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When you try to find the right supplements to treat a health condition, it can feel like a shot in the dark. You often have to count on word of mouth. But some men with BPH have found success with supplements. And there’s at least some scientific research to back them up. When you have BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), your prostate is larger than normal. It can cause problems such as a weak urine stream or a need to pee a lot throughout the day. Your doctor might suggest a prescription drug to treat your symptoms, but you might find...

Blue laser vaporization alleviates lower urinary tract symptoms while preserving sexual function in patients undergoing benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) surgery, according to a study. Zun-Jie Hu and colleagues assessed the impact of 450-nm blue laser vaporization on sexual function in 67 patients (median age, 65 years) undergoing BPH surgery and followed for three months. The researchers found that blue laser vaporization significantly improved International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life, and International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire for Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-MLUTS) scores. Blue laser vaporization was also significantly associated with a reduction in postvoid residual volume. There...

Investigators have validated a test that can accurately predict which patients with prostate cancer are at higher risk of developing long-lasting urinary side effects after receiving radiation therapy. The test, called PROSTOX, is the first of its kind to use microRNAs to predict toxicity from cancer therapy. It could help prevent the burden of long-term complications by identifying patients most at risk before treatment even begins. The team validated PROSTOX's ability to predict long-term urinary side effects. "What makes PROSTOX different is that it looks at a patient's unique genetics to estimate their personal risk of developing side effects from...

Opinion Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with millions of new cases reported each year. In 2022 alone, approximately 20 million new cancer cases were diagnosed globally, and 9.7 million lives were lost to the disease. In India, the numbers are equally alarming, with around 100 out of every one lakh people diagnosed with cancer. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), more than 14 lakh cancer cases were estimated in 2023. [1 lakh = 0.1 million] Despite advancements in early detection and treatment, many myths surrounding cancer testing prevent people from undergoing timely...

A large-scale study provides the strongest evidence yet that a shorter, standard-dose course radiation treatment is just as effective as conventional radiotherapy for prostate cancer, without compromising safety. The shorter approach, known as isodose moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (MHFRT), delivers slightly higher doses of radiation per session, allowing the total treatment duration to be over four to five weeks instead of seven to eight weeks. Patients who received this type of MHFRT had the same cancer control rates as those who received conventional radiotherapy. Additionally, the risk of long-term side effects affecting the bladder and intestines was no higher with MHFRT,...

Researchers are warning that men who regularly dodge prostate cancer screening appointments are 45% more likely to die from the disease. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths, according to UC San Francisco (UCSF). But if screening programs are introduced on a national scale — particularly those that measure levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood — they could give men earlier access to treatment, experts say. They would thus have a better chance of being cured, according to reporting by news agency SWNS and others.

A new at-home saliva test could help identify men with a high risk of prostate cancer more accurately than blood tests, leading to earlier diagnosis and more successful treatment. Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer among men, after skin cancer. Currently, there is no standard test to screen for prostate cancer. A doctor may draw blood for a prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) or perform a rectal exam, but both of these types of screenings require follow-ups before a diagnosis can be made. PSA blood tests measure the level of a specific molecule produced by the prostate....

Serum testosterone (T) recovery to normal levels is associated with a significant improvement in overall survival in patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving radiotherapy and long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), according to a study. Abdenour Nabid, M.D. and colleagues randomly assigned 630 patients with high-risk prostate cancer to pelvic radiotherapy plus 36 versus 18 months of ADT (310 and 320 patients, respectively). Serum T was collected at baseline and regularly thereafter. T recovery was defined as return of T to within the normal range value of each participating institution. T data were available for 515 patients who were retained for...

A study has found that many cases of high-risk nonmetastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer may be more advanced than previously thought. The study found that nearly half of high-risk prostate cancer patients previously classified as nonmetastatic by conventional imaging actually have metastatic disease when evaluated with advanced prostate-specific membrane antigen–positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) imaging, suggesting that traditional imaging may underestimate how far the cancer has spread in many cases. This advanced imaging technology plays a critical role in redefining how prostate cancer is staged. PSMA-PET imaging uses tiny amounts of radioactive "tracers," called radiotracers, that binds to prostate cancer cells, making...

There are several strategies for the early detection of prostate cancer. The first step is often a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). If PSA levels exceed a certain threshold, the next step typically involves taking a tissue sample for analysis. Another option is to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to search for signs of a tumor before deciding whether a biopsy is necessary. Researchers conducted a study to determine whether this MRI-first approach is safe over the long term. Their findings show that this strategy poses no additional risk to patients for at least three years. This approach, in...

A study offers evidence that dietary changes may help reduce cancer cell growth in patients undergoing active surveillance. The findings show a diet low in omega-6 and high in omega-3 fatty acids, combined with fish oil supplements, significantly reduced the growth rate of prostate cancer cells in men with early-stage disease. To determine whether diet or supplements can play a role in managing prostate cancer, the team conducted a prospective clinical trial, called CAPFISH-3, that included 100 men with low risk or favorable intermediate risk prostate cancer who chose active surveillance. Participants were randomly assigned to either continue their normal...

