Treasure Valley Prostate Cancer Support

03/02/2025

This is how I was introduced at last Sunday’s ZERO Prostate Cancer awards night “Bold for Blue”.

The Edward C. Kaps Hope Award is given to an outstanding leader in a ZERO Us TOO Support Group who has shown unselfish, dedicated service to prostate cancer ...

01/30/2025

ZERO Prostate Cancer (zerocancer.org) has support for caregivers - the unsung heroes in the prostate cancer journey.
https://zerocancer.org/help-and-support/resources-for/caregivers

01/30/2025

HIFU vs. Tulsa PRO vs. other Focal Therapies. What is the story? This is Dr. Scholz's opinion. This is already a couple of years old. You might look for information that is more current. These treatments are often overlooked or downplayed by medical providers, perhaps because they are not available locally. HIFU may be available in Boise by the time you read this.

Medical oncologist Mark Scholz, MD, fields questions all about TULSA-PRO, an image-guided form of high-intensity focused ultrasound that is becoming more pop...

01/30/2025

I often receive marketing emails for this or that treatment for prostate cancer. This company wants to remind us that, in appropriate situations, there is an alternative to electron or proton radiation as well as surgery, cryotherapy, chemotherapy. (As of 1/30/2025, the word is that it will soon be available at Saint Alphonsus in Boise.)

Focal One offers a non-invasive prostate treatment using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), while sparing healthy surrounding tissue.

01/02/2025

Here are some answers to questions about radiation. Particularly important is at the end, should a TURP be done before or after radiation?

Donate to PCRI: https://pcri.org/donate/For more information, visit https://pcri.org0:47 Are there localized radiation treatments less time-intensive than I...

12/27/2024

Here’s an overview of hormone therapy.

Donate to PCRI: https://pcri.org/donate/For more information, visit https://pcri.org0:46 What is the difference between first and second generation hormone ...

12/27/2024

As radiation has become better over the years and imaging has improved so dramatically over the last few years, is ADT still materially beneficial for intermediate risk prostate cancer?

https://youtu.be/cyY0nHXvzGc?si=9qXm9Gh7NkFrQABX

12/21/2024

There are fantastic patient guides for early stage prostate cancer. They can keep you focused on what's important at your early stage. One from NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network):
https://www.nccn.org/patients/guidelines/content/PDF/prostate-early-patient.pdf

Another from ZERO Prostate Cancer:
https://zerocancer.org/educational-materials/newly-diagnosed-prostate-cancer-guide-pdf

This 36-page guide covers everything you need to understand as a newly diagnosed prostate cancer patient. From explanations of the disease and how it works, to treatment options, side effects, questions you might ask your healthcare team, support resources, and more

12/20/2024

Over treatment of prostate cancer is always a concern. This study found it was increasing in intermediate and high risk men within the VHA (Veterans Health Administration) and suggests that treatment should take life expectancy into consideration.

“Prostate cancer patients with life expectancies of less than 5 or 10 years were being subjected to treatments that can take up to a decade to significantly improve their chances of surviving cancer, despite guidelines recommending against treatment," says Timothy J. Daskivich, MD.

12/20/2024

This study concludes that MRI-guided SBRT (stereotactic body radiotherapy) has much fewer side effects to re**um, bladder, and sexual function than CT-guided SBRT. The findings highlight a promising shift in prostate cancer treatment practices, highlighting the potential of MRI-guided radiation therapy to improve patient outcomes.

After a comprehensive two-year follow-up, researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that MRI-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer significantly reduced long-term side effects and improved quality of life, particularly in bowel and sexual hea...

12/20/2024

This study, which presumes blacks, Hispanics, and whites are treated the same within the VHA (Veterans Health Administration) found that blacks have twice the difficulties with prostate cancer than whites.

This cohort study examines the racial and ethnic differences in the epidemiology of prostate cancer states among US veterans treated at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities.

12/19/2024

Here's a webpage from ZERO that may help find, understand, and compare some common drugs and therapies. They promise to try to keep it current, but be sure to double check yourself.

There are many drugs available to treat and slow the progression of prostate cancer, including: androgen deprivation and other hormone therapies, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and palliatives for advanced prostate cancer. The drugs are administered either orally, by intravenous, injection, or by impla...

12/19/2024

Here's one that is an easy "fix". Increase Omega-3 and cut down on Omega-6.

A new study offers new evidence that dietary changes may help reduce cancer cell growth in patients undergoing active surveillance, a treatment approach that involves regular monitoring of the cancer without immediate intervention. Men on active surveillance who followed a low omega-6, high omega-3....

11/27/2024

Are you a veteran in the VA medical system with advanced prostate cancer? Here is information on treatment costs.

Daniel Lee discusses patient-facing costs for advanced prostate cancer treatment within the VA Health Care System. The conversation explores how recent legislation and VA programs, including the Cleland-Dole Act of 2022, have improved access to care through initiatives like the National Tele-Oncolog...

11/27/2024

This study suggests that healthy eating during active surveillance may help keep (or slow) low grade prostate cancer from progressing.

Like many medical facilities across the nation, our supply chain is feeling the effects of Hurricane Helene’s aftermath. Johns Hopkins Medicine currently has a sufficient sterile fluid supply to meet treatment, surgical and emergency needs. However, we have put proactive conservation measures into...

11/24/2024

FDA has approved an "enhancement" (my word) to Nubeqa, aka darolutamide.

The FDA has accepted a supplemental new drug application for the combination of darolutamide and androgen deprivation therapy for the treatment of patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

11/17/2024

I don't know anyone who would not have suspected that some cancer causing pesticides might be linked to prostate cancer incidence and death.

For this environment-wide association study, the authors assessed potential associations between pesticide exposure and prostate cancer outcomes in US counties, identifying 22 pesticides associated w...

11/17/2024

Here is another study of diet effects on prostate cancer. It "suggests" that diet may make a positive difference in low grade prostate cancer being treated with active surveillance. So if we were to eat healthier, we would be healthier? What a concept.

Like many medical facilities across the nation, our supply chain is feeling the effects of Hurricane Helene’s aftermath. Johns Hopkins Medicine currently has a sufficient sterile fluid supply to meet treatment, surgical and emergency needs. However, we have put proactive conservation measures into...