TEMPLE UNIVERSITY MEN'S HEALTH

INFORMATION AND RESEARCH

COLLABORATIVE

a t e C a ncer
Pr o s t
Volume 1, Issue 2
HEALTH INFORMATION
FOR MEN, BY MEN July 12, 2010

I hope during this past month you helped TUMH celebrate Men’s Health Month by supporting a men’s health pro-
motion organization or talked to a friend, sibling, husband, son, or brother about health issues so important and
unique to men. TUMH hopes you find the 2nd issue of our newsletter informative and we hope you take the initiative
to speak to your loved ones about the important topic of prostate health. Although recent discourse suggests over-
treatment is becoming more and more of an issue, becoming aware and discussing prostate health with your doctor is
one of the most important things you can do to help maintain optimal health and wellness.
TUMH has many activities planned for the summer and fall of 2010. Currently, we have two main efforts: (A) In-
formation dissemination on men’s health to the university and surrounding community and (B) developing a research
study looking at the barriers to health care experienced by Latino Men in North Philadelphia. Again, TUMH encourages
all who are interested to get involved, especially students. Enjoy the rest of your summer! -Michael J. Rovito, Ph.D.

411 On Prostate cancer

By Alexander Rodriguez

QUICK FACTS: Risk Factors Associated SYMPTOMS

 The prostate is the gland
in the male reproductive
system that produces the
seminal fluid that trans-
ports sperm
 Prostate cancer tumors
usually present as a lump
the size of a small walnut
 American Cancer Society
estimates that approxi-
mately 200,000 cases of
prostate cancer were
diagnosed and that ap-
proximately 28,000 men
succumb to the disease in
2009.
 About 1 in 6 men will be
diagnosed with prostate
cancer during his lifetime.
However, more than 2
million men in the United
States who have been
diagnosed with prostate
cancer at some point are
still alive today.
with Prostate Cancer: Same Gene Causes Breast
and Prostate Cancer,
Prostate cancer may not Reports Say…
Older age. The risk of cause signs or symptoms in
prostate cancer increases its early stages. Prostate  It has been found
 Prostate cancer is the with age. Prostate cancer cancer that is more ad- out that both dis-
is most common in men vanced may cause signs eases build up the
second leading cause of
over 65. and symptoms such as: same way in men
cancer death in Ameri-
can men, behind only Being black. Black men  Trouble urinating and women with a
faulty BRCA2 gene.
lung cancer with about 1 have a greater risk of  Decreased force in the
 "The discovery that
in 35 men succumbing to prostate cancer than do stream of urine
men of other races. altered BRCA2 has a
the disease  Blood in your urine significant role in the
 Two methods used to Family history of pros-
screen for prostate can- tate cancer. If men in  Blood in your semen development of he-
reditary prostate and
cer are: Prostate Spe- your family have had  Swelling in your legs breast cancer is im-
cific-Antigen Tests (PSA) prostate cancer your risk  Discomfort in the pel- portant”.
and Digital Rectal Ex- may be increased. vic area  This discovery can
ams (DRE) Obesity. Obese men diag- reveal more about
nosed with prostate can-
 Bone pain the relationship be-
cer are more likely to tween the two can-
have advanced disease cers which could
assist in the develop-
that's more difficult to
ment of treatments
treat. that can be used for
both .
 PAGE 2 PROSTATE CANCER

