Prostate Cancer Treatment Options 2012

Posted on February 22, 2012 by admin

Prostate cancer treatment options 2012 continue to rely on more computer assisted imagery and precise targeting to treat prostate cancer by a non-invasive procedure if possible.  Early stage prostate cancer can be treated very successfully with HIFU or high intensity focused ultrasound. The first North American clinic to offer and perfect this treatment is Maple Leaf HIFU of Toronto Canada.

Prostate Cancer Treatment 2012Most prostate cancer found in men is of the localized prostate cancer type, which means the cancer has not spread outside the prostate gland.  Prior to the expansion of HIFU treatments, there were various radiation and proton beam treatments available to try to more tightly target the treatment area and destroy tumor cells while not affecting much of the surrounding tissue.

Today with the Ablatherm HIFU computer controlled system, the procedure has been reduced to an outpatient procedure and involves a scan of the treatment area followed by computerized targeting of the tumor cells and the destruction of those cells by focusing a high intensity ultrasound beam on them which heats them up to a high level and destroys them without affecting surrounding tissue.

Many side effects of prostate cancer treatments can be avoided by using the HIFU method instead of resorting to invasive surgery or other methods which can cause more cases of impotence and incontinence among other long-term side effects of those prostate cancer treatment procedures.

As with any medical treatment, check with your physician or oncologist and gather pertinent information from multiple sources to make an informed decision.

The people at Maple Leaf HIFU, Toronto are very helpful in answering questions about treating prostate cancer effectively without incurring high risk of intolerable side effects.

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Sonablate HIFU Prostate Cancer Treatment

Posted on November 22, 2011 by admin

HIFU Sonablate Treatment

For many men with localized prostate cancer, one preferred treatment is using HIFU or high intensity focused ultrasound. There are a few different devices that have been developed to provide this relatively new prostate cancer treatment including the Ablatherm and Sonablate devices. Ablatherm is manufactured by EDAP in France and implemented at the Cleveland Clinic Canada for North American procedures by Maple Leaf HIFU. The Sonablate is made by Focus Surgery Inc.

The Sonablate 500 similar to the Ablatherm HIFU device, provides a real time scan of the prostate and surrounding organs and areas so the tumors and areas to be treated can be pinpointed before starting the procedure. Some differences in the Sonablate vs. Ablatherm HIFU treatment are outlined in this video.

The Sonablate HIFU and Ablatherm HIFU units use ultrasound technology. Typically there is a console with monitor, an emergency stop button, secure probe arm that articulates and the transrectal probe.

The first step in any HIFU procedure is to take an image of the prostate to allow the software to map where the probe will go and what areas the treatment will focus on. The physician or physicians monitor the computer controlled procedure in real time and make fine adjustments as needed. Neurovascular Bundle Detection (NVB) allows the treating physician to detect the location of blood vessels surrounding critical structures and nerve bundles. This helps to plan and map the treatment. Currently the Sonablate HIFU device is not approved by the FDA so can only be used for trials in the U.S.

The Ablatherm device has successfully been used in Toronto, Canada for over 6 years in treating hundreds of patients successfully.

Either Sonablate or Ablatherm sure represent a huge technological advance over traditional invasive surgery that involves incissions, a complex operation and lengthy recovery.

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Ablatherm HIFU

Posted on October 27, 2011 by admin

Ablatherm HIFU

Ablatherm HIFU TreatmentHIFU utilizing the Ablatherm computer controlled robotic system developed in France by EDAP, is one of the best and most non-invasive treatments for organ confined prostate cancer.

Ablatherm HIFU treatment is repeatable and also eliminates the need for a scalpel, incision or sutures because there is no invasive operation involved in this treatment.

The Ablatherm HIFU device does not emit any radiation, but uses ultrasound waves instead so it is radiation free. This is often a misconception in that some believe that HIFU is a close-up
treatment version of external radiation, when in fact the cancer cells are pinpointed much more precisely and destroyed by the heat generated by the ultrasound waves.
They are able to achieve this precision by inserting the ultrasound emitting probe directly into the rectum and using computer imagery of the prostate gland and surrounding organs to precisely navigate to the exact region of treatment.

The ultrasound waves are fired or emitted from the probe and then travel through the intestine and converge on the tumor. A tumor (or tumour) refers to a neoplasm lesion which in the case of cancer is formed by an abnormal growth of tissue. The uncontrolled multiplication and growth of the cancerous cells must be stopped before they can spread to surrounding organs and healthy
tissue.

A biopsy is performed to detect cancer and Ablatherm HIFU is the preferred new treatment method by many who value recovery to a normal lifestyle and not having to go through old-school cutting and surgery with long recovery times.

See how Ablatherm HIFU treatment preserves the quality of a patient’s life with no minimal side effects and no drugs.

EDAP TMS is the leader in therapeutic ultrasound. For more than 30 years, EDAP TMS has been developing minimally-invasive therapeutic solutions for urology.
Maple Leaf HIFU has offered HIFU treatment at Cleveland Clinic Toronto, Canada since 2004 and has successfully treated over 700 HIFU patients.

More literature and more procedures using Ablatherm HIFU have been performed vs. Sonablate HIFU and the first and leading Ablatherm HIFU treatment provider in North America is Maple Leaf HIFU.
Visit www.hifu.ca for more information.

