Tag Archives: Prostate Cancer

No More Biopsies – MRI Recommended for Prostate Cancer Screening

No More Biopsies - MRI Recommended for Prostate Cancer Screening
No More Biopsies – MRI Recommended for Prostate Cancer Screening

The collaborative efforts of a multi-institutional study published by JAMA Oncology is changing prostate cancer treatment protocols. Potential prostate cancer patients may no longer need to line up for biopsies. Instead, MRI-based prediction models are offering a new risk assessment option.

Bye-Bye Biopsy
In the study, researchers from the National Cancer Institute, University of Chicago, and University of Alabama at Birmingham found evidence that the inclusion of an MRI for prostate cancer patients can be used as a biomarker to decrease unnecessary biopsies. It was also determined that the MRIs helped maintain a high rate of diagnoses for clinically significant prostate cancers.

Hello MRI
Based on the data collected, the research points to MRI-based models as further offering the benefit of lower false-positive rates than the baseline model. This means 18% fewer men would be subject to unnecessary biopsies subsequent to false-positive diagnosis.

Next Destination: Improved Cancer Treatment
Co-Author of the study, UAB Department of Urology Assistant Professor and UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Associate Scientist Soroush Rais-Bahrami, M.D., points to the data’s far-reaching implications. The imaging biomarker is expected to optimize patient selection, as well as allow for the more accurate determination of risk factors and stratification.

What’s more, it will provide physicians with the opportunity to potentially reduce prostate cancer morbidity by enabling a more timely and accurate diagnosis, and thus a faster, more individualized treatment response for prostate cancer treatment patients.

Looking for an alternative approach to cancer treatment? Issels® has you covered. Contact us to learn more about our individualized, non-toxic immunotherapy options. Bring your body back to health with the help of Issels® today.

Prostate Screening Using PSA Tests Appears to Miss Many Aggressive Cancers

Prostate Screening Using PSA Tests Appears to Miss Many Aggressive Cancers
Prostate Screening Using PSA Tests Appears to Miss Many Aggressive Cancers

The healthcare community has long promoted early detection as one of the keys to successful cancer treatment. In the UK, where prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men, experts are referring to the corresponding PSA test as a “blunt tool” that has no life-saving benefit.

The Merits and Drawbacks of PSA Testing

A PSA test measures a specific protein in the blood that increases when cancer cells are present. Any man over the age of 50 in the UK can currently request a PSA test from his general practitioner.

In response to a debate about whether or not the country’s National Health Service should institute a national prostate cancer screening program, Cancer Research UK funded a study to evaluate the effectiveness of PSA testing. Subjects included 400,000 men between the ages of 50 and 69.

Results showed that death rates among men in the group were identical, regardless of whether or not they received a PSA test. The screening failed to detect several cases of aggressive prostate cancer while causing unnecessary stress by flagging benign tumors.

Should Men Undergo Prostate Cancer Screening?

Dr. Emma Turner, a member of the research team, stated the need for more accurate testing that would facilitate early prostate cancer treatment. In the meantime, Heather Blake of Prostate Cancer UK suggests that men over 50 discuss the pros and cons with their GP before opting for a PSA test.

Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer at Issels®

Men with prostate cancer are among the many patients who have achieved long-term remission after cancer treatment at Issels®. Contact us to learn more.

Protein Blocking May Play a New Role in New Testicular Cancer Treatment

Protein Blocking May Play a New Role in New Testicular Cancer Treatment
Protein Blocking May Play a New Role in New Testicular Cancer Treatment

What options does a patient have when traditional forms of cancer treatment fail? In the case of testicular cancer, scientists found a new combination of treatments that may provide added hope.

Overcoming Resistance to Cancer Treatment

Testicular germ cell tumors are a form of cancer found most commonly in younger men. A research team at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, encouraged by earlier work at the facility, examined the function of a certain type of protein in the development of testicular cancer.

The team focused specifically on insulin growth factor receptor-1. They discovered that IGF1R, as the protein is also called, was more active in some testicular cancer cells as opposed to normal tissue. Using chemical inhibitors, the researchers were able to deplete the supply of IGF1R or curtail its activity, thereby reducing cell growth.

In addition, blocking IGF1R activity in previously drug-resistant cells made them more receptive to platinum-based chemotherapy. The team is hopeful that the two treatments, used in tandem, will be more successful in killing testicular cancer cells.

What Does the Future Hold?

Receptor tyrosine kinases, the class of proteins that includes IGF1R, are linked to cell growth and division in several other types of cancer. Clinical trials have tested the use of IGF1R in hopes that they may have positive results in other applications.

Effective Cancer Treatment for Therapy-Resistant Tumors

For decades, Issels® has been helping patients with advanced and therapy-resistant cancer achieve long-term remission. Contact us to learn how we are continuing the legacy of our founder, Dr. Josef M. Issels, who was a pioneer in the field of immunotherapy for cancer.

