Prostate Health Archive

Hormonal therapy is a cornerstone of prostate cancer treatment, but it has burdensome side effects. Doctors and patients alike are highly motivated to use this therapy only for as long as necessary. But how long is long enough? A recent study provides needed clarity.

Over-the-counter supplements touted to support prostate health are popular, and supposedly help prevent and manage symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostate hyperplasia). Some of the ingredients are said to protect against prostate cancer or slow its growth. While research has explored supplements' role in prostate health and some had positive results, the findings are far from conclusive. A better dietary option for prostate health is to follow a plant-based diet like the Mediterranean or DASH diet.

When prostate cancer spreads beyond the gland, it has been treated with hormone therapy, but there are challenging side effects. A new study shows that a different treatment option involving radiation can allow some men to delay or avoid hormone therapy.

Men with lower-risk prostate cancer often opt for active surveillance, which involves regular testing and biopsies to check for possible tumor growth. A newer type of imaging may reduce the frequency of repeat biopsies for some men, but there are concerns about its limitations.

A standard treatment for localized prostate cancer is radiation, but there is a risk that it can lead to secondary cancers forming in the body later. Now, a large study of men treated with current radiation delivery methods clarifies that the amount of risk is low, but real.

Whether or not to continue PSA testing after age 70 depends on many factors, but especially a man's family history of prostate cancer and how comfortable he is about getting a biopsy or treatment if the test results suggest possible cancer.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as an enlarged prostate, occurs in about 50% of men by age 60. It can lead to urination problems like a hesitant, interrupted, or weak urine stream; dribbling after urinating; a feeling that the bladder does not completely empty; and more frequent urination, especially at night. Medication and lifestyle changes are the first-line treatments, but if these don't work, men can choose from several types of surgery or less-invasive procedures to help manage symptoms.

After a man has had a radical prostatectomy, sometimes the level of the antigen PSA rises again later, meaning cancer may have returned. A study found that the normal therapy given when this happens is more effective when combined with other forms of treatment.

Active surveillance allows men with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer to avoid temporarily the side effects of invasive therapies, but men often feel anxious about their cancer. Emerging evidence suggests there may be a middle path between no treatment and aggressive therapies.

Prostate cancer can progress over long durations, and if a man's tumor has features that predict slow growth, he can opt for active surveillance instead of immediate treatment. But when the time for treatment comes, up to a third of men still decide against it. Now, a new study finds that for some of these men, treatment can be safely delayed.