June is Men’s Health Awareness Month. Each Monday in June, we are featuring articles about health issues important for men. Please share these posts with the men in your life. What is Prostate Cancer?The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system located just below the bladder. The prostate is small, about the size of a walnut, producing the fluid found in semen. Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancerous, or malignant, cells form in the tissues of the prostate. It is the third most common cause of cancer death, in men over 75, though it is rarely found in men younger than 50.Prostate Cancer Risk and Prevention While the exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown, men who develop prostate cancer are more likely to have certain risk factors for the disease. Prostate Cancer Risk FactorsAlthough the exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown, certain factors can increase the risk of developing prostate cancer:Age. Prostate cancer is rare in men under the age of 50. The risk for prostate cancer increases as men get older .Family history. Men who have a brother or father with prostate cancer have a higher risk for prostate cancer.Race. Prostate cancer occurs more often in African-American men than white men, and it occurs at an earlier age in African American men.This does not mean men who have one or more of these factors will develop prostate cancer, but they should speak with a physician about their risk.Prostate Cancer Risk AssessmentMen who have conditions that put them at risk for prostate cancer may benefit from consulting with their physician to determine their risk. If they are at a higher risk for prostate cancer, they may consider getting screened for prostate cancer.Learn More About Prostate Cancer Treatment at PennIf you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer or an abnormal PSA, you’re probably wondering what to do next. Look to Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center for the most advanced cancer program in the region – and insights into all your options – including getting a second opinion for your prostate cancer treatment.Our team will:help you understand your PSA levels and guide you towards the next steps you should take;ensure you have the most accurate diagnosis using advanced diagnostics;offer you the most advanced surgical and radiation treatment options – all in one place;answer your questions about the potential side effects of all your options;provide an unbiased opinion on your best treatment option. Call 800-789-PENN (7366) to schedule a consultation with a Penn prostate cancer specialist. Or, learn more about how we’re changing the treatment options and lives of people with all forms of cancer, by finding the cure is within.

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month. Each Monday in June, we are featuring articles about health issues important for men. 

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month. Each Monday in June, we are featuring articles about health issues important for men. Please share these posts with the men in your life.

What is Prostate Cancer?

The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system located just below the bladder. The prostate is small, about the size of a walnut, producing the fluid found in semen.

Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancerous, or malignant, cells form in the tissues of the prostate. It is the third most common cause of cancer death, in men over 75, though it is rarely found in men younger than 50.

Prostate Cancer Risk and Prevention

While the exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown, men who develop prostate cancer are more likely to have certain risk factors for the disease.

Prostate Cancer Risk Factors

Although the exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown, certain factors can increase the risk of developing prostate cancer:

• Age. Prostate cancer is rare in men under the age of 50. The risk for prostate cancer increases as men get older .
• Family history. Men who have a brother or father with prostate cancer have a higher risk for prostate cancer.
• Race. Prostate cancer occurs more often in African-American men than white men, and it occurs at an earlier age in African American men.

This does not mean men who have one or more of these factors will develop prostate cancer, but they should speak with a physician about their risk.

Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment

Men who have conditions that put them at risk for prostate cancer may benefit from consulting with their physician to determine their risk. If they are at a higher risk for prostate cancer, they may consider getting screened for prostate cancer.

Learn More About Prostate Cancer Treatment at Penn

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer or an abnormal PSA, you’re probably wondering what to do next. Look to Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center for the most advanced cancer program in the region – and insights into all your options – including getting a second opinion for your prostate cancer treatment.

Our team will:

• help you understand your PSA levels and guide you towards the next steps you should take;
• ensure you have the most accurate diagnosis using advanced diagnostics;
• offer you the most advanced surgical and radiation treatment options – all in one place;
• answer your questions about the potential side effects of all your options;
• provide an unbiased opinion on your best treatment option.

Call 800-789-PENN (7366) to schedule a consultation with a Penn prostate cancer specialist.

Or, learn more about how we’re changing the treatment options and lives of people with all forms of cancer, by finding the cure is within.

