Prostate cancer: Combining therapies could 'prolong life by many years'

Cancer impacts people all over the world. Experts are constantly evaluating how different treatments can eliminate or slow the spread of cancer. Each type of cancer is different, leading to the development of various treatment and detection methods. A recent study that appears in The LancetTrusted Source found that a specific combined treatment therapy may improve the survival rate for men with prostate cancer. How serious is prostate cancer? Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among men. As noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2018, there were over 210,000 new cases of prostate cancer, and almost 31,500 of those with prostate cancer died of it. As noted by the American Cancer SocietyTrusted Source, a few different methods can help detect prostate cancer. One is to do a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. If the PSA level is higher than a specific reference point, it can indicate prostate cancer. However, there are other reasons for the PSA level to be high, so this is not a definitive diagnostic tool. Doctors can also do a digital rectal exam to feel the prostate and note abnormal lumps. To confirm the findings of an elevated PSA or an abnormal digital rectal exam, doctors will order a biopsy of the prostate. If this confirms the presence of prostate cancer, treatment can begin. TreatmentTrusted Source for prostate cancer may include one or several options, such as surgery, radiation, cryotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy. Researchers are still working to improve the treatment options and survival rate for people with prostate cancer. Studying treatment options The study in The Lancet was a randomized controlled trial. Researchers divided men with prostate cancer into three distinct treatment groups. The study included participants that had previously had to have their prostate removed and had a certain PSA level after prostate removal. A total of 1,792 participants enrolled in the study. Researchers sought to discover if using a specific, combined treatment method increased survival rates and decreased severe cancer progression. They used the label “freedom from progression.” The three treatment groups included the three different treatment methods: group 1 received a form of radiation called salvage prostate bed radiotherapy (PBRT), which specifically targets the prostate area following the removal of the prostate group 2 received the same radiation as group 1 (PBRT) and also received short-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)Trusted Source, which works to suppress certain hormones to decrease the fuel of cancerous prostate cells group 3 received the same treatments as group 2, adding one more component: This group received PBRT, ADT, and pelvic lymph node radiotherapy (PLNRT), a type of radiation that explicitly targets the lymph nodes in the pelvic area, which is where prostate cancer can spread. The study found that freedom from progression after 5 years was highest for those in group 3. In group 1, almost 71% of the group had freedom from progression. In group 3, the percentage was 87.4%. These results indicate that adding short-term androgen deprivation therapy and pelvic lymph node radiotherapy to salvage prostate bed radiotherapy can help to improve survival rates among those with prostate cancer.