Biden prostate cancer is “hormone sensitive”: Doctors break down what means that

Joe Biden’s recent “aggressive” prostate cancer diagnosis has aroused concern about the extent to which the disease has advanced.

The former president’s prostate cancer has been characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (degree 5) with “metastasis in the bone”.

According to experts, the score of 9 indicates a “high degree” prostate cancer with very abnormal cells that probably grow rapidly.

Biden prostate cancer is described as “aggressive”: what to know about the prognosis of the disease

“While this is a more aggressive form of the disease, cancer seems to be sensitive to hormone, which allows effective management,” the statement states. “The President and his family are reviewing the treatment options with their doctors.”

The fact that Biden cancer has been classified as “hormone sensitive” means that it could be more to respond to hormonal and, therefore, more treatable.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the cancer of prostate sensitive to the hormone. When these androgens are reduced or blocked, the cancer ceases to grow.

Dr. Marc Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine at Nyu Langone Health and Fox News Senior Medical Analyst, said that hormone sensitive designation does not necessarily mean that Biden has already been taking hormonal therapies, which is unknown.

Gleason score for prostate cancer: What to know about Biden’s diagnosis

“You can say -to a microscope if this is the type of cancer that could respond to hormonal therapy, but no matter what it looks like, you do not know until you try it,” he told Fox News Digital.

“And sometimes it seems that there will be an effect, but it ends up being resistant to therapy.”

Prostate cancer has long been feeding on male hormonal testosterone, according to Dr. Bilal Siddiqui, MD, a medical oncologist and prostate cancer researcher at the Cancer Center of the University of Texas MD Anderson.

“The vast majority of prostate cancers-99% are more than hormone and depend on testosterone at first,” Fox News Digital told Fox.

“I would say it is a very reasonable assumption [of hormone sensitivity]But we would definitely know once hormonal therapy begins. “

“The overwhelming majority of prostate cancers are hormone sensitive and depend on testosterone at first.”

The spine of the treatment for any metastatic prostate cancer is “androgens deprivation”, which is aimed at decreasing the level of testosterone in the body.

“Normally, when you start androgen deprivation therapy, testosterone levels will decrease and PSA levels will decrease together with it, and this is your definitive test that cancer is sensitive to hormone,” Siddiqui said.

Historically, androgen deprivation therapy (hormone) was surgically made by eliminating testicles, but current typical methods include pills or injections, according to oncologist.

“This eliminates 80 to 85% of the testosterone in the body,” he said.

In many cases, doctors can add other drugs to block testosterone from secondary sources in the body, such as the adrenal glands that sit above the kidneys.

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North Carolina’s family doctor, Dr. Alexa Mieses Malchuk, reiterated that prostate cancer is reduced or slowed down in progression after blocking testosterone describes the hormone as sensitivity.

“This means that it grows or shrinks in relation to the amount of androgens or testosterone that circulates through the body,” Fox News Digital told.

“If it suppresses testosterone and cancer is not reduced and continues to grow or propagate, cancer is independent of the number of hormones circulating through the body.”

There are several ways to control the progression of the disease, but it is done more frequently through a combination of PSA blood tests and image studies, the doctor said.

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Finally, metastatic prostate cancer will advance to hormones, which means that it no longer responds to hormonal therapy, according to Siddiqui.

“It can vary in the time it takes to reach this point,” said the oncologist. “It is usually a couple of years before it evolves from the hormone resistant hormone hormone.”

The “final test” of whether the cancer has become resistant to the hormone is to reduce testosterone levels and observe where the cancer goes, he said.

“It is usually a couple of years before it evolves from the hormone resistant hormone hormone.”

There may also be signs that the disease worsens.

“This can be a PSA test (specific antigen for the prostate), new pain or symptoms or new tumors shown in exploration,” Siddiqui told Fox News Digital.

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The U.S. Preventive Services Force stipulates that men aged 55 to 69 should have the option to undergo antigen -based antigen (PSA) specified for prostate (PSA) to control prostate cancer.

“Before deciding if it should be projected, men should have the opportunity to discuss potential benefits and damage of screening with their doctor and incorporate their values ​​and preferences into the decision,” says USPSTF.

Siegel questioned this guidance to jump screening for older men.

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“I do not agree with the guidelines for not trying more than 70 years, especially with so many treatments to offer for prostate cancer,” he said.

In addition to hormonal therapy, some men may be candidates for robotic prostate surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, added Siegel.