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A recent study shows that care plans for patients with prostate cancer should include hormonal therapy combined with radiation treatment to improve chances for long-term survival. The combination can add not only years to a patient’s life but also quality to those years.
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— Barbara Worthington, editor |
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New Treatment Regimen Extends Life for Some Men
With Recurrent Prostate Cancer
Adding hormonal therapy to radiation treatment can significantly improve the average long-term survival of men with prostate cancer who have had their prostate glands removed, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The regimen also can reduce the frequency of the spread of the cancer, the study found.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men. An estimated 161,300 new cases will be diagnosed and nearly 27,000 deaths are expected in 2017, according to the American Cancer Society.
“Our study indicates that hormonal treatments should be incorporated into the management of men who need radiation therapy after surgery for prostate cancer,” says Howard Sandler, MD, chair of the department of radiation oncology at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of the multicenter study.
More than 30% of prostate cancer patients face the return of disease one to four years after removal of the prostate gland, Sandler says.
When a patient experiences a recurrence, physicians typically prescribe radiation therapy. “Our results show that adding hormone therapy could add years to patients’ lives,” Sandler says.
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The Far-Reaching Consequences of Untreated Hearing Loss
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treatment of Late-Life Depression
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Sarcopenic Obesity — An Ominous Duo
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New Federal Rules Will Require Home Health Agencies to Do Much More for Patients
According to an article at Kaiser Health News online, new federal regulations set to take effect in July will expand the scope of home health agencies’ responsibilities, benefiting patients and caregivers.
For Cardiologists, Life-Saving Valve Procedure Is Not Always the Right Choice
According to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, life-saving transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery may not always be the optimal choice for elderly patients with aortic stenosis.
Doctors See Gains Against ‘Urgent Threat,’ C. Diff
An article in The New York Times alludes to the fact that researchers are making inroads in developing treatments to combat Clostridium difficile.
Humor May Be Antidote for Pain of Death for Patients, Survivors
Humor plays an important role in older adults’ approach to the end of life, according to Kaiser Health News online. |
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