According to the Indiana University School of Medicine, only 60% of men see a doctor for annual physicals, and 40% of men consult a doctor only when they feel something is seriously wrong.
June is Men’s Health Month, and with the mortality rate higher for men in 8 out of 10 leading causes of death, including cancer, stroke, and diabetes, raising awareness of early detection is important.1
There are many promising research developments in conditions relevant to men that aim to extend life, reduce stigma, and improve outcomes for men living with the effects of cancer, depression, and stroke.
Advances in Prostate Cancer Treatment
Research into various combination therapies using the immunotherapy drug Pembrolizumab may help advance care for rare, difficult-to-treat forms of prostate cancer.
A recent study from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center demonstrated that a combination of pembrolizumab and chemotherapy may improve survival outcomes for patients with aggressive forms of small cell bladder cancer and small cell/neuroendocrine prostate cancer.2
Other Pembrolizumab combination therapies are being tested to provide patients with options that may extend life and limit or improve treatment side effects.
Advances in Depression Treatment
Men are less likely to pursue treatment for mental health conditions than women due to a variety of factors such as stigma, societal influences, or a lack of knowledge about available solutions.3
A study by UCLA Health researchers indicated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may work faster than past research has demonstrated, with some patients showing improvement in depression symptoms after one week of treatment.4 The novel treatment may help men unable to find relief from antidepressant medications, including Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) and Serotonin–Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI). SSRIs and SNRIs can cause weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disturbances, while rTMS can cause mild headaches and scalp discomfort following treatment. With far fewer side effects, rTMS could help reduce the stigma associated with seeking treatment for depression. Currently, there are many clinical trials being conducted to further evaluate rTMS and improve treatment protocols.
Advances in Stroke Treatment
About 60% of all strokes occur in men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Uric acid is being studied as a potential treatment for ischemic stroke. Acting as an antioxidant, uric acid can protect brain cells from stroke damage and help the restoration of blood flow. In a recent preclinical study, rodent models treated with uric acid demonstrated improved outcomes after acute ischemic stroke. The findings suggest that the treatment may be effective as an additional therapy to other stroke treatments in humans.5
To learn more about Men’s Health Month and other important information such as recommended screenings by age, see this helpful resource from Brown University Health.
- https://medicine.iu.edu/blogs/spirit-of-medicine/mens-health-month
- https://www.insideprecisionmedicine.com/topics/oncology/combination-therapy-for-small-cell-bladder-and-prostate-cancer-shows-early-promise
- https://www.butler.org/blog/breaking-the-stigma-of-mens-mental-health
- https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/study-finds-possible-early-predictor-successful-transcranial
- https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-funded-study-identifies-potential-new-stroke-treatment
