Rethinking Prostate Cancer Surveillance – Can Gene Sequencing Personalize Treatment?
Researchers are investigating a new approach to prostate cancer management: incorporating genetic risk into treatment decisions. A new study highlights the potential of polygenic risk scores – a measure calculated from a number of genetic variants – to help doctors determine the best course of action for men undergoing active surveillance.
One of the biggest uncertainties in prostate cancer management is determining which patients on active surveillance need more attentive monitoring or even more aggressive therapy. The goal of active surveillance is to closely monitor cancer progression, avoiding unnecessary intervention and its potential side effects if the cancer is slow-growing and not aggressive.
“Right now, this could be meaningful for some people but it’s hard to know how clinically useful it could be,” points out one researcher, emphasizing the need for further investigation to refine the approach.
“We need to do more research to try to improve models specific to disease progression on active surveillance, and look at rare variants, which can be very important in prostate cancer," the researcher adds.
This new approach has captured愿意 Involvement with patients has been absolutely vital.", the principal investigator notes.
, highlighting the importance of patient input and collaboration.
Unveiling Health Disparities in Prostate Cancer Treatment
New research shines a light on the disturbing reality of health disparities in prostate cancer treatment. A recent study found Black patients were less likely to receive certain treatments for prostate cancer, even though they face a significantly higher risk of dying from the disease compared to white patients.
Neighborhood-level social determinants of health factor into these disparities. The research team highlights these social factors play a role, but frankly don’t account for all these inequities. Black patients were found to be less likely to receive both radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy from other patients.
Alarmingly, the study also discovered," physicians treat Black individuals differently than they do white individuals, even when compared regardless of other patient Ologi
compared to that physician’s average behavior
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This finding underscores the critical need for community-driven interventions specifically designed to address these inequities influencing Black individuals with prostate cancer treatment Westbrook.
Are Certain Words Already Hindering Cancer Treatment?
Researchers are also proposing a nuanced approach to how we talk about prostate cancer. This shift in language focuses on the wording used to describe advanced stages of prostate cancer, particularly the phrases “metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer” and “castration resistant prostate cancer”.
Researchers believe that the term "castration" can be emotionally charged and potentially discouraging for patients. Instead, they advocate for terms like "metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer" and "androgen deprivation-resistant prostate cancer".
These changes,xj
the researchers believe, could minimize confusion, improve communication, and ultimately encourage more accurate understanding and less fear when discussing advanced stages of the disease.
