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PROSTATE CANCER INFO
Types of Prostate Disease
- Prostate cancer (malignant cancer of the prostate gland)
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
Prostate Cancer
- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males and the second leading cause of male cancer deaths. (See attached map of the U.S. for more statistical information.)
- It is most common among men between the ages of 60 and 80.
- Known risk factors for prostate cancer include age, race and family history.
- African-American men have a higher incidence of prostate cancer than Caucasian or Asian men in the U.S.
- The early stages of prostate cancer generally show no symptoms.
- When the tumor becomes more advanced, patients may experience a weak urinary stream, the inability to urinate, interruption of urinary stream, frequent urination (especially at night), pain or burning during urination, and blood in the urine.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
- BPH is not cancer, and the majority of men with symptoms of BPH do not have prostate cancer.
- BPH is widespread, yet generally not life threatening and most commonly affects men 50 years of age and older.
- Approximately 11 million men in the U.S. currently suffer from moderate to severe BPH that requires treatment.
- BPH symptoms include frequent urination, waking at night to urinate, sudden urgency to urinate, sense of being unable to empty the bladder, difficulty in starting to urinate, weak urinary stream and an intermittent stream.
Detection
- Prostate disease is initially detected by a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a blood test to detect levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced by the prostate. Elevated levels of PSA may indicate a prostate abnormality.
- If the DRE and PSA tests are abnormal, further studies may be conducted including ultrasound and a biopsy.
- The American Urological Association and the American Cancer Society recommend that every man 50 years of age and older have a digital rectal exam and a PSA test annually.
- Men with a family history of prostate cancer should have tests beginning at age 40.
PROSTATE CANCER THERAPY OPTIONS
- HIFU with Sonablate® 500:
Minimally invasive investigational procedure that uses
intersecting, precision focused ultrasound waves to ablate
diseased tissue
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Radical Prostatectomy:
Surgical
removal of the prostate and surrounding tissue, including
seminal vesicles and lymph nodes.
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External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT):
High energy radiation used to
attack cancer cells; directed at cancer from outside the body.
- Brachytherapy:
or seed therapy- radiation therapy by means of tiny radioactive
pellets placed inside the prostate
- Cryotherapy: a surgical technique that uses an
instrument that freezes and destroys diseased tissue
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