Showing recent highlights
What's New
PubMed · July 23, 2026
Researchers found that adding a targeted form of radiation called stereotactic body radiation therapy to an immunotherapy combination did not meaningfully improve outcomes for men with advanced prostate cancer that had stopped responding to hormone treatment. Both groups — those who received the radiation plus immunotherapy and those who received immunotherapy alone — had very similar results in shrinking tumors and lowering PSA levels, which is a protein in the blood used to track prostate cancer activity. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · July 22, 2026
According to European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) guidelines, a specialized form of focused radiation treatment — called stereotactic body radiation therapy, or SBRT, which delivers very precise, high-dose radiation in just a few sessions — is becoming more widely used for prostate cancer. ESTRO now recommends specific standards for how cancer centers should select patients for this treatment, plan it carefully, and follow up with patients afterward to make sure it's done safely and effectively. These guidelines matter because they help ensure that people with prostate cancer receive this treatment in a consistent, high-quality way no matter which radiation center they visit.
What's New
PubMed · July 17, 2026
Researchers found that for people with prostate cancer, using immunotherapy — treatments that help the body's own immune system fight cancer — on its own often struggled to overcome a key obstacle: special immune cells called regulatory T cells, which act like a 'brake' that stops the immune system from attacking the tumor. However, when immunotherapy was combined with other treatments, such as hormone-blocking therapy or certain types of chemotherapy, it was more effective at removing that brake and allowing the immune system to better target the cancer. This matters because finding ways to make immunotherapy work better in prostate cancer has been a long-standing challenge, and combination approaches may hold more promise — though this is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed (Open Access Guidelines) · July 15, 2026
A study found that in people with prostate cancer who received radiation therapy, those whose cancer came back (measured by rising PSA levels in the blood, which doctors call biochemical recurrence) were actually less likely to experience serious bowel side effects from their treatment. In other words, cancer returning and having significant bowel problems after radiation didn't tend to happen together in the same patients — an unexpected and somewhat puzzling pattern that researchers are still working to understand. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · July 15, 2026
According to European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines, a updated screening approach for prostate cancer combines three tools — personalized testing schedules based on PSA (a protein in the blood that can signal prostate cancer), an MRI scan before any biopsy, and a risk calculator — to help catch cancer while causing less harm from unnecessary testing and overdiagnosis (finding cancers that would never have caused problems). Compared to older screening methods, this approach reduced overdiagnosis by 10% and cut the number of MRI scans needed by more than a third, all while keeping the same level of protection against dying from prostate cancer. This matters because it means patients may go through fewer stressful procedures while still getting the protection that screening is meant to provide.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should know about a newer prostate cancer screening approach that uses PSA blood tests along with MRI scans and a risk calculator, since the doctor might recommend this instead of standard screening.
What's New
PubMed · July 14, 2026
Researchers found that men with prostate cancer who had robot-assisted surgery tended to return to work faster and miss fewer days compared to those who had traditional open surgery. Men with more advanced cancer or physically demanding jobs tended to be off work longer. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 10, 2026
Researchers found that for people with prostate cancer that has spread and is being treated with a combination of three therapies, starting hormone-blocking treatment (called ADT) a little while *before* adding chemotherapy may help lower the risk of a serious drop in infection-fighting white blood cells — a condition called severe neutropenia, which can make patients very vulnerable to dangerous infections. In the study, patients who got this head-start hormone treatment had roughly half the rate of that serious side effect during their first round of chemotherapy compared to those who didn't. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 7, 2026
Researchers found that AI models trained on MRI scans — detailed imaging that shows soft tissue inside the body — were fairly good at predicting 'biochemical recurrence' in prostate cancer patients, meaning a rise in PSA blood levels that can signal the cancer is coming back after treatment. Across 28 studies involving thousands of patients, these AI tools correctly identified cases of recurrence about 80% of the time and correctly ruled it out about 83% of the time, which is promising but not yet reliable enough for routine clinical use. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 2, 2026
