Types Of Treatment For Prostate Cancer
First, lets recap prostate cancer treatment basics, which will depend on a range of factors, including cancer stage and symptoms. Early-stage cancers may be treated with active surveillance, meaning your doctor will closely monitor it to see if it starts to progress before actively treating it. Once treatment begins, it may include a combination of surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy. Advanced prostate cancers may be treated with a combination of hormone therapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other drugs. So, whats new in the treatment field?
Nutrition And Lifestyle Changes
Many studies have looked at the possible benefits of specific nutrients in helping to treat prostate cancer, although so far none have shown a clear benefit. Some compounds being studied include extracts from pomegranate, green tea, broccoli, turmeric, flaxseed, and soy.
One study has found that men who choose not to have treatment for their localized prostate cancer may be able to slow its growth with intensive lifestyle changes. The men in the study ate a vegan diet and exercised frequently. They also took part in support groups and yoga. After one year the men saw, on average, a slight drop in their PSA level. It isnt known if this effect will last since the report only followed the men for 1 year. The regimen may also be hard for some men to follow.
It’s important for men thinking about taking any type of nutritional supplement to talk to their health care team first. They can help you decide which ones you can use safely while avoiding those that might be harmful.
Prostate Cancer Treatment Advances: Can They Help You
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While the 10-year survival rate for men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States is approximately 98 percent, many men face difficult decisions about their treatment options. They worry not only about which treatment may be appropriate in fighting their cancer, but also about the impact treatment may have on their quality of life.
In 90 percent of cases, prostate cancer is diagnosed at the local or regional stage, meaning it hasnt spread beyond the prostate or nearby organs. Men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer may have several treatment options with similar outcomes. Men diagnosed with distant cancer, meaning its already spread to other areas of the body, face different treatment decisions. Either way, its normal to feel anxious after a diagnosis and to want to take action right away.
But you may regret rushing into a treatment plan without considering your options carefully. Prostate cancer treatment has common side effects, especially urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, that may negatively impact your quality of life. Because prostate cancer often progresses slowly, most men have time to investigate their options.
Whether youre already receiving treatment for prostate cancer, or youre considering new treatment decisions, its worth learning about prostate cancer treatment advances that may affect your choices.
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Treatment By Stage Of Prostate Cancer
Different treatments may be recommended for each stage of prostate cancer. Your doctor will work with you to develop a specific treatment plan based on the cancers stage and other factors. Detailed descriptions of each type of treatment are provided earlier on this same page. Clinical trials may also be a treatment option for each stage.
Early-stage prostate cancer
Early-stage prostate cancer usually grows very slowly and may take years to cause any symptoms or other health problems, if it ever does at all. As a result, active surveillance or watchful waiting may be recommended. Radiation therapy or surgery may also be suggested, as well as treatment in clinical trials. For those with a higher Gleason score, the cancer may be faster growing, so radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy are often recommended. Your doctor will consider your age and general health before recommending a treatment plan.
ASCO, the American Urological Association, American Society of Radiation Oncology, and the Society of Urologic Oncology recommend that patients with high-risk early-stage prostate cancer that has not spread to other areas of the body should receive radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy with hormonal therapy as standard treatment options.
Locally advanced prostate cancer
Watchful waiting may be considered for older adults who are not expected to live for a long time and whose cancer is not causing symptoms or for those who have another, more serious illness.
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This newPSMA PET scan can detect prostate cancer metastases much earlier, when they are much smaller, which may help to improve treatment of patients with prostate cancer. PSMA, short for Prostate Specific Membrane. The actor and comedian previously received treatment for. Apr 12, 2022· Imaging Techniques To Detect Bladder Cancer.
Hinova Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics for cancers and metabolic diseases through targeted protein degradation.
Researchers continue to look for foods that can help lower prostate cancer risk. Scientists have found some substances in tomatoes and soybeans.
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Queens researcher awarded £280,000 to develop newprostatecancertreatment 31 August, 2022. A researcher at Queens University Belfast has been awarded over £280,000 from ProstateCancer UK to develop the first-ever personalised radiotherapy treatment for advanced prostatecancer based on mens genes.
Basel, March 23, 2022 Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration approved Pluvicto TM for the treatment of adult patients with a certain type of advanced cancer called prostate-specific membrane antigen-positive metastatic.
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An Increase In Available Drug Options
While LuPSMA isnt yet on the market, the sheer number of new medications already available for advanced prostate cancer has been a major research boon in recent years. The proliferation of medications within the advanced prostate cancer space has significantly increased the options available to the treating provider, Dr. Haywood says. Since the time I started urology training, several medications targeting the androgen hormone axis have been approved, resulting in significant expansion of the options available to men with advanced prostate cancer. More on those next.
