Active Surveillance And Watchful Waiting
Active surveillance means that no treatment is administered. Instead, youre given routine tests to monitor how the cancer changes over time.
Doctors usually recommend active surveillance if your cancer is unlikely to spread to organs far away from your prostate. Active surveillance typically involves regular PSA screenings and visits with a doctor. You may also get a prostate biopsy every few years to look for the presence of cancerous cells.
Watchful waiting may also be used if youre older or have any other serious health issues. You wont receive treatment or routine tests during watchful waiting, but you may be given treatment to help relieve symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Living With Prostate Cancer
Receiving a prostate cancer diagnosis can be stressful. Even though most people who receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer live for many years after receiving the diagnosis, treatment can be exhausting and cause side effects that impact your quality of life.
Many resources are available to help you get through these difficult times:
The Initial Causes Prostate Cancer And Alzheimers
One of the first symptoms of prostate issues is pain or tenderness in the groin or lower back. This can be the result of a noncancerous condition called enlarged prostatic tissue, or it could be an infection of the bladder. In either case, its important to see a doctor as soon as possible. If youre suffering from prostate pain, you may want to consider reducing your caffeine intake.
Another symptom of a potentially enlarged prostate is difficulty starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling. These symptoms are not serious, but theyre still alarming. Most men put up with an enlarged prostate for years before seeking medical attention, but they typically seek treatment as soon as they notice symptoms. Even if you dont have symptoms, its worth getting checked to determine if you have any prostate issues.
If you experience nightly bathroom runs, you may be experiencing an enlarged prostate. You may be having difficulty starting a stream of urine, or you may even be dribbling or leaking during the day. These problems arent life-threatening, but can become a nuisance. You should not ignore these signs and seek treatment as soon as you notice them. If you feel any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor.
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Risk For Alzheimers Increases With Prostate
Sep 18, 2019 | Facts and Figures
A new study in the world of Alzheimers research points to a significant link between treatment for prostate cancer and Alzheimers.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania analyzed a database of males in their 70s who were diagnosed with either local or advanced prostate cancer. This data was cross-referenced with any diagnosis of Alzheimers disease or a related dementia.
Often, treatment for prostate cancer includes hormone-blocking treatment. It is common in men who are in their 70s or older and may not tolerate other forms of treatment such as surgery. Of the men who received the hormone-blocking treatment, 13% were later diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. Only 9% of those who received other forms of treatment or no treatment at all also were diagnosed with Alzheimers.
Grace Lu-Yao of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia said the potential dementia risks fromtreatment may outweigh any benefit for younger, healthier patients with longer expected life spans.
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Im working on designing future studies that take a personalized medicine approach to identifying which patients are at greatest risk based on their DNA, he said. Rather than recommending an adjustment to treatment for most patients, I think this information should simply be factored into the risk-benefit conversation that oncologists and patients have before starting hormonal therapy for prostate cancer.
All cancer treatments have side effects, Nead said, and need careful consideration before their implementation. For now, Nead doesnt think treatment courses should be changed. Instead, what a large retrospective study like this offers is a marker of where to perform new research. When you use ADT in appropriate selected men, they live longer, he said. So I think we need to have a really high bar before we start changing the way that we treat people.
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Using Existing Clinical Data
Shah said the idea for the study started with Nead, who noticed some references in the medical literature to men who had ADT treatment for prostate cancer subsequently experiencing cognitive declines. There was some chatter in the literature, said Shah. But no one had formally tried to find out if ADT therapy leads to cognitive defects.
This is the kind of question that typically you would need a large clinical trial to answer, said Shah. But a formal clinical trial would be enormously expensive. So instead, were making secondary use of existing clinical data collected as part of routine medical care clinical data thats practically free.
The association found in this study should be evaluated in the context of the overall treatment choices available to any specific patient.
Although ADT may increase the risk of defects in cognition and hand-eye coordination for reasons other than Alzheimers disease, the team decided to focus specifically on Alzheimers because the condition is easier to identify in medical records, said Shah. Broader dementias and vascular dementia are kind of hard to quantify and define, so we had to narrow the scope of the analysis to make it feasible with the methods that we have available, he said.
They also looked for associations likely to be positive, such as age and cardiovascular disease both conditions known to be associated with a risk of Alzheimers disease. Those positive associations were confirmed in the data.
Expert Reaction To Study Looking At Androgen Deprivation Therapy For Prostate Cancer And Risk Of Alzheimers And Dementia
Research, published in JAMA Network Open, reports an association between a prostate cancer treatment and being diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.
Prof Nicholas Mottet, Chair of the Prostate Cancer Guideline Panel for the European Association of Urology, said:
The topic is relevant, as some previous cohorts suggested a link between ADT and decreased cognitive function. Here we are dealing with more precise definition: Alzheimers and dementia. The results are in line with almost all previous papers dealing with this subject.
