The Prostate Net

04/21/2026

From a recent article by The Commonwealth Fund:

"One of the central challenges of introducing artificial intelligence (AI) to any industry is that its promise and peril are so entwined. The tools that automate routine tasks, such as scheduling appointments or writing code, can reduce drudgery and boost productivity but also eliminate jobs. Algorithms that interpret images and enhance diagnostic accuracy can erode clinicians’ skills. Meanwhile, the data centers powering breakthroughs in disease treatment deplete fresh water and drive up electricity use, causing environmental harm particularly to the communities nearest them.

This dichotomy is mirrored in divisions between people who believe AI can make any industry faster, cheaper, and more efficient, and those who focus on AI’s potential to discriminate and amplify harm. In sectors where jobs can be easily automated, the rosier view of AI tends to prevail. But in health care — where the consequences of AI’s missteps are high, and human expertise can’t be readily replaced — organizations are compelled to strike a balance between innovation and caution."

Read the article at:

This issue of Transforming Care looks at how employees of health care systems are working to make AI useful while also mitigating the risk of harm to patients.

04/20/2026

"...one thing that is missing from the conversation surrounding health care and social media is research, quality research, measuring that impact."

Many patients, when they have a new symptom, search the internet before calling a doctor. For this reason, the medical community needs to be present on the social web, to translate knowledge for the people seeking it.

In this article, Dr. Mike Varshavski, better known to millions simply as Doctor Mike, explains why physicians staying off social media isn’t professional caution, it’s a public health problem, and what it looks like when evidence-based medicine shows up where patients are actually looking for answers.

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On The Dose podcast, Doctor Mike argues the medical community needs to be present on the social web, to translate knowledge for the people seeking it.

04/09/2026

A recent study published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine found that the diabetes drug metformin significantly increases levels of N-lactoyl-phenylalanine (Lac-Phe), a compound generated during physical activity and associated with weight regulation, in patients with prostate cancer.

Evidence from clinical studies suggests that weight control and exercise improve cancer outcomes, yet the mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. Metformin, a widely prescribed medication that improves insulin sensitivity, has been linked to increased Lac-Phe levels, which may influence appetite and weight regulation.

Metformin treatment consistently and significantly increased serum Lac-Phe levels in prostate cancer patients, regardless of age, body mass index, disease stage, or treatment regimen, including ADT. Notably, the Lac-Phe concentrations achieved with metformin were comparable to those reported after strenuous exercise.

Read the article at:

Metformin raised the exercise-linked metabolite Lac-Phe in prostate cancer patients across disease stages and treatment settings, while Lac-Phe itself did not predict anticancer response. Patients in the BIMET-1 metformin arm also showed better weight management during anti-androgen therapy, highlig...

04/07/2026

The Prostate Net is working with the Nigerian National Cancer Control Plan as Co-Chair of the Community Outreach and Engagement Group to help make Nigeria Cancer-Free by 2030 by helping to drive community awareness, trust, and participation in cancer prevention, screening, and care.

04/05/2026

The Community Outreach and Engagement program at the Mount Sinai Health System (NYC) will be hosting their first ever CHERC Retreat/Community Cancer Awareness Event on Saturday, May 16th, 2026, 10am-4pm at the Bay Chester Community Center in Bronx, NY.

Event highlights include the following:

Opening remarks by Dr. Cardinale Smith, Principal Investigator of CHERC
Survivor stories
Educational talks
Interactive exercise sessions
Men's health discussion
Patient and clinician fireside chat
Children's activities

Lunch will be provided at the event as well.

Please share the attached retreat flyer with your networks and communities!

04/03/2026

Thee hidden costs of "Helpful" AI

In health care, law and education, for example, practices are continuously adjusted by the professionals working in these fields. What counts as good patient care, sound legal interpretation or a fulfilling education cannot be specified and optimized only once.

In professional practice, however, it is equally important that the field retains the capacity to interrogate and refine the values that structure the work. An AI system can be interpretable for each user, yet narrow the range of questions the community asks.

Read the article at:

Even when artificial-intelligence tools aid individuals’ decision-making, they can quietly de-skill whole professions by narrowing how uncertainties and values are debated.

04/01/2026

The Southwest Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging is sponsoring a free in-person education event April 19 in the Tulsa area that includes lunch, educational program, patient panel, and networking reception.

The full program is below and can be found at: snmmi.org/tulsa. To register for the event, go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TulsaRegistration

03/31/2026

"$70 billion is flowing into health care AI, but who decides where it goes?

Right now, the tools being built are the easiest ones to build, not the ones most needed by patients in rural areas, community clinics, or underserved practices."

Read the article at:

On The Dose podcast, pediatrician, researcher, and tech optimist Dr. Ivor Horn talks about what responsible AI innovation in health care requires.

03/30/2026

This is the first in a three-part series from the Commonwealth Fund exploring the impact of digital technology innovations in community health centers (CHCs).

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the health care landscape, yet it is not being evenly adopted. An “AI digital divide” is emerging between well-resourced health systems and safety-net providers like CHCs that provide critical access to primary care, behavioral health, and dental services in underserved and rural communities across the country.

This case study explores AI-supported diabetic retinopathy screening, one of several new digital tools that may help CHCs offer more comprehensive care to patients who face challenges accessing specialists.

Read the full article at:

AI offers a powerful opportunity to improve screening and prevent the leading cause of blindness diabetic patients, especially in CHCs.

03/18/2026

It is my great honor to have been nominated for, and accepting to serve, on the *Technical Working Group (TWG) for the Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP)*.

The TWG brings together a group of cancer professionals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and positions, who are united by a shared commitment—*to eliminate the burden of cancer across all Nigerian communities*—and by our collective love for Nigeria.

Over the next 4 to 5 years we will establish mechanisms to regularly communicate our progress and activities through multiple platforms, including *public virtual town halls, listening sessions, social media engagement, traditional media outlets, policy briefs, and periodic national updates*, etc. for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

More to come, I will keep you posted but feel free to reach out with any comments, questions, ideas for collaboration that can serve patient communities in Nigeria and around the world.

03/16/2026

New imaging technique allows doctors to distinguish aggressive tumours from cancers unlikely to cause harm . A scan that makes prostate cancer cells “glow” could halve the number of men needing invasive biopsies, research suggests.

One concern raised by critics of screening is the risk of overdiagnosis and unnecessary biopsies for slow-growing cancers unlikely to cause harm. Researchers say more precise imaging techniques could help address this problem by identifying which men need further tests.

Read the article at:

New imaging technique allows doctors to distinguish aggressive tumours from cancers unlikely to cause harm

03/16/2026

Researchers in Norway have developed an AI diagnostic tool designed to assist doctors in analysing prostate cancer scans.

The technology known as PROVIZ helps radiologists determine whether a biopsy is needed and where tissue samples should be taken. Trials at St Olav’s Hospital in Norway suggest the tool could speed up the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Read the article at:

New AI system may help radiologists identify biopsy targets faster.