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What Are My Prostate Cancer Treatment Options?

Treatments for prostate cancer have vastly improved in recent years. Today, there are more and better choices for prostate cancer treatment. What should you know about your options?

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Prostate Cancer Blog with Matthew Schmitz, M.D.

"Movember" Was a Big Success

Thursday December 3, 2009

The "Movember" Campaign, which sought to raise awareness about prostate cancer (as well as money for prostate cancer research) by getting thousands of men across the world to grow moustaches in the month of November, was a resounding success in 2009.

The campaign raised over $30 million worldwide this year with participants from Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, and Canada.

Again...great idea, great results, great cause.

Photo by David McGlynn - Getty Images

The Controversy Over Cancer Screening Recommendations

Wednesday December 2, 2009

There's been a lot of controversy lately over a statement made by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommending against screening mammograms for average-risk women between the ages of 40 and 50.

The USPSTF made the claim that women with average risks of breast cancer who were under the age of 50 stood to suffer more harm than good from screening mammograms. This has caused quite a stir as numerous groups have spoken out against this recommendation as a form of health care "rationing" or as unnecessary risk-taking with the lives of women.

There haven't been any equally controversial statements made about prostate cancer screening - at least not by any major organizations. Don't be too surprised if statements like this come out regarding prostate cancer screening, however. Some physicians and researchers think that the PSA test catches too many "insignificant" prostate cancers (meaning cancers that would just grow slowly forever without causing a real problem) and result in too many men getting treated overall. The majority of physicians believe that the PSA test is still a very useful tool despite its shortcomings and, along with the digital rectal exam, is the best screening tool we have at the moment.

You can read a more in depth article I've written about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening here.

Photo by John Foxx - Getty Images

Are Rural Men More Likely to Die of Their Prostate Cancer?

Monday November 23, 2009

Rob Stirling, an ambassador affiliated with prostate groups in Australia recently made the statement that men in rural Australia have a 10% higher risk of dying from their prostate cancer than men from Australia's large cities.

In large, sprawling countries like Australia, it can be difficult for doctors to make it to men men in rural areas in order to give them appropriate screening tests and yearly checkups. Additionally, it can be difficult for men from rural areas to make their way to medical centers for treatment.

"Flying physician" programs have been started in order to help alleviate some of the difficultly that rural residents have in obtaining proper medical care.

Photo by Thomas Northcut - Getty Images

Lloyd Webber Has a Prostate Surgery Complication

Monday November 23, 2009

Famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was forced to return to the hospital recently after developing a post-surgical infection.

Lloyd Webber underwent surgery to remove his prostate last month after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had been doing well. He was readmitted to the hospital, however, after developing an infection following surgery.

While prostate surgery is done in a sterile setting and antibiotics are routinely given to ward off any post-surgical infection, it is definitely still possible for infection to occur.

If the infection is severe enough, antibiotics given through an IV are used and, sometimes, the area of infection is surgically cleaned.

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