Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — Radical Prostatectomy or Watchful Waiting in Prostate Cancer — 29-Year Follow-up
·         News digest – a cancer breath test, tumour VR, lab culture and 2019 predictions - Cancer Research UK - Science blog: In the news this week: A clinical trial for a breath test that might detect cancer launches and children are eating too many sugary foods.
·         A breath test with the goal of detecting multiple cancers is ready to start trials - Cancer Research UK - Science blog: The first clinical trial testing Owlstone's Breath Biopsy® technology on a range of cancer types is now open. Breath test to detect multiple cancers early begins large trial | fox5sandiego.com: A breathalyzer designed to detect early stages of multiple cancers is being tested in the UK.
·         Biological markers that could guide treatment for prostate cancer -- ScienceDaily: Genetic alterations in low-risk prostate cancer diagnosed by needle biopsy can identify men that harbor higher-risk cancer in their prostate glands, researchers have discovered. The research found for the first time that genetic alterations associated with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer also may be present in some cases of low-risk prostate cancers.
·         Treatment of Metastatic Prostate Cancer in 2018. | Oncology | JAMA Oncology | JAMA Network: In this article the authors review the shift toward earlier use of therapeutic treatments in the course of advanced prostate cancer
·         Microsatellite Instability as an Emerging Biomarker for Checkpoint Inhibitor Response in Advanced Prostate Cancer. | Cancer Biomarkers | JAMA Oncology | JAMA Network: In addition to surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, immunotherapy is now the fifth pillar of oncology treatment. Despite this status, dete
·         Modeling Human Prostate Cancer Progression in vitro | Carcinogenesis | Oxford Academic: Abstract. Detailed mechanisms involved in prostate cancer (CaP) development and progression are not well understood. Current experimental models used to study
·         2 Minute Medicine Rewind December 24, 2018 | 2 Minute Medicine: Short-term androgen suppression and radiotherapy versus intermediate-term androgen suppression and radiotherapy, with or without zoledronic acid, in men with
·         POSITIVE RESULTS FROM PHASE 3 ARCHES TRIAL OF XTANDI® (ENZALUTAMIDE) IN MEN WITH METASTATIC HORMONE-SENSITIVE PROSTATE CANCER — Cancer ABCs: It was announced today that the Phase 3 ARCHES trial which evaluated XTANDI (enzalutamide) along with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) met its primary endpoint, significantly improving radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) ve
·         Time to PSA Recurrence Is A Surrogate Endpoint for Prostate Cancer Survival — Cancer ABCs: In an analysis of the NRG Oncology clinical trial NRG-RTOG 9202 it was shown that the interval of time to biochemical reoccurrence (PSA only or BCR), or the time it takes for previously treated prostate cancer to return as indicated by a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) rise, could be used as a surro
·         Investigating the relationships between quality of life, fatigue and leisure time physical activity in prostate cancer patients - IOS Press: OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the parameters of fatigue, quality of life and leisure time physical activity in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. This is the first study in the literature to report interac
·         Abiraterone acetate for early stage metastatic prostate cancer: patien | TCRM: Abiraterone acetate for early stage metastatic prostate cancer: patient selection and special considerations Pietro Castellan,1 Michele Marchioni,2 Roberto Castellucci,1 Piergustavo De Francesco,2 Romina Iantorno,1 Luigi Schips,1,2 Luca Cindolo1 1Department of Urology, ASL02 Abruzzo, Chieti, Italy; 2Department of Urology, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy Abstract: In recent years, therapeutic advances, together with new medication sequences and combinations, have improved outcomes for prostate cancer. For a long time, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been the standard of care for newly diagnosed, metastatic prostate cancer, first as a standalone therapy and then in combination with taxane-based regimens. More recently, the addition of abiraterone acetate to ADT to achieve complete androgen blockade has proven beneficial for the treatment of metastatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer and metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). In this review, we summarize recent findings on the early use of abiraterone in mHSPC and discuss survival benefits as reported in clinical trials.
·         Prostate cancer: New, quicker test to assess metastasis risk: A newly developed test can detect the risk of metastasis in people with prostate cancer at a quicker rate, lower cost, and using smaller tissue samples.
