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Posted on Apr 18, 2005, 8 p.m.
By Bill Freeman
Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant diagnoses afflicting men in the United States. One in six men, or about 230,900 cases, will be diagnosed annually. Doctors believe that prostate cancer may begin with small changes in the size of the prostate gland cells, otherwise referred to as PIN (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia).
Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant diagnoses afflicting men in the United States. One in six men, or about 230,900 cases, will be diagnosed annually. Doctors believe that prostate cancer may begin with small changes in the size of the prostate gland cells, otherwise referred to as PIN (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia). Men with high-grade PIN have a higher chance of already having cancerous cells in the prostate. Fortunately, researchers say the death rate for prostate cancer is decreasing. In the past 15 years, doctors have started to see signs of the disease in earlier stages -- while it is still confined to the prostate -- and is therefore potentially curable.
CAUSES OF PROSTATE CANCER: Although the causes of prostate cancer are not known yet, there are risk factors associated with the disease. As men get older, the chance of them developing prostate cancer increases. Studies have shown that prostate cancer is more common in African-Americans than in Caucasians. A diet high in red meats or high-fat dairy products can put men at a higher risk. There is also a genetic link to the disease. Exercising, taking 50 milligrams of vitamin E a day, and adding more vegetables, fruits and grains can lower men's risk for prostate cancer.
TREATMENT: Prostate cancer treatment options depend in part on whether the tumor has spread. If the tumor has not spread outside the prostate, radiation therapy and surgery called radical prostatectomy are viable treatment options. When tumors grow beyond the edge of the prostate, they generally cannot be treated with these methods. Instead, hormone treatment may be used, which slows the cancer's growth.
WHEN CANCER RECURS: Unfortunately, even when prostate cancer is seemingly successfully treated, it can recur. When this happens, doctors sometimes remove a patient's testicles or give the patient special medicine to block the effect of testosterone on the prostate gland. That can be effective for several years, but after about four years, the cancer may no longer respond to the treatment, and it can grow and spread.
BIOTHERMY: Radiation oncologist Arve Gillette, M.D., from Community Health Network in Indianapolis, is studying a new option for patients whose cancer has recurred after radiation. It's called biothermy. He uses radiation that's 10,000 times more powerful than standard radiation seeds. A long thin cable carries one single radiation seed down several tubes into the prostate. It radiates between 80 and 200 spots. Wires then carry heat through the tubes, which magnifies the effectiveness of the radiation two to three times. Biothermy differs from standard radiation seeds because doctors can make adjustments with this new therapy. Traditionally, if the seeds move after placement, they cannot be adjusted and can even move through blood vessels into the other parts of the lung. Also, with typical radiation seeds, the dose is less intense and more difficult to control. Because the seeds give off radiation for between three and ten months, doctors cannot control what the seed does after it goes into the prostate. With biothermy, doctors place the tubes under guidance and can control timing and the amount of heat that runs down the catheters. The seeds are also not left in the patient. The procedure is done twice, three weeks apart. The study is taking place in Indianapolis; Long Beach and Oakland, California; and Salt Lake City.
CAUSES OF PROSTATE CANCER: Although the causes of prostate cancer are not known yet, there are risk factors associated with the disease. As men get older, the chance of them developing prostate cancer increases. Studies have shown that prostate cancer is more common in African-Americans than in Caucasians. A diet high in red meats or high-fat dairy products can put men at a higher risk. There is also a genetic link to the disease. Exercising, taking 50 milligrams of vitamin E a day, and adding more vegetables, fruits and grains can lower men's risk for prostate cancer.
TREATMENT: Prostate cancer treatment options depend in part on whether the tumor has spread. If the tumor has not spread outside the prostate, radiation therapy and surgery called radical prostatectomy are viable treatment options. When tumors grow beyond the edge of the prostate, they generally cannot be treated with these methods. Instead, hormone treatment may be used, which slows the cancer's growth.
WHEN CANCER RECURS: Unfortunately, even when prostate cancer is seemingly successfully treated, it can recur. When this happens, doctors sometimes remove a patient's testicles or give the patient special medicine to block the effect of testosterone on the prostate gland. That can be effective for several years, but after about four years, the cancer may no longer respond to the treatment, and it can grow and spread.
BIOTHERMY: Radiation oncologist Arve Gillette, M.D., from Community Health Network in Indianapolis, is studying a new option for patients whose cancer has recurred after radiation. It's called biothermy. He uses radiation that's 10,000 times more powerful than standard radiation seeds. A long thin cable carries one single radiation seed down several tubes into the prostate. It radiates between 80 and 200 spots. Wires then carry heat through the tubes, which magnifies the effectiveness of the radiation two to three times. Biothermy differs from standard radiation seeds because doctors can make adjustments with this new therapy. Traditionally, if the seeds move after placement, they cannot be adjusted and can even move through blood vessels into the other parts of the lung. Also, with typical radiation seeds, the dose is less intense and more difficult to control. Because the seeds give off radiation for between three and ten months, doctors cannot control what the seed does after it goes into the prostate. With biothermy, doctors place the tubes under guidance and can control timing and the amount of heat that runs down the catheters. The seeds are also not left in the patient. The procedure is done twice, three weeks apart. The study is taking place in Indianapolis; Long Beach and Oakland, California; and Salt Lake City.
