Brotherhood of the Balloon

08/22/2025

👀SNEAK PEEK: October BOB Tales👀

AI is uncovering prostate cancer in tissue samples previously deemed healthy by pathologists! A groundbreaking study from Uppsala University shows AI detected subtle changes in over 80% of samples from men who later developed aggressive cancer.

We'll break it down in our next issue, coming soon!

In the meantime, view the full study to learn how AI is changing the game in diagnostic accuracy! 👇

Diagnostic needle biopsies that miss clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa) often sample benign tissue near hidden cancers. Such benign samples might still display subtle morphological signs of cancer elsewhere in the prostate. This study examined if artificial intelligence (AI) could detect t...

08/19/2025

BIG STRIDES IN PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH:

Back in 2019, scientists discovered that the NSD2 gene helps prostate cancer spread quickly. Now, researchers have learned that NSD2 may actually fuel the disease from its earliest stages.

Here’s why this matters...

▸NSD2 is found only in cancer cells—not in healthy ones. That makes it an exciting target for new treatments.

▸Lab studies show that shutting down NSD2 (and its partner, NSD1) can stop cancer cells in their tracks while leaving healthy tissue unharmed.

The compound used in these studies isn’t ready for people yet, but the findings bring us one step closer to smarter, more precise therapies. In fact, the FDA recently cleared a different NSD2-targeting drug to begin a Phase 1 trial in men with advanced prostate cancer—an important step forward in bringing this research from the lab to the clinic.

Here's the original study. 👇

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-024-01893-6

08/07/2025

👀 Another SNEAK PEEEK before we send out the September issue of BOB Tales!

HIDDEN HORMONES: How Urinary Tract Bacteria May Fuel Prostate Cancer Growth: A groundbreaking study from the University of Illinois has revealed a surprising link between urinary tract bacteria and prostate cancer progression. Researchers found that certain bacteria can transform corticosteroids—often used in treatments like prednisone—into hormones called androgens that encourage prostate cancer cell growth.

This challenges previous ideas about hormone therapy and opens new doors for treatment. The study highlights the importance of the body’s microbiome in cancer care. Targeting bacterial hormone production could lead to better therapies.

A fascinating step forward in understanding—and potentially controlling—prostate cancer progression.

👇 Here’s the study

Commensal bacteria have been implicated in the modulation of steroid hormones, including circulating androgen levels in the host. However, the microbial genetic pathways involved in androgen production have not been fully characterized. Here we identify a microbial gene encoding an enzyme that catal...

08/06/2025

🔥 SNEAK PEEK: September BOB Tales 🔥

New research is shedding light on how chronic inflammation in the prostate may trigger and fuel cancer growth. While inflammation usually helps the body heal, when it lingers—due to infections, injury, or other irritants—it can create an environment that encourages abnormal cells to grow and mutate.

Want to know more? Check out the latest findings in our upcoming newsletter!

Read the research here: 👇

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among men, and progression to metastasis and the emergence of therapeutically resistant disease confers a high mortality rate. Growing evidence implicates inflammation as a driver of prostate cancer development and progression, resulting in increased can...

07/28/2025

NEW STUDY: Proton Therapy May Be Easier on the Immune System

Good news for proton therapy patients! A recent study shows that shorter, more targeted proton treatments are gentler on your immune system—especially your lymphocytes, the white blood cells that help fight off illness and disease.

Only 8% of men treated with a 5-session course of proton therapy experienced immune suppression. But among those who received radiation to the pelvic lymph nodes, a whopping 84% saw a significant drop in immune cells.

What does this mean?

The more focused the treatment—and the less radiation to surrounding areas like pelvic nodes—the better preserved your immune system may be.

This matters.

A stronger immune system could mean a better ability to fight cancer during and after treatment.

Another reason to feel good about choosing proton therapy. 🙌

Radiotherapy can be both immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory. Radiation-induced lymphopenia (RIL) is an ongoing challenge in cancer treatment. We investi...

