Informed Prostate Cancer Patient Support

Pelvic Lymph Node Staging With PSMA PET in Prostate Cancer: Surgical Validation With Implications for Radiotherapy Planning - Ozen - The Prostate - Wiley Online Library BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): A Turkish surgical study found that 12% of prostate cancer patients with negative PSMA PET scans still had microscopic cancer in their pelvic lymph nodes when examined after surgery. This important finding suggests that even advanced imaging can miss small amounts of cancer spread, which has significant implications for treatment planning—particularly for patients considering radiation therapy instead of surgery. The Promise and Limitations of Modern Imaging PSMA PET/CT scanning has revolutionized how doctors detect prostate cancer spread. This advanced imaging technique uses a radioactive tracer that attaches to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a protein highly expressed on prostate cancer cells. When cancer has spread to lymph nodes, these scans can often detect it far better...

ESMO Revises Early Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Monitoring ESMO Issues Major Update to Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): The European Society for Medical Oncology has released updated clinical practice guidelines that fundamentally change how prostate cancer is diagnosed and monitored, emphasizing safer biopsy procedures, precision imaging before tissue sampling, and aggressive early treatment for high-risk biochemical recurrence. The new recommendations prioritize multiparametric MRI before biopsy, mandate the safer transperineal biopsy approach, and introduce combination androgen deprivation therapy with enzalutamide for patients with rapidly rising PSA after initial treatment—even without visible metastases. A Paradigm Shift in Prostate Cancer Care The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has comprehensively revised its clinical practice guidelines for localized prostate cancer and biochemical recurrence, representing one of...

Current Opinion in Urology A Proven Strategy Gains Ground BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): Active surveillance has evolved from a controversial "watch and wait" approach into the gold standard treatment for low-risk prostate cancer, with mounting evidence supporting its expansion to carefully selected intermediate-risk patients. Recent research confirms that properly monitored men can safely defer treatment for years—or even indefinitely—while maintaining excellent cancer control outcomes and avoiding the significant side effects of immediate surgery or radiation. From Skepticism to Standard of Care Just two decades ago, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer faced an immediate choice: surgery or radiation. The notion of deliberately monitoring cancer without treating it seemed counterintuitive, even dangerous. Today, active surveillance represents one of the most significant paradigm shifts in prostate cancer management. "Active surveillance is considered the treatmen...

5 T versus 3 T MRI for prostate cancer: an intra-individual prospective comparison of image quality and diagnostic performance | Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases But $10 Million Price Tag Raises Questions About Clinical Value BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): A January 2026 study shows ultra-high-field 5 Tesla MRI scanners detect prostate cancer more accurately than standard 3 Tesla systems, with 67% stronger signals producing clearer tumor boundaries and better visualization of critical anatomy. However, with fewer than ten 5T scanners worldwide, $7-10 million price tags versus $2-3 million for 3T systems, and questions about whether improved images translate to better patient outcomes, the technology faces a long road from laboratory breakthrough to routine clinical care. The Promise: Significantly Better Images Researchers at West China Hospital of Sichuan University directly compared both technologies in 67 consecutive patients with suspected prostate cancer, having each man u...

What PSA test reliance gets wrong about prostate cancer treatment | STAT Navigating the Balance Between Early Detection and Overtreatment BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Prostate cancer screening remains one of medicine's most contentious debates. While PSA testing can detect cancer early and save lives, it also leads to substantial overdiagnosis and overtreatment of slow-growing cancers that may never cause harm. Recent research confirms that approximately 450 men must undergo repeated PSA screening to prevent one prostate cancer death, while the majority of men diagnosed with low-risk disease can safely pursue active surveillance rather than immediate treatment. International practice varies dramatically—with U.S. physicians treating about 40% of low-risk cases compared to under 10% in the U.K.—reflecting different medical cultures and financial incentives. New AI-assisted diagnostic tools and better risk stratification methods are emerging to help distinguish dangerous cancers fro...