Prostate cancer biomarkers in African-American men

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Prostate cancer biomarkers in African-American men

African-American men have the highest risk of developing prostate cancer, compared all other races. A new study suggests that there are specific genes that may indicate aggressive prostate cancer in African-American men. The researchers believe that their results may partially explain the reason for ethnic disparities in prostate cancer. In the past, ethnic disparities in prostate cancer have been associated with socioeconomic and biologic factors. The study was recently published online in the journal Urologic Oncology.

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Low PSA levels linked to increased risk for cancer death

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Low PSA levels linked to increased risk for cancer death

A new study suggests that patients with prostate cancer who have low prostate antigen, or PSA, levels have a higher risk for cancer-specific death compared with patients whose PSA levels are high. A low PSA level was considered less than or equal to 2.5 ng/mL or 2.6 to 4 ng/m, while a high PSA level was considered 10.1 to 20 ng/mL The study was published online in the journal Cancer.

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African-American men have lower PSA with low-risk prostate cancer

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African-American men have lower PSA with low-risk prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the United States. African-Americans have the highest risk of developing prostate cancer among any other racial group. Prostate cancer in African-American men also tends to be more aggressive.

Key statistics about African-American men and prostate cancer:

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Sex: Beneficial for prostate health

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Sex: Beneficial for prostate health

Sex is beneficial for prostate health. It is also beneficial for many other health reasons. In regards to prostate health, sex may decrease your risk for prostate cancer. A previous study showed that men who ejaculated at least 21 times a month were less likely to develop prostate cancer. This doesn’t mean you need to have a sex partner – whether it be sexual intercourse, nocturnal emission, or masturbation, all are beneficial.

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Why two nutrients may assist in preventing prostate cancer

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Why two nutrients may assist in preventing prostate cancer

The month of September is designated as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month to help bring attention to a common yet highly curable disease among men. Many different factors can play a role in reducing the risk of developing this disease but a couple of nutrients stand out in the crowd that may possibly help make this more of a reality – the mineral zinc and the phytochemical lycopene.

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Prostate cancer death risk associated with stress

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Prostate cancer death risk associated with stress

A new study suggests that having high levels of stress may increase a man’s risk of prostate cancer death. This is not just men who have advanced prostate cancer, but men with localized prostate cancer, which means the cancer is still confined to the prostate gland. The study was published online in the Scandinavian Journal of Urology.

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What does the Gleason score mean?

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What does the Gleason score mean?

When diagnosing prostate cancer, a Gleason score is used to determine how aggressive the cancer is. Before understanding what the Gleason score means, one should know how a Urologist comes up with a Gleason score in the first place. To identify the Gleason score, a Urologist will do a prostate biopsy which involves collecting prostate tissue samples. These prostate tissue samples are then sent to a lab to be analyzed by a pathologist. The pathologist will determine the Gleason score which is made up of two numbers: a primary grade and a secondary grade.

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Treatment for BPH

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Treatment for BPH

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition that occurs in men usually over 50 years old and is characterized by an enlarged prostate. As men age, it is natural for the prostate to become enlarge. BPH is a noncancerous growth of the cells within the prostate gland. By age 60, more than half of men have BPH. By age 85, about 90 percent of men have BPH, but only about 30 percent will have symptoms.

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What is percent-free PSA?

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What is percent-free PSA?

PSA stands for prostate specific antigen. It is a protein in the blood and is measured by taking a person’s blood to identify the amount of PSA that is present within the blood. PSA is important to measure once a man gets older because if the level is abnormal, or elevated, it may indicate a number of prostate conditions, including prostate cancer.  

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What is the Gleason score for prostate cancer?

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What is the Gleason score for prostate cancer?

The Gleason score is a system using to grade prostate cancer tissue which is dependent upon how it looks when analyzed under a microscope. The Gleason score ranges from two to ten and is an indicator of how likely it is that the cancer will spread. It also provides the doctor with the necessary information needed to select the most optimal treatment plan for the patient. Similar to staging prostate cancer, grade are given to each prostate cancer case to determine the severity of the disease. A urologist will assign a grade to the prostate cancer after the patient has undergone a prostate biopsy. The tissue samples are sent to a laboratory to be analyzed by a pathologist.

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What does an elevated PSA mean?

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What does an elevated PSA mean?

An elevated PSA can mean a number of underlying conditions. Many people often associate an elevated PSA with prostate cancer, but that is not always the case. While prostate cancer is very common among older men, there are other conditions that may be affecting the prostate that could be the reason for developing an elevated PSA.

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Staging system for prostate cancer

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Staging system for prostate cancer

In order to stage prostate cancer, a staging system is used called the TNM system. The TNM system is used to describe how far the cancer has spread within the prostate gland or body. The TNM system is based on a few key pieces of information including the T category, which is the extent of the primary tumor, the N category, which determines whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, the M category, which is determines the absence or presence of distant metastasis, as well as the PSA level and the Gleason score. 

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