New Drug For Advanced Prostate Cancer
Lowers Testosterone in Men With No Other Alternatives
The drug is approved for the treatment of the symptoms of advanced prostate cancer in men who cannot take other hormone therapies and refuse surgical castration. Removal of the testicles is one way of significantly lowering the levels of the male sex hormone testosterone, which can spur the growth of prostate cancer.
Because of an increased risk of serious, and potentially life-threatening, allergic reactions associated with Plenaxis, the drug will be restricted to men with advanced prostate cancer who have no alternative treatment. About 5%-10% of men with prostate cancer have the type of advanced, symptomatic disease that would make them eligible for Plenaxis.
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How Is Prostate Cancer Diagnosed
Prostate cancer may be suspected based on your symptoms or the results of a screening test.
Screening is when your doctor looks for cancer before you have any symptoms. This can help find cancer at an early stage when it may be easier to treat. Two of the most frequently used screening tests used today include the digital rectal exam and the prostate-specific antigen test.
- A digital rectal exam is an exam of the rectum where the doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the lower part of the rectum to feel for lumps or enlargement in the prostate gland.
- A prostate-specific antigen is a blood test that measures levels of PSA in your blood. However, PSA is reasonably nonspecific and high levels may be associated with prostate cancer, prostatitis , or an enlarged prostate gland. Very high levels of PSA .
There is controversy over whether screening tests should be used at all. The USPSTF recommends men aged 55 to 69 have a discussion with their doctor about the pros and cons of PSA screening to determine if it is an appropriate preventive test for them. For men aged 70 and older, the USPSTF does not recommend PSA screening.
The American Cancer Society, recommends early-detection screening starting at age 40 or 45 if men are at high risk or age 50 in men at average risk.
In some cases, a prostate biopsy or imaging test like an ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging may also be used to rule out cancer.
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Can Third Time Be Charm For Scpharma
Company: scPharmaceuticals, Inc. Indication: worsening heart failure due to congestionDate: Oct. 8
Furoscix is a proprietary, subcutaneously-delivered furosemide solution, that is being evaluated as an outpatient alternative for the treatment of worsening congestive heart failure. This is scPharma’s third try for Furoscix following a complete response letter in 2018 and 2020.
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Supernus Hopes For No Hiccups In Parkinson Disease Drug Approval
Company: Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Type of Application: NDACandidate: apomorphine infusion device Indication: OFF episodes in Parkinsons diseaseDate: Early October
Supernuss initial application seeking approval for SPN-830 was shot down with a refuse-to-file letter in November 2020, citing an insufficiently completed application to allow a substantiative review. Following a resubmission, the FDA accepted the application and assigned a PDUFA date sometime in early October.
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Alnylam On Course For Snagging Label Expansion For Oxlumo
Company: Alnylam, Inc. Type of Application: supplemental new drug applicationCandidate: OxlumoIndication: hyperoxaluria Type 1Date: Oct. 6
Oxlumo, which goes by the generic name lumasiran, an RNAi therapeutic, is being evaluated for the reduction of plasma oxalate in patients with advanced hyperoxaluria type 1 a rare disorder that mainly affects the kidneys due to the accumulation of a substance called oxalate, which is normally filtered through the kidneys and excreted in the urine.
This therapy was first approved in 2020 for lowering urinary oxalate labels in pediatric and adult patients. In the second quarter, it fetched the company $15 million in sales, down only 2% sequentially.
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New Hormone Therapy Drugs
Testosterone drives prostate cancer growth, so medications often target it, says Timothy Daskivich, M.D., urologic oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Cancer in Los Angeles, CA. For many years, patients who progressed on traditional androgen deprivation therapy had few options other than chemo, he says. But new androgen receptor signaling inhibitors can provide excellent cancer control and responses in those patients and have shown improved survival chances in patients with metastatic and castration-sensitive disease when given in conjunction with traditional hormone blockade. These new drugs include abiraterone acetate, apalutamide, enzalutamide, and Orgovyx , the only androgen-deprivation therapy that comes in pill form.
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Physical Emotional And Social Effects Of Cancer
Cancer and its treatment cause physical symptoms and side effects, as well as emotional, social, and financial effects. Managing all of these effects is called palliative care or supportive care. It is an important part of your care that is included along with treatments intended to slow, stop, or eliminate the cancer.
