Results soon of phase two trials of new testosterone-lowering drug

BUSINESSWIRE: The results of phase 2 (there are three) trials of a new drug that reduces testosterone to castrate levels and serum free testosterone to levels lower than orchiectomy or LHRH analogs – without bone loss or hot flashes- are about to be reported in the US. READ MORE>

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Testosterone slow to return after years of hormone therapy for prostate cancer

URO TODAY: The recovery of testosterone after long-term androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer is slow, according to a study of about 20 patients who had been receiving hormone drugs for a mean seven years. READ MORE>

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NEW FIND: Prostate cancer may be caused by high-dose testosterone leaking from testes to prostate

URO TODAY: It’s very early days, but medical scientists in Israel may have made a new discovery about the cause of prostate cancer and subsequently how to treat it. READ MORE>

They believe that as men age, very highly concentrated testosterone leaks to the prostate gland via the testicular and prostate venous (blood) drainage systems.

They tried treating six men with an “interventional radiological procedure and super-selective intraprostatic androgen deprivation therapy” and in five cases achieved a decrease in prostate size and in PSA levels, with repeat biopsies showing disappearance of cancerous cells.

The work is being done at Maynei Hayeshua medical center and Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

At NEW PROSTATE CANCER INFOLINK, Mike Scott writes:

This is clearly a radical new finding that needs to be confirmed by other research groups.

Should it prove to be accurate, we may have a whole new mechanism available to treat early stage disease without having to expose patients to systemic forms of hormone therapy.

The “New” Prostate Cancer InfoLink emphasizes, however, that we have seen only an abstract of this report, and we need greater detail to understand what is actually being suggested by Gat and colleagues. READ MORE>

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False balls that release bone-loss drugs may make testicle removal viable option again

URO TODAY: Testicular prostheses that slow-release drugs to combat bone loss in men being treated for advanced prostate cancer, have the potential to restore testes removal as a viable option for testosterone control. READ MORE>

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Low – not high – levels of testosterone may be new culprit in prostate cancer

URO TODAY: High levels of testosterone have until recently been regarded as dangerous for prostate cancer patients, but new evidence is emerging that suggests something different. READ MORE>

Provocative new evidence suggests that it is not high serum testosterone that is problematic for prostate cancer, but low serum testosterone that is associated with worrisome cancer features and outcomes, such as high Gleason score, advanced stage of presentation, and increased risk of biochemical recurrence after surgery.

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John and Mary latest: No alternative now to chemo – but latest version would cost $5000 a dose

PROSTABLOG NZ: John has now moved to the stage of needing chemotherapy for his advanced prostate cancer, but the government-subsidised version in NZ has been surpassed by a more effective drug – at $5000 a dose. That’s way beyond Mary’s bank balance. READ MORE>

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New testosterone blocker for advanced prostate cancer shown to be effective with no side effects

URO TODAY: Swedish research shows a new treatment for advanced prostate cancer, the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist/receptor blocker Degarelix, is well tolerated, with no systemic allergic reactions. READ MORE>

This new agent represents an important pharmacological development in the hormonal treatment of prostate cancer.

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