An international research team led by Umeå University discovered that activating, rather than blocking, the protein GP130 and its signaling pathway can slow prostate tumor growth and stimulate the immune system to combat cancer. The study, which challenges prior assumptions, suggests a potential new treatment approach for aggressive prostate cancer. Activating the GP130 protein slows prostate cancer growth and enhances immune response, offering a potential treatment for aggressive cases. An international research team, led by Umeå University in Sweden, has demonstrated that a special protein could be pivotal in combating certain types of prostate cancer. Traditionally, treatments have focused on...

The treatment landscape for patients with prostate cancer, especially individuals with advanced disease, has dramatically changed in recent years. However, aside from drug or hormonal therapies, other targets to treat prostate cancer are still necessary to prolong life and slow the progression of this potentially lethal disease. A study found inhibition of the sterol regulatory element of binding (SREB) can reinduce sensitivity to the drug docetaxel, commonly used to treat prostate and other cancers. These findings show promise to improve the efficacy of docetaxel-based chemotherapy in patients with prostate cancer. Combining docetaxel with second-generation hormonal therapy is a novel treatment...

Researchers now understand why taking an investigational white button mushroom supplement shows promise in slowing and even preventing prostate cancer from spreading among men who joined a phase 2 clinical trial studying "food as medicine." Looking at preclinical and preliminary human data, the scientists found that taking white button mushroom pills reduces a class of immune cells called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which has been linked to cancer development and spread. "City of Hope researchers are investigating foods like white button mushroom, grape seed extract, pomegranate, blueberries and ripe purple berries called Jamun for their potential medicinal properties. We're finding...

A research team has shown that combining pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, with standard chemotherapy can improve treatment outcomes for patients with small cell bladder cancer and small cell/neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Small cell carcinomas can arise in various tissues—including the bladder, prostate, lung, ovaries and breast—and are known for their rapid progression, tendency to relapse after initial treatment and poor overall survival rates. The survival time for patients with advanced small cell bladder cancer is only about 7 to 13 months and only 7 to 9 months for patients with small cell/neuroendocrine prostate cancer. The early-stage study showed that using pembrolizumab...

Researchers have identified 22 pesticides consistently associated with the incidence of prostate cancer in the United States, with four of the pesticides also linked with prostate cancer mortality. To assess county-level associations of 295 pesticides with prostate cancer across counties in the United States, investigators conducted an environment-wide association study, using a lag period between exposure and prostate cancer incidence of 10–18 years to account for the slow-growing nature of most prostate cancers. The years 1997–2001 were assessed for pesticide use and 2011–2015 for prostate cancer outcomes. Similarly, 2002–2006 were analyzed for pesticide use and 2016–2020 for outcomes. Among the...

Researchers have published a case report that signifies a potential breakthrough in the treatment of an aggressive type of prostate cancer. The report centers around a 60-year-old Air Force Veteran diagnosed with stage four metastatic prostate cancer and the positive outcomes of being treated with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), an antibody drug conjugate. The patient did not respond to multiple lines of therapy and experienced persistent tumor progression. As a last resort, the researchers tested for HER2 by immunohistochemistry, which came back positive and the patient was treated off-label in February 2024 with T-DXd. The antibody drug conjugate, which is FDA...

Prostate cancer is a quiet killer. In most men, it's treatable. However, in some cases, it resists all known therapies and turns extremely deadly. A new discovery at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) points to a potentially groundbreaking solution. CSHL Professor Lloyd Trotman's lab has found that the pro-oxidant supplement menadione slows prostate cancer progression in mice. The supplement is a precursor to vitamin K, commonly found in leafy greens. In 2001, the National Cancer Institute's SELECT trial sought to determine if an antioxidant vitamin E supplement could successfully treat or prevent prostate cancer. However, after just three years, participants...

A team tested the protective effect of a fermented black garlic extract against inflammation and the progression of prostate cancer in a study conducted on human prostate cancer cell models in the laboratory. Prostate cancer may progress from benign hyperplasia (growth of the prostate) to localized prostate cancer, or to metastatic castration-resistant cancer, for which few drugs are available. María Loreta Libero recently studied the beneficial effects of a fermented black garlic extract on prostate cancer cells. Taking into account a previous experiment in mice in which the extract was found to have anti-inflammatory characteristics, and considering the important role...

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is noninferior to conventional or moderately fractionated radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer (PC), according to a study. Nicholas van As and colleagues assessed whether SBRT is noninferior to conventionally or moderately hypofractionated regimens in patients with localized PC. The analysis included patients randomly assigned to SBRT (36.25 Gy in five fractions over one or two weeks) or control radiotherapy (78 Gy in 39 fractions over 7.5 weeks or 62 Gy in 20 fractions over four weeks). The researchers found that at a median follow-up of 74.0 months, the five-year incidence of freedom from biochemical or clinical...