[Hopespringpcsg] FW: April 2022 Newsletter x1

[Glen Tolhurst]

Hi all:
 See below for the April e-newsletter from Prostate Cancer Support Regina.
There are several interesting articles.
Take care  & stay well.
Glen

Sent from Mail for Windows

From: Regina Prostate Cancer Support Group Inc.
Sent: April 8, 2022 9:46 PM
To: glen.tolhurst at sympatico.ca
Subject: April 2022 Newsletter






PCCN-Regina has been rebranded as PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT - REGINA under the Prostate Cancer Support Canada banner sponsored by The Prostate Cancer Foundation of BC.

The purpose of Prostate Cancer Support - Regina is:

1. To increase awareness, knowledge and understanding
about prostate cancer in the community we serve.

2. To arrange and conduct
regular monthly meetings.

3. To provide education sessions and information to prostate
cancer survivors, their families, friends, and the public.

4. To provide for sharing of experiences and concerns.

5. To provide counseling services
these counseling services do not include recommendations for treatments, medicines or physicians.

6. To promote courage and hope.

7. To co-operate with other cancer
agencies in the fight against cancer.



Our next
“Virtual” Meeting is on
Thursday, April 14th, 2022

Program:
Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) 

Presenter:
23-minute video by Dr.Shreyas Lingadadhai on ADT followed with a representative from the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency working at the Allan Blair Cancer Centre for the post video discussion in the Q&A portion of the meeting.

Login Details:
6:15pm: Registration & Test Log In

6:30pm - 7:30pm: 
Presentation and Q&A

7:30pm - 8:30pm: 
Members Open Forum

Zoom Meeting Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82935990734?pwd=bEFZYWNNSmhGY2pNTWVkV0hWbWhLQT09

Meeting ID: 829 3599 0734
Passcode: 646130

Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adQW7reNxv







If you or someone you know has been affected by PCa and are looking for support and/or information we can still be reached through one of the following options.

New Email: info at pccnregina.ca

Website: www.pccnregina.ca

Phone: 306-543-8215 




Presenter Biography
Dr. Lingadadhali is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia and a non-practicing clinical researcher at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, located at the Vancouver General Hospital. Working with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians, and computational biologists, Dr. Lingadadhali presents on new prostate cancer therapies.





Monthly programs are being developed for the 2022-2023 term. We would appreciate your help with suggesting topics and/or presenters for 2022-2023.

Please send your suggestions to info at pccnregina.ca or call any listed Monthly Program board member. 





The Future of Focal Therapy for Prostate Cancer Treatment
The outcomes for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer depend on more than just rates of cure or survival. A considerable burden is experienced by men who require treatment for prostate cancer, in many cases arising from complications of the procedures themselves.

Many men who undergo surgery or radiation therapy have worse urinary, bowel (respectively) and erectile function after treatment than they did before, which can have a substantial negative effect on their mental health. Refinement of treatment approaches to prostate cancer have drastically improved survival over the past 20-30 years, but this has come with the cost of long-term morbidity for many men. Some innovations in prostate cancer care during this time have had little, if any, effect on postoperative complications (including the use of robotics).

With advanced medical imaging techniques, such as multiparametric MRI, specific targeting of prostate cancer tumours has become possible. Focal therapy, in which targeted ablation of only cancerous tissue is achieved (using, for example, high-intensity focused ultrasound, cryotherapy, or laser), offers the possibility of good outcomes in terms of metastasis- and cancer-free survival, and avoidance of treatment complications, in men with low or intermediate stage localised prostate cancer.

In contrast to worsening urinary symptoms and erectile dysfunction after prostatectomy, focal therapy appears to preserve these functions in men, for years after treatment. Critically, focal therapy looks to be as effective, for at least eight years, as prostatectomy, for treating prostate cancer.

Unfortunately, there are currently no data available from randomised trials of focal therapy versus prostatectomy to guide practice; these will come soon, from at least three prospective clinical trials. Until then, patients should be encouraged by the continuing advances in prostate cancer treatment, and the potential of good long-term treatment outcomes from the point of view of survival and quality of life.
Source: https://www.healthymale.org.au/news/future-focal-therapy-prostate-cancer-treatment





Bipolar Androgen Therapy and the Immune System
Part 3: The Potential of Combination Therapy
Some men are exceptional responders to Bipolar Androgen Therapy (BAT).  Its pioneer, medical oncologist Samuel Denmeade, M.D., Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Prostate Cancer Program, has a few patients who have remained on BAT alone for several years.  But for many men, the response is temporary; just a few months.  Why?  Could it have something to do with mutated genes?  What about the immune system?

“One of the things observed in the lab by our colleague Dr. Sushant Kachhap is that when we give testosterone, the prostate cancer cells get stressed and turn on all these immune factors,” says Denmeade.  “Testosterone activates immune pathways.”  When three men who had participated in BAT trials later had “dramatic” responses to immunotherapy – 100-percent decreases in PSA, and one man remains in long-term remission – “we thought that might be the secret: androgen plus immunotherapy.”

COMBAT, a small, phase 2 study supported by PCF, co-led by Hopkins investigators Mark Markowski, M.D., Ph.D., and Emmanuel Antonarakis, M.D., (now Director of Genitourinary Oncology at the University of Minnesota) tested the combination of BAT and immunotherapy in 45 men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).  The men were treated with BAT in combination with nivolumab (an immunotherapy agent).  “We saw an impressive clinical response rate of 40 percent,” says Markowski.  “We also observed a durable benefit, lasting over a year, in a few patients who had received extensive prior therapies.”  The results suggested that BAT alone has significant efficacy, while nivolumab improves responses in some patients.  The combination of BAT with nivolumab was safe and well tolerated by the participants.  Markowski and Antonarakis are designing a randomized Phase 3 study to compare combined BAT plus nivolumab versus standard treatments for patients with mCRPC.

