Just days after Grey’s Anatomy’s beloved Dr. Richard Webber, played by James Pickens Jr. for 22 seasons, revealed his character had cancer, Pickens shared news of his real-life fight against prostate cancer, according to Black Health Matters.
“It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it,” said Pickens.
“I’ve got a 90-year-old first cousin, who’s still alive, actually; he had it. His son has it. A couple of his brothers had it. No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it,” he continued.
Prostate Cancer Statistics
Aside from skin cancer, prostate is the most common cancer among men. One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. It’s more common in older men and in African American men.
Because Pickens, 73, knew his family history, he started screening in his 40s and because of his vigilance his cancer was diagnosed early.
In fact, he’s speaking out to encourage other men to take their prostate health seriously.
Prostate Cancer Treatment: Surgery
Pickens opted to have his prostate removed with a surgery called a radical prostatectomy.
In the United States each year, there are about 90,000 radical prostatectomies performed.
The procedure is typically done one of two ways:
- A laparoscopic prostatectomy is when doctors operate through a few smaller incisions typically with robotic assistance.
- An open prostatectomy is where the surgeon operates through a long incision. This procedure is less common now.
Pickens procedure was done robotically, and he stayed in the hospital after his surgery was complete.
“We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take. I do have a rare variant that you don’t see very often. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it,” he said.
But there are alternatives to surgery that are as effective – without the side effects from anesthesia or potential infections.
Prostate Cancer Treatment Alternatives
The experts at CyberKnife Center of Miami, the premiere cancer radiation treatment center in South Florida, want you to know you have choices when it comes to your treatment for prostate cancer.
One option is radiation with CyberKnife, a form of external beam stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) that is among the most precise forms of radiation used for prostate cancer today.
It delivers high-dose radiation directly to the tumor, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. Patients require fewer treatments than with traditional radiation, and side effects can be minimized.
According to a 12-year study presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in 2020, Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), the kind of radiation used in CyberKnife treatments has high rates of long-term cancer control with mild toxicity.
There is also a 95% success rate for prostate cancer with CyberKnife when detected early.
“We are very, very precise,” explains Dr. Mark Pomper, radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami in a YouTube video. “With CyberKnife technology we actually target the patient’s tumor site and the beams move with the patient, staying on target during the entire treatment time.”
With CyberKnife because of its precision, there is less risk of burning the anus or testicles during treatment.
There is also a reduced risk of impotence and urinary incontinence. Sexual function remains the same for most patients after treatment. And because patients are awake the whole time, there is no anesthesia and no risks associated with anesthesia.
There are also minimal side effects, which may include tiredness, and urinary and rectal irritation. Medication minimizes these, and they usually dissipate in a few weeks.
Here are some other benefits:
- It’s noninvasive.
- CyberKnife causes less disruption to patients’ lives.
- Outpatient treatments can be done in five radiation therapy sessions over 10 days. That’s compared to 42 over three months with other types of radiation treatments.
- Treatments last 30 to 60 minutes.
- Patients can be treated repeatedly with CyberKnife.
For patients with metastatic prostate cancer, ones who can’t have surgery, failed other treatments or have been told there’s nothing left to do – CyberKnife can be a beneficial treatment option as well.
Prostate Cancer Treatment Near Me: CyberKnife Miami
If you or someone you love is diagnosed with prostate cancer, contact the experts at CyberKnife Miami for a consultation. We’ll help you figure out the best treatment for you. We treat patients from across South Florida, the United States and even around the world.
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.