Jun
18
2008
Men treated for prostate cancer have high levels of psychological distress and many suffer ongoing sexual dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms, according to a survey of men in England designed to explore their supportive care needs.
Prostate cancer is the commonest solid cancer in men, accounting for one in every four cancers diagnosed in males in England in 2004. Fortunately, the survival rate for this cancer is improving, reflecting the slow growing nature of the disease and its successful treatment in many men. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of men are still alive five years after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
A range of treatment options - include surgery, radiotherapy and hormonal treatments - are available for prostate cancer, with the choice being determined by a man’s age, the stage of his cancer and any other conditions that he has. Some of the treatments can have long-term effects on sexual and urological function.
The primary aim of treatment is to optimise cancer control, but some doctors also take into account a man’s urological and sexual function before treatment and the patient’s views on the balance of treatment efficacy against side-effects.
Relatively little is known about the support care needs - the requirements for care arising during illness and treatment to manage symptoms and side-effects - in men treated for prostate cancer. To find out more about how the disease and its treatment affects men, nursing researchers surveyed men with prostate cancer in six areas of England.
The researchers invited 1848 men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the previous three to 24 months, from across six NHS Trusts (geographical regions in the National Health Service) to take part in the research study. Those who replied (820 men) were sent a postal questionnaire asking about their supportive care needs, prostate symptoms, quality of life, their cancer and its treatment; 741 were returned.
Three-quarters of the men taking part in the survey were 65 years old or over, Half (51%) had received hormonal therapy, one-quarter (25%) had radical prostatectomy and 28% had radiotherapy to the prostate. Just under half (46%) of the men said their cancer was in remission.
The survey revealed that the men had significant unmet supportive care needs. generico cialis in linea comrare The areas of greatest need were related to psychological distress, sexuality-related problems and the management of enduring lowering urinary tract symptoms. The researchers noted: "High levels of psychological distress were reported, and those reporting psychological distress reported greater unmet supportive care needs."
Men who were uncertain of their remission status had higher levels of psychological need, while those not in remission were more likely to have needs for information.
Nearly one-third (30%) of the men taking part in the survey reported moderate or extreme anxiety or depression. A similar number had difficulty with undertaking usual activities. Some or extreme pain was reported by 26% of the men and 22% had problems with mobility.
Virtually all (97%) of the men reported that they had experienced lower urinary tract symptoms, including frequency or needing to urinate during the night, during the month before the survey. Urinary symptoms were affected by treatment, remission status and time since last treatment. They were least severe in men who were in remission, in those who had undergone radical prostatectomy and/or in those who had completed their treatment 19-24 months before the survey.
Unmet needs related to sexuality were more common in younger men and in those who had undergone radical prostatectomy.
The researchers, led by Emma Ream, from the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London, UK, said: "The survey identified high levels of psychological distress within the sample, even though the majority had completed treatment over a year previously." They suggested that need for psychological care was particularly high in men not in remission or whose remission status was uncertain. "The need for systematic assessment and better management of psychological distress in men with prostate cancer was evident in this study," they concluded, adding that sexual dysfunction and lower urinary tract system symptoms also required greater attention by prostate services.
Reference
Supportive care needs of men living with prostate cancer in England: a survey.
Ream E, Quennell A, Fincham L. et al.
British Journal of Cancer advance online publication 2008, 1-7, doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6604406
Cancer Research Summaries are overviews of important cancer research findings that have been reported in leading cancer publications. The Cancer Research Summaries are provided by the Cancer Media Service (CMS) in collaboration with Nature Clinical Practice Oncology.
"This summary is provided by the European School of Oncology’s Cancer Media Service"
Cancer Media Service
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Jun
18
2008
UroToday.com - Currently, the most common curative treatment options for men with localized prostate cancer are radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy and interstitial permanent brachytherapy and radical prostatectomy. Treatment decisions should particularly consider the specific risk and toxicity profile of a treatment method.
There is a lack of prospective studies focusing on the sexual quality of life of prostate cancer patients before and after a definitive conformal radiotherapy from the patients’ perspective. The aim of this study was to assess prospectively the incidence of erectile and predictive factors in a patient population treated with the same radiotherapy technique and a homogenous dose level, without antiandrogen treatment before radiotherapy or in the follow-up period. Patient age, comorbidities, prostate volume, planning target volume, pre-treatment sexual function and treatment of erectile dysfunction have been considered.
