Welcome to Sperling Prostate Center, the world-renowned leader in prostate imaging for detection, diagnosis, and MRI-guided focal prostate treatment. We offer noninvasive advanced imaging as a revolutionary first step in prostate cancer diagnosis and advanced treatment systems that offer effectiveness and quality of life unattainable with conventional methods. Our patients experience minimal side effects, low recurrence rates, and virtually no risk of incontinence or impotence.

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Why Travel to the U.S. for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the prostate?

The need for prostate imaging is not always urgent, but when prostate cancer is suspected, it doesn’t make sense to wait. Based on national average, Canada’s healthcare ranks in the top fifteen out of the world’s nationsⁱ—something to be proud of. However, timely access to top-tier multiparametric MRI is not always available.

• The Canadian Institute for Healthcare Information reported in 2013 that there were 308 operational MRI scanners in Canada
• 79% of scanners were in hospitals, with the rest in free-standing clinicsⁱⁱ
• A 2018 news story noted that in Ontario alone, hospitals strive to serve 90% of patients within target wait times, which range from one to 28 days, depending on the urgency of the case.
• However, only about 33% of patients in the province get scans within those targets.ⁱⁱⁱ

When waiting doesn’t make sense, consider the globally-recognized experts at the Sperling Prostate Center. Dr. Sperling and his team will welcome and support you as advanced images are captured, your prostate gland is mapped, and the results are explained to you in a way you can fully understand.

The Sperling Prostate Center team is here to put your mind at ease.

Consultations, diagnosis and treatment are available in our Florida office. Many of our Canadian patients book extra leisure days in order to take advantage of our year-round balmy weather. Whether your stay in “The Sunshine State” is short or extended, any additional follow-up after your return home can be accomplished by phone consultation.

Our Services

Prostate Cancer Detection Through MRI Imaging

Early detection results in better diagnosis, better treatment decisions and better outcomes, yet early prostate cancer has NO SYMPTOMS.

The PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test is not reliable for prostate cancer. While it’s true that prostate cancer can lead to a rising PSA, so can other non-cancerous conditions. For example, a prostate infection or inflammation, an aging-related condition called BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), even a long bike ride or having sex the night before a blood draw can result in a higher PSA value. Thus, an elevated PSA does not necessarily mean prostate cancer is present.

Instead, the Sperling Prostate Cancer provides the highest quality prostate and pelvic imaging using multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mpMRI) to detect and diagnose prostate cancer. Benefits include:

• Noninvasive procedure
• Produces very high resolution, 3-dimensional images
• Differentiates cancerous tumors from healthy tissue
• Differentiates other prostate conditions from healthy tissue
• No exposure to radiation

Step on the brakes before biopsy. If your doctor recommends a prostate needle biopsy because of a higher-than-normal PSA, slow down. Ultrasound imaging in your doctor’s office can’t define tissues differences that show cancer, so an in-office needle biopsy is essentially blind and random. If your PSA is high or rising, the next step before biopsy is to obtain a baseline mpMRI of the gland that shows both normal and cancerous tissue. It is just as important to see what is healthy as what is unhealthy!

Our BlueLaser™ 3T mpMRI performed by our expert team gives the best available imaging. Dr. Sperling is a recognized authority in reading and interpreting prostate scans. If BlueLaser™ 3T mpMRI rules out cancer, it gives peace of mind and avoids a biopsy or other additional testing. If, however, a suspicious area is detected and a biopsy is necessary, we offer in-bore MRI guided targeted biopsy.

Diagnosis using real time MRI-guided biopsy

A real time prostate biopsy done in the bore (tunnel) of our powerful 3T magnet excels over all other biopsy methods. Standard 12-14 needle TRUS biopsies miss 30-40% of tumors. They over-detect insignificant prostate cancer (may not require immediate treatment) and under-detect significant prostate cancer (requires immediate treatment). In-bore biopsy with fewer needles is twice as accurate as TRUS biopsy.

Our Center uses the biopsy analysis services of top pathology labs. Results are available in 24-48 hours, lessening the need for multiple trips.

Don’t confuse “fusion biopsy” with real-time MRI-guided biopsy

A recent development, fusion-guided biopsy, is often called an “MRI-guided biopsy” but this is misleading. In fact, it fuses previously captured MRI images with real-time ultrasound—a computerized image manipulation process that compromises accuracy. See a comparison of TRUS, fusion, and real-time in-bore MRI biopsies.

Focal Laser Ablation – Image-Guided Focal Treatment for Prostate Cancer

If a needle biopsy results in a diagnosis of prostate cancer, it is natural to feel anxious and confused. Whole-gland prostate cancer treatments have sexual and urinary risks, sometimes long-term, that can impact your quality of life.