The mechanisms that allow cancer cells to adapt to the typical tumor microenvironment of low oxygen and glucose and high lactate are not well understood. GPR81 is a lactate receptor recently identified in adipose and muscle cells that has not been investigated in cancer. In the current study, we examined GPR81 expression and function in cancer cells. We found that GPR81 was present in colon, breast, lung, hepatocellular, salivary gland, cervical, and pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. Examination of tumors resected from patients with pancreatic cancer indicated that 94% (148 of 158) expressed high levels of GPR81. Functionally, we observed that the reduction of GPR81 levels using shRNA-mediated silencing had little effect on pancreatic cancer cells cultured in high glucose, but led to the rapid death of cancer cells cultured in conditions of low glucose supplemented with lactate. We also observed that lactate addition to culture media induced the expression of genes involved in lactate metabolism, including monocarboxylase transporters in control, but not in GPR81-silenced cells. In vivo, GPR81 expression levels correlated with the rate of pancreatic cancer tumor growth and metastasis. Cells in which GPR81 was silenced showed a dramatic decrease in growth and metastasis. Implantation of cancer cells in vivo was also observed to lead to greatly elevated levels of GPR81. These data support that GPR81 is important for cancer cell regulation of lactate transport mechanisms. Furthermore, lactate transport is important for the survival of cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Res; 74(18); 1–10. ©2014 AACR.

Damon with his father, TomDamon Kline lost his father to cancer, and is riding to find a cure through the Philadelphia Ride to Conquer Cancer. In this blog, he shares with us a glimpse into the life of his father, Tom, and why he’s dedicated to supporting the Abramson Cancer Center. Learn more about his ride here. My Dad, Tom Kline, was diagnosed with sarcoma in December of 2012. Throughout the year that followed, he underwent 300 hours of chemotherapy, a major surgery to remove his lung, months of radiation treatment, countless procedures, and more hospital stays than I can remember – all at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. Every day brought new obstacles and difficult decisions, which he met head on and without hesitation. Growing up, I always thought my Dad was the strongest, bravest, most fearless man in the world. Years later, as he ferociously battled a disease that weakened him physically, he still proved to be the bravest man I have ever known. He was, and forever will be, my hero.My Dad lost a hard-fought fight with cancer this past January. He was just 54 years old. He left behind a loving wife, three devoted children, and 2 adoring granddaughters. He passed away just a few weeks before the birth of his third granddaughter and first grandson. He was an incredible family man, and I try every day to be the kind of father to my two children that he was to me, my brother, and my sister. With the support of my family, I will honor my Dad’s legacy by participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer this October.Throughout the ups and downs of my Dad’s illness, we never once heard any of his doctors say there was no hope or that there was nothing they could do. New obstacles or unforeseen setbacks were met with resolve, as they tried new methods and different approaches to cure him. The doctors at Penn were intensely dedicated to my Dad’s treatment and care, and their determination helped give our family strength during a time of great uncertainty and fear. We are forever grateful to the incredible doctors at Penn who did everything they possibly could for our Dad until the very end. I don’t know if I will see a cure for cancer in my lifetime, but I am convinced that there are still great advances to be made in the treatment and prevention of cancer. With research, studies and trials from dedicated doctors like those at Penn Medicine, we can continue to diagnose patients earlier than ever before, to expand the available treatment options and to change the prognosis of cancer patients. Since February, we have raised over $11,000 for the Ride to Conquer Cancer and the Abramson Cancer Center. Funding like this will help fuel this much needed research.Statistics say that one of my Dad’s four grandchildren will develop cancer in their lifetime. This is our chance to help them now. After everything my family has been through, we feel a responsibility to do everything we can to help advance the progress of cancer treatment and prevention. I hope you will consider getting involved, either by riding or donating. Together, we can help spare someone else’s family the pain caused by this terrible illness and preserve the memory of fathers like mine, who left this world too soon.The Ride to Conquer Cancer®Join Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) on October 11 to 12, 2014 in the Ride to Conquer Cancer® (RTCC)—an unforgettable and epic bike ride through Pennsylvania’s picturesque landscape -towards one life-changing destination: to cure cancer. The ride isn’t just for cyclists, it’s for anyone who wants to see a cure for cancer. At two days and 150* miles the RTCC will be a physical challenge—an emotional and inspiring weekend—that will give you a chance to join forces with our physicians, patients, and families to leave everything on the bike course and raise serious funds and awareness in the ACC’s fight to cure cancer. The funds raised through the ride will be put to use immediately, powering the ACC’s vision to eradicate cancer as a cause of human disease and suffering through precision medicine, novel research, next-generation therapies, and compassionate care. This event will be remarkable and will bring together communities of cancer survivors, cyclists, and their supporters with a common goal to conquer this disease. Join the ride in October by registering today at www.ridetovictory.org or by calling (844) 777-7433.*please note: exact route mileage may vary by up to 30 miles