As with other studies, this study supports a progressively decreasing sexual function with longer follow-up intervals due to chronic radiotherapy effects, patient age and comorbidities. A stable level cannot be expected in a population of men with prostate cancer. acheter cialis soft bon marche However, chronic erectile dysfunction can very well be predicted shortly after radiotherapy, so that erectile dysfunction cannot only be regarded as a chronic effect of irradiation. As common after radical prostatectomy, the initiation of an early treatment could result in improved erectile function after radical radiotherapy.
Patient age and sexual function are the most important prognostic factors for the return of potency after radical prostatectomy. As shown in our study, these factors are equally of major importance after radiotherapy. The best predictor for preserving erections sufficient for sexual intercourse is the occurrence of spontaneous erections in the morning or night, before treatment. Diabetic patients are not only predisposed for erectile dysfunction before radiotherapy, but additionally for post- radiotherapy acquired erectile dysfunction.
Written by Michael Pinkawa, MD, as part of Beyond the Abstract on UroToday.com
UroToday - the only urology website with original content written by global urology key opinion leaders actively engaged in clinical practice.
To access the latest urology news releases from UroToday, go to:
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Jun
17
2008
Maxi-K gene therapy may be a safe and effective future option for men whose erectile dysfunction (ED) is not treatable with oral therapy. Two studies presented at the 103rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) may give hope to these individuals. Researchers present their findings to reporters in a special press conference on May 20, 2008 at 10 a.m.
Maxi-K therapy is a unique, locally administrated gene-transfer technology to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). The safety and the restorative effects of the treatment have been shown by data from participants in a phase I trial. In some men, the effect lasted up to six months. The gene therapy appears safe as no transfer-related adverse events were reported more than two years after the transfer in some subjects. Unlike conventional oral therapies for men with ED, Maxi-K therapy does not require prior planning, fosters sexual spontaneity and can be used by men taking heart medication.
Researchers not only provided follow-up to previous studies on Maxi-K therapy in men, but also explored whether increased erectile function enhanced other areas of sexual behavior. Male cynomulgus monkeys with ED were observed during their injection period and while in the presence of estrogen-implanted females. Researchers observed and measured the monkeys’ number of ejaculations, time to ejaculation, number of mounts, time to first mount, number of thrusts, number of sexual invitations by the female and number of erections achieved. generishe viagra soft online kaufen mastercard Researchers observed dramatic changes after gene transfer, including increases in the number of partial and full erections and a two-fold increase in erection duration. An increase in intimacy was also seen. The data imply that increased erectile function per se may lead to increased sexual function.
"This study gives hope to men who experience ED but have not responded to oral therapies," said Arnold Melman, M.D., one of the study’s authors. The importance of these observations in clinical and pre-clinical trials is that it appears that gene transfer with the Maxi-K channel enhances both erectile capacity as well as other important measures of sexual behavior."
Researchers also presented updated data reaffirming that human patients being treated with hMaxi-K therapy for ED were not adversely affected. The trial, conducted with 11 men between the ages of 18 and 65 with moderate to severe ED who received previous unsuccessful treatment, concluded that direct, organ-targeted, naked DNA gene transfer with hMax-K produced no treatment-related adverse events and the treatment is not associated other diseases or conditions. These results open the door to further testing involving Maxi-K gene transfer and could lead to its effective use in treating the human population.
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Christ GJ, Andersson K, Williams K, Zhao W, D’Agostino R, Kaplan J: Restoration of erectile function and sexual behavior in atherosclerotic monkeys following maxi-k gene transfer with a smooth muscle-specific promoter. J Urol, suppl., 2008; 179: 425, abstract 1240.
Melman A, Davies KP, McCullough AR, Bar-Chama N, Christ GJ: Long-term safety follow up of a phase I trial for gene transfer therapy of ED with hMaxi-k. J Urol, suppl., 2008; 179: 426, abstract 1241.