The methodology is clear, robust, with a major intrinsic limitation: working on a data-base NOT designed to answer this specific question is always an issue. This is especially true for the MEDICARE coding, which is not a clinical trial like coding. Especially without any data quality control. Furthermore there is no clear definition on how the diagnosis of both clinical situations was done . The fact that the coding seems to be clinically relevant is not enough to consider this finding as high-level evidence.
The most important limiting factor I would consider here, apart from the previous point, is the lack of data on other potential causes of dementia, Alzheimer . Just dealing with Charlson comorbidity index is not enough. As said by the authors themselves, the two cohorts are quite different.
Dr David Montgomery, Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK said:
Dr James Pickett, Head of Research at Alzheimers Society, said:
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Help Getting Through Cancer Treatment
People with cancer need support and information, no matter what stage of illness they may be in. Knowing all of your options and finding the resources you need will help you make informed decisions about your care.
Whether you are thinking about treatment, getting treatment, or not being treated at all, you can still get supportive care to help with pain or other symptoms. Communicating with your cancer care team is important so you understand your diagnosis, what treatment is recommended, and ways to maintain or improve your quality of life.
Different types of programs and support services may be helpful, and can be an important part of your care. These might include nursing or social work services, financial aid, nutritional advice, rehab, or spiritual help.
The American Cancer Society also has programs and services including rides to treatment, lodging, and more to help you get through treatment. Call our National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-227-2345 and speak with one of our trained specialists.
> > > All Natural Technique Fixes Enlarged Prostate Watch Here< <
Surgical procedures to remove the diseased prostate are usually necessary. Surgical procedures are not always necessary. If the disease is caused by bacterial infections, a doctor can treat the symptoms using alpha-blockers or surgery. Physical therapy, relaxation exercises, and warm baths are all recommended. A physician may also prescribe antibiotics to cure the infection. A bacterial infection can also cause a recurrence of the condition.
An enlarged prostate can be uncomfortable for both men and women. Some of the symptoms of an enlarged male reproductive organ include a weakened urine stream, urgent need to urinate, and urinary tract infections. BPH can also cause damage to the kidneys. A sudden inability to urinate can be life-threatening, as it can lead to bladder and kidney damage. Unfortunately, most men with enlarged prostrates put up with the symptoms for years before they seek treatment. However, many of the men with symptoms finally decide to go to a doctor for proper gynecological evaluation and to begin enlarged prostatic therapy.
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Risk Of Dementia Rises With Prostate Cancer Hormone
5 Min Read
Prostate cancer patients who received hormone-lowering therapy were at higher risk of developing dementia and Alzheimers disease later on than men who didnt get this treatment, a large U.S. study finds.
Researchers who followed nearly 155,000 men with prostate cancer found that overall, those given so-called androgen-deprivation therapy were at a 20% higher risk of being diagnosed with dementia and at 14% higher risk of an Alzheimers diagnosis in the next 10 years. The risk continued to rise with increasing doses of androgen-deprivation drugs.
The results suggest that in cases where the prostate cancer is localized, androgen-deprivation therapy may not be a good choice, said the studys lead author, Ravishankar Jayadevappa, a research associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.
Even in patients at high risk, there needs to be a discussion about the elevated risk of dementia and Alzheimers disease during long-term follow-up, Jayadevappa said.
The most common androgens found in the male body are testosterone and dihydrotestosterone . According to the American Cancer Society, doctors may choose to prescribe androgen-lowering therapy because it can result in slower growth – or even shrinkage – of prostate tumors.
Studies on the cognitive impacts of androgen-deprivation therapy have had mixed results, Jayadevappa and his colleagues note in JAMA Network Open.
Considering Complementary And Alternative Methods
You may hear about alternative or complementary methods that your doctor hasnt mentioned to treat your cancer or relieve symptoms. These methods can include vitamins, herbs, and special diets, or other methods such as acupuncture or massage, to name a few.
Complementary methods refer to treatments that are used along with your regular medical care. Alternative treatments are used instead of a doctors medical treatment. Although some of these methods might be helpful in relieving symptoms or helping you feel better, many have not been proven to work. Some might even be harmful.
Be sure to talk to your cancer care team about any method you are thinking about using. They can help you learn what is known about the method, which can help you make an informed decision.
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The Initial Causes Prostate Cancer Treatment Alzheimers
One of the first symptoms of prostate issues is pain or tenderness in the groin or lower back. This can be the result of a noncancerous condition called enlarged prostatic tissue, or it could be an infection of the bladder. In either case, its important to see a doctor as soon as possible. If youre suffering from prostate pain, you may want to consider reducing your caffeine intake.
Another symptom of a potentially enlarged prostate is difficulty starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling. These symptoms are not serious, but theyre still alarming. Most men put up with an enlarged prostate for years before seeking medical attention, but they typically seek treatment as soon as they notice symptoms. Even if you dont have symptoms, its worth getting checked to determine if you have any prostate issues.