Researchers found that people with advanced prostate cancer who took certain hormone-blocking medications — specifically abiraterone (sold as Zytiga) or a combination of abiraterone and enzalutamide (Xtandi) — were significantly more likely to develop low potassium levels in their blood, a condition that can cause muscle weakness, fatigue, or heart rhythm problems. Interestingly, enzalutamide on its own did not seem to carry the same risk, suggesting the two drugs may affect the body differently when it comes to potassium. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should have their potassium levels checked regularly if they're taking abiraterone or enzalutamide for prostate cancer, since these drugs have been found to increase the risk of low potassium levels.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that for people with prostate cancer that had spread to a small number of spots in the body (three or fewer) and was no longer responding to hormone therapy, adding a targeted radiation treatment called SBRT — which delivers precise, high-dose radiation directly to those spots — alongside standard drug treatment helped people live longer compared to drug treatment alone. This matters because finding ways to extend life in this stage of prostate cancer is a major goal, and targeting the visible cancer sites with radiation may give the medicines a better chance to work. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether adding radiation therapy to the patient's current prostate cancer medications might help the patient live longer, based on a recent study that combined these treatments.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that combining two cancer treatments — olaparib and radium-223 — did not noticeably improve how patients with advanced prostate cancer that had spread to the bones felt day-to-day, including their quality of life and pain levels, compared to radium-223 alone. In fact, patients receiving radium-223 by itself showed slightly better improvements in some measures, suggesting the added treatment may not make patients feel better even if it slows cancer progression. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
A study found that during prostate cancer biopsies, taking tissue samples only from the side of the prostate where a suspicious area was spotted on an MRI scan (rather than from both sides) was just as good at finding serious cancers — while also catching slightly fewer harmless, low-risk cancers that often don't need treatment. This could matter because fewer biopsy samples generally means less discomfort and a lower chance of complications for patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that different imaging tracers used in specialized prostate cancer scans — called PSMA PET scans — show varying levels of background 'noise' in the liver, and this matters because doctors sometimes use liver activity as a reference point to decide whether a patient's cancer is a good match for a specific targeted treatment. Some tracers showed much higher liver background signals than others, which could make it harder to clearly identify cancer lesions by comparison, potentially affecting which patients are considered eligible for that therapy. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a specialized scan called a PSMA PET-CT scan — which uses a small amount of radioactive material to detect prostate cancer cells — may help identify which men actually need a biopsy (a procedure where a small tissue sample is taken from the prostate to check for cancer) when an MRI scan gives unclear or non-worrying results. This matters because many men in that situation end up having biopsies that find either no significant cancer or only very slow-growing cancer that wouldn't cause harm, putting them through an unnecessary procedure. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that the way a specialized prostate cancer scan called a PSMA PET scan is performed — for example, when the images are taken after the tracer is injected, or whether a water pill is used to reduce interference from the bladder — can make a meaningful difference in how much the scan reveals. In some cases, adjusting the timing of the scan helped doctors spot up to 38.5% more suspicious areas, and in certain patients, it even changed how advanced their cancer appeared to be. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that for people with prostate cancer that had spread to a small number of nearby lymph nodes, adding a type of radiation treatment aimed at a wide area of the pelvis (and sometimes the abdomen) to hormone therapy did not cause a dramatically higher rate of serious side effects compared to hormone therapy alone — at least in the first 18 months. This matters because doctors have long worried that this broader radiation approach might be too hard on the body, so early signs that it may be reasonably well tolerated could be encouraging for patients in this situation. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that delivering radiation therapy in fewer, slightly larger doses (called hypofractionation) after prostate removal surgery appeared to be reasonably safe for most patients, with serious side effects being uncommon — the most notable side effects involved the bowel and urinary system, and most were mild. About two-thirds of patients showed no signs of their cancer returning after three years, which is an encouraging early sign. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · July 1, 2026
According to the American Urological Association (AUA) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) guidelines, updated recommendations now exist for people with prostate cancer that has not spread beyond the prostate — what doctors call 'clinically localized' prostate cancer. The guidelines offer fresh direction on imaging (scans used to better understand the cancer), how doctors and patients should make decisions together, and how radiation treatment should be approached. This matters because having up-to-date, evidence-based guidance helps patients and their doctors choose the most appropriate path forward based on the latest available information.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether there are any new recommendations from the 2026 prostate cancer guidelines that might change how the patient's cancer should be monitored or treated.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a surgical technique called PSMA-guided surgery — where a special probe helps surgeons detect prostate cancer cells in real time during an operation — was significantly better at finding cancer than standard scans done before surgery. It was especially accurate at spotting cancer that had spread to lymph nodes (small glands that are part of the immune system), catching it correctly in 90–97% of cases. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a type of AI-assisted image analysis called radiomics — which pulls detailed patterns from medical scans that the human eye might miss — could help predict whether prostate cancer comes back after surgery to remove the prostate. Across 16 studies involving more than 3,600 patients, these radiomics-based tools were fairly accurate at identifying who was more likely to see their cancer return, as measured by rising PSA levels in the blood after surgery. