Most men have heard of the basic screenings for prostate cancer, but there are some newer screening tools that may be easier on patients, less invasive and still provide accurate results.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists these traditional screenings:
- Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Test: A blood test measuring the levels of PSA, a substance made by the prostate. Generally, the higher the PSA level the more likely a prostate issue may be present.
- The Digital Rectal Exam or DRE: This is a physical test where the doctor feels the prostate for abnormalities.
- When a potential problem is discovered, further testing is required. Many times the first step is a biopsy, which while necessary, can be a difficult experience, uncomfortable and can also produce a false negative. That could also mean a repeat biopsy.
But there are other diagnostic tools being used and tested, which may be easier on patients.
- Another less invasive screening tool is called an MRI fusion biopsy. This test combines an MRI with a transrectal ultrasound or TRUS. The MRI scans for abnormalities. The TRUS takes pictures of the prostate using sound waves. This can be done at the same time as a biopsy as well if needed.
- University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center is also testing a urine test, which in studies could avoid one-third of unnecessary biopsies. The test is called MyProstateScore test.
- “Our ultimate goal was to determine whether the MyProstateScore test could be a practical, reliable test that could rule out the need for more costly or invasive testing in men referred for a prostate biopsy,” says the study’s lead author Jeffrey Tosoian, M.D., M.P.H., a clinical lecturer in urology at Michigan Medicine in a blog post.
Prostate Cancer Treatment
If you are diagnosed with the disease, treatment depends on the type and stage of cancer, your age and your overall health.
Doctors use surgery, chemotherapy, other drug therapies and radiation to treat prostate cancer. Sometimes they use a combination of therapies. And each treatment can be effective.
However, more than 60,000 American men choose radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer each year, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Radiation Treatment for Prostate Cancer
The cure rate for prostate cancer using radiation is well-documented, and there is a proven safety track record.
While there are different types of radiation for prostate cancer, the experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami believe stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT – the type of radiation used by CyberKnife, has some distinct advantages.
“CyberKnife has few side effects. Its pinpoint radiation beams hit only the tumor, dissolving it, so we can give a much higher dose with a lot fewer treatments, leaving healthy surrounding tissue unharmed. There’s over 20 years of published studies to support it,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami.
The CyberKnife Advantage
- It’s noninvasive. There is no anesthesia or cutting. And it doesn’t come with the risks of surgery like infection and long periods of downtime.
- CyberKnife’s treatments can be done in five therapy sessions over 10 days instead of 42 over three months with other types of radiation treatments.
- The CyberKnife radiation beams, which target and destroy the tumor, are precise. That means there is less risk of side effects including impotence and incontinence.
Prostate Cancer Treatment Center
The American Cancer Society says one in nine American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime.
At the CyberKnife Center of Miami, we have successfully treated hundreds of prostate cancer patients from across the country and right here in South Florida with excellent results.
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, call CyberKnife Miami for a consultation. If you would like to find out more about prostate cancer treatment with CyberKnife, call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our prostate cancer website now for more information.