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The article presents the comments of several urologists about the use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) by different urologists in the U.S. as a treatment for localized prostate cancer. Urologist Gary M. Kirsh says that urologists must use the therapy. Urologist Pedro A. Marcucci says that the use of the therapy by urologists will result in a better interaction between them and hospitals.

Interviews several urologists about their views of using high-dose three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy over external beam radiation combined with brachytherapy for intermediate risk patients with T2 prostate cancer. Jeffrey R. Johnson; John M. Guice; William H. Hoch; John J. Janeiro; Han M. Hanafy.

Focuses on the controversy regarding the place of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) in the treatment armamentarium for localized prostate cancer. Difficulty of characterizing functional and oncologic outcomes relative to open surgery; Steep learning curve; Comments from LRP pioneers who have accumulated the greatest experience.

Discusses summary of key clinical researches presented at the American Urological Association (AUA) 2000 annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Ideal start of and interval between prostate cancer screening, according to Eila C. Skinner of the University of Southern California Norris Cancer Center in Los Angeles; Information on stone disease by Stephen P. Dretler of the Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Details findings of epidemiologic studies, conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Austrian urologists, that link prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening to the declining prostate cancer mortality rates in the United States and Austria. Percent decline in age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality rates among white men and African-American men; Indications of stage-specific survival rates.

Interviews physicians Peter T. Scardino and Jeffrey D. Forman on the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Management of a 55-year-old man with the disease; Types of patients where brachytherapy is recommended; Complications of radical prostatectomy.

Interviews urologists Peter T. Scardino and Jeffrey D. Forman regarding controversies surrounding the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Important factors in the optimum management of a prostate cancer patient; Treatment options; Brachytherapy; Transrectal ultrasound-guided approach to surgery; Radiation therapy; External-beam therapy; Definition of treatment failure.

Surveys the perceptions of urologists in the United States on how they address issues associated with prostate cancer treatment following the publication of a study in the `Journal of American Medical Association' on the incidence of impotence and incontinence after the treatment. Balance of quality-of-life, length-of-life issues.

Interviews Patrick C. Walsh, director of the Brady Urological Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Indications for radical prostatectomy in prostate cancer; Long-term benefits from prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing; Surgery versus radiation therapy; Advice to urologists on how to battle mixed signals on prostate cancer treatment; Selection of patients for watchful waiting.

The article presents answers from several urologists to an issue regarding the safety use and side effects of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) that will change the way prostate cancer patients will be treated. It mentions Dr. E. Bruce Barrows said that ADT has a risk-benefit analysis while Dr. Richard T. Chopp said that the relationship of the drugs to the patient should be looked at in all angle. It also mentions Dr. Robert A. Bonzani said that he uses ADT conservatively on his patients.

The article reports on the study conducted at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts regarding the relationship of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and increased risks of cardiovascular diseases among men. It states that ADT, which is indicated for patients with prostate cancer, increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases. According to Nancy L. Keating, head of the research team, guidelines for ADT should be established due to the potential side effects.

The article offers information on research discussed at the Sexual Medicine Society of North America Inc.'s 2008 Fall Scientific Meeting concerning the efficacy of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in men with prostate cancer. According to the study, the therapy can benefit men to have favorable pathologic features such as negative surgical margins. Moreover, physician Omar Hamoui believes that the supplementation can be safe and effective.

The article reports on the study which investigates the effect of longer time duration of hormonal therapy (HT) in men treated with prostate cancer. The inquiry, which was done through Radiation Therapy Oncology (RTOG) trial, observed men who were randomized to receive pelvic radiotherapy, wherein some of them voluntarily stopped receiving HT prior to experiencing progression of the disease. However, it was found out that patients who continued having HT received significant survival benefits.

Details findings of a study, conducted by French researchers and presented at the American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting, linking the development of early onset prostate cancer with a female relative's development of breast cancer. Factors attributed to the familial aggregation between prostate and breast cancers; Estimate of the risk of breast, ovarian, endometrial and other cancers.

Interviews several urologists in the United States about the available treatments for prostate cancer. Views of Dennis L Boatman, physician at the Cedar Rapids in Iowa regarding the efficacy of radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer treatment; Views of Robert A. Appel, doctor at the Fayetteville, North Carolina regarding brachytherapy; Views of Gary Dunetz regarding radical prostatectomies.

Reports that prostate cancer researchers and clinicians should search for new, nonhormonal approaches to advanced disease as concluded by a large clinical trial. Failure to show a benefit from combined androgen ablation; Absence of significant differences between flutamide recipients and non-recipients; Survival advantage of patients treated with the combination of leuprolide acetate and flutamide.

Reports that pathologic findings of a small subset of patients with locally advanced prostate cancer who received combined cryotherapy and radical retropubic prostatectomy show negative margins and low PSA levels. Freezing of tumor outside the capsule; Objectives of the study; Critical modifications to the technique.

