Prostate Cancer Blog for Wives and Partners

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The Prostate Cancer Blog for Wives and Partners lets you know when new information has been added to our site. Anytime a new page is created—or we feel there is something worth noting—it will be posted here.

Archive of older posts

FDA Grants Priority Review Designation to Denosumab

According to a press release from Amgen, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review designation to denosumab, the first fully human monoclonal antibody (a subcutaneous RANK Ligand inhibitor), for the treatment of bone metastases to reduce skeletal related events in people with cancer. When cancers like prostate cancer spread to the bone, the growing cancer cells weaken and destroy the bone around the tumor, which can often lead to fractures, spinal cord compression, or even the need to receive radiation or surgery to bone. The priority designation of denosumab appears to be based on positive results from 18 clinical studies involving nearly 6,900 patients, including approximately 5,700 patients with advanced cancer. Amgen has been studying denosumab for its potential to delay bone metastases in prostate cancer. July 22, 2010.

If You Want Provenge Treatment, Consider Voicing Your Opinion

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has started the process of deciding whether to cover the costly prostate cancer immunotherapeutic agent sipuleucel-T (Provenge), according to a recent Medical News Today report. The cost of Provenge is very high. Each infusion reportedly costs $31,000 and three infusions are needed in one month. In its National Coverage Decision (NCD), CMS will decide whether paying for Provenge is reasonable and necessary. CMS is requesting that the general public give comment on Provenge reimbursement during the month of July. Here is the link where you can comment, and read the other many comments added so far. July 11, 2010.

Another Statin Study Related to Prostate Cancer

Men who use statins—drugs commonly used to lower cholesterol—are 30 percent less likely to experience prostate cancer recurrence after surgery compared to men who do not use statins, according to a press release issued by researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Higher doses of the statins were associated with lower risk of recurrence. In the study, the records of 1,319 men who had surgery for prostate cancer were reviewed and 236 men (18 percent) were found to be taking statins at the time of surgery. These men were followed after surgery to evaluate prostate cancer recurrence rates based on rise in PSA. In March, we reported on a study by Banez et al, that suggested that statins may have a potential role in the inhibition of inflammation within prostate cancer tumors. It will be interesting to see what (if any) role statins will play in prostate cancer. More research is needed. In the words of Stephen Freeland, MD, senior author of the Duke study, "Previous studies have shown that statins have anti-cancer properties, but it is not entirely clear when it's best to use them—or even how they work." It is also not clear if the results of this study were due to statin use alone. July 1, 2009.

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FDA Approves Jevtana (cabazitaxel) Injection For Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Sanofi-aventis reported today that the FDA has approved its chemotherapy drug, Jevtana (cabazitaxel) injection, in combination with the steroid prednisone for men with metastatic prostate cancer that has not responded to hormone deprivation therapy or treatment with docetaxel. The approval is based on a clinical study, which demonstrated that men who received Jevtana and prednisone in combination experienced a 30% reduction in risk of death. The Associated Press reported on earlier results, stating that survival was prolonged by 10 weeks compared to standard chemotherapy treatment. These men were also more likely to have their tumors shrink; however, the combination regimen was not curative and did not cause a complete remission. June 17, 2010.

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Study: Hormone Therapy Plus Radiation Benefits Men with Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer

More ASCO news: Results of a study by Ward et al indicate a substantial overall survival and disease specific survival benefit for men with locally advanced prostate cancer who received a combination of external bean radiation therapy and lifelong androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) versus men who only received ADT. The study included 1205 men (602 had ADT and 603 had ADT plus radiation therapy). Of this number, 1057 men had T3/T4 or T2 tumors, 119 men had a PSA of greater than 40 µg/l or T2 PSA greater than 20 µg/l, and 25 men had a Gleason Score that was greater than or equal to 8, and their cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes or other areas beyond the regional lymph nodes. After a median follow-up of six years, the number of men who died in the group that received combination therapy was 30 less than the group that received ADT alone (175 versus 145). While there is further data to come from this study, the study authors have already concluded that combination therapy should be the standard treatment approach for these men. June 8, 2010.

Nanotechnology May Help Predict Prostate Cancer Cure

More news from AUA: A new ultrasensitive PSA test using nanoparticle-based technology may predict if a man's prostate cancer is cured after surgery or if he will have a recurrence, according to a Medical News Today report. This new test is claimed to be 300 times more sensitive than current PSA tests and can detect a very low level of PSA, indicating that the cancer has spread beyond the prostate. It may also be helpful in detecting cancer recurrence earlier, which means men can be treated earlier. See the full story. June 3, 2010.

Dietary Fat and Prostate Cancer

News from AUA: Researchers have shown in animal studies that the type and amount of dietary fat may impact prostate cancer tumor progression, according to a news report on UroToday.com. Mice that were injected with prostate cancer cells were also randomized to a 35% fat Western diet (with either fish oil, olive oil, corn oil or saturated fat). The mice that received fish oil demonstrated significantly improved survival compared to the mice in the other groups. Tumor growth was also inhibited in the fish oil group. While this was only an animal study, it is something to consider when making dietary choices. June 1, 2010.

