Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. About 1 in 8 men are at risk of prostate cancer diagnosis and about 1 in 44 men die due to it, according to the American Cancer Society. While the rates of deaths related to prostate cancer have declined in recent years, this decline rate has slowed down, meaning that more cancers are being detected at an advanced stage. However, a new clinical trial could help turn these statistics around. This is not a new medicine, this treatment regime is based on two FDA-approved drugs, and it is showing some promising results. A new clinical trial shows that a combination of two drugs can dramatically help men whose prostate cancer has returned following surgery or radiation. This new therapy was found to cut the risk of death by more than 40% in this high-risk group. The successful regimen combines the drug enzalutamide with the standard hormone therapy doctors typically prescribe. This dual approach resulted in a major reduction in deaths for patients with recurrent prostate cancer who previously had very few effective treatment options left. The highly anticipated results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and presented simultaneously at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress (ESMO) on October 19. Why Is Prostate Cancer Considered High Risk? The American Cancer Society estimates for 2025 are about 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosis and 35,770 deaths from it. One of the best ways to combat cancer is early diagnosis, however, missing symptoms is very easy. With the help of this medicinal regime, many people can avoid facing harsh cancer treatments. The clinical trial was extensive, involving over 1,000 patients from hundreds of medical facilities across 17 different countries. All of the men were diagnosed with a condition known as high-risk biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. This specific diagnosis is given to men whose blood levels of a protein called PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) suddenly start to climb rapidly after they've had surgery or radiation. Doctors use the PSA protein to track the cancer, and a quick rise is a strong signal that the cancer is highly likely to come back and spread to other areas, most often the bones or spine. Without a truly powerful treatment, these patients face a high risk of developing widespread cancer and possibly dying from their disease. What Medicine Can Reduce the Risk Of Prostate Cancer? In the study, the men were randomly put into three groups: one group got only the standard hormone therapy, one got only enzalutamide, and the third got the combination of both drugs. After the men were tracked for eight years, the group that received the combination treatment had a death rate that was 40.3% lower than the other two groups. These excellent results are expected to quickly change the way doctors treat this type of cancer everywhere. The drug enzalutamide is already approved by government agencies and listed in major cancer treatment guidelines based on previous studies. These latest results will likely make the recommendation even stronger, confirming that this drug combination should become the standard treatment for men with this aggressive, recurrent prostate cancer. This outcome supports earlier research and will significantly improve how doctors care for their patients. Symptoms of Prostate Cancer You Should Know. While researchers are working on ways to improve prostate cancer treatment, one must know how to spot any symptoms of it as well. According to the National Health Service UK, prostate cancer has no symptoms at first. However, as the cancer starts growing on the outer parts of the prostate, you may notice some problems. Having a hard time getting your urine flow to start, or needing to push or strain to get the urine out.When you do urinate, the flow is much weaker than usual.Your stream stops and starts multiple times while you're trying to empty your bladder.Suddenly seeing a rise in the urgency and frequency of needing to urinate, than what you usually feel.Feeling like your bladder isn't completely empty, even right after you finish urinating.Waking up many times during the night because you need to urinate.Some symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include Erectile dysfunctionBlood in your urine or semenLower back pain and unexpected weight loss.
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