Presents an interview with Doctor John H. Lynch concerning transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT). Issues surrounding treatment of prostatic cancer; Medical trials of TUMT.

Presents several opinion from urologist concerning on the guidelines issued by the American Urological Association (AUA) on prostate cancer treatment. Criticism on the broadness of the guidelines and its accompanying ambiguity; Timeliness of the guidelines and its significance in urological care; Comments on the handouts provided by the AUA.

The article shares the physicians's perspectives on the impact of the approval of sipuleucel-T to physician's way of treating men with advanced prostate cancer in the U.S. Eric Wallen states that is not a game changer for the survival difference is not gigantic. Jan Colli notes that the use of sipuleucel-T is limited and it is intended for advanced prostate cancer. Eric Uhlenhuth, emphasizes that the drug is set for people who will no longer respond to Taxotere.

The article reports on the investigative study about the effect of taxane cabazitaxel on the survival of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The phase III data of the study reveals that cabazitaxel offers a 30% improvement on the survival of men with prostate cancer. Lead author of the study Oliver Sartor says that Cabazitaxel could fill the gap of Docetaxel, the standard care for patients who have failed hormonal therapy.

The article discusses the study which claims that adding short course androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to radiation therapy (RT) improves the outcome of patients with intermediate-risk, early-stage prostate cancer in the U.S. However, Christopher U. Jones, study author and radiation oncologist, says that the study's relevance is unclear with the modern era of RT. Jones notes that a study is underway to know whether prostate cancer treated with modern RT still benefit from short course ADT.

The article reports on the revision of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology-Prostate Cancer, which include new recommendations on radiation therapy and chemotherapy in the U.S. It emphasizes the active surveillance among men with risks in developing prostate cancer. It states that the revision aims to enhance the effectiveness and safety of the external beam therapy and chemotherapy.

The article reports on the effect of long-term adjuvant androgen deprivation (LTAD) and radiation therapy (RT) on improving prostate cancer survival for three years. It notes that the treatment regime meliorates progression-free survival, prostate cancer mortality, and distant metastasis-free survival. According to Dr. Michel Bolla, combination approach is required to attain 10 year survival using RT/LTAD.

The article reports on the study which suggests that intermittent androgen ablation does not improve survival or quality of life compared with continuous hormonal therapy to people with metastatic prostate cancer. It notes that the study found out that average survival was four years with maximum androgen suppression and 3.5 years to intermittent therapy. It mentions intermittent androgen ablation shows promise for prostate cancer treatment but it did not achieve great statistical significance.

The article discusses a study performed by researchers from Royal Mardsen Hospital in London, England which found that a specific and irreversible inhibitor of the enzyme CYP17 is effective in treating men with castration-resistant prostate cancer. The study showed that the CYP17 can reduce the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and the number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The study included 47 patients who passed through androgen deprivation therapy.

The article presents studies highlighting the efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to men treated for prostate cancer in the U.S. It notes that the studies conducted at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, show that HIFU offers good biochemical-free survival (BFS) at five years in patients without previous hormone therapy. It mentions that HIFU presents reliability in the prediction of outcomes compared to other modalities in patients with low and moderate risk.

The article offers news brief related to prostate cancer in the U.S. The study conducted by the researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts found that men with high-risk prostate cancer may be under-treated with brachytherapy. Moreover, it relates that the survey carried out by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), reveals that physicians had major concern on compensation levels, implementation of an electronic health record system, and the cost of operation.

The article reports that the American Urological Association (AUA) submitted a statement relative to the Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) initiative launched by the U.S. federal government. CER will provide a systematic research on diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of health conditions. AUA's recommended three areas for CER investigation include prostate cancer treatment, public/private support for a robust quality infrastructure, and imaging modalities for urologic conditions.

The article reports on the findings of Cancer of the Prostrate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE) on the advantage of radical prostatectomy (RP) over primary external beam radiation and primary androgen deprivation therapy on cancer-specific mortality. According to Dr. Matthew R. Cooperberg, the advantage of RP is much greater in higher-risk men. It also notes that the comparison of these various treatments may be real if CaPSURE is seeing a consistent trend in the differences.

The article reports on the study of sipuleucel-T agent as an experimental form of immonutherapy for androgen-independent prostate cancer in Chicago, Illinois. Accordingly, the agent could change the paradigm for treating the cancer if approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, sipuleucel-T improved the survival of men with advanced prostate cancer reported during the 2009 American Urological Assn. (AUA) annual meeting.

The article presents the result of the U.S. multicenter phase II study analyzing the impact of sagopilone, the first synthetic epothilone, on the prostate specific antigen (PSA) in men with androgen-independent prostate cancer. The study shows that the novel agent sagopilone proves to have important activity against advanced prostate cancer as it shows high response rate and substantial decline in PSA. Doctor Tomasz M. Beer notes that most of the patients found the treatment highly tolerable.

