Tag Archives: chase

Study identifies when and how much various prostate cancer treatments will impact urinary and sexual functioning — ScienceDaily

Looking over data gathered from more than 17,000 surveys completed by men diagnosed with prostate cancer, Fox Chase researchers tracked when patients’ urinary and sexual symptoms changed following each type of treatment, and by how much. “The ultimate goal,” says study author Matthew Johnson, MD, Resident Physician in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Fox Chase, “is to develop a predictive tool that lets patients decide which treatment is right for them based on the symptoms they have beforehand, and their tolerance for any change — even temporary — in those symptoms.” After a diagnosis of prostate cancer, men have multiple treatment options, including surgery to remove the prostate and several types of radiation therapy…

Genetic profile predicts which bladder cancer patients will benefit from early chemotherapy — ScienceDaily

During the study, 36 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer received chemotherapy before surgery, consisting of an accelerated regimen of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (AMVAC). By the time surgery rolled around, 14 patients appeared cancer-free. All but one of these patients carried mutations in at least one of three specific genes; none of these mutations were present in any of the people who still harbored traces of cancer after AMVAC. …

New technique alleviates painful bone metastases, study suggests

During the procedure, known as MR-guided focused ultrasound, doctors direct a concentrated beam of energy to specific nerve endings that are causing pain in bone metastases. These patients typically have a significant amount of discomfort — half of study participants rated their pain at least a 7 out of 10 — but within a handful of days, most said they felt significant relief. Although Fox Chase patients received local anesthesia during the procedure, the most commonly reported side effect was pain — which can often be alleviated with additional anesthesia, says study author Joshua Meyer, MD, attending physician in the Radiation Oncology Department at Fox Chase. "That’s temporary pain, which is gone as soon as the procedure is over," he says…