The Prostate Net

03/06/2026

Academic researchers have long sought sources of funding beyond the public purse, including that from the many thousands of private donors who give to science. These sources are coming under renewed scrutiny owing to the case of Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted s*x offender who was also a significant donor to research. Mathematical biology and artificial intelligence were among the fields he funded.

The release of Epstein’s correspondence by the US Department of Justice at the end of January has provided detailed insight into the links that individual scientists and their institutions had with this one donor — and shows that some researchers maintained those links even after Epstein was convicted.

The default response of most in academia has been to say very little, in the hope of avoiding scrutiny, unless a clear connection to Epstein emerges. But the fact that an individual with no scientific expertise who was convicted of child s*x abuse in 2008 was able to ingratiate himself deeply with academics and influence research for years points to a serious cultural failing.

A recent article in Nature points to a need for new rules on links with rich donors; read the article at:

A systemic failure of oversight allowed the s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein to curry favour with academia. Stronger governance is urgently needed.

03/05/2026

A television advertisement, aired during American football’s Super Bowl last month, promoted a simple blood test that promises to detect the early signs of more than 50 cancer types — or provide the reassurance of an all-clear.

The test, called Galleri, is one of around 40 such multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests that are either in development or already on sale. But very few have been through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) — which are considered the gold standard of testing — and none has received approval from regulators.

Read the article at:

Their makers claim they can detect dozens of cancer types — but some scientists say they could be missing many cancers or delivering the wrong diagnosis.

03/05/2026

Radiotherapy is a key foundation of oncologic treatment that is used across the spectrum of cancer indications. Advances in imaging, treatment planning, and dose delivery have led to increasingly conformal and even ablative treatments, which have resulted in improved tumor control with no increase in the risk of side effects (or with a decrease in risk) as compared with previous treatments.

A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine discussed how research into the biologic underpinnings of radiation-induced changes in normal tissue, biomarkers of side effects of various irradiation regimens, and new treatment methods offers great promise for further increasing the efficacy of radiotherapy and improving the side-effect profile through personalized approaches.

For more details see:

Radiotherapy is a key foundation of oncologic treatment that is used across the spectrum of cancer indications. Advances in imaging, treatment planning, and dose delivery have led to increasingly c...

03/03/2026

The new AI for Discovery award, from Nature Awards and the BCG X AI Science Institute, supports researchers harnessing AI and machine intelligence tools to solve pressing societal challenges in the areas of health, the environment, and industry.

Award winners will receive wide-ranging support to help accelerate their research and careers, including a development grant, bespoke training and the opportunity to present their work to a global audience of scientific and industry leaders.

Accelerating scientific breakthroughs.

02/20/2026

This past Wednesday we had a deep discussion with Roser Roca, CEO of Airbus Geotech, on the use of geospatial data technology in helping to support satellite imagery for urban planning, infrastructure development and much more.

This was a subject of particular interest going forward given a potential futuristic mode of redlining resources in health, education, etc. in an ethically compromised world.

The technology is critically important but we need citizen involvement in insuring the knowledge acquisition, data interpretation, and access to the information is done with equality.

02/19/2026

What do Geospatial data technology and Satellite imaging have to do with cancer? Definitely more than we know!

As we now utilize patient clinical data collection and Artificial Intelligence algorhythms to forecast disease progression and treatment management, so are global data collection technologies being used to plan our cities, develop societal infrastructures, and prioritization of resource use.

Operating from a basis of "We don't know, what we don't know", this interview that I did with Roser Roca, CEO of Airbus Geotech, was for me an eye-opener not only for our future, but for what is actually happening now.

See the conversation and begin to see how our roles as patients, advocates, and citizens will be changing:
https://www.youtube.com/live/yDahun8oFG0?si=5QKuCKU6-bX1-hEv

02/16/2026

This article from the New England Journal of Medicine addresses the key question of every patient whose cancer is diagnosed, treated, and possibly treated again: “What are my chances?”.

As the authors point out: "The only accurate answer to the question is, “We don’t know.” Survival is affected by innumerable factors — the preexisting health of the patient and the expression of the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein on the cancer cells’ surface, to name just two. Myriad studies have been conducted in efforts to elucidate how these variables affect prognosis. But even when a patient seems relatively likely to have a good outcome — when, for instance, the patient is young and the tumor has high PD-L1 expression — long-term survival is far from guaranteed, and physicians still can’t provide accurate predictions."

Read the article at:

Survival in patients with cancer, affected by myriad factors, is notoriously difficult to predict. But while oncologists find it hard to communicate the uncertainty, patients are the ones who must ...

02/11/2026

Safety net healthcare refers to providers, clinics, and hospitals that deliver care to low-income, uninsured, or vulnerable populations, regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status. These entities, which include public hospitals, community health centers, and clinics, primarily serve patients reliant on Medicaid, Medicare, or charity care.

In this video regarding the Urologic Oncology study “Prostate cancer-related genetic counseling in a safety-net healthcare setting,” Kalyani Narra, MD, highlighted several system-level factors at JPS Health Network that contributed to high completion rates of genetic counseling visits, despite the access barriers commonly seen in underserved populations.

See details at:

To address high no-show rates typical of safety-net settings, JPS implemented proactive scheduling practices.

02/11/2026

The brain drain continues from the States.

Large proportion worked at Columbia University, which had its grants cut and frozen by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

02/03/2026

Are we winning the War against Cancer?
What are the latest developments in advanced prostate cancer care?
Will AI improve the quality of diagnoses and treatment?

Join the conversation Virgil had with Dr. Joaquin Mateo from Vall d'Hebron Cancer Center to be better informed. Listen to it at: https://www.ivoox.com/en/dr-joaquin-mateo-audios-mp3_rf_167507695_1.html

Check out our archive of previous programs at: http://theprostatenet.org/media/EnglishRadio/

02/03/2026

"A national clinical trial led by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has found that oxybutynin, a drug often used to treat overactive bladder symptoms, reduces hot flashes compared to the placebo in men receiving hormone therapy for prostate cancer."

Read the article at:

A national clinical trial led by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has found that oxybutynin, a drug often used to treat overactive bladder symptoms, reduces hot flashes compared to the placebo in men receiving hormone therapy for prostate cancer.

01/29/2026

The subject was Prostate Cancer when Dr. Joaquin Mateo from Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology joined Virgil to talk about new developments in managing advanced stage disease and how technology is being used to provide personalized detection and therapeutic care.

See the discussion at: https://www.youtube.com/live/jmVVJA2hqbk?si=PTBd1gLl-DPdwTDu