A recent study has revealed a racial disparity in prostate cancer treatment of patients in the U.S.

The study, conducted in 2007 and reported in the Journal of Urology earlier this year, was led by Dr. Kathryn E. Richert-Boe, of Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Oregon. It’s objectives were to determine whether differences existed in prostate cancer treatment received by white and African American men at a health maintenance organization where access to medical care (was) theoretically equal for all members and, if so, to determine the reasons for these differences. The study found that African American patients in the early stages of prostate cancer were less likely than white patients to receive aggressive treatment for their disease.

Researchers conducting the study compared the likelihood of treatment with curative intent (TCI) between the two races, adjusting for age, tumor grade, stage, and the presence of comorbid conditions. What the study revealed was that 82 percent of 158 white prostate cancer patients underwent surgical removal of the prostate gland or radiation therapy for their illness; these are considered more aggressive treatments for the disease. Conversely, only 71 percent of 79 African-American patients received the same type of treatment. Dr. Richert-Boe and the team of researchers investigated whether other factors such as tumor grade, age, overall patient health, and even insurance coverage might explain the difference in treatment; they did not.

Prostate cancer is a leading cancer among men in the United States. In the year 2004, over 189,000 men were diagnosed with the disease. When found early, either through a DRE exam or PSA blood test, treatment is often successful. However, if the cancer goes undetected and reaches advanced stages before it is discovered, effective treatment can be much more difficult.

Prostate cancer in the early stages is often not treated aggressively, because the disease is slow-growing. Many doctors choose to monitor tumor growth and development rather than to prescribe more drastic or aggressive measures early on. The study found that while African American men were just as likely to agree to more aggressive treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy, they were only offered those options in 85 percent of the cases, versus 91 percent for white men.

In the end, the study concluded African American men were less likely to receive TCI than white men. Reasons for the findings in the study are not immediately clear. Additional studies including a larger patient sample is thought to be needed at this point to reveal the true nature of racial disparities in prostate cancer treatment.

James Culp is a prostate cancer survivor and runs ProstAide.org, a blog that keeps track of all the latest prostate cancer treatment options available.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

The most common prostate cancer treatment is complete surgical removal of the entire prostate gland, a procedure which can leave many men with annoying side effects. However, a new version of this surgery has grown exponentially in recent years. Called “minimally invasive radical prostatectomy,” this treatment is nothing all that radical, and does have it’s uses in addition to potential drawbacks.

Minimally invasive surgery is just that: instead of cutting a large slice across the abdomen and opening a wide hole, small half-centimeter or so cuts are incised and an small video camera called a laparoscope is pushed into the hole to remove the prostate. Sometimes this is even done robotically, with the surgeon remote controlling the laparoscope and surgical instruments.

The practical upshot of this type of prostate cancer treatment is that recovery time is shorter, and hospital stays are greatly diminished, from an average of 4 days down to 1 day. Not bad.

There are a few problems with it, however.

Some doctors are concerned about the direct-to-consumer marketing companies have been doing to promote minimally invasive surgery, resulting in very fast growth in the use of the treatment before larger and more comprehensive studies have been performed. Even though it is approved for use, the appeal of the surgery for patients far outweighs evidence that backs up that appeal.

For instance, most prostate cancer patients are attracted to this treatment based on perceived ease of recovery and shorter hospital stays, which is certainly true, but some evidence points to a higher risk of urinary incontinence after the surgery, up to three times more likely than with “regular” radical prostatectomy. In addition, there is a higher need for follow-up treatment such as hormonal therapy and radiation.

On the good side, minimally invasive surgery has a much higher success rate when performed by a surgeon that has done a lot of surgeries. Studies have shown that the more surgeries the doctor has performed, the less the chance of incontinence and “salvage” treatment.

While not as perfect as some hopeful patients see it, minimally invasive radical prostatectomy is an excellent treatment option for prostate cancer patients. Of course each patient is different and depending on the prostate cancer advancement as well as the health and age of the patient, the doctor will put together the best treatment regimen, which will usually consist of a combination of available treatments including surgery, radiation, and hormonal treatment.

James Culp is a prostate cancer survivor and runs ProstAide.org, a blog that keeps track of all the latest prostate cancer treatment options options available.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

For more extensive information on Herbal and Natural Treatments and Remedies go to:

Herbal and Natural Cancer Treatments

The most common therapies for prostate cancer are surgical removal of the entire prostate gland, radiation treatment, and hormonal therapy.

All of these are highly effective, however, they can often lead to serious side effects that can downgrade quality of life by making erections difficult to achieve and causing loss of nightly urinary control. Fortunately, there are a few new treatments in the works that show promise.

One is an actual cancer vaccine called Provenge, which has shown an increase in survival times of men with prostate cancer as compared to a placebo in controlled studies.

The company that makes it, Dendreon, has sought FDA approval, and although the FDA has agreed that it appears to be a safe and effective drug, they have taken a long time in approving it, asking for more clinical trials.

The drug aims to teach the body’s immune system how to find and fight cancer cells without hurting normal cells, and so far appears to do just that. If and when Provenge is approved it could be an excellent treatment option for all prostate cancer patients.

Another treatment in the works is a gene therapy called Ad5-TRAIL, which is a deactivated human cold virus (called an adenovirus) that carries the gene treatment to the area of the prostate cancer.

So far Ad5-TRAIL has shown promise, but researchers working on it say it is currently too early to make any conclusive statements about its effectiveness. It is currently in Phase I of clinical trials, and so is a bit far away from being on the market, but gene manipulation is a promising future treatment for all cancers, prostate included.

The third new treatment in the works is a form of cryosurgery colloquially known as “male lumpectomy” but officially called focal cryosurgery. Cryosurgery has been around for awhile, and consists of the surgeon injecting cold argon into the prostate gland destroying the cells. It has always had a better recovery rate than surgeries involving cutting, and less side effects as well.

The new focal version of cryotherapy adds new accuracy with even less chance of such side effects as impotence and urinary incontinence.

The procedure has successfully treated 95% of those with prostate cancer in trials, and 80% walk away with no impotence or incontinence, a blessing for those faced with prostate cancer. The treatment is also outpatient, so patients don’t have to face an extended hospital stay, however, it is generally only aimed at early stage prostate cancer as it consists of destroying only a small tumor confined to the prostate gland.

This treatment is currently only performed at a few places outside of research centers, such as Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.

While current prostate cancer treatment is effective and many illnesses are caught on time and treated successfully, there is room for improvement due to the serious side effects of erectile dysfunction and bladder control problems that are so common. Fortunately, some of these new therapies show hopeful promise for those with prostate cancer.

James Culp is a prostate cancer survivor and runs ProstAide.org, a blog that keeps track of all the latest prostate cancer treatment options available.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

For more extensive information on Herbal and Natural Treatments and Remedies go to:

Herbal and Natural Cancer Treatments