In The News

Well-Done Meat Consumption May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
Research into the dietary habits of about a thousand men from the Cleveland area has found that a high consumption of meats, especially of red meat prepared by grilling, is positively associated with an increased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. This particular study, which was led by Dr. John Witte of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has a number of limitations, but it does add support to other investigations connecting meat consumption with cancer risk.

Toronto researchers speculate regarding a link between prostate cancer and oral contraceptive use
Very preliminary and speculative research, designed to spark further inquires, suggests that there may be a connection between oral contraceptive use and rising rates of prostate cancer. One theory is that the widespread use of birth-control pills in various populations may result in a higher level of estrogen in the environment, which might, in turn, increase prostate cancer risk.

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Biodegradable sling may reduce incontinence after prostatectomy

11/1/2011

Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) are testing the possibility that men undergoing robot-assisted prostate cancer surgery will benefit from having a biodegradable “sling” inserted. This sling, because it is biodegradable, can be left in the patient at the time of surgery to support the bladder neck and urethra after the prostate is removed, and doctors think it will aid in the recovery of continence.

Cook Medical in Bloomington, Indiana developed the biodegradable sling, and it is currently being used at the time of surgery by the IUSM Department of Urology. It is inserted during a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). According to Dr. Chandru Sundaram, professor of urology at IUSM, “the sling procedure during robotic surgery is likely to significantly decrease incontinence after surgery.”

And that is good news, as many men fear losing control over their urinary function after prostate cancer surgery, especially younger men, notes Sundaram. “The most important concerns for patients coming in for a prostate removal are twofold: incontinence and erectile function,” he says. He adds, “this sling concept isn’t new, but this usage is.” (Male slings have been used for years to treat men who do not recover urinary continence after undergoing a prostatectomy; the devices are surgically inserted long after the initial prostate cancer surgery, once it is determined that patients will not recover sufficient control over their urinary function as a consequence of natural healing. See the PCCN article by Doug Scott entitled “A device to restore urinary continence after prostate cancer treatment.”)

The research will involve approximately 80 patients from two hospitals associated with Indiana University: IU Health University Hospital and IU Health North Hospital. All of these patients will be monitored after their surgeries, and all will have undergone a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), which involves the complete removal of the prostate. Half of the men will receive a biodegradable sling during surgery, and half will receive the current standard of care, which does not include a sling.

The research will track the amount of time it takes for regular bladder function to return to the men in each group. Researchers believe that inserting a sling during surgery will help men return to regular urinary functioning sooner and decrease problems with incontinence.

For more information on incontinence after prostate cancer treatment, click here.

References:

Indiana University, 26 October 2011, IUS surgeons pilot new approach to reduce incontinence after prostate cancer, School of Medicine News.

Petra Rattue, 31 October 2011, Incontinence after prostate cancer surgery - Will biodegradable sling help? Medical News Today.