Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men and second most cause of cancer related deaths. Prostate cancer is commonly diagnosed through rectal examination and blood test such as Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). More recently, Magnetic Resonance Imaging has proven to be a valuable adjunct to cancer diagnosis. The natural history of prostate cancer is indolent with majority of men with prostate cancer more likely to die of other age related causes like myocardial infarction, stroke etc. Hence the treatment of prostate cancer is usually one of the two options – Active surveillance and Radical treatment. It is very important to identify the correct patient for appropriate treatment at the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
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Dr. Mhammad Baghdadi, MD Urologic Oncologist
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Over the last 10 years, researchers in Europe and United States have developed a new treatment option for prostate cancer. In this new treatment, the cancer inside the prostate gland is selectively killed while preserving the remaining prostate. The advantage of this treatment is the cancer is destroyed in the body and simultaneously the harmful complications of treatment are avoided. This treatment is offered as an out-patient procedure and the patient can resume work next day. Patient’s normal life in terms of urinary problems and sexual problems are not affected with this treatment. However, this treatment cannot be offered to all the patients with prostate cancer. There is a series of selection process using scans and biopsy before which this treatment can be offered.
Based on our clinical experience, 20-30% of patients who undergo surgery can be effectively treated with this new treatment and surgery can be avoided. Also Focal therapy can be eligible for patients undergoing Active Surveillance who do not want to have the anxiety of cancer left untreated in the body. US-FDA have very recently approved this new treatment and slowly becoming available in many cities in USA. This treatment will be eventually become available around the world.
-Report by Arjun Sivaraman & Mohammed Baghdadi
