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On December 18, 2015 President Obama signed into law a bill re-authorizing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, to extend the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (“VCF”) for an additional five years.

This will benefit individuals impacted by the events of 9/11 including men who developed prostate cancer as a result of exposure to the disaster.

Importantly, the re-authorization extends the deadline for submitting claims. Previously the VCF said it would stop receiving claims on October 3, 2016. This is no longer the case. As of September 2, the new deadline for filing a claim (and all supporting documents) is December 18, 2020.
Full story in our blog.

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Cancer cells' genetic pathways show which patients are likely to develop aggressive types of the disease

Sept. 7, 2016 -- Scientists at Cedars-Sinai have developed a new way to identify which prostate cancer patients are likely to develop aggressive types of the disease even if their tumors at first appear to be lower risk. The new findings could help physicians prescribe the most effective treatments for each patient based on how genes are activated in the individual tumor.

These findings raise the possibility that by determining the gene expression profile of a patient's tumor, physicians may be able to identify aggressive disease at the outset of diagnosis and start treatment earlier," said Sungyong You, PhD, an instructor in the Cedars-Sinai Department of Surgery and the first author of the study.

Sunyong You, PhD
Sunyong You, PhD uses computational, laboratory and genomics methods to learn more about the molecular mechanisms that promote lethal prostate cancer.

...continue reading "New tumor analysis method identifies high-risk prostate cancer"

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Sept. 6, 2016 – Digital rectal exam, the dreaded finger exam to check for prostate cancer, used to be a mainstay of check-ups for older men. With its value now in question, some doctors share the risks and benefits with their patients and let them decide. So, should they or shouldn’t they?

Ryan Terlecki, PhD
Ryan Terlecki, PhD
“The evidence suggests that in most cases, it is time to abandon the digital rectal exam (DRE),” said Ryan Terlecki, M.D., a Wake Forest Baptist urologist who recently published an article on the topic in Current Medical Research and Opinion. “Our findings will likely be welcomed by patients and doctors alike.”

Terlecki said the DRE, referred to by some urologists as a “clinical relic,” subjects a large number of men to invasive, potentially uncomfortable examinations for relatively minimal gain. In addition, it may deter some men from undergoing any test for prostate cancer. ...continue reading "Digital Rectal Exam To Detect Prostate Cancer Usually Unnecessary, Study Finds"

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September 6, 2016. A study by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) finds that a rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in healthy men who have previously been treated for prostate cancer is significantly associated with a 1.6-fold increased risk of death. The team also studied men with prostate cancer who had another illness such as a history of heart attack or stroke, and did not find that PSA failure was predictive of the risk of death in these men.

The new work suggests that it's especially important for healthy men to be given information about the early results of available clinical trials that have been shown to reduce PSA failure, according to the study's authors. ...continue reading "PSA failure predicts risk of death only in healthy men"

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Heather Orom, PhD, University of Buffalo
Heather Orom, PhD
June 8, 2015. BUFFALO, N.Y. — A study led by University of Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute researchers claims to have identified beliefs and personality traits associated with higher levels of distress in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. The study's authors say their findings support the value of emotional and informational support for patients and perhaps early counseling for some who are the most distressed. ...continue reading "Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Calls for Early Support So That Men Can Make Smart Treatment Decisions, Study Says"

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June 3, 2015. Radium-223, brand name Xofigo (formerly Alpharadin), is an FDA approved intravenous injectable treatment for painful bone metastases in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The drug Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223), an alpha emitter, selectively targets bone metastases with alpha particles. Radium-223 is taken by intravenous injection once a month (every four weeks) for up to six months. Radium-223 received priority review two years ago based on its ability to extend Overall Survival as shown in its Phase 3 trial. ...continue reading "Radium-223 linked to longer overall survival in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer with bone metastases"

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May 18, 2015— AUA, New Orleans. A study of medical records of nearly 10,000 patients with prostate cancer shows that active surveillance (the updated form of watchful waiting) is suitable for most men with low-risk disease. Twelve to 15 years after diagnosis, these men are no more likely to die of prostate cancer than of other conditions and diseases. By contrast, the study shows, to avoid dying of prostate cancer men with high-risk disease may require aggressive "multimodal treatment" including surgery. ...continue reading "Active Surveillance For Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Does Not Shorten Life"

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June 2, 2015. Primary androgen deprivation therapy for localized prostate cancer increases diabetes risk by up to 60 per cent, particularly in men under 70 years of age, according to research published in the June issue of The Journal of Urology.

"As the benefits of primary androgen deprivation therapy for localized prostate cancer are controversial," the authors say, "and most prostate cancer survivors are of advanced age with comorbidities, it is important to determine if primary androgen deprivation therapy increases the risk of diabetes and to determine the susceptibility factors." ...continue reading "Diabetes A Risk For Men Treated With Androgen Deprivation for Localized Prostate Cancer"