·         PSMA PET/CT has ‘remarkable’ impact on radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients: PSMA PET/CT detected more lesions in patients with prostate cancer and resulted in more changes in management than CT alone when utilized prior to radiotherapy, reported authors of a Dec. 14 study in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
·         Survival of men with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer | THE "NEW" PROSTATE CANCER INFOLINK: There has been regular discussion here and elsewhere about the degree to which new forms of therapy have impacted patient survival since the original approval of docetaxel for treatment of metastat…
·         New Computer Model Enables Researchers to Predict Course of Prostate Cancer | Cooking with Kathy Man: How does a normal cell turn into a deadly cancer? Seeking an answer to this question, and working alongside other international working groups, researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin …
·         ADT + enzalutamide in mHSPC … outcome of the ARCHES trial | THE "NEW" PROSTATE CANCER INFOLINK: Pfizer and Astellas have, this morning, announced that the addition of enzalutamide to standard androgen deprivation (ADT) has led to improved outcomes in men with metastatic, hormone-sensitive pro…
·         Astellas and Pfizer Announce Positive Top-Line Results from Phase 3 ARCHES Trial of XTANDI® (enzalutamide) in Men with Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer: TOKYO and NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: ...
·         Diagnosed with prostate cancer? You must ask these 10 questions.: To help patients navigate the landmine of prostate cancer, I’ve compiled a list of 10 basic questions to ask when diagnosed with prostate cancer
·         Prostatepedia Weekly 12.21.18
·         Gold nanoparticles could destroy prostate cancer: By coating nanoparticles with gold, researchers have successfully destroyed prostate cancer cells in people without damaging surrounding tissue.
·         Important Things to Know About Your Prostate Cancer Diagnosis — BioPortfolio.com: From BioPortfolio: Executive director of End Kids Cancer offers advice for facing a cancer diagnosis based on personal experiences. SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (PRWEB) December 21, 20...
·         Evolving Care in Prostate Cancer | Medpage Today: What long-running Swedish study means for a current patient on active surveillance
·         COUNTERPOINT—Prostate Cancer Genomic Analysis: Routine or Research Only? | Cancer Network: In this side of the Point/Counterpoint, Drs. Kelly and Knudsen state that limitations exist for guiding therapeutic treatment with genomic testing in prostate cancer patients.
·         Computer modeling, genomics, and prostate cancer prognosis | THE "NEW" PROSTATE CANCER INFOLINK: A newly published paper on the development of prostate cancer in patients of ≤ 55 years of age claims to have shown that Using a newly-developed computer model, it is now possible to predict the co…
·         Genetic associations of T cell cancer immune response with tumor aggressiveness in localized prostate cancer patients and disease reclassification in an active surveillance cohort: OncoImmunology: Vol 8, No 1: (2019). Genetic associations of T cell cancer immune response with tumor aggressiveness in localized prostate cancer patients and disease reclassification in an active surveillance cohort. OncoImmunology: Vol. 8, No. 1, e1483303.
·         Prostate cancer: New computer model enables researchers to predict course of disease -- ScienceDaily: How does a normal cell turn into a deadly cancer? Seeking an answer to this Question researchers examined the tumor genomes of nearly 300 prostate cancer patients. Their findings describe the ways in which changes in the prostate cells' genetic information pave the way for cancer development. Using a newly developed computer model, it is now possible to predict the course of the disease in individual patients.
·         Radical Prostate Surgery Provides 3 Extra Years of Life Compared to Watchful Waiting | BioSpace: Because many types of prostate cancer are very slow growing and generally diagnosed in older men, so-called “watchful waiting” is often the prescribed treatment plan. Now researchers are saying this may not be the best way.
·         Faster, cheaper test can help predict risk of metastasis in prostate cancer patients -- ScienceDaily: A report describes a new assay to assess copy number alterations that is cheaper, faster, reproducible, and requires less tissue than other diagnostic techniques and has the potential to significantly enhance prostate cancer evaluation.
·         Prostate Cancer: 3 Years More After Surgery: Men with clinically detected prostate cancer who had a long life expectancy lived for an additional 2.9 years following radical prostatectomy compared with patients who underwent watchful waiting.
