Tag: prostate cancer

Not long after we posted the blog below on rectal/bowel problems following beam radiation treatment for side effects, a protective product called hydrogel was introduced. The injection of this absorbable gel into the area between the prostate gland and the neighboring rectal wall is designed to widen the space between the two structures, and thereby act as a shield to protect the rectal wall from radiation scatter. keep reading

A fictitious man named Craig was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 64. His conventional 12-core TRUS biopsy showed he had Grade Group 2 (Gleason 3 + 4) only on the right side of his gland. Since he and his wife of 38 years, Sheila, had a good sex life, erectile function was important to keep reading

Can MRI outperform other screening methods for clinically significant prostate cancer? At the Sperling Prostate Center, we know the answer is yes because we see it with our own eyes. As the saying goes, “Seeing is believing.” Traditionally, the PSA blood test has been used to screen for prostate cancer, and indeed, it has historically keep reading

Old family photos going back two or more generations are often treasured mementos that lend depth and clarity to explorations into one’s ancestry. Inevitably, there will be some where the focus is not crisp, or there’s been water damage that obscures the image, raising the question, “Who is this person?” A magnifying glass may reveal keep reading

You may never know how many times a microscopic system in your body saved your life. You can’t see or feel this built-in mechanism, but it tackles start-up cancers and other diseases before they can take over. This is the work of your immune system, made up of various components that work together to keep keep reading

Did you know that Focal Laser Ablation (FLA), which we use in our Center for precision destruction of prostate lesions, has a range of applications in other organs and tissues? For example, the optic fiber that transmits the laser light can be safely directed into tumors in lung, liver, bone, etc. In fact, decades before keep reading

Some years ago, I saw a new patient who was worried about having a multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) to find out if he had prostate cancer (PCa). Ironically, he was less troubled about the cancer than the scan, since we planned to use a contrast agent containing the element gadolinium. You see, in 2013 a Japanese keep reading

According to statistics, not all men with prostate cancer are created equal. Statistics from the National Institutes of Health tell a sad tale: black men have about a 1.5 – 2 times greater chance of developing prostate cancer (at least 15% vs. 10% respectively; are more often diagnosed with aggressive PCa; and the risk of keep reading

Question: Does the body naturally kill cancer cells? Answer: Yes, especially if the immune system gets by with a little help from exercise. A multinational team may have decoded a mysterious link between exercise and one of the body’s own resources for destroying cancer cells. In October, 2020, Rundqvist, et al. published “Cytotoxic T-cells mediate keep reading

The title question is a decoy. Here’s the real issue: How important is your body? The more you value your body’s health, the more it’s worth seeing the best expert available if something goes wrong. It’s like anything you love, appreciate and value. When all is well, we tend to take for granted that matters keep reading