Month: December 2021

“I am so stressed out!” How many times have you heard friends, family members, co-workers, even strangers make this sad statement? In fact, how often have you found yourself realizing that it’s getting harder to cope with increasing responsibilities or relentless demands for your time and attention? Whether or not you realize it, you may keep reading

Here’s a quote that sums up the issue with a TRUS (transrectal ultrasound) guided prostate biopsy: “Needle biopsy of the prostate is an invasive procedure, which can be associated with complications (including bleeding, pain, and infection) and it is therefore important to maximize the diagnostic information gained.” The word “maximize” would be troubling if it meant sampling as many areas as possible... keep reading

MRI-guided focused ultrasound is a new noninvasive focal treatment approach for localized low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. It has been in clinical study the in the U.S. for the past several years in order to evaluate its safety, effectiveness and side effect profile. The Sperling Prostate Center, along with eight other important medical centers, is keep reading

We want to draw particular attention to a branch of AI called machine learning. When software is specifically “trained” to recognize imaging features, it can “… provide better standardization and consistency in identifying prostate lesions and enhance prostate carcinoma management.” One of the benefits is increased efficiency for busy radiologists who interpret MRI results and write reports. More importantly, however, is... keep reading

What are the odds that a man will develop prostate cancer (PCa) if he has no family history of the disease, is in otherwise good health, has not been exposed to toxic substances, and is not in a demographic group with higher PCa statistics? On average, a man has about a one chance out of keep reading

We are happy to report that an extensive body of literature on multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) of the prostate has mushroomed since the 2014 article cited in the original blog below. During the intervening years, more attention has been paid to mpMRI’s ability to distinguish between clinically insignificant prostate cancer (CISPCa) vs... keep reading

Near the end of 2015, CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) proposed a mea­sure that would penalize doctors who ordered PSA tests. It would be an economic penalty, in some form of a fine. Aside from being a harsh measure, it would reinforce a trend already noted in published studies: since the US Preventive ...

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Is there any part of the body that can’t benefit from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)? So far, science hasn’t found one. In fact, not only can simple, straightforward MRI be applied to virtually all body parts, but MRI technology lends itself to endless development. For example, there are numerous variants in image acquisition that provide keep reading

It was true when we posted the blog below in 2017, and it’s still true now: surgical removal of the prostate gland does not guarantee a cure for prostate cancer. What it does offer, in the words of expert European urologists, is “a high chance of cure.” In fact, published rates of recurrence at 5 years after radical prostatectomy (RP) are as high as... keep reading

The use of an injectable hydrogel spacer to help minimize toxic effects of prostate cancer (PCa) radiation on the rectal wall has become a standard of care. By implanting the hydrogel into the tissue between the prostate and the rectum, a wider space is created, which “may significantly reduce the [radiation] dose received by the rectum and the risk of rectal toxicity [side effects, see explanation in the blog below].” How well does it work? keep reading