07/07/2025

BIG NEWS IN PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT 🎯

A major study found that a short course of radiation—just 5 treatments over 1–2 weeks—works just as well as the longer, traditional schedule (which can take up to 7 weeks) for men with low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

This approach, called SBRT (stereotactic body radiotherapy), is safe, effective, and much more convenient.

Talk to your doctor to see if it’s an option for you—and always consider getting more than one opinion. Knowledge is power!

Learn more here. 👇

07/04/2025

Dear BOB Members,

As we celebrate Independence Day, we honor more than just the birth of our nation—we honor the courage, resilience, and freedom that each of you embodies every day.

Many of you are veterans who have served our country with valor, and like those brave men and women, you’ve faced your own battle with prostate cancer head-on. Choosing proton therapy was a powerful step toward protecting your health while preserving the quality of your life.

On this 4th of July, we salute your strength, your spirit, and your commitment to living life fully and freely. May this day remind you of the victories—big and small—that make all the difference.

Thank you for your service. Thank you for your courage. And most of all, thank you for being part of this community.

Wishing you and your families a safe, joyful, and proud Independence Day.

With respect and gratitude,
Bob & Deb

07/01/2025

BACK IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT🏍️

BOB member Galen Bakewell, 67, is a self-proclaimed “engine nut”—if it moves, he loves it. But nothing could’ve prepared him for the unexpected turn during a routine physical: prostate cancer.

“I was ready to move on with my life when I found out,” Galen said.
Thankfully, he caught it early—and chose proton therapy for treatment.

Now? He’s back to doing what he loves—riding motorcycles, restoring his 1930 Ford Model A, and living life with clarity and purpose.

"Be a man and go in there and get it taken care of.”
Galen’s message is clear: Don’t wait. Get your PSA checked.

🎥 Watch Galen’s story, from diagnosis to recovery, and hear why he says choosing proton therapy was a “no-brainer”:
👉https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHb05xqtqkg

06/30/2025

MOVE OVER, MRI.

A new imaging tool—micro-ultrasound—may rival MRI in detecting prostate cancer, with fewer delays, lower costs, and no sedation required. Could this be the more practical path forward?

👇 Here’s the study behind this emerging alternative in prostate cancer diagnosis.

This randomized, noninferiority trial of biopsy-naive men compares the detection of Gleason Grade Group ≥2 prostate cancer using microultrasonography-guided and MRI fusion-guided biopsy.

06/26/2025

URINE TEST DETECTS PROSTATE CANCER BETTER THAN PSA?!?

A promising new urine-based test could detect aggressive prostate cancer more accurately than the traditional PSA blood test — potentially helping reduce unnecessary biopsies and stress for men.

It’s an exciting development in prostate cancer screening! 👏

👇
https://www.foxnews.com/health/new-prostate-cancer-test-pinpoints-disease-better-than-psa-study-finds

A simple urine test was found to detect prostate cancer with greater accuracy than the standard PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, according to a new study.

06/26/2025

WHEN CANCER HITS CLOSE TO THE BRAIN—PRECISION MATTERS.

Sinonasal cancers are notoriously hard to treat. Their location—near the brainstem, optic nerves, salivary glands, and other vital structures—makes precision absolutely critical. 🎯

In a recent case, a carefully planned proton/photon combo helped spare critical areas like the brain and salivary glands while still delivering an effective dose to the tumor. The patient completed treatment with minimal side effects and is doing well.

Yet another reminder of the power of precision radiation—and how far proton therapy has come.💥

A case study of a 50-year-old female initially presented with left eye swelling and tearing. Imaging showed a 4 cm mass which involves nasolacrimal duct with contiguous extension to the left orbit.

06/26/2025

A new GENETIC TEST could change how prostate cancer is found—and when.

In fact, it may detect aggressive prostate cancer earlier than PSA or MRI.

A new study found that polygenic risk scores (PRS)—which analyze inherited genetic traits—identified over 70% of clinically significant cancers that traditional screening methods often miss.

We’ll cover this study in the next issue of BOB Tales, but if you're curious now, check out the study 👇

The incidence of prostate cancer is increasing. Screening with an assay of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has a high rate for false positive results. Genomewide association studies have identified...