New Findings Show Men with Abnormally Low Testosterone Levels Will Rarely Develop Prostate Cancer

Research Shows Some Men Have A Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer
Research Shows Some Men Have A Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer

Each year more than 170,000 men in the United States are affected by prostate cancer. While the causes remain unknown, studies have found that hormone levels could be a key to prostate cancer treatment.

The Role of Testosterone in Prostate Cancer

Age, ethnicity and genetic mutations are some of the common risk factors for prostate cancer. The male hormone testosterone is known to facilitate cell growth in prostate tumors.

Based on the androgen saturation model, scientists believe that an increase in testosterone levels beyond the saturation point does not cause a corresponding increase in benign or malignant prostate tissue. Until recently, there wasn’t enough evidence to confirm or refute the model.

Putting Theory to the Test

Researchers at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom reviewed data obtained from more than 19,000 men, of whom approximately one-third had prostate cancer. Subjects were grouped into 10 categories ranging from lowest to highest levels of testosterone.

When prostate cancer risk was calculated based on conditional logistic regression methods, men in the lowest group were determined to be 20 percent less likely to develop the disease. Subjects in the other nine groups showed no link to prostate cancer risk.

According to Prof. Tim Key, co-author of the study, this is the first population study to support the commonly-held theory regarding testosterone and prostate cancer. Experts believe it could be a significant step toward more efficient diagnosis and treatment.

Issels: A Leader in Effective Prostate Cancer Treatment

Our non-toxic immunotherapy programs have helped patients with prostate cancer and other forms that have been unresponsive to other cancer treatment. Contact us to learn more.

New Blood Test Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Will Respond Favorably to Specific Medications

New Blood Test Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Will Respond Favorably to Specific Medications
New Blood Test Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Will Respond Favorably to Specific Medications

No two cases of cancer are identical, which makes it a challenge to determine what course of cancer treatment will be most effective. Scientists are excited about a new three-in-one blood test that may open the door for precision treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Three-Pronged Attack on Prostate Cancer

Professor Johann de Bono, leader of the team at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, explained the three functions of the blood test:

• Blood samples are initially checked for the presence of mutated BRCA genes.

• Once treatment begins, DNA in the blood is monitored to determine whether or not the patient is responding.

• In the final step, blood is tested for signs of evolving cancer that is developing a resistance to drugs.

Overcoming Cancer’s Defense Mechanisms

Cancer cells with BRCA mutations use a specific enzyme to repair themselves, making tumors resistant to treatment. Drugs called Parp inhibitors block these enzymes, causing cancer cells to die off. The blood test helps to identify patients who are most likely to respond to Parp inhibitors.

The Institute of Cancer Research’s chief executive, Paul Workman, praised the test as a simple, inexpensive and non-invasive method to develop precision cancer treatment. While the test currently focuses on prostate cancer, Professor de Bono believes it can be adapted to other forms of cancer in the future.

Issels®: Matching the Right Treatment to the Right Patient

Specialized testing has long been a part of our integrative and personalized cancer treatment programs. Contact us to learn more about how Issels® uses cancer vaccines and other immunotherapy treatments to help patients of all ages.

Medicare Coverage for Early Detection of Cancer – What to Know

Medicare Coverage for Early Detection of Cancer - What to Know
Medicare Coverage for Early Detection of Cancer – What to Know

Navigating the ins and outs of Medicare coverage can be a challenge. Here’s what you need to know about this program and how it applies to screenings for early detection of cancer.

Do All Providers Accept Medicare?

• Participating doctors “accept assignments,” meaning they consider the amount received from Medicare along with your co-pay and deductible as payment in full, resulting in fewer out-of-pocket expenses.

• Non-participating doctors don’t always accept Medicare, so you have to pay out-of-pocket. Medicare will reimburse you for the portions they normally cover, but you still incur sizable expenses for the difference.

• Opt-out doctors don’t participate in Medicare at all, making you fully responsible for all charges.

Medicare Coverage for Cancer Screening

• Annual mammograms are covered for women aged 40 and older, while clinical breast exams (CBE) are covered every two years for women at average risk for breast cancer and once a year for those at high risk.

• Women at average risk for cervical cancer are covered for a Pap test and pelvis exam every two years, while women at high risk are covered annually.

• Colorectal screening is covered for people 50 and over based on risk factors and date of last test.

• For prostate screening, men over age 50 are covered 100 percent for an annual PSA blood test and 80 percent for a digital rectal exam (DRE).

Lung cancer screening is covered once a year if you are between 55 and 77 and have a qualifying history of smoking.

State-of-the-Art Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Our personalized cancer treatment programs have helped many of our patients achieve long-term remission. Visit our website for more information.