Men and Cancer
According to Comprehensive Cancer Centers’ Dr. Oscar B. Goodman, Jr., when it comes to cancer and men’s health, there are certain types that most often affect men, including prostate colorectal, lung and skin cancers. We understand that men don’t always take the time to look out for their own health, so we want to share insights into these diseases and ways men can stay ahead of them, including participation in clinical research studies.
Prostate and skin cancer are the most prominent among American men, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 2,090 Nevadans will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year.
According to Dr. Goodman, there are many ways for men to reduce their risk of a prospective cancer diagnosis. Prevention for all cancers includes maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, being physically active and working with your doctor to determine a cancer screening schedule.
Sometimes, spanning genetic mutations, environmental factors and more, a cancer diagnosis is in the cards. For those diagnosed with cancer in Nevada, there is incredible hope like never before thanks to a steady flow of clinical trials and research at Comprehensive Cancer Centers.
Comprehensive participates in more than 170 Phase I, Phase II and Phase III clinical research studies each year and has played a role in developing more than 100 FDA-approved cancer therapies. Since 2019, Comprehensive has been the first location in the world to open six new groundbreaking clinical trials, enrolling the first patients in the world on novel treatments.
Within the practice’s most recent and current clinical trials, there are several focusing on men’s health issues such as prostate and bladder cancers. In fact, currently the practice had more than 20 related trials available, with other research studies pertaining to breast, lymphoma, lung, renal and other cancer types available as well.
Highlights within these trials include the Phase III study of the drug apalutamide in men with non-metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Comprehensive’s Dr. Nicholas Vogelzang was a co-author of the global trial’s findings, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The drug was approved and is now commonly used in the clinic and well beyond and is helping delay the spread of prostate cancer by almost two years.
Another recent research example, for patients with mCRPC (a form of advanced prostate cancer) who have already progressed through many therapies, the practice is participating in the first-in-human dose escalation study of a protein degrader that targets the androgen receptor. The responses have been promising and well-tolerated among a number of local patients. Within these examples and well beyond, the trend is found in a more personalized approach to treating cancer in men based on specific cancer mutations.
In prostate cancer, as an example, the landscape has been transformed just within the past 20 years. Where there once were no drugs or treatments that extended survival, now there are now several.
As with every advancement in cancer treatment and certainly in the future, each starts with clinical research. Dr. Goodman and Comprehensive Cancer Centers encourages men who are eligible to participate in these studies, not only to possibly save their lives, but also to advance medicine to save the lives of others.
About Dr. Oscar B. Goodman, Jr.
Dr. Goodman is a physician-scientist. He is a hematologist, medical oncologist and clinical researcher at Comprehensive Cancer Centers. He participates in various basic, translational and clinical research studies at the practice. His translational research projects center around understanding mechanisms that govern cancer’s resistance to hormonal therapy, focusing on prostate cancer.
Dr. Goodman conducts translational research at Roseman University of Health Sciences, with colleagues on the Prostate Cancer Research team, part of the university’s Cancer Research Program. He serves as an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at Roseman University College of Medicine.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers Can Help
Physicians at Comprehensive Cancer Centers provide a variety of treatment options for men who have been diagnosed with cancer. To schedule an appointment with the team at Comprehensive, please call 702-952-3350.
The content is this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.