If you experience nightly bathroom runs, you may be experiencing an enlarged prostate. You may be having difficulty starting a stream of urine, or you may even be dribbling or leaking during the day. These problems arent life-threatening, but can become a nuisance. You should not ignore these signs and seek treatment as soon as you notice them. If you feel any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor.
Use Of Adt And Risk Of Neurodegeneration And/or Alzheimers Disease In Pca Patients
Using clinical data from large electronic medical records, several cohort studies have analyzed the association between ADT and occurrence of cognitive impairment and AD. We will focus on the most recent and largest cohort studies results on the subject . We will begin by the studies establishing a correlation between cognitive impairment/AD and ADT , then describe two studies which question this potential link and finally, we will present a recent meta-analysis of these observational cohort studies conducted by Sari Motlagh et al. .
Table 1 Retrospective cohort studies investigating association between androgen deprivation therapy and occurrence of cognitive impairment or Alzheimers disease in prostate cancer patients.
A Korean study supported this positive association between ADT and dementia, analyzing data from the National Health Insurance Service database of the entire Korean adult prostate population . On a cohort of 37,549 individuals with PCa, 24,929 underwent ADT. With a mean follow-up of 4.1 years, a statistically significant association was found between ADT and the development of cognitive dysfunction .
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Common Prostate Cancer Treatment Linked To Later Dementia Researcher Says
A new retrospective study of the health records of prostate cancer patients supports an association between androgen deprivation therapy and future risk of dementia.
Men being treated with prostate cancer therapies that reduce their testosterone levels are at greater risk of developing dementia within five years, a new study shows.Alexander Raths/Shutterstock
A new retrospective study of patient medical records suggests that men with prostate cancer who are treated with testosterone-lowering drugs are twice as likely to develop dementia within five years as prostate cancer patients whose testosterone levels are not tampered with.
The study, by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, also demonstrates emerging techniques for extracting biomedical data from ordinary patient medical records.
The paper describing the research was published online Oct. 13 in JAMA Oncology. Kevin Nead, MD, DPhil, a resident at the University of Pennsylvania who got his medical degree at Stanford, is the lead author. Nigam Shah, MBBS, PhD, associate professor of biomedical informatics research at Stanford, is the senior author.
Weighing Pros And Cons Of Adt
ADT reduces levels of male hormones in the body, called androgens, to stop them from helping prostate cancer cells grow. It can help some men with high-risk localized or advanced prostate cancer live longer.
But ADT can often cause negative side effects that include reduced sexual desire, impotence, hot flashes, osteoporosis, loss of muscle mass, and depression. The study authors say the risk of dementia is one more possible negative side effect that should be considered when weighing the benefits and risks of ADT, especially for men who have a longer life expectancy because it takes time to develop dementia.
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Study: Hormone Treatment For Prostate Cancer Linked With Dementia
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that older prostate cancer patients getting hormone treatment, called androgen deprivation therapy , were more likely to be diagnosed later with Alzheimers disease or dementia. The study was published July 3, 2019 in JAMA Network Open.
The study authors looked at records from about 154,000 prostate cancer patients in the National Cancer Institutes SEER database. The men, aged 66 years and older, were diagnosed between 1996 and 2003 and were followed for an average of 8 years. More than 62,000 received ADT within 2 years after their diagnosis, and almost 92,000 did not. Results showed that men treated with ADT were more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimers disease or dementia compared to men who did not get ADT. They also found the risk was higher for men who received more doses of ADT.
- Of the men in the study who received ADT, 13% were diagnosed with Alzheimers disease compared with 9% who did not receive ADT.
- 22% of men who received ADT were diagnosed with dementia compared with 16% who did not.
- Men who received more than 8 doses of ADT were at significantly higher risk of both Alzheimers disease and dementia diagnoses than those who received fewer than 8 doses.
Common Treatment For Prostate Cancer Appears To Double Alzheimers Risk
Short-circuiting the need for expensive clinical trials, researchers uncovered an association between androgen blockers and cognitive decline by examining patient medical records.
Nigam Shah
A review of the electronic medical records of thousands of prostate cancer patients at two major medical institutions revealed a nearly two-fold increase in the rate of Alzheimers disease diagnosis among those treated with androgen deprivation therapy.
The study, by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, demonstrates emerging techniques for extracting biomedical data from ordinary patient medical records.
The paper was published online Dec. 7 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.Nigam Shah, MBBS, PhD, associate professor of biomedical informatics research at Stanford, is the senior author. The lead author, Kevin Nead, MD, is a resident at the University of Pennsylvania who got his medical degree at Stanford.
Because testosterone can promote the growth of prostate tumors, clinicians have used androgen deprivation therapy to lower testosterone and other androgens in prostate cancer patients since the 1940s. In the United States, about a half-million men currently receive ADT as a treatment for prostate cancer.
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