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Prostate Cancer Treatment

Posted on September 27, 2011 by admin

prostate-cancer-treatmentThere are various types of prostate cancer treatment available out of which a few are the standard treatment procedures and a few are the latest types of prostate cancer treatment procedures. Oncologists specialize in different types of treatment procedures. Where are a few specialize in surgery, a few others specialize in radiation therapy or chemotherapy and still a few others in the latest HIFU.

Prostate cancer treatment plans are designed in such a way that they meet the unique needs of each individual suffering from prostate cancer. The treatment decision however, is based on the prostate cancer type, grade and stage of the cancer, general health and age of the patient, metastasis, and personal preference the individual has for treatment.

The various options for treatment are:

  • Watchful waiting/active surveillance: The individual needs to undergo regular checkups every 3 months or 6 months and wait for the symptoms to take an active turn.
  • Surgery: People with sound health are generally suggested surgery as they can recuperate easily post operation. Pelvic lymph node dissection, radical prostatectomy and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) are the different options available in surgery.
  • Radiation Therapy: Treatment through this procedure involves using powerful x-rays of high energy levels and different types of radiations too to kill the cancer cells and stall their growth.
  • Hormone Therapy: The hormones that are responsible for the cancer are either removed or blocked from further acting in the body.
  • Chemotherapy: This is a type of treatment where drugs are used to arrest the growth and further division of cancer causing cells.

The latest types of treatment are:

  • Cryotherapy: This treatment makes use of a special instrument to freeze or destroy the cancer causing cells.
  • High Intensity Focused Ultrasound: Popular as HIFU, high energy sound waves are used to destroy the cancer cells with the help of an endorectal probe.
  • Biologic Therapy: The immune system of the patient is used to fight cancer and an effort to restore the natural defenses of the body against cancer is activated.
  • Proton Beam Radiation Therapy: This is an external radiation therapy which targets the tumors through a stream of protons.

As mentioned earlier, treatment options can best be decided by the doctor depending on the individual requirement.

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Prostate Cancer Symptoms

Posted on September 27, 2011 by admin

prostate-cancer-symptomsLike many other cancers prostate cancer symptoms do not become prominent until the later stages. Here are the symptoms that people with prostate cancer experience during advanced stages:

  • Major suspicion can arise when the person experiences multiple difficulties associated with urination. There is an exponential increase as far as the frequency of urination is concerned. And the need to urinate is found to be more during the night. And the urgency to urinate as soon as possible also occurs quite frequently as a result of the loss of control over the urinary bladder muscles.
  • There is an interrupted urine stream and hesitancy experienced while the stream flows in the form of urine. And in many cases, there is pain while urinating which is accompanied with a burning sensation as well as gnawing pain while urinating in the lower abdomen. A few people also might pass blood in the urine.
  • Sexual life also witnesses a tremendous change in the sense that ejaculations are no more pleasurable but extremely painful, and there is blood too in the semen that is discharged. And the individual experiences great difficulty getting a penile erection.
  • The individual also experiences untold inconvenience in the pelvic region and there is a persistent pain in the back as well the hip region. These symptoms however surface only as later stages of prostate cancer when it spreads its wings into other parts of the body as well.
  • Edema, a condition of water accumulation, brings about swelling in the legs. The individual experiences drastic weight loss as well as fatigue. The red blood cell count in the body takes a nosedive and results in anemia.
  • There is absolute loss of control over the bladder and bowels too. The individual experiences numbness or weakness in the feet or legs.

When the prostate cancer symptoms are detected at an early stage, the chances of having 100% recovery and a successful treatment are higher. Regular checkups therefore, will help an individual catch the prostate cancer at an early stage. The sooner the prostate cancer symptoms are reported to the doctor, the earlier can the diagnosis be done and treatment started.

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Prostate Cancer Stages

Posted on September 27, 2011 by admin

prostate-cancer-stagesIt is a widely known fact that cancer progresses in primary, secondary and advanced stages. Likewise, prostate cancer too passes through these different stages and each stage is characterized by distinct features that mark the presence and intensity of the cancer cells and give the oncologist, adequate guidance to carry out his treatment plan. There are four distinct prostate cancer stages that range from Stage I to Stage IV wherein the cancer cells first grown in the prostate itself, then through the external layer of the prostate to the tissue close by. It then passes to the lymph nodes and then spreads slowly into different parts of the body.

  • Stage I: Cancer cells are restricted to the prostate only. And during this stage it can be identified with the help of needle biopsy. Or in some cases, the cancer can be spotted in a few prostate tissues when a surgery is conducted for some other reasons. It can also be found in a single lobe of the prostate but is not visible through imaging.
  • Stage II: This stage is divided into Stage IIA and Stage IIB. Though an advanced stage than the previous one, the cancer has not gone outside prostate. Identification of the cancer becomes easy when the PSA level and the Gleason score are taken into consideration.
  • Stage III: In this stage, the cancer cells have gone beyond the external layer of the prostate and in some cases would have also entered into the seminal vesicles.
  • Stage IV: In this stage, prostate cancer has gone beyond seminal vesicles and has spread into the nearby organs like the bladder, rectum, pelvic wall and lymph nodes too. There are very high chances that the cancer will spread into distant parts too in the body and usually into bones.

Cancer spreads in the body through blood, through tissue and through lymph system. And when these carