My New York Minute

Yesterday’s launch of a new test that identifies a unique 17-gene signature indicative of aggressive prostate cancer opens the door to a whole new world for patients. Sometimes we are so busy looking forward to the future that we fail to see it has arrived. Genomic Health’s introduction of a new test (Oncogene DX) can [...]

Twelve patients and survivors share their experiences in a unique documentary about living with prostate cancer. I have always been proud to work where I do and honored to meet and serve so many patients and families. Now, I am pleased to announce the release of Men’s Retreat, a first-of-its kind documentary that chronicles many of [...]

The tenth study of its kind shows that male pattern baldness may be an indicator for enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. When my surgeon first told me that my disease was metastatic and outlined the list of negative side effects that could go along with my androgen deprivation therapy (the blockage of testosterone production), I [...]

My update and apologies to all who have expressed concern… To all my friends and readers, I owe you a BIG apology. My treatment and re-entry to work have had me all consumed since my last posting. As an update, I was discharged from my retreat in the hospital after one week and am now [...]

Coming off of treatment, I am flooded with questions and emotions. Back in June, I first felt the apprehension about coming off of treatment this fall rear its head. At times the anxiety would suck the breath right out of me. At other moments, it simply nagged, weighing heavily on my emotions. The thought would [...]

I am thankful we are living in an age where men feel they can reach out to others–especially when it comes to this disease, its treatments and sometimes devastating side effects, especially depression.  I know I have written about the emergence of a new male–capable of opening up and discussing once taboo topics. I have also attributed the [...]

The side effects of treatment can make us doubt our personal strength.  I often say that there is no better time to be a prostate cancer patient–if you have to be one–than today. I believe it. I encourage many fellow patients with the idea. The pipeline, as underscored by the news coming out of this week’s ASCO meeting, [...]

The morning after the final USPSTF recommendation against widespread PSA screening leaves me believing that many have missed their mark and their efforts could have been better directed. The debate over PSA screening began to simmer and quickly rose to a boiling point about three years ago. Opponents pointed to the problem of overtreatment (according to scholars [...]

…the prospect of my last Lupron injection is a mixed bag. As I come off androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) later this summer, I’ll be letting go of my emotional and physcial safety net while trying to cross to the other side of cancer. I corresponded with my oncologist on Friday and the good news is that my [...]

The TV commercial is right: depression hurts. But knowing the cause gives one important defenses. I have written before about how much physicians try to warn patients undergoing treatment for prostate cancer about depression. In the case of ADT, without our natural defense line of testosterone, there are oh so many reasons for it, not to mention [...]