Screening and diagnosis
Blog
Our series of blog posts
Our blogs are written by health professionals who have expertise in the field of prostate and prostate cancer. You can therefore be assured that the information provided is precise and accurate. The many topics covered are intended to help people better understand the effects of the disease, treatment options and how to improve their quality of life.
My PSA is higher. Can the labs be wrong?
PSA is produced by healthy cells in the prostate. This is why it’s normal to find a small amount of PSA in your blood. A PSA higher than normal can be worrisome. However, the only conclusion we can draw is that your prostate is talking to you and that we need to investigate. A PSA test […]
Prognosis = Doctor, will I be cured?
After receiving your diagnosis of prostate cancer, it is natural to imagine the worst and worry about how cancer will affect your life and the lives of your loved ones. It can be difficult and stressful to have to decide on your treatment. You will most certainly have questions regarding your prognosis and may want […]
What happens if I decide not to treat my prostate cancer?
Should I treat my prostate cancer or leave it alone? The disease is easiest to treat while it is confined to the prostate. At this stage, surgery and radiation are most likely to be curative and completely kill or remove whatever cancer cells are present. But let’s take a look at the natural history of prostate […]
Scared stiff of having a prostate biopsy?
Although the DRE and PSA tests are useful, they are not enough to make a clear diagnosis of prostate cancer. When results are abnormal or questionable, the doctor may prescribe a transrectal ultrasound and a biopsy. These examinations usually provide enough information for a precise diagnosis. Having to undergo prostate biopsies can be scary: […]
Soon a diagnosis by simple blood test?
Diagnosing (not screening) prostate cancer by a simple blood test: this is the project on which works Dr. Catherine Alix-Panabières and a team of European researchers at CHU Montpellier. A method that would be more reliable and less invasive than the diagnosis by a biopsy of prostate tissue. With 12 men diagnosed daily in Quebec […]
Aromatherapy to treat prostate cancer?
Researchers at Duke University in North Carolina have shown that an olfactory receptor plays a critical role in the progression of prostate cancer. This discovery suggests that an approach that aims to block the olfactory receptor with specific molecules, or perhaps even with specific scents – aromatherapy – could become a new therapeutic pathway to fight […]