Prostate Cancer Breakthrough
- A new prostate cancer drug from Novartis was given breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA.
- Prostate cancer is detected via prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which looks for signs of PSA in the blood which may indicate the presence of prostate cancer.
- Prostate cancer treatments can include surgery, radiation therapy or hormone therapy.
Swiss drug company Novartis was given the green light on breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA for Lu-PSMA-617, a tumor-targeting radiation therapy.
Read MoreScreening for Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is detected via prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which looks for signs of PSA in the blood which may indicate the presence of prostate cancer.
In an earlier interview, urologic oncologist Dr. James Brooks explains when men should start screening for this disease. He says, “Current guidelines are to start screening at age 55 and continue screening through age 70. The reason for that is prostate cancer diagnosed after age 70 has a reasonably low probability it’s going to take your life because prostate cancer, even in its aggressive forms, when it’s localized is a relatively slow-growing cancer.”
“Men who are at high risk because of a family history should have PSA testing earlier,” he says. “At latest, age 40, but probably even by age 35, they should have an initial PSA. That PSA test at a younger age, it’s a more accurate test because the prostate has not increased in size, which can cause the test to be more difficult to interpret.”
The PSA Blood Test and a Rectal Exam are Vital for Prostate Cancer Screening
Prostate Cancer Treatment Methods
Prostate cancer treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, or hormone therapy. Depending on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis, one treatment path may be better than another.
In an earlier interview, Dr. Stephen Freedland explains the process of prostate cancer surgery. He says, “A lot of times, people are like, look, I just want the tumor out. Just cut it out, and I want to be done. I said, great, surgery’s a good choice for you.”
“It’s typically done through a robotic technique today, at least in the United States,” says Dr. Freedland. “But a lot of patients are still getting open surgery. Depending on the surgeon, it may be two, three, four, five hours– somewhere in that range, usually spend one night in the hospital. You wake up from the surgery with a catheter in your bladder. Once you’re home, it’s really just recovering, gaining your strength back.”
An Overview of Prostate Cancer Surgery
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