0000000000705921
AUTHOR
Pieter De Visschere
Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review
Abstract Context The assessment of “soft” endpoints such as health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is increasingly relevant when evaluating the optimal treatment sequence of novel therapeutic options in patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Objective To systematically review contemporary data regarding HRQOL outcomes in patients with advanced PCa. Evidence acquisition A systematic review of the literature published between January 2011 and March 2019 was performed using the PubMed/Medline Database. In total, 873 articles were screened, and 14 articles including 12 661 patients were selected for synthesis and included in the current analysis according to the Preferred Reporting Items…
Aggressive variants of prostate cancer – Are we ready to apply specific treatment right now?
Recently, adoption of novel drugs for systemic treatment of metastatic prostate cancer has led to a striking improvement of response rate and survival in both hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant disease. In most cases, prostate cancer essentially depends on androgen receptor signaling axis, even in castration-resistant setting, and hence may be targeted by second generation hormonal therapy. However, a subset of patients bears androgen-independent cancer biology with a short-term response to hormonal treatment, early and extensive visceral metastases, low PSA levels and poor outcomes. Identification and specific management of these rapidly fatal malignancies is of an unmet medical ne…
Hereditary prostate cancer – Primetime for genetic testing?
Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the most common cancer in men. The proportion of all PCa attributable to high-risk hereditary factors has been estimated to 5-15%. Recent landmark discoveries in PCa genetics led to the identification of germline mutations/alterations (eg. BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM or HOXB13), single nucleotide polymorphisms or copy number variations associated with PCa incidence and progression. However, offering germline testing to men with an assumed hereditary component is currently controversial. In the present review article, we provide an overview about the epidemiology and the genetic basis of PCa predisposition and critically discuss the significance and consequence in the cli…