Palliative care focuses on improving how you feel during treatment by managing symptoms and supporting patients and their families with other, non-medical needs. Any person, regardless of age or type and stage of cancer, may receive this type of care. And it often works best when it is started right after a cancer diagnosis. People who receive palliative care along with treatment for the cancer often have less severe symptoms, better quality of life, and report that they are more satisfied with treatment.
Palliative treatments vary widely and often include medication, nutritional changes, relaxation techniques, emotional and spiritual support, and other therapies. You may also receive palliative treatments similar to those meant to get rid of the cancer, such as chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy.
Learn more about the importance of tracking side effects in another part of this guide. Learn more about palliative care in a separate section of this website.
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Good Prostate Cancer Care
Your MDT will be able to recommend what they feel are the best treatment options, but ultimately the decision is yours.
You should be able to talk with a named specialist nurse about treatment options and possible side effects to help you make a decision.
You should also be told about any clinical trials you may be eligible for.
If you have side effects from treatment, you should be referred to specialist services to help stop or ease these side effects.
If Treatment Does Not Work
Recovery from cancer is not always possible. If the cancer cannot be cured or controlled, the disease may be called advanced or terminal.
This diagnosis is stressful, and for some people, advanced cancer may be difficult to discuss. However, it is important to have open and honest conversations with your health care team to express your feelings, preferences, and concerns. The health care team has special skills, experience, and knowledge to support patients and their families and is there to help. Making sure a person is physically comfortable, free from pain, and emotionally supported is extremely important.
People who have advanced cancer and who are expected to live less than 6 months may want to consider hospice care. Hospice care is designed to provide the best possible quality of life for people who are near the end of life. You and your family are encouraged to talk with the health care team about hospice care options, which include hospice care at home, a special hospice center, or other health care locations. Nursing care and special equipment, including a hospital bed, can make staying at home a workable option for many families. Learn more about advanced cancer care planning.
After the death of a loved one, many people need support to help them cope with the loss. Learn more about grief and loss.
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How Prostate Cancer Is Treated
In cancer care, different types of doctorsincluding medical oncologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologistsoften work together to create an overall treatment plan that may combine different types of treatments to treat the cancer. This is called a multidisciplinary team. Cancer care teams include a variety of other health care professionals, such as palliative care experts, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, oncology nurses, social workers, pharmacists, counselors, dietitians, physical therapists, and others.
The common types of treatments used for prostate cancer are described below. Your care plan may also include treatment for symptoms and side effects, an important part of cancer care.
Treatment options and recommendations depend on several factors, including the type and stage of cancer, possible side effects, and the patients preferences and overall health.
Cancer treatment can affect older adults in different ways. More information on the specific effects of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy on older patients can be found another section of this website.
Because most prostate cancers are found in the early stages when they are growing slowly, you usually do not have to rush to make treatment decisions. During this time, it is important to talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of all your treatment options and when treatment should begin. This discussion should also address the current state of the cancer:
How Psma Lights Up Cancer Cells
In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued national approval to two new prostate cancer imaging tests based on similar technology. On a PET scan, the test lights up the cancerous cells that would otherwise be hidden, enabling doctors to precisely target treatment.
Both advances in imaging and therapy rely on targeting PSMA, which is not found on most normal cells but is overexpressed in cancer cells, especially those that have spread. The PSMA molecule was cloned at MSK in the early 1990s.
The Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, led by Heiko Schöder, played a key role in the development and testing of a slightly different PSMA-directed imaging technology at MSK.
This advance is the result of years of work by the community of physicians promoting the use of PSMA agents, Dr. Schöder says. Its gratifying to see a collaborative effort result in a breakthrough that has the potential to make a difference for so many patients with advanced prostate cancer.
Before receiving the therapy, patients in the VISION trial were scanned with PSMA-directed PET imaging to make sure enough PSMA was present in the cells to make them likely to respond to the treatment. If so, they received the radioactive drug by injection over four to six sessions, spaced six weeks apart.
As a next step, Dr. Morris and colleagues are looking into using the PSMA-directed therapy earlier rather than only after the prostate cancer has spread.
Michael Morris
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Treating Prostate Cancer That Has Spread To The Bones
Doctors are studying the use ofradiofrequency ablation to help control pain in men whose prostate cancer has spread to one or more areas in the bones. During RFA, the doctor uses a CT scan or ultrasound to guide a small metal probe into the area of the tumor. A high-frequency current is passed through the probe to heat and destroy the tumor. RFA has been used for many years to treat tumors in other organs such as the liver, but its use in treating bone pain is still fairly new. Still, early results are promising.