Genitourinary Cancers

ATLANTA-High-intensity, focused ultrasound (HIFU) delivered through a rectal probe was highly successful at burning away localized prostate cancer, Christian Chaussy, MD, reported at the American Urological Association 2000 Annual Meeting.

PHILADELPHIA-Evidence for the role of diet in the etiology of prostate cancer is mounting and with it, the possibility that nutritional factors can help prevent the disease, Demetrius Albanes, MD, said at the annual meeting of the Society of Nutritional Oncology Adjuvant Therapy. Dr. Albanes is a senior investigator with the Cancer Prevention Studies Branch of the National Cancer Institute.

A potential new treatment under development for prostate cancer may offer clinical advantages, researchers reported at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association in Atlanta.

Recently, there has been much controversy over whether patients with prostate cancer should be treated with bisphosphonates not only to decrease pain, but to prevent metastasis.

Recently, there has been much controversy over whether patients with prostate cancer should be treated with bisphosphonates not only to decrease pain, but to prevent metastasis.

Recently, there has been much controversy over whether patients with prostate cancer should be treated with bisphosphonates not only to decrease pain, but to prevent metastasis.

NEW ORLEANS-In a phase II study, weekly docetaxel (Taxotere) significantly reduced bone pain and PSA levels in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, and these results led to enhanced quality of life. Lead investigator Tomasz Beer, MD, of Oregon Health Sciences University, reported the results at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

SAN FRANCISCO-A new study supports the hypothesis that calcium consumption is associated with a greater risk of prostate cancer. June M. Chan, ScD, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, presented the results at the 91st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

NEW YORK-A small trial of trastuzumab (Herceptin) alone and with paclitaxel (Taxol) found that the combination was active against prostate cancer, but trastuzumab alone was not. The results were presented at the ASCO meeting by Michael J. Morris, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

PHILADELPHIA-Significant benefit can be achieved from long-term androgen suppression following neoadjuvant hormonal cytoreduction and radiotherapy in locally advanced prostate cancer.

Five-year follow-up data presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Atlanta showed that the use of cryoablation as first-line treatment for prostate cancer can be as effective as radiation therapy. The five-center,

MAYWOOD, Ill-Removing the cancerous kidney before administering interferon alfa-2b (Intron A) improves survival in advanced renal cancer, according to results of Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) Trial 8949. The role of interferon treatment, however, remains controversial.

TORONTO, Canada-A multicenter phase III trial involving more than 250 prostate cancer patients confirmed earlier trials demonstrating that abarelix, a GnRH antagonist, achieved more rapid reduction of testosterone to castrate levels than leuprolide acetate (Lupron) and bicalutamide (Casodex), but did not produce a testosterone surge and clinical flare.

ASCO-Cytoreductive nephrectomy prior to interferon-alfa-2b (Intron A) therapy increased survival by 50% in patients with previously untreated metastatic renal cell cancer, compared with interferon alone, Robert Flanigan, MD, reported at the plenary session of the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in New Orleans.

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D CRT) is more effective yet costs no more than conventional radiation therapy in the long-term treatment of prostate cancer, according to a study conducted at Fox Chase Cancer Center in

Physicians have long known that male hormones fuel prostate cancer growth. That’s why therapies that block the production of androgen-or testosterone-provide some of the most effective therapies for advanced prostate cancer. Certain drugs, for

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla-Slight changes in the administration of salvage therapy after radical prostatectomy are among several revisions to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Practice Guidelines for Prostate Cancer. The revised guidelines recommend radiotherapy for men with positive margins whose prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels fail to fall to 0 ng/mL after surgery.

The results of an exploratory analysis published in the March 2000 issue of Urology suggest that prolonged combined androgen blockade (CAB) significantly increases survival in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

An estimated 180,400 new prostate cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and many of these patients will be diagnosed and treated at community cancer centers.

Despite being one of the more common genitourinary neo plasms, superficial transitional cell carcinoma involving the urinary bladder can be a confusing entity for the treating physician. This confusion stems, in large part, from the binary classification

Baselli and Greenberg have presented a comprehensive overview of intravesical strategies for the management of superficial urothelial malignancies of the bladder, both past and present. A number of points made in the article deserve further

Approximately 54,400 new cases of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder were reported in the United States in 1999, with an estimated 12,500 deaths attributable to this cancer. Close to 75% of all bladder tumors are confined

The intravesical instillation of therapeutic agents for the treatment of localized bladder cancer began in 1903 when Herring[1] summarized his experience with silver nitrate. Since then, intravesical chemotherapy and immunotherapy have emerged as

CLEVELAND-A program at Travis Air Force Base in California is educating men about the purpose of prostate cancer screening by mailing brochures to the women who use medical services on the base. “This is a novel approach to going after the top men’s cancer,” said Maj. (Dr.) Darryl C. Hunter, medical director of the General Huyser Regional Cancer Center at Travis Air Force Base. He spoke at the 33rd annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Education.

Hormonal therapy with the goserelin acetate implant (Zoladex) significantly increases overall survival rates in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer when administered at the onset of conventional external irradiation and continued for 3 years.

CHICAGO-A preliminary study of interstitial gene therapy for recurrent prostate cancer shows that transrectal ultrasound can be used effectively for planning delivery of the agent and assessing its initial effects.

Mood disorders may play a role in erectile dysfunction (ED) in prostate cancer patients, according to a report at the Pan American Congress of Psychosocial & Behavioral Oncology. Of 10 prostate cancer patients referred for erectile dysfunction and/or a suspected mood disorder, 7 were diagnosed as having depression and 3 were found to have preexisting relationship problems.

NEW YORK-Erectile dysfunction is a significant factor in decreasing the quality of life (QOL) of prostate cancer patients, according to a report at the Pan American Congress of Psychosocial & Behavioral Oncology.

Immediate antiandrogen therapy after radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy improves survival and reduces the risk of recurrence in patients with node-positive prostate cancer, according to a study published in the December 9, 1999,

WASHINGTON-Medicare now provides coverage for prostate cancer screening. As of Jan. 1, all men, age 50 and older with Medicare benefits, are eligible for one digital rectal exam and one prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test each year. Congress directed the Health Care Financing Administration to cover prostate cancer screening for beneficiaries, beginning this year, in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.