Prostate Cancer

Vitamin D and prostate cancer

Vitamin D is involved in a number of vital processes in the body, and the association between low Vit. D levels and various cancers, including prostate cancer, has been extensively studied. Some studies suggest an association but that does not mean that treating with Vitamid D supplementation helps. The first results came from epidemiologic studies known as geographic correlation studies, studies of sunlight exposure( that produces Vit. D) and cancer,

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Afinitor for prostate cancer

Afinitor s is currently in clinical trials for prostate cancer and only preliminary information is available.  For example, it is in the phase II study: Everolimus as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer,  NCT00976755. Several studies have been performed and published.  A phase II study (Templeton et al., 2011) investigating the activity of everolimus 10mg/daily as first-line treatment found that in 37 enrolled patients,

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Xtandi for prostate cancer before Taxotere

Enzalutamide (Xtandi, MDV3100) is an androgen receptor antagonist drug that produces an up to an 89% decrease in prostate specific antigen serum levels after a month of use. It is more potent than Casodex. In August of 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved enzalutamide for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer in patients who failed docetaxel. This was based on the AFFIRM study results. AFFIRM showed that Enzalutamide

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IMRT for prostate cancer

IMRT is a rapidly evolving technique, which affords a more precise radiation dose delivery of escalated doses, in appropriate cases, to targeted tumors, while sparing nearby healthy tissue structures.  The FDA clearance of numerous devices for the technical delivery of IMRT is based on the capability of this technology to incorporate accurate dose calculation algorithms, associated with a verifiable dose distribution, as managed by the treating

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MDV3100 for prostate cancer

  MDV3100 is an androgen receptor antagonist drug developed with promise for hormone refractory prostate cancer, and it is in Phase 3 clinical trials and for breast cancer. MDV3100 has binds five times stronger to the androgen receptor (AR) than Casodex, a popular hormonal drug that is currently used. It also interacts with the cancer cels in other ways. Median time to radiographic progression in a phase II study was 56 weeks for chemo-naive

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Taxotere and Carboplatin for Prostate Cancer

Chemotherapy, especially with drugs form the taxane family, is the recommended option once hormonal therapy or vaccine becomes ineffective for prostate cancer. First line treatment of Taxotere has been used for years and a similar drug, cabazitaxel, has recently been approved for second line use. It is always worthwhile to investigate combination. Taxanes combine well with platin type drugs in general. Combinations of are usually more toxic but they

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Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer

Prostate brachytherapy is among several roughly comparable options for front line treatment of localized prostate cancer available at this time. Unfortunately, there had not been a comparative prospective trial comparing external radiation, seed implants, brachytherapy, robotic prostatectomy, nerve sparing prostatectomy or conventional prostatectomy, proton beam radiotherapy and hormonal manipulation. Look-back reviews of past studies show these

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Proton Beam Radiotherapy

Charged-particle beams consisting of protons or helium ions are a type of radiation therapy that uses particles which is different from conventional radiation that uses electromagnetic (i.e., photon) radiation. Particles have the unique properties of minimal scatter as the particulate beams pass through the tissue. As such, there is less “collateral damage” to the surrounding tissue and it is possible to ensure a more precise deposition of the

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Xgeva off-label and for prostate cancer

Xgeva(denosumab) is FDA indicated for the prevention of skeletal-related events in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors. In the pivotal study, denosumab was superior to zoledronic acid in delaying or preventing skeletal related events(SRE), which are essentially fractures, in patients with breast cancer metastatic to bone and was generally well tolerated. With the convenience of a under the skin injection and no requirement for monitoring

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