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"While improving local control seems to be important, especially in those with high-risk features, it’s not clear whether adjuvant EBRT is necessarily better than early salvage EBRT," writes Badar M. Mian, MD.

Comorbidity does not affect prostate cancer-specific mortality, according to authors of a large prospective observational study of men in Sweden, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (2017; 35:3566-74).

Body mass index is an independent predictor of metastasis and prostate cancer mortality after radical prostatectomy, according to results from a large, long-term single-institution study.

“Active surveillance continues to gain traction as a management strategy for low-risk prostate cancer in the United States. However, barriers still exist and challenges remain for both the treating urologist and the patient,” writes J. Brantley Thrasher, MD.

Men undergoing active surveillance for prostate cancer experienced levels of anxiety that were moderate, but that decreased over time, according to results of a large, prospective cohort study presented at the 2017 Society of Urologic Oncology annual meeting in Washington.

"The management of prostate cancer always requires caution to safeguard against avoidable risks from both the treatment and the monitoring protocol," writes Badar M. Mian, MD.

Multiparametric MRI, USPSTF’s updated PSA screening recommendation, and the landmark STAMPEDE and LATITUDE trials were among this year’s highlights in the peer-reviewed literature for prostate cancer, according to Leonard G. Gomella, MD; Stacy Loeb, MD, MS; and J. Brantley Thrasher, MD.

Among men undergoing active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer, biennial biopsies appear to be an acceptable alternative to annual biopsies.

Patients with non-suspicious digital rectal exam findings and total PSA in the 4.0- to 10.0-ng/mL range are far less likely to be biopsied if they’ve undergone Prostate Health Index (phi) testing than if they don’t.

The overall use of active surveillance in men with low-risk prostate cancer is 14.2%, according to an examination of the National Cancer Data Base.

Tissue-based prognostic biomarker assays for prostate cancer are not robust to tumor multifocality and heterogeneity, according to research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.

Overexpression of a specific pair of genes might provide early warning of prostate cancer patients’ likelihood of progressing to metastatic disease.

Other products and services discussed in this round-up include a biosimilar for cancer, an American College of Surgeons manual on quality initiatives, a kidney cancer microsite, and more.

Adherence to current guidelines for genetic testing in men with prostate cancer would miss a sizable proportion of patients with pathogenic germline variants, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.

The level of immune response in prostate cancer may predict a patient’s response to radiation therapy, risk of disease recurrence, and survival outcomes, according to results of a recent analysis of prostate tumors.

Top-line results from a large phase III trial support a potential role for enzalutamide (XTANDI) as treatment for non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Treatment with radiotherapy plus androgen deprivation therapy may improve survival for select patients who are found to have pathologic node-positive prostate cancer at radical prostatectomy

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy was associated with earlier and increased rate of recovery of erectile function when compared to radical retropubic prostatectomy and a slightly higher but acceptable rate of positive surgical margins, according to a study published online in European Urology (Sept. 4, 2017).

Results of a study examining receipt of definitive therapy for intermediate/high-risk localized prostate cancer provide further evidence of racial disparity in prostate cancer favoring Caucasian men over African-American men.

One gentle “nudge” may be all it takes to start reducing the number of unnecessary bone scans ordered for asymptomatic men with low-risk prostate cancer, results of a recent quality improvement intervention suggest.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the prostate may be used in many clinical scenarios, including primary screening, active surveillance, and in patients with a previous negative biopsy and rising PSA. In this interview, Scott Eggener, MD, explains whether MRI is warranted in each of these situations and the benefits and challenges this technology presents.

Information from magnetic resonance imaging and systematic biopsy may be used to identify candidates for partial gland ablation among men with recurrent localized prostate cancer after radiation therapy, researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center reported at the AUA annual meeting in Boston.

Early follow-up of men with localized prostate cancer treated with novel technology that integrates fusion biopsy findings to guide high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU [Focal One]) shows the technique has promise for minimizing post-treatment morbidity while providing good cancer control, Italian researchers reported at the AUA annual meeting in Boston.

A recent review of two phase III randomized controlled trials demonstrated that addition of androgen deprivation therapy to salvage pelvic radiation therapy for prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy reduces the risk of metastases and improves overall survival.

The development of a model for identifying prostate cancer patients who may be appropriate candidates for hemi-ablative focal therapy remains a work in progress for researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The following letter was sent to Urology Times in response to a previously published letter to the editor, "Dear USPSTF: Don't discount value of PSA in men 70+."

Other pipeline developments include an agent to control pain in IC/BPS patients, an antibody to treat prostate and bladder cancer, an injectable OAB treatment, and more.

In this interview, Leonard G. Gomella, MD, provides an update on prostate cancer genetics, discusses the recent Prostate Cancer International Consensus Conference, and outlines why urologists should conduct more extensive family histories of their prostate cancer patients.