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In patients with metastatic castrate‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis offers novel opportunities for the development of non‐invasive biomarkers informative of treatment response with novel agents targeting the androgen‐receptor (AR) pathway, such as abiraterone or enzalutamide. However, the relationship between ctDNA abundance, detectable somatic genomic alterations and clinical progression of mCRPC remains unexplored. Our study aimed to investigate changes in plasma DNA during disease progression and their associations with clinical variables in mCRPC patients. We analyzed ctDNA in two cohorts including 94 plasma samples from 25 treatment courses (23 patients) and 334 plasma samples from 125 patients, respectively. We conducted whole‐genome sequencing (plasma‐Seq) for genome‐wide profiling of somatic copy number alterations and targeted sequencing of 31 prostate cancer‐associated genes. The combination of plasma‐Seq with targeted AR analyses identified prostate cancer‐related genomic alterations in 16 of 25 (64%) treatment courses in the first cohort, in which we demonstrated that AR amplification does not always correlate with poor abiraterone and enzalutamide therapy outcome. As we observed a wide variability of ctDNA levels, we evaluated ctDNA levels and their association with clinical parameters and included the second, larger cohort for these analyses. Employing altogether 428 longitudinal plasma samples from 148 patients, we identified the presence of bone metastases, increased lactate dehydrogenase and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) as having the strongest association with high ctDNA levels. In summary, ctDNA alterations are observable in the majority of patients with mCRPC and may eventually be useful to guide clinical decision‐making in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Prostate cancer survivors have reported cognitive complaints following treatment, and these difficulties may be associated with survivors' ongoing cancer-related distress. Intolerance of uncertainty may exacerbate this hypothesized relationship by predisposing individuals to approach uncertain situations such as cancer survivorship in an inflexible and negative manner. We investigated whether greater cognitive complaints and higher intolerance of uncertainty would interact in their relation to more cancer-related distress symptoms. Methods This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study included 67 prostate cancer survivors who were 3 to 5 years post treatment. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses tested the extent to which intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive complaints, and their interaction were associated with cancer-related distress (measured with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised; IES-R) after adjusting for age, education, physical symptoms, and fear of cancer recurrence. Results Intolerance of uncertainty was positively associated with the IES-R avoidance and hyperarousal subscales. More cognitive complaints were associated with higher scores on the IES-R hyperarousal subscale. The interaction of intolerance of uncertainty and cognitive complaints was significantly associated with IES-R intrusion, such that greater cognitive complaints were associated with greater intrusive thoughts in survivors high in intolerance of uncertainty but not those low in it. Conclusions Prostate cancer survivors who report cognitive difficulties or who find uncertainty uncomfortable and unacceptable may be at greater risk for cancer-related distress, even 3 to 5 years after completing treatment. It may be beneficial to address both cognitive complaints and intolerance of uncertainty in psychosocial interventions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Most men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the USA will survive. Of the many aspects of survivorship affected by prostate cancer, body image receives limited attention despite some indication that it may be important to men with the disease. The present study investigated how body image changes over time and the relations between changes in body image and quality of life (QOL) in men with prostate cancer. Methods In a longitudinal design, patients ( N = 74) completed questionnaires before treatment (T1) and at 1 month (T2) and 2 years (T3) following treatment completion. Results Growth curve modeling indicated that there was no significant change over time in group-level body image scores. However, hormone treatment was associated with a negative trajectory of change over 2 years. Also, analysis of individual difference scores indicated that ≥50% of patients demonstrated change of at least 0.5 standard deviation between time points. Hierarchical regression indicated that change in body image between T1 and T2 was significantly associated with change in QOL between T1 and T3, while controlling for demographic variables, treatment, treatment-related functioning, and general and treatment-specific positive expectations. In predicting change in body image between T1 and T2, treatment-specific positive expectation was the only significant predictor. Conclusions The present study demonstrates that body image is an important component of the prostate cancer experience. Findings suggest that body image has a meaningful association with QOL among prostate cancer survivors.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Research suggests that cancer patients who are more involved in treatment decision-making (TDM) report better quality of life following treatment. This study examines the association and possible mechanisms between prostate cancer patient's discussions about TDM and affect following treatment. We predicted that the length of time patients spent discussing treatment options with social networks and physicians prior to treatment would predict emotional adjustment after treatment. We further predicted that cognitive processing, coping, and patient understanding of treatment options would mediate this association. Methods: Fifty-seven patients completed questionnaires prior to treatment and at 1 and 6 months following treatment completion. Results: Findings from the present study suggest that discussing treatment options with others, prior to beginning treatment for prostate cancer, significantly contributed to improvements in affect 1 and 6 months following treatment. Residualized regression analyses indicated that discussing treatment options with patient's social networks predicted a decrease in negative affect 1 and 6 months following treatment, while discussions with physicians predicted an increase in positive affect 1 month following treatment. Patients who spent more time discussing treatment options with family and friends also reported greater pre-treatment social support and emotional expression. Mediation analyses indicated that these coping strategies facilitated cognitive processing (as measured by a decrease in intrusive thoughts) and that cognitive processing predicted improvement in affect. Conclusions: Greater time spent talking with family and friends about treatment options may provide opportunities for patients to cope with their cancer diagnosis and facilitate cognitive processing, which may improve patient distress over time. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on a study that evaluated ixabepilone or mitoxantrone/prednisone (MP) as second-line chemotherapy for taxane-refractory, hormone-refractory, prostate cancer (HRPC). It describes the methodology used in the study. It concludes that ixabepilone and MP had modest activity as second-line chemotherapy for docetaxel-refractory HRPC.

OBJECTIVES To determine, in preclinical in vivo animal and in clinical studies, whether raloxifene (a selective oestrogen-receptor (ER) modulator that targets ER-β and induces apoptosis in vitro in androgen-independent prostate cancer, AIPC cells) affects prostate cell differentiation, proliferation and carcinogenesis, and in the pilot phase II clinical trial, the response rate and duration of patients with AIPC treated with a daily oral dose of raloxifene. PATIENTS, MATERIALS AND METHODS Tumour proliferation rate in response to raloxifene treatment, and molecular markers of cell cycle and apoptosis, were evaluated in established ER-β-positive androgen-dependent (AD) CWR22 and AI CWRSA9 human xenograft prostate cancer models. Twenty-one patients with AIPC and evidence of disease progression were enrolled into the clinical trial and given daily oral raloxifene. RESULTS There was significant growth inhibition by raloxifene in the ADPC and AIPC xenograft models (CWR22 68%, P < 0.010; CWRSA9 64%, P < 0.001), with no tumour regression. There was evidence of G1 arrest by increased p27kip1 expression in the raloxifene-treated group. Eighteen patients comprised the efficacy analysis, as three withdrew before the first evaluation. At the first evaluation, five men had stable disease and continued on the study for a median of five cycles. The longest response was 17 cycles. Drug related toxicity was minimal. CONCLUSION Raloxifene has activity in xenograft models, slowing disease progression. This translated to possible disease stabilization in patients with AIPC. Further studies are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the molecular identification, chromosomal localization, and pharmacological characterization of human scavenger receptor MARCO. List of materials used in the experiment; Procedure followed for RNA blot analysis; Method used for the cloning of hMARCO.