The article provides information on medical studies presented at the 2008 Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America Inc. concerning the satisfaction of men who turn to intracavernosal injection (ICI) therapy following prostate surgery. According to physician Nelson Bennett, the patient who undergoes ICI had erectile dysfunction and seek to have good erections after the treatment. Moreover, the medication process and dosage of such therapy are also noted.

The article reports on the study that evaluates the significance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) blocker to reduce testosterone levels of patients undergoing prostate cancer treatment. The researchers considered a testosterone level of less than .5 nanogram per milliliter from day 28 through day 364, a successful response to the therapies. It found that patients in the degarelix group experienced a higher percentage of injection site-related problems than did the leuprolide patients.

The article reports on the study which compares the effect of intermittent androgen ablation therapy with that of continuous therapy in the treatment for advanced case of prostate cancer. Based on the data from a German study, 65. 45 percent of patients who had received intermittent therapy had improved their health condition compared with 66.47 percent of those who received continuous therapy. Such discovery creates a possibility of having intermittent therapy as the most preferred treatment.

The article reports that according to a study conducted by physician Arthur L. Burnett and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland, researchers do not agree on how to measure erectile dysfunction and function. Burnett says that this makes it difficult to determine the effects of prostate cancer treatment on the sex lives of patients.

Reports on the findings of a medical research conducted by scientists from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota regarding the consequences of extraprostatic seed migration as a result of seed placement during frequent brachytherapy. Seed migration to the thorax in about half of all brachytherapy cases studied; Occult extraprostatic tumor extension in prostatectomy series involving organ-confined prostate cancer; Absence of any adverse effects and dosimetric influence resulting from seed migration.

Reports on the findings of a medical research conducted by scientists from the University of Southern California and appearing in a 2004 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Oncology" regarding sexual and urinary outcomes among men of different races following treatment for localized prostate cancer. Impact of cancer treatment on erections; Sexual satisfaction outcomes among African American and Caucasian men; Changes in sexual and bowel functions in men following radiotherapy.

Reports that three modalities show equal outcomes in localized prostate cancer. Monotherapy with radical prostatectomy; External beam radiation therapy; Permanent prostate brachytherapy.

Discusses findings of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial which showed that the use of finasteride or Proscar reduced the biopsy prevalence of prostate cancer compared with placebo. Percentage of cancer reduction in patients receiving the drug; Effects of Gleason grading performed after 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor or other other hormonal therapy; Histologic changes occurring from all forms of androgen deprivation therapy.

Points out that early detection of prostate cancer has reduced the number of men who present with advanced or metastatic disease. Review of the Eastern Virginia Medical School database; Medical definition of advanced prostate cancer; Role of clinical trial process in improvements in therapeutic strategies.

Reports on the promise shown by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for the local treatment of prostate cancer. Minimally invasive procedure; Findings of European studies presented at the World Congress on Endourology; Comments of urologist Christian G. Chaussy.

Reports on the percentage reduction of prostate cancer incidence in men treated with finasteride in the U.S. Details on the era in prostate cancer prevention; Application of findings by urologists to clinical practice; Development of prostate cancer. INSET: Oral chemotherapy promising for PCa.

Reports on findings of a prospective biochemical relapse-free survival study of patients with localized prostate cancer treated from 1987 to 1994, conducted by John E. Sylvester and colleagues at the Seattle Prostate Institute. Long-term control of prostate cancer using interstitial brachytherapy in combination with external beam radiation therapy; Comparison between combination therapy and radical prostatectomy.

Reports on findings of a study by Alvaro Martinez and colleagues at the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Illinois and presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology annual meeting, which showed that image-guide radio-therapy strategies offer dose escalation with comparable toxicity levels in patients with localized prostate cancer. External beam radiation therapy plus escalating high-dose rate brachytherapy boost and adaptive dose-escalation radiotherapy.

Offers information on clinical trials relating to prostate cancer as of April 2003. Inclusion of a phase III randomized study of prostatectomy versus expectant management with palliative therapy in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer; Phase III randomized study of radical prostatectomy versus brachytherapy in patients with stage II prostate cancer.

Describes a novel immunotherapy technique that uses prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) as a target that appears to benefit patients with hormone-refractory cancer and Gleason scores of seven or less. Successful application to prostate cancer patients; Exposure of harvested antigen-presenting cells to PAP; Finding that patients receiving immunotherapy remained pain free significantly longer than those receiving placebo.

Reports on proposal to treat men with intermediate risk for prostate cancer with high-dose three-dimensional conformational therapy, with or without hormonal therapy. Affordability of the technology; Percent of institutions that have the technical ability to comply with the revised recommendations; Indications for intermediate risk.

Reports the benefits of PC-SPES in treating androgen-dependent prostate cancer in New York. Alleviation of prostate cancer symptoms; Decline in the levels of prostate-specific antigens; Adverse effects of the treatment.

Reports the utilization of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in treating prostate cancer in Germany and France. Complications of HIFU therapy; Improvement of cancer-free rates; Indication for HIFU therapy.