Men and Their Partners Needed for Online Sexuality Survey

Dr. Jo-an Baldwin Peters (PhD) is the principle investigator of an independent online survey for prostate cancer survivors and their partners. She is also the wife of a prostate cancer survivor. She and her fellow research partners (Dr. Joel Funk and Court Brooker) have been conducting a survey as a follow up to her earlier work on how prostate cancer treatments impinge on the sexuality of both partners as several trends showed up that demand further investigation. She has had more than 600 responses to date, and is hoping to get 1,000 total responses. The survey is available for men as well as their wives/partners. You can find it here. May 27, 2010.

Exercise and Hormone Therapy

Fatigue is a common problem with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). In a paper that will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, researchers Lau et al suggest that a simple walking program may help improve quality of life for men with prostate cancer who are receiving hormone therapy. While this was a very small feasibility study (only 4 men were in the walking group and 2 men were in the control group), and the results were not statistically significant, there was a positive trend in the group that exercised. Light or moderate exercise is often recommended to help prevent fatigue in men who undergo radiation therapy for prostate cancer. As always, check with your doctor before starting any exercise program, especially if you are undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. May 21, 2010.

Study: Role of Multimedia Education in Prostate Cancer Treatment Decision

A new National Cancer Institute-funded study, which is being conducted by The Cancer Information Service Research Consortium, will attempt to determine if receiving a multimedia presentation of medical options helps men make informed treatment decisions. Men who have had a recent diagnosis of prostate cancer (and have not yet chosen any treatment) can participate in the Healing Choices study by calling toll-free, 866-258-7981. If eligible, you will receive one of two information packets, depending on which part of the study you become enrolled in. Some men will receive a free, multimedia program and printed material, while others will receive only printed material. Both groups will receive information that outlines various treatment options. May 11, 2010.

Online Community Caters to Men with ED

If your man is suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED), or if you are curious to learn more about how men talk about it, you may want to visit FrankTalk.org, a peer-support website that is dedicated to helping men cope with erectile dysfunction. This evolving website not only offers ideas, hints, and techniques, but it also has discussion forums and a live chat room. It is a safe place where men can talk freely to other men about their journey with ED, and how it is affecting them both physically and emotionally. The name is very apt, because (fair warning) the men do talk very frankly. While the site is not just for ED caused by prostate cancer treatment, your loved one may benefit from it. May 4, 2010.

Provenge Finally Approved by FDA

Dendreon Corporation announced on April 29th that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved their drug Provenge (sipuleucel-T) for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic, castrate-resistant (hormone-refractory) prostate cancer. Provenge is the first U.S. vaccine approved for prostate cancer. It is designed to induce an immune response against prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), an antigen expressed in most prostate cancers. Dendreon says it will make Provenge available through about 50 centers, all of which were approved Provenge clinical trial sites. The company expects to increase the availability over the next year. April 30, 2010.

Weight Gain and Risk of Prostate Cancer Recurrence

Epidemiologists at Johns Hopkins are suggesting that men with prostate cancer who gain five pounds or more close to the time of their surgery may be twice as likely to have a recurrence of prostate cancer than men whose weight stays the same, according to a news report at Medical News Today. The researchers came to this conclusion based on a survey of 1,337 men who had surgery for localized prostate cancer. They also suggest that being physically active reduced the risk of prostate cancer recurrence that is associated with obesity. April 21, 2010.

Study: Hormone Therapy Increases Risk of Blood Clots

Investigators in a Swedish study published in the online edition of The Lancet Oncology (Van Hemelrijck et al) have concluded that men who received hormone therapy for prostate cancer were at a significantly greater risk of developing blood clots (called thromboembolism) than men who do not have prostate cancer. Investigators looked at the records of 30,642 men who received hormone therapy, 26,432 men who received curative treatment, and 19,526 men who opted for active surveillance. Results indicated that men who had received hormone therapy were at greater risk for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The authors also stated that all the men with prostate cancer who were studied were at a slightly greater risk of thromboembolic diseases. They suggest that "prostate cancer itself, prostate cancer treatments, and selection mechanisms all contribute to increased risk of thromboembolic disease." Read the study abstract. April 15, 2010.

Prostate Cancer Surgery More Costly for Obese Men

Radical prostatectomy is more costly for men who are obese, according to a recent study by Bolenz et al, published in the British Journal of Urology. The study authors looked at the charts of 629 men who underwent either robotic-assisted (RALP), laparoscopic (LRP) or open retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) between September 2003 and April 2008. Men were considered to be obese if their body mass index (BMI) was greater than or equal to 30. Median direct costs (such as operating room service and anesthesia costs) were about $356 higher for obese men undergoing LRP (median US$5703 vs $5347; P= 0.002) and $508 higher for obese men undergoing RRP (median $4885 vs $4377; P= 0.004). There was no significant difference in direct costs in men who underwent RALP (median $6761 in obese vs $6745 in non-obese; P= 0.64). April 8, 2010.