·         Radical Prostatectomy or Watchful Waiting in Prostate Cancer — 29-Year Follow-up | NEJM: Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — Radical Prostatectomy or Watchful Waiting in Prostate Cancer — 29-Year Follow-up
·         Most prostate cancer patients don't need aggressive treatment, study says: But the study also showed that treatment can prolong life for patients with intermediate or aggressive forms of the disease.
·         When it comes to post-surgical exercise … | THE "NEW" PROSTATE CANCER INFOLINK: Perhaps understandably, the average prostate cancer patient seems to be less exercise willing than he thinks (and reports that) he is — but it’s not all bad news! A newly published stud…
·         Radical prostatectomy extends life expectancy in localised prostate cancer, trial finds | The BMJ: Radical prostatectomy is associated with significantly more years of life gained than watchful waiting in men with localised prostate cancer, long term follow-up results from a randomised trial have shown.1
“In clinically detected prostate cancer, the benefit of radical prostatectomy in otherwise healthy men can be substantial, with a mean gain of almost three years of life after 23 years of follow-up,” said the study authors, led by Anna Bill-Axelson, from Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden. But they warned that the benefit is highly dependent on a man’s baseline risk, which can now be better assessed with modern diagnostic procedures than in the past.
·         Androgen deprivation therapy 'increases heart failure risk' | Research briefing | Pharmaceutical Journal: Patients with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy were 72% more likely to experience heart failure than those unexposed to the therapy, a study has shown.
·         Revolutionary Technology Pinpoints Biopsies to Detect Prostate Cancer | Cooking with Kathy Man: A team of engineers and medical researchers found that the technology enabled surgeons to pick up clinically relevant cancers that were missed when using current visual detection methods. The best
·         Prostate cancer survivor gets more treatment options, thanks to pathology report | MD Anderson Cancer Center: After being told that surgery wasn’t an option, Kelly Anderson came to MD Anderson for prostate cancer treatment. He’s now on the road to remission.
·         Sub-castrate testosterone nadir and clinical outcomes in intermediate or high-risk localized prostate cancer - International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics: Serum testosterone suppression below 20 ng/dL compared to 20-49 ng/dL was associated with improved PSA responses and lower rates of biochemical recurrence and metastasis in a cohort of intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with androgen deprivation and radiotherapy. This points to the potential need for closer monitoring of testosterone levels during androgen deprivation therapy for localized prostate cancer and could implicate the use of newer ADT agents among patients with inadequate testosterone suppression.
·         Prostatepedia Weekly 12.7.18
·         Inflammatory Bowel Disease Linked to Prostate Cancer: Men with inflamed guts are four to five times at risk for prostate cancer.
·         The development of a “10-minute cancer test”: the Methylscape | THE "NEW" PROSTATE CANCER INFOLINK: By now, many readers have probably seen news reports coming out of Australia about the “possible medical breakthrough” of a rapid, highly accurate test that can be used to detect cancer…
·         PSA after prostatectomy: What do the results mean?: A prostatectomy is one treatment option for prostate cancer. It involves the surgical removal of the prostate gland. Following a prostatectomy, doctors carry out regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing to check that the cancer is not returning. Learn more about PSA after a prostatectomy here.
·         Metastatic Prostate Cancer Target Identified for Combo Therapy: Study findings suggest that combining existing antiandrogen drugs with inhibition of histone methyltransferase NSD2 could represent promising approach against advanced and metastatic prostate cancer.
·         Revolutionary technology pinpoints biopsies to detect prostate cancer -- ScienceDaily: Medical software that overlays tumor information from MRI scans onto ultrasound images can help guide surgeons conducting biopsies and improve prostate cancer detection.
·         Adjuvant Treatments to the Local Tumour for Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Assessment of Novel Treatment Algorithms: Clinical Trials - clinicaltrials.gov Local cytoreductive treatments for men with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer in addition to standard of care trea...
·         Fluciclovine F18 or Ga68-PSMA PET/CT to Enhance Prostate Cancer Outcomes: Clinical Trials - clinicaltrials.gov This phase II trial studies how well a positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scan using fluciclovine ...
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