Overactive Bladder Linked to Prostate Cancer ADT

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer is associated with an increased risk of overactive bladder (OAB), a finding consistent with an inhibitory role of androgen in modulating male voiding dysfunction, according to a new study. Compared with ADT recipients, healthy men and men receiving alpha blockers for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) had a significant 98% and 30% decreased risk of OAB, respectively, after adjusting for numerous potential confounding factors. Increased ADT duration increased the cumulative risk of OAB. Read more.

Source: Renal & Urology News, January 7, 2019

surgeons perform pelvic organ prolapse surgery

New Surgery for Prostate Cancer Can Cut the Chance of Incontinence

Up to a quarter of prostate cancer patients suffer temporary or permanent incontinence after surgery. Steve Gregory, 60, a retired IT director from Hampshire, underwent a procedure said to reduce this risk. ANGELA EPSTEIN reports.

THE PATIENT

As someone who has always been fit, I never thought that I’d develop prostate cancer. But for about a year before my diagnosis, I was waking up twice a night to go to the loo. In February 2016 I finally saw my GP, mainly because my close friend, Nick, had been diagnosed with the disease, so it was on my mind. Read more.

Source: DailyMail.com, November 13, 2017

Uromedica Wins CMS Coverage for ProAct Continence Therapy Device

Uromedica said today it won a reimbursement code from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services for its ProAct adjustable continence therapy for men, and that it launched the device in the US. The ProAct system has FDA approval and is indicated for treating adult men with stress incontinence from intrinsic sphincter deficiency of at least 12 months following radical prostatectomy or TURP who have failed ot respond to conservative therapy, the Plymouth, Minn.-based company said. “The issuance of these codes will allow Uromedica to deliver its safe and effective therapy to improve the quality of life for men struggling with Stress Urinary Incontinence,” prez & CEO Tim Cook said in a press release. Read more.

Source: MassDevice Today, July 12, 2017

Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Brachytherapy Retain Urinary, Bowel Quality

Prostate cancer patients treated with Cesium-131 brachytherapy maintained their urinary- and bowel-related quality of life years afterward, according to a study. While patients reported a decline in these quality of life measures immediately after brachytherapy, they achieved a full recovery within six months. Brachytherapy involves inserting radioactive seeds in or near tumor to kill it. The research, “Long-term Quality of Life in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Cesium-131,” was published in the Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. “This study reinforces the position of Cesium 131 as an effective, patient-friendly treatment for localized prostate cancer,” Bill Cavanagh, chief scientific officer of the brachytherapy company IsoRay, said in a news release. “This is especially important as multiple studies are emerging that strongly suggest that the inclusion of brachytherapy must be considered for the treatment of high-risk prostate cancer – the toughest localized prostate cancer to cure.” Read more.

Source: Prostate Cancer News Today, May 4, 2017

U.S. Guidelines Relax Opposition to Prostate Cancer Screening

An influential physician task force backed by the U.S. government is softening its opposition to routine prostate cancer screening. In proposed guidelines released today, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advised men aged 55 to 69 to discuss the pros and cons of screening with their doctors rather than avoiding it altogether. The task force continued to recommend against a blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA) in men 70 and older, concluding the potential harms of routine screening still outweigh the benefits for this age group. Since the last guidelines came out in 2012, new evidence has emerged suggesting that PSA tests may help lower the odds that tumors spread to other parts of the body or prove fatal for men aged 55 to 69, said task force chair Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. New evidence also suggests it’s becoming more common for doctors to skip aggressive treatments like surgery or radiation for men with low-risk prostate tumors in favor of doing periodic tests to see if tumors grow, an approach known as active surveillance. Read more.

Source: Reuters, April 11, 2017

Prostate Cancer Breakthrough As New Laser Treatment Destroys Tumors with No Side Effects

Prostate cancer patients have seen their tumours destroyed with a revolutionary new laser treatment which has no side effects. Doctors in the US hailed the development as “exciting” because it could offer hope to millions of men diagnosed with the disease . Currently, prostate cancer is normally treated with surgery or radiotherapy which can result in erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Read more.

Source: Mirror Online, June 10, 2016

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

Weak pelvic muscles can allow urine to leak out causing stress urinary incontinence.

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is the most common type of incontinence. The “stress” in this incontinence refers to a physical stress that’s placed on the urinary system, such as a cough, sneeze, or laugh. About 50% of women occasionally experience SUI. While women experience stress incontinence more often then men, some men do experience it as well.Continue reading→

Prostate Problems in Men

A man’s prostate can cause incontinence symptoms.

Although statistically men experience urinary incontinence less than women, about six million men in America do experience urinary incontinence. About 17% of men over the age of 60 experience some form of urinary incontinence. In many cases, urinary incontinence in men is caused by prostate problems, or the methods used to treat prostate problems, such as surgery.Continue reading→