New UBC Website Walks Men Through Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment

The following information was obtained from several sources including University of British Columbia, The Vancouver Sun and others.

John Oliffe, head of Men’s Health Research and a professor in the School of Nursing has developed a new interactive website called “If I Were Tom” (ifiweretom.ubc.ca)

This website has been five years in the making. The idea started in 2012, when researchers surveyed health specialists and patients to find out what they most want to discuss when dealing with prostate cancer. Another two years of video interviews followed, using a $400,000.00 grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. There are 30 videos on the website, with more ready to be swapped in order to keep everything fresh.

The website is interactive, so the viewer can predict what Tom (actor Gary Johnston plays the role) will do at each step along the way from diagnosis to recovery. “Will I have to wear these stupid underpants that make you look like you’re walking around with a load in your pants?” Tom asks himself when worrying about potential side effects of surgery.

“We’ve found with guys that if a character resonates with them they’re drawn into the content in a more interactive way. You look at the video and put in what you would do next. You might be plotting what Tom’s doing, but chances are you’re plotting what you did or think you’d do,” said Oliffe.

Like a support group session, but on line. There is already a mountain of information available about prostate cancer, concedes Oliffe, and the website isn’t trying to duplicate that. Instead, each topic area includes a video from specialists including urologist, oncologist and psychologist and also includes men with prostate cancer talking about their real experiences. It also includes no-holds-barred discussion on sexual problems and hormonal changes.

We’re really trying to create a resource that was similar for all those guys who don’t want to go to a group because of privacy issues or who can’t get there because of transportation or work commitments etc.

You can’t have too much information. There are different types of prostate cancer – slow growing or aggressive – there are various treatment options to treat prostate cancer including surgery to remove the prostate gland surgically.

Another option may be radiation therapy, anti-hormone treatment known as androgen deprivation therapy or doing something referred to as active-surveillance (where you and your PSA etc. are watched very closely and if and when things change then treatment options are offered). Age and other health problems will also play into each man’s choice of treatment.

“They might be disappointed with the outcome, but if you go in knowing the potential side effects and having thoughtfully considered those, taking time rather than being rushed…you’re less likely to make a decision quickly about a treatment you might regret.”

Research continues. Oliffe’s team is collecting more data through the website with surveys. I believe at the present time they are asking about a persons exercise regime.

Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer Guidelines

AUA/ASTRO/SUO Guidelines

Following a prostate cancer diagnosis, patients are faced with a multitude of care options, the advisability of which is influenced by patient factors and by cancer severity or aggressiveness. The ability to categorize patients based on cancer aggressiveness is invaluable for facilitating care decisions.

Accordingly, these guidelines for the management of localized prostate cancer are structured first, to provide a clinical framework stratified by cancer severity (or risk group) to facilitate care decisions and second, to guide the specifics of implementing the selected management options.

In Scope: active surveillance, observation/watchful waiting, prostatectomy, radiotherapy, cryosurgery, high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and focal therapy.

Out of Scope: Secondary or salvage treatment for localized prostate cancer that persists or recurs after primary definitive intervention, and primary treatment of locally advanced/metastatic disease.

Read more on www.auanet.org

PSA density vs. PSA level and the prediction of prostate cancer risk

A newly published study in the journal Urology (the “Gold Journal”) has suggested that — at least for patients with a PSA level between 4 and 10 ng/ml — PSA density may be better than PSA level in the determination of which of these patients need to go on to have a biopsy.

  • PSA density was a much more accurate predictor of risk than PSA alone for all men with a PSA level of 4 ng/ml or higher.
  • Among men with a PSA level of < 4 ng/ml, PSA density was no better than PSA at predicting actual prostate cancer (of any type or of clinical significance).

Read more on prostatecancerinfolink.net

Genomic Testing in Cancer Treatment

Genomic testing is done on cancerous tissue taken from the prostate in order to provide information about how your prostate cancer might behave. By looking at the genetic makeup of the cancer, these tests may help predict whether your prostate cancer grows slowly or aggressively.

Genomic testing can be performed on both biopsy tissue and on tissue from an entire prostate following a prostatectomy.

Read more on Zero

Does Proton Beam Therapy for Prostate Cancer Live Up to Its Promise?

Men diagnosed with prostate cancer are faced with an array of prostate treatment options. Proton beam therapy—a form of external beam radiation therapy—is the latest choice now available in the United States. But it’s a controversial option as well, with some critics suggesting that its popularity may be driven by advertising rather than by sound scientific evidence of benefit over other therapies.

Read more on healthafter50.com