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a targeted radiation treatment called Ac-PSMA — which seeks out and attacks prostate cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body — showed signs of being tolerable in a small group of nine patients, with a recommended dose identified for future studies. The most common side effect was dry mouth, experienced by nearly all patients, and the study helped pinpoint how much radiation different organs in the body absorb during treatment, which is important for keeping patients safe. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a radioactive treatment called Lu-PSMA (a targeted therapy that delivers radiation directly to prostate cancer cells) was well tolerated and helped slow the spread of cancer in people with early-stage prostate cancer that had returned in a small number of spots. The study looked closely at how much radiation reached key organs like the kidneys and salivary glands, finding that doses stayed within acceptable ranges — which is an important safety check for this type of treatment. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
A study found that men with advanced prostate cancer who received a radioligand therapy called 177Lu-PSMA-617 — which delivers targeted radiation to cancer cells — were more likely to develop changes in their blood cells compared to those who received standard chemotherapy. These blood cell changes, called clonal hematopoiesis, happen when certain blood-forming cells start multiplying more than others, and over time this can raise the risk of blood-related cancers. Researchers aren't sure yet what this means for patients' long-term health, but it's something doctors may want to monitor. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a shorter, simpler type of prostate MRI scan — one that skips the injection of a contrast dye — detects clinically significant prostate cancer (the kind that actually needs attention) just as well as the standard, more complex MRI scan that does use contrast dye. This matters because the simpler scan is faster, cheaper, and easier on patients, potentially making prostate cancer screening more accessible. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that prostate cancer survivors who had their prostate removed and showed no signs of cancer returning may be able to safely receive testosterone therapy in the short term — even though this treatment has long been considered off-limits for anyone with a history of prostate cancer. This matters because low testosterone (when the body doesn't produce enough of this hormone) can cause fatigue, low sex drive, and other symptoms that seriously affect quality of life, and many of these men have had no safe options to address it. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether testosterone replacement therapy might be safe and help improve the patient's quality of life if the patient is a prostate cancer survivor with low testosterone levels.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a new laser device called ProFocal — which targets and destroys only the cancerous area of the prostate rather than removing the whole gland — showed promising early results in 100 men with localized prostate cancer (cancer that hasn't spread beyond the prostate). The treatment was done as a same-day procedure, and 84% of patients showed no remaining cancer tissue of concern at follow-up checks. This matters because treatments that spare healthy tissue may help men avoid some of the side effects — like bladder or sexual problems — that can come with more extensive prostate cancer treatments. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 29, 2026
Researchers looked at data from nearly 72,000 people with advanced prostate cancer — specifically a form that no longer responds to standard hormone therapy — and compared two common treatments, abiraterone and enzalutamide. They found that patients treated with enzalutamide were more likely to see their PSA drop (PSA is a protein in the blood that doctors use to track prostate cancer activity) and tended to live longer compared to those treated with abiraterone. This is early research based on real-world observations rather than tightly controlled experiments, and it hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether research shows that abiraterone or enzalutamide might work better for the patient's situation, or whether they have similar benefits and side effects.
Lifestyle
PubMed · June 25, 2026
Researchers found that men with prostate cancer who got at least a moderate amount of physical activity each week — roughly the equivalent of brisk walking for about 2.5 hours — had a meaningfully lower chance of death from any cause compared to men who were less active. Specifically, more active men were about 31% less likely to die during the study period overall, and about 23% less likely to die from prostate cancer itself. The benefit was even stronger for men who exercised at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity, meaning activity that gets the heart pumping noticeably, like jogging, cycling, or swimming.
What's New
PubMed · June 20, 2026
Researchers found that combining two cancer treatments — a drug called olaparib with a radioactive treatment called radium-223 — helped men with advanced prostate cancer that had spread to the bones go nearly twice as long (about 8.9 months versus 4.7 months) before their cancer visibly progressed on scans, compared to radium-223 alone. The combination also appeared to reduce painful bone complications, though it came with more serious side effects and did not appear to help people live longer overall. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · June 15, 2026
Researchers found that combining two chemotherapy drugs — cabazitaxel and carboplatin — followed by a hormone-blocking treatment called abiraterone, helped many patients with advanced prostate cancer that had spread to multiple areas keep the disease from getting worse. About 85% of patients showed no signs of the cancer progressing based on PSA — a protein in the blood that doctors use to track prostate cancer — after 12 months, which is an encouraging sign for a group where the cancer is typically harder to control. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.