Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer, and has a very high survival rate when caught and treated early.
Prostate cancer is a cancer that develops in the male reproductive system. It is typically slow growing, however there are aggressive forms of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can escape the capsule of the prostate gland and metastasize to surrounding organs, the lymph system or bones, if not treated in the early stages. Therefore, it is important to understand the nature of your cancer and to follow the experience of your physician.
Symptoms of prostate cancer can sometimes be similar to BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy. These include: frequent and/or painful urination, blood in the urine, stiffness or pain in the lower back. Prostate cancer may be suspected if a PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test comes back elevated. Your doctor will typically recommend a biopsy to see if there are cancerous cells present. Typically, a Gleason Score will be assigned based on the number and how aggressive the cancer cells are, giving predictive value to the rate at which the cancer may spread. Additional tests including MRI, PET/CT, Ultrasound, blood tests, and a lymph node evaluation may be ordered to further help evaluate the stage of disease.
There are many treatments available for prostate cancer, and can include: surgery, radiation, hormone therapy and hyperthermia. We recommend seeking the advice of our medical and radiation oncologists in addition to your urologist, to get a comprehensive view of your treatment options. It is important to remember that every person's case is different, so sometimes the experience of a friend of family member may not provide an accurate picture since his case was probably not the same as yours. At the Center for Thermal Oncology, we custom fit each patient's treatment to the specific stage and cancer type.
The Benefit of Hyperthermia As a Combination Treatment For Prostate Cancer
Hyperthermia for prostate cancer is generally delivered in combination with radiation therapy, making the radiation treatment more effective. In a 2011 study done at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard, Dr. Mark Hurwitz published results that Hyperthermia treatments improved 2 year survival by 20% over radiation alone [1]. Currently at the Center for Thermal Oncology, we use an external ultrasound device to gently heat the prostate gland. There are no invasive measures taken to ensure patient comfort.
Hyperthermia is known to reduce the size of the enlarged prostate (due to cancer). Many of our prostate cancer patients have reported a decrease in the side effects known to accompany prostate cancer within just a few weeks of their treatment.
Clinical studies suggest hyperthermia for prostate cancer to be feasible with no apparent significant increased toxicity. (Cancer; 2000, 89(2): p399-403)
To schedule an appointment, please call the Center for Thermal Oncology at (888) 580-5900 or schedule an appointment online.