September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month – a time to make more people aware of this highly prevalent disease, its impact on the lives of the many men affected by it, and exciting advancements that will improve the lives of prostate cancer patients.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men (behind lung cancer). The National Cancer Institute estimates that prostate cancer will be diagnosed in more than 299,000 men in the U.S. in 2024.
And the number of cancers found at an advanced stage continues to rise.
Prostate cancer’s mean age at diagnosis is 66. Those at highest risk of developing the disease are African American men, Caribbean men of African ancestry, and men with a strong family history of prostate cancer – especially multiple first-degree male relatives diagnosed at a young age.
The five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer (detected before it can spread to other parts of the body) is over 99% – making annual checkups and early detection through screenings like the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test crucial for men, especially those at high risk.
Employing a multifaceted approach, including advanced research and comprehensive care, the University of Wisconsin Urology Department continues to make significant strides in understanding, diagnosing, and treating prostate cancer. Our cutting-edge treatments and commitment to innovative research initiatives span diverse areas such as genetics, imaging technologies, biomarker discovery, and groundbreaking treatment approaches.
The urologic oncology and interventional radiology teams at UW have established a novel treatment program using Wisconsin’s first MRI-guided cryoablation. A novel form of “focal therapy,” these procedures offer select patients a more accurate, minimally invasive option in the treatment of prostate cancer.
A current clinical trial examines a radiotracer called Pylarify® (18F-DCFPyL) to determine if using this novel imaging agent in PET Scans improves cancer detection in low-risk prostate cancer patients compared to previously used diagnostic methods. UW-Madison is one of the first and only research sites approved to study this new PET scan imaging agent in a cohort of low-risk prostate cancer patients.
Further, last year, prostate cancer research initiatives at UW earned a significant boost when the UW Carbone Cancer Center received the Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for research to advance new prostate cancer treatments. This designation, only one of a few active SPORE awards in the United States, comes with more than $11 million in federal funding to support new and existing research efforts.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month provides a crucial opportunity to highlight ongoing efforts in the battle against this prevalent disease. UW’s dedication to transformative research initiatives and state-of-the-art treatments underscores our commitment to advancing the field of prostate cancer diagnosis, care, and treatment. By combining cutting-edge research with innovative, compassionate care, we are forging a future where the disease is detected early and managed comprehensively, leading to improved outcomes and an enhanced quality of life for all prostate cancer patients.