New Vaccine provides hope for Men with Advanced

stages of Prostate Cancer By Javier Muniz
With the approval of the therapeutic vaccine,
Provenge, the hope is to help prolong life for
those suffering from prostate cancer. Cur-
rently, Provenge is being used in men who
have advanced stages of the cancer. The
current approved treatment is limited by the
FDA to men who are asymptomatic or have
very minimal symptomatic forms of prostate
cancer that has spread to other organs and
systems.
Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the Center for
Biologics Evaluation and Research for the
Food and Drug Administration, believes “The
availability of Provenge provides a new treat-
ment option for men with advanced prostate
cancer, who currently have limited effective
therapies available” (p.1).
Benefits of Provenge found in the initial stud-
ies are promising. The approved vaccine has
extended the survival of men who have ad-
vanced stages of Prostate cancer along with
minimal side effects (flu-like symptoms) com-
pared to the side effects from chemotherapy,
radiation, and hormonal therapy, which in-
clude hair loss, vomiting, lethargy, etc. On
average, Provenge added 4.5 months to the
lives of those with advanced stages, and for
some, two to three years were added. On a tad
more negative note, the FDA noted that those
who were taking the vaccine had a higher risk
(3.5%) of having a cerebral vascular event,
such as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or
stroke, than those who did not take the vaccine
(2.6%).
Dr. Mark Soloway, professor and chair of urol-
ogy at the University Of Miami Miller School Of
Medicine, said that there are two main prob-
lems with the approved drug. He claimed that it
can become “cumbersome” because of the
treatment itself. Patients receiving treatment
are to have white blood cells extracted from
their body on a regular basis. The extracted
blood cells are treated with Provenge and then
returned to the body. The body’s immune sys-
tem then reacts and kills cancer cells and
leaves normal cells alone. This process is
repeated which can translate into a burden for
the patient physically, mentally, and financially.
Secondly, the cost for this treatment is esti-
mated at about $75,000.
Dr. Soloway admits that more studies are
needed to demostrate that using the vaccine at
earlier stages of the diseases can have bene-
fitting effects. Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, dep-
uty chief medical officer of the American Can-
cer Society, stated that Provenge is not in-
tended to prevent someone from developing
prostate cancer rather that it is an attempt at
improving survival for those with late stages of
prostate cancer.
This development of Provenge is a milestone
for prostate cancer treatment. Future studies
planned to look at the effects of Provenge in
men who have early stages of prostate cancer.
With the advent of Provenge, men who are
suffering from prostate cancer have another
option to choose from in terms of treatment.
Source: Johnson, M., 2010, Health Buzz: FDA Approves Vaccine to
Treat Prostate Cancer. http://health.usnews.com/health-
news/managing-your-
healthcare/cancer/articles/2010/04/30/health-buzz-fda-approves-
vaccine-to-treat-prostate-cancer.html

What to expect from a prostate examination via digital rectal

examination (DRE) By Alexander Rodriguez

There comes a point in a man’s life when he will Procedure: The doctor will tell you that he What the Doctor Is Looking For: The doctor
be offered a prostate examination, namely needs to insert a finger into your rectum in moves his finger in a circular motion in order
DRE, as part of general health screening be- order to examine the prostate gland. You are to identify the lobes and groove of the prostate
cause of their age (usually 40 to 50) or some usually asked to stand with your feet apart gland. A normal sized prostate gland is around
problem relating to difficulty in passing urine. facing the hospital bed leaning forward so that 2-4 cm long and triangular in shape. He would
The examination takes only a few minutes to your arms or elbows are on the couch. If also expect the prostate to feel firm and rub-
complete and is painless. you're nervous about not being able to see bery.
what's going on, this is a good time to ask the
Some barriers that men face is that they associ- doctor to describe each step to you before it Relax: Remember you are being responsible
ate digital rectal exam penetration with homo- happens. by getting this done. However, an important
sexuality, which is a significant barrier to DRE . thing is that you have talk to your doctor
To relieve any potential apprehension about The doctor will put on a surgical glove and will about this procedure and other prostate can-
DRE the following is what you can expect…….. cover a finger in lubricant. The finger will be cer screening options.
inserted in a downwards angle as if pointing to
your (belly button). You may feel a little pres-
sure, but there shouldn't be any pain or dis-
comfort. If it hurts, tell the doctor immediately.
A few seconds may elapse as the doctor waits
for the external sphincter muscle to relax. You
may be aware of some movement of the fin-
ger before it is removed. The doctor will
probably tell you he is going to remove his
finger and then offer you some tissue or pre-
moistened wipes to clean off the lubricant.
 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 PAGE 3

Can dogs sniff out prostate cancer?

By Alexander Rodriguez

Many say that man’s best friend is his
dog, but can your best friend diagnosis
you for cancer? In a recently posted
article in USA Today, French research-
ers present evidence that dogs may
have the ability to detect cancer.
A dog was trained to identify urine from
patients who were confirmed 100 per-
cent in having prostate cancer. The
dogs were then taught to discriminate
the different samples from prostate
cancer patients and healthy men who
had no trace of prostate cancer or any
other type of cancer. Being compared to
prostate specific antigen test (PSA),
dogs have been documented to produce
fewer false positive tests. Although us-
ing dogs can revolutionize prostate can-
cer diagnosis, researchers are more
interested in the chemical that the dog is
reacting to, so researchers can develop
an electronic nose.
Source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/
pawprintpost/post/2010/06/dogs-sniff-out-prostate-
cancer/1
Source picture:
http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/0
40614/HMED_DogCancer.hmedium.jpg