In the COMBAT trial, “we treated a group of incredible men who agreed to have tumor biopsies before and after three cycles of BAT,” says Denmeade.  “We are studying the heck out of these biopsies,” looking for specific biomarkers or gene mutations that might help predict who will have the deepest and longest-lasting responses.  The team is also performing additional studies of the interactions between BAT and the immune system to discover how this treatment can be improved.

Could More Testosterone Be the Hidden Key to Curing Prostate Cancer? Read more in this series.
Source: https://www.pcf.org/c/bipolar-androgen-therapy-and-the-immune-system/






Happy Spring!

Spring is a time for new growth as the earth awakens from its winter sleep, crocuses and snow drops are peeking up in the gardens.  It’s also a time for us to emerge from our winter hibernation.

During the past few months of colder weather, and shorter days, we’ve spent a lot of time indoors being sedentary and eating comfort foods…all the while packing on a few extra pounds of weight.
 
It’s time to get out, get moving, and lighten up the diet a little.  It’s time to put the crockpot away and pull out the salad plate and include ‘superfoods’ in your diet daily!
 
What are superfoods? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, superfoods are “a super nutrient-dense food, loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and/or phytonutrients”.  They have specific health benefits and are a whole food in its natural state.
 
And in the spring, we have some beautiful seasonal superfoods that are growing and ready to eat, and they’re mostly green.  Salad greens like arugula, mustard and turnip greens, spinach, leeks, asparagus and artichokes.
 
What are the big health benefits of these delicious green veggies?

They are high in antioxidants, assisting the body in fighting off free-radical damage, which can lead to cancer. Per calorie, they have more calcium than milk, and along with their high content of vitamin K, can help prevent bone loss, which leads to osteoporosis.
Green vegetables are powerful anti-inflammatory foods.  Major health issues can be linked to chronic inflammation like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and depression.

Simple Spring Salad
Ingredients, toss together in a bowl:
3 cups dark leafy greens
2 green onions, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ can tuna
Dressing, whisk together and pour over salad:
3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
1 garlic clove, minced
Cheryl Wahl, RHN, Cancer Coach







Interested in nationwide support for active surveillance?
Join our Active Surveillance nationwide support group mailing list and you'll be the first to know about new opportunities, research, and support group meetings. 


Active Surveillance Mailing List 




PCCN Regina is a volunteer support group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their families. We are a registered charity that relies on the generosity of its members, supporters and friends to fund its programs. Charitable deduction receipts for income tax purposes are issued for amounts of $10.00.


Donate Today 



Prostate Cancer Support - Regina
Prostate Cancer Canada Network - Regina Inc. is a non-profit corporation registered in the Province of Saskatchewan and a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency. COVID-19 has disrupted our monthly support group meetings and our board is monitoring when we can safely resume regular meetings. The work to educate and support men and their loved ones diagnosed with prostate cancer continues.

Board members are just a phone call away for those needing to speak to someone one-on-one who has firsthand experience navigating their prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment, and symptoms. We may be able to connect you to a member who has undergone specific therapies or treatments if you want to chat about side effects or the specific treatment process.

We understand that social distancing and self-isolation can be lonely, but remember: we are all in this together and you're not alone. Cancer doesn’t stop for self-isolation or quarantine.   

The safety of our members is crucial, and we will respect the decisions of our health leaders and make all adjustments as required.

Stay safe everyone.




BOARD STRUCTURE 2022/2023
info at pccnregina.ca

Co-Chair - Bob Terichow   
Phone: (306) 581-9158

Co-Chair - Vacant

Treasurer - Larry Smart
Phone: (306) 757-4959

Secretary - Dwaine Snowfield
Phone: (306) 586-1403

Monthly Program
Jim Odling
Phone: (306) 522-7590

James Froh
Phone: (306) 527-8290

Dwaine Snowfield
Phone: (306) 586-1403

Lorrie Harrison
Phone: (306) 545-7801

Jeff Hutton
Phone: (306) 533-0999

Out Reach Program
James Froh
Phone: (306) 527-8290

Jim Odling
Phone: (306) 522-7590

Steve Pillipow
Phone: (306) 586-9345

Dwaine Snowfield
Phone: (306) 586-1403

New Members
Jeff Hutton
Phone: (306) 533-0999

Chad Bakke
Phone: (306) 591-7275

Troy Hagen
Phone: (306) 535-2370

Peer Sharing Volunteers
Lawrence Ward
Phone: (306) 543-8215

Stan Hanoski
Phone: (306) 529-1322

Lorrie Harrison  
Phone: 306-545-7801
 

2022-2023 Monthly Programs

Monthly Programs are being developed and will be announced in future newsletters.

2022

January 13 
Active Surveillance Videos -
Bench to Bedside

February 10
Prostate Cancer Support Canada

March 10
The use of Medical Imaging in Saskatchewan for Pca Diagnosis and Treatment

April 14
Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT)

May 12
Medical Cannabis

June 09
AGM

July - August
Summer Break - no scheduled programming.

Pending for 2022-2023:

 - UofR Nursing Research on Aging and Cancer

- Chemotherapy and PCa

- Wellness, Fitness, Nutrition with Paul Schwann

- Breast/Prostate Cancer Connections

- Pharmacies in relation to PCa

-PCa Resistant Therapy 




Enjoy the Easter Season with
Family and Friends.




Our Mailing Address: 
PCS REGINA - PO Box 37264
REGINA, SK S4S 7K4

Please email us at info at pccnregina.ca if you have any questions.


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Copyright © 2022 Regina Prostate Cancer Support Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
PCS Regina
PO Box 37264 
Regina, SK S4S 7K4 

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