Nivolumab for Prostate Cancer

Can prostate cancer be cured?

Prostatic tumourigenesis may be associated at least to some degree with alterations in the PTEN protein. The PTEN protein may thus represent a new target for the treatment of prostate cancer.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a tumor that forms in the prostate and can spread throughout the body, often in the form of a hormone-sensitive, localized prostate cancer. The disease is most common in men older than 65 years. Cancer can spread throughout the body or to the bones in the lower part of the body. The average age of men affected by prostate cancer is 69 years. Patients usually do not survive more than two years from the time prostate cancer is diagnosed. However, with treatment, the chance of surviving five years is 50% or more.

What are common treatments for prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a very common malpractice, with men being treated in any given area of the country. However, there is a high prevalence of low grade tumors and these appear to be more likely to be treated surgically. The treatment strategies and rates employed vary across the developed and developing world. The most prevalent treatment for [prostate cancer](https://www.withpower.com/clinical-trials/prostate-cancer) in developed countries is radiotherapy, which is delivered through external beam techniques. In the developing world, radical prostatectomy and hormonal therapy remain the predominant treatments employed. New techniques with better indications and outcomes are emerging in the developed world. The number of centres providing prostate cancer treatment is increasing. More prospective trials are warranted to further define the optimal treatment strategy for prostate cancer.

How many people get prostate cancer a year in the United States?

The incidence of PCa is increasing drastically worldwide. Men in the US do not only have a higher prevalence rate of PCa compared to their Western counterparts but also a higher incidence rate. However, as a result of lower detection rates of early-stage PCa in America, a lower mortality rate has been observed in US men.

What are the signs of prostate cancer?

Symptoms of PCa are as follows: urinary urgency, hesitancy and incontinence, difficulty in starting an erection, hematuria, dysuria and pelvic pain. More than 50 % of patients have  symptoms that affect their sleep and their relationship with their partner. Patients usually prefer to go to healthcare facilities for treatments rather than be treated at home. Therefore, when diagnosing a patient with symptoms, a medical professional has to evaluate all the symptoms of patients according to the following factors: age of the patient,  clinical characteristics of the patient, other family members' symptoms,  information of patients and their  partner about this patient's  symptoms.

What causes prostate cancer?

At a more detailed level, [prostate cancer](https://www.withpower.com/clinical-trials/prostate-cancer) is a syndrome. It is a result of multiple genetic and environmental factors that interfere with the normal development of the prostate, making its cells and cells of the sex nerves more prone to problems.

How does nivolumab work?

Nivolumab showed a therapeutic benefit in a dose dependent fashion in a range of immunotherapy-naive and –experienced patients with metastatic HR-positive, HER2-positive early-phase [breast cancer](https://www.withpower.com/clinical-trials/breast-cancer).<br><br>

1. The study was performed with permission by the Department for the Fight against Cancer and its related organizations<br>\n2.

Have there been other clinical trials involving nivolumab?

While studies are ongoing with different drugs and treatment regimens, there is an expectation that nivolumab will be a safe and effective treatment in a range of indications.

What are the common side effects of nivolumab?

Patients receiving nivolumab reported higher incidence of fatigue, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, constipation, and rash compared to patients receiving placebo. The most frequent side effect requiring treatment interruption was fatigue. Nivolumab, when used in men inadequately responding to chemotherapy, can be a potential treatment option to treat elderly men with castration-resistant and metastatic prostate cancer with significant symptomatology.

Is nivolumab typically used in combination with any other treatments?

In patients with metastatic renal cell or papillary renal cell cancer receiving nivolumab, combination treatments comprised of nivolumab were associated with a relatively lower incidence of disease progression or death from cancer compared with other treatments and the prognoses were similar to those reported in the NICE guidance for advanced renal cell cancer (NCT 01542570). Results from a recent clinical trial do not indicate an superiority for combinations. Moreover, the use of nivolumab in combination treatment with other treatments for advanced renal cell cancer does not have to be replaced by a PSA-guided approach.

What are the chances of developing prostate cancer?

Results from a recent clinical trial indicated significant likelihood of developing prostate adenocarcinoma. Results from a recent clinical trial may be used to help men avoid unnecessary screening.

Does nivolumab improve quality of life for those with prostate cancer?

We found that a single intravenous infusion of nivolumab caused significant improvements in health-related quality of life among men with prostate cancer who had recently received androgen deprivation therapy and who had had persistent disease progression on androgen deprivation therapy. In a recent study, findings from this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial suggest that a single intravenous infusion of nivolumab may improve quality of life in men with metastatic prostate cancer.