Tag: prostatectomy

Once upon a time—November, 1994 to be exact–a team of researchers wanted to compare the effectiveness of radical prostatectomy (RP) vs. observation for men with localized prostate cancer (PCa). They launched a 7-year enrollment period, accruing 731 patients who would be randomly assigned to either radical prostatectomy (removal of prostate gland) or observation. Their study keep reading

If you know someone with a medical crystal ball who can predict a prostate cancer patient’s outcome with 100% certainty, I’d like to hire that person to help my PCa patients gain the optimum treatment plan. Until that day, I continually seek top technology advances I can use in the service of my patients. Increasingly, 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

Who is the world’s leading prostate cancer expert? How does one even begin to answer that question? There are so many great minds dealing with prostate cancer from so many angles: biology, urology, radiology, oncology, pathology and more—it’s impossible to identify a single authority on the subject. However, when great minds work together, powerful consensus keep reading

If you had prostate cancer (PCa) and opted to be treated with either prostatectomy (surgical removal) or whole-gland radiation, what sign of recurrence would you watch for? You’d be sure to have an annual PSA blood test. Why? Because after whole-gland treatment, it is expected that your PSA will drop to zero (or very close keep reading

I have never met Dr. Bert Vorstman, a urologist in Coral Springs, FL, but he sounds like a doctor who is not afraid to speak his mind. In fact, he calls robotic prostate cancer surgery “a public health nightmare” and a “boondoggle for public health.” These are strong words, especially coming from a surgically-trained urologist... keep reading

Over the years, I have spoken with many patients about the idea of doctors being 100% open with regard to their treatment results. I came across a large-scaled Swedish study on prostatectomy side effects, and it’s as transparent as it gets. keep reading

Is there any human being who would greet a cancer diagnosis with good cheer? I suspect not, because it’s not good news. It automatically triggers the most basic of all fears: am I going to die? Even the most optimistic or logical person can’t keep that question from popping up, at least momentarily. If the keep reading

If you were suddenly kidnapped and blindfolded, then abandoned in a foreign land, you would want the best possible map to get safely to the border where you could figure out a homeward-bound plan. For men who are diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer (PCa), it’s as if a hostile unknown enemy has abducted them, deprived keep reading

No one can dispute the superiority of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) over transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) for detecting and characterizing prostate cancer (PCa) before biopsy and treatment. The past five years alone have seen a rapid accumulation of research evidence that mpMRI makes it possible to save medical dollars by avoiding unnecessary biopsies and their risks. While keep reading