A study released this past week says that a short course of hormone therapy to help in the treatment of prostate cancer while undergoing radiation therapy improves the survival rate by 50%. The study was published in the March 24 edition of The Lancet Oncology, Doctors in Wellington, New Zealand studied 802 men an average of over ten years. This study shows the value of doctors studying how to effectively combine treatments for prostate cancer patients so that all men can have more and better options in their course of treatment to increase survivability.
New Zealand Study
The doctors in Wellington, New Zealand at the University of Otaga, stressed the need for early detection of prostate cancer and were pleased with the results of their study. They found a halving of the risks of dying following the use of hormone therapy in combination with radiation treatment of an aggressive form of cancer. The treatment included six months of hormone treatment for some of the patients, three months for others and no hormone therapy for the control group. The results revealed that those who were given the six month course of treatment had their risk of dying from cancer reduced by half. And, that they also had a 29 percent vs. a 43 percent from dying of any cause. Those who received the three month hormone treatment showed no difference from the control group, They also noted that long term use of the hormone used in the study may result in severe side effects, including heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, erectile dysfunction among others.
Hormone Therapy
For several years, the drugs used in hormone therapies have been under review by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has been concerned with the side effects of long term use of the prostate cancer drug called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists. This drug is found in at least seven name brand drugs and several generic products. They have been concerned with tumors becoming resistant to the drug, and the development of heart disease and diabetes from the use of the drugs. Doctors have been aware of the long term effects and caution patients who might be using these drugs for a longer period of time to watch their diets by reducing carbohydrates to control weight and to exercise. Exercise has been shown to help heart health and help in controlling weight. Doctors are always trying to balance the benefits of GnRH for their cancer patients and the negative effects of longer term use of the drug. This is made difficult because of the tendency of prostate cancer to be a slow growing cancer. The truth for prostate cancer patients is that for the majority of them, their cancer will not cause their death, but something else will.
Early Detection
For all men, early detection of prostate cancer is of utmost importance. The PSA test has been the simple blood test to aid doctors and patients in detecting their cancer. When the PSA test results begin to rise past six, doctors have had only one option to help determine if cancer is present. That option has always been a biopsy. A number doctors have been trying to find other simple blood tests that would be a better indicator of cancer. This is because only about a third of the biopsies reveal the presence of cancer. Two studies for better early detection use DNA and RNA levels in the blood or urine as indicators of cancer. In another study, the PCA3 level in the blood is used to determine if cancer is most probably present. The early tests show a high correlation between the higher levels of the test indicator and the presence of cancer when compared with biopsies. More studies need to be done to corroborate the early findings in these studies.
What Does It Mean
For all men, early detection is very important to reduce the risks of death by this cancer. More accurate tests before biopsies will allow men to avoid unnecessary pain and the chance of infection at the testing sites. The studies done to find more effective treatments to prolong our lives is very much in need. No man wants to leave his family before he needs to. Premature death leaves our families with bills that can be avoided through the successful management of the treatment of our prostate cancer. Increasing our life span is important for all men who strive to take care of our loved ones. The findings of the New Zealand doctors in halving the risk of dying from the more aggressive prostate cancers is a window of hope for the men who have been diagnosed with these cancers. More studies to confirm the findings of the New Zealand group will aid all doctors in helping their patients survive the devastating effects of cancer. the studies might also lead to better ways to detect and to treat this cancer of men.
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