About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is the pre-eminent professional organization for urologists, with more than 15,000 members throughout the world. An educational nonprofit organization, the AUA pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care by carrying out a wide variety of programs members and their patients, including UrologyHealth.org, an award-winning on-line patient education resource, and the American Urological Association Foundation, Inc.
Source: Lacey Holt
American Urological Association
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Jun
17
2008
Men’s Health News
It appears that disrupted rest and activity rhythms are associated with increased mortality rates among older men, according to new University of Minnesota research.
A group of about 3,000 men older than 67, were tested for rest and activity biological rhythms via a wrist device called an actigraph. The device tracked participants’ movement, including the peak times of rest and activity, as well as the robustness of the activity for 24 hours a day for an average of about a week between Dec. 2003 and March 2005. As of January 2008, there were 180 deaths in the group, and men who had peak activity times that were the earliest or latest, in comparison with the groups’ average, had a much greater risk of death.
"It’s important to have a regular routine of waking and going to sleep," said Misti Paudel, M.P.H., principal investigator of the study and a member of the School of Public Health. "Waking early, staying up late, and severely disturbed sleep patterns may have a detrimental impact on health in older men, especially since this group was generally in good health. A good night sleep is important."
This is the first study to report strong associations between disturbed rest and activity rhythms and mortality rates in older men, who are still living in their homes (not institutionalized) - however, studies in cancer patients as well as institutionalized Alzheimer’s patients have reported similar findings.
Paudel will be presenting information from the study during the Associated Professional Sleep Societies Conference today in Baltimore, MD.
Lack of sleep can lead to a number of problems in older adults including depression, memory problems, and decreased attentiveness, and also can lead to serious health problems such as an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, Paudel said.
Another key study finding is that men with more robust rest/activity rhythms had much lower mortality rates. comprare il viagra senza ricetta Having greater levels of activity during the day and/or lower levels of activity during the night (better sleep quality) are characteristics of robust rhythms.
"From a sleep standpoint, getting a good night’s sleep appears to be important factor for health and longevity for people of all ages, and especially for older adults - where complaints of insomnia and other sleep disturbances are much more common than in younger cohorts," she said. "It is important that anyone who has concerns about their sleep quality should consult their physician."
Future research should examine association with specific causes of death and with health related outcomes, Paudel said. The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging.
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Jun
17
2008
Men’s Health News
Men with serious injuries, such as traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, must deal with a range of emotions.
generic diflucan online buy If these men have strong traditional masculine ideas and abuse alcohol, it becomes even more difficult to help them heal and come to terms with their emotions and situations. A University of Missouri psychology researcher studied these challenging factors to find better ways to understand and treat men who fit this mold, such as the injured soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It is really a triple whammy," said Glenn Good, professor of educational, school and counseling psychology in the MU College of Education. "Counselors face many challenges when it comes to helping men deal with emotions surrounding serious injuries. Newly injured men often face adjustments in the level of personal assistance they require, and this may result in struggles with some aspect of the traditional masculine role, such as a ‘go it alone’ mentality. When three factors - injury, traditional male role and alcohol abuse - occur together, the rehabilitation process may be a challenge. In this study, we examined the combination of all three factors with the aim of better understanding how to treat men with several challenges."
Good and his colleagues found that a young man with a serious injury would often report a greater pursuit of status, higher drive for dominance and increased risk taking. However, they were more open to accepting assistance. Older men in the study tended to hold to the masculine attitude that they could do everything on their own and did not need any help, presenting a greater challenge.
"Unfortunately, we are going to have a country full of men like this coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan," Good said. "Soldiers have been trained to be hyper-masculine and, after a serious injury, could easily turn to alcohol use to deal with their new challenges. We have to confront this problem and create interventions that address all of these issues and not just one behavior or problem at a time. Our systems of care for people with spinal cord injuries, veterans and non-veterans, must address these issues proactively and with adequate resources to face these multiple challenges."
Good found alcohol use was common regardless of age. In the study, binge drinking was defined as five or more drinks per occasion.
"Some men are drinking instead of seeking appropriate help, but some have been heavy drinkers all along," Good said. "The binge drinking is problematic. Some may drink to suppress their bad feelings about being injured and their perceived loss of masculinity. They may think they are being strong by not seeking help when in fact turning to alcohol could be even more detrimental."
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