Aspirin, Other NSAIDs Reduce PSA Levels

Doctors measure a man’s level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to screen for prostate cancer.  The higher the concentration of PSA, the higher the possibility of prostate cancer.  The findings of a study, published today in the medical journal, Cancer, suggests regular use of aspirin and similar non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can reduce PSA levels although there is no conclusive evidence yet that regular NSAID use reduces a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer. Read more

Young Men at Risk Not Getting PSA Screenings

Duke University Medical Center’s Prostate Center has just released the outcome of their survey that explored the prevalence of PSA screening tests in men younger than 50.  A recent study suggesting men who are not expected to live 10 more years should not get routine PSA tests has led to an update of generally accepted guidelines that call for an annual screening for every man age 50 or older and beginning at age 40 for men who fall in high-risk categories. Read more

Prostate Cancer Screening No Longer Recommended for Men 75+

One of the most widely used prostate cancer screening techniques can detect cancer many years before other evidence of the disease develops.  Prostate cancer is a slow-growing cancer, often taking ten years or longer to become evident.  It is the slow-growing nature of this particular form of cancer that has led the US Preventive Services Task Force to recommend the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test be eliminated from routine medical screening in men age 75 and older as well as for younger men in certain situations. Read more

Radiation After Surgery Extends Life in Some Prostate Cancer Patients

A retrospective review of hundreds of patients diagnosed with recurring prostate cancer has revealed a surprising outcome and it includes good news for men who suffer from even the most aggressive forms of the disease.  It seems that longevity increases by about three times, with fewer recurrences of cancer, when a patient is treated with radiation therapy in the first two years after surgery to remove new tumors. Read more

Oral Drug Delays MS Relapse

Italian researchers have just announced the impressive findings of a study using an oral medication to combat attacks of the disease and prolong the time between relapses.  The most effective drugs used today - beta interferon and glatiramer - reduce the rate of relapse by about 30% and must be administered by injection. Read more

Celebrex-Lipitor Combo Puts the Brakes on Prostate Cancer

Working with the popular drugs Celebrex and Lipitor, researchers have demonstrated how the combination of these two drugs has halted the advance of prostate cancer from stage one into a more advanced, potentially lethal, stage of the disease. Read more

PSA Levels Becoming Less Predictive

Modern biopsy techniques appear to have made Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing less useful in men with a normal digital rectal exam. PSA testing has been commonly used to help physicians detect prostate cancer. Although the test was not entirely specific, it did provide clues for further diagnostic testing, such as prostate biopsy. Read more

Obese Men Have Lower PSA

A study done by Duke University Medical Center researchers found that overweight or obese men had lower concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in their blood than normal weight men. PSA is a protein released into the blood by the prostate gland, and is elevated in the presence of cancer. Read more

PSA test could predict Prostate Cancer

Scientists may have found a better way to predict the eventual onset of prostate cancer. Men who have not yet reached the age of 50 can now be tested with a single PSA test which may help to determine if they will develop the cancer later on. Early treatment could then be initiated and prevention of this form of cancer could be increased. Read more