Harvard Health Blog
Read posts from experts at Harvard Health Publishing covering a variety of health topics and perspectives on medical news.
In a study of over 250 men, Swedish researchers found that neither the initial PSA level nor its rate of increase in a two-year period predicted which men had lethal versus indolent cancers.
Fifteen Harvard-affiliated physicians discuss their recommendations for PSA screening.
The U.S. Preventive Services task force announced in 2008 that doctors should stop testing men who are 75 or older. The panel also concluded that the benefit of screening in younger men is uncertain.
If your PSA has varied greatly and biopsies have been negative, you might want to try a different testing regimen.
Studies have shown that some men who have their neurovascular bundles removed during a radical prostatectomy may regain erectile function with nerve grafts. But a patient’s best bet for preserving erectile function is to find an experienced surgeon.
Standard treatments for prostatitis, including antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and alpha blockers, are often ineffective. Patients might find relief by using drugs currently in clinical trials or nontraditional therapies such as biofeedback and myofascial trigger release, a form of massage.
African American men have, by far, the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the world. They are also more than twice as likely to die of the disease as white American men. No single factor — diet, obesity, socioeconomic status, or biology — accounts for the disparity, and the search for an explanation continues.
Research finds that men with high blood calcium levels are more likely to develop fatal prostate cancer than men with lower blood calcium levels.
To determine any differences in survival times, the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group Study Number 4 randomly assigned 695 prostate cancer patients to pursue watchful waiting or undergo a radical prostatectomy between 1989 and 1999.
As men age, their prostate gland enlarges and presses against the urethra, impeding the flow of urine and making it difficult to eliminate from the body. BPH sufferers may also feel the need to urinate more frequently. By age 50, roughly half of all men suffer from BPH, according to the FDA. By age 80, that number jumps to 75%.
A clinical trial of proton radiation for early prostate cancer found that the treatment is safe and well-tolerated by patients, but probably no better than other, less expensive forms of radiation.
Swiss researchers analyzed data on 1,134 men with prostate cancer between 1980 and 1998 who survived at least five years following diagnosis. Of that group, 264 were treated with external beam radiation.
Experts conclude that there is no association between vasectomy and prostate cancer risk.
Even if my father takes antibiotics beforehand, could he develop a serious infection when he has a prostate biopsy later this year? Are there other possible complications we should be on the lookout for?
I am an avid bicyclist, and I am having a prostate biopsy in a few weeks. How long do I need to wait after the biopsy before I can start biking again?
There’s no one correct course of action. In general, experts recommend first treating whichever condition is worse.
A radical prostatectomy is a major operation that can lead to serious complications. If a man is older than 75, his doctor may not want to operate on him.
Androgen deprivation, whether through surgical removal of the testicles or with medication, is an effective treatment for recurring prostate cancer — at least for a while. An improved understanding of the biology of prostate cancer has led to the development of two drugs that might slow disease progression in prostate cancer patients whose disease no longer responds to androgen deprivation.
Some evidence suggests that stress reduction may ease symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
I am currently undergoing hormone therapy with leuprolide (Lupron) injections to shrink an enlarged prostate. I believe I’ve noticed some muscle loss. Is this possible?
It may sound like a promising approach, but there’s a lot we don’t know about using Botox to treat an enlarged prostate.
Drinking 8 ounces of pomegranate juice a day may slow disease progression, as measured by PSA.
Two studies conclude that men with diabetes have a lower risk of prostate cancer than nondiabetics, suggesting a potential biological link between the conditions.