Testosterone Therapy: Men with untreated prostate cancer

By Alexander Rodriguez

As men, we need to understand our bodies and we need to know who to go to when there is a problem. A great resource for men to
maintain wellness come from the services of a urologist. Urologists are M.D.s’ that deal with issues like kidney stones, cancer of the
kidney, bladder, testicles, and prostate, incontinence (leakage of urine), frequent urination, male sexual and fertility problems and a
number of child born abnormalities, such as undescended testicles and obstructed kidneys.
At this year’s American Urological Association conference (AUA), in San Francisco, Dr. Abraham Morgentaler and his fellow col-
leagues presented new evidence that men with prostate cancer can be safely watched for years without requiring treatment.
Morgentaler gave testosterone therapy to 13 men that were untreated for prostate cancer and were followed for 2.5 years. Results
from the study show that there was no progression of prostate cancer among participant men. In fact, the participants had experi-
enced improvements in their symptoms of fatigue or decreased sexual performance and interest. What Dr. Morgentaler found
“remarkable” was not the significant results from the study, but that the study was even conducted in the first place. For almost 70
years, it was universally accepted that raising testosterone levels in a man causes prostate cancer to grow more rapidly as higher
testosterone levels might make “sleeping cells” wake up and start dividing and forming a tumor.
Dr. Abraham Morgentaler stated “almost four years ago when an 84-year-old patient of mine, a lawyer, requested testosterone
treatment, I consented to prescribe it -- even though he had untreated prostate cancer. When the blood test prostate-specific anti-
gen (PSA), an indicator of prostate cancer status, declined over the first two years instead of increasing -- as one would expect if
the cancer were growing” (Morgentaler, 2010). Testosterone therapy has many important benefits for men including improvement in
energy, sexual desire and performance, muscle mass and strength, bone density and mood. One of the biggest challenges, though,
is getting health care providers beyond the fear that higher testosterone leads to more prostate cancer. Based on the research of
untreated males with prostate cancer will help bring down old barriers about testosterone therapy so that more men will be able to
receive the treatment they need to experience the health and well-being that they deserve.

Source: Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, 2010. Health topics

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/06/04/testosterone-therapy-and-prostate-cancer/
 PAGE 4 PROSTATE CANCER

An inside look at the next newsletter

MAN-O-PAUSE?
By Alexander Rodriguez

Male menopause does exist, but it's rare. A
recent study published in the New England
Journal of Medicine suggest that middle-
aged men with disconcerting symptoms like
performance anxiety shouldn't blame their
woes on the "change of life", but they do
suggest that a form of male menopause
does exist.
Male menopause afflicts just two percent of
guys. Nearly 4,000 men between the ages
of 40 and 79 were examined by research-
ers at the University of Manchester for their
testosterone levels and were asked ques-
tions about their mental, physical, and sex-
ual health for the study. Some symptoms
that are associated with low levels of tes-
tosterone in men were “low levels of sexual
desire, erectile dysfunction and poor morn-
ing erection, along with fatigue and depres-
sion” (Black, 2010). Source Pictures: http://cdn-
www.expertvillage.com/showImage.aspx?site=21&fn=male-
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/
health/2010/06/17/2010-06-
menopause-keep-records.jpg
17_male_menopause_exists_but_its_rare_study.html#ixzz0r http://www.thehouseontherock.net/home/140003648/1400
k1iEWp0 06156/Andropause%20Droop.JPG

RESOURCES
Email us for more Information
TUmenshealth@gmail.com

Talking About Men’s Health

www.talkingaboutmenshealth.com
1301 Cecil B. Moore The Prostate Cancer Foundation
Ave. http://www.pcf.org/site/c.leJRIROrEpH/b.5699537/k.BEF4/Home.htm
904B Ritter Annex Knowledge is
Philadelphia, PA Nation Institute of Medicine and Nation Institute of Health
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/prostatecancer.html Power, Man Up!
19122
Mayo Clinic
Phone: 215-204-9111 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prostate-cancer/ds00043
Fax: 215-204-1854 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/

National Cancer Institute of the United States

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/prostate