How are we different?

Unlike conventional whole-gland surgery or radiation, the Sperling Prostate Center offers a precise, targeted prostate cancer treatment called Focal Laser Ablation (FLA). For appropriate patients, this outpatient procedure ablates (destroys) a cancerous tumor plus a margin of safety around the tumor. FLA preserves sexual and urinary function in order to preserve total quality of life. Learn more about the FLA procedure.

Another important benefit of minimally invasive FLA is its minimal interruption into a patient’s life, especially for those traveling from a distance. With its reduced procedure time and a very brief recuperation, there’s no lengthy “medical vacation” travel—though South Florida is a lovely place to linger for a few extra relaxing days.

Many of our Canadian patients book additional leisure time to enjoy our year-round balmy weather, lovely beaches, and resort vacations. Whether your stay in “The Sunshine State” is short or extended, any additional follow-up after your return home can be accomplished by phone consultation.

Watch our patients tell their stories »

Focal Laser Ablation Advantages

• Minimally invasive
• Minimal side effects
• Low recurrence rate
• Minimum-to-zero risk of incontinence or impotence
• Average procedure time 1.5 hours
• No general anesthesia
• No risk of hospital-borne infection
• Short outpatient procedure reduces travel time away from home
• Rapid routine to normal work, leisure, exercise, and intimacy
• Cancer control competitive with whole-gland treatments
• Leaves all future treatment options open if cancer recurs

FLA Side Effects

While no prostate cancer treatment can guarantee absolute freedom from cancer for life, or a return to normal urinary and sexual function, Recurrence rates with FLA are comparable to conventional treatments. However, unlike whole-gland treatments, our approach is superior in preserving quality of life, thanks to minimal side effects, low recurrence rate, and minimal risk of incontinence or impotence. And with the reduced procedure time and rapid recovery, patients can return to normal routines almost immediately—including sex and exercise—knowing their disease is under control and their lives free to enjoy.

Can Focal Laser Ablation treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia?

After pioneering the use of FLA as a treatment for localized prostate cancer, Dr. Sperling’s observation of his patients provided an exciting discovery. After undergoing FLA for prostate cancer, a number of patients who also had BPH-related urinary problems reported that their urinary symptoms had faded, due to the reduction of prostate volume following FLA.

Dr. Sperling developed a specialized FLA protocol for treating BPH as effectively as prostate cancer. Thanks to mpMRI’s ability to depict the most problematic BPH areas, men with BPH can experience relief without medication or more invasive procedures. Dr. Sperling is able to use MRI guidance to direct FLA strategically for durable relief of urinary blockage.

Learn more about FLA for BPH »

mpMRI for Better Real-Time Monitoring

The Sperling Prostate Center provides mpMRI imaging solutions for the noninvasive monitoring of two major men’s health concerns.

Active Surveillance

For men with insignificant prostate cancer that does not require immediate treatment, Active Surveillance is often the wisest option. A baseline mpMRI scan is the first step in carefully determining if a patient qualifies for this choice. If he does, Dr. Sperling will determine the periodic monitoring protocol using blood work and additional mpMRI imaging to watch for possibly dangerous tumor changes. Dr. Sperling will also work with the patient to establish beneficial lifestyle changes that may protect against cancer aggression, including diet, exercise, and stress management techniques.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

For men with low T for who are currently undergoing Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), regular monitoring of the prostate is often advisable, especially if the patient has other prostate cancer risk factors. A combination of periodic mpMRI and bloodwork provides a superior monitoring solution, offering a clearer picture of any suspicious prostate changes indicating a need for further testing—and preventing the unnecessary testing other monitoring protocols often incur.

The Sperling Prostate Center Difference

The Sperling Prostate Center transforms prostate disease detection and diagnosis into an art as well as a science, thanks to powerful 3T multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and real-time MRI-guided targeted biopsies.

Our Center is the most experienced provider of MRI-guided Focal Laser Ablation—and Dr. Sperling the only North American practitioner with a specialized combination of advanced technology, proprietary imaging techniques, and interpretive skill.

 

ⁱGBD 2016 Healthcare Access and Quality Collaborators. Measuring performance on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational locations: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. 2018 June 2; 391(10136):2236-2271.

ⁱⁱCIHI. Medical Imaging in Canada 2012. https://www.cihi.ca/en/mit_summary_2012_en.pdf

ⁱⁱⁱGagnon, Louise, “Canadian group tackles MRI wait through scheduling.” Aunt Minnie Newsletter. Oct. 31, 2018. http://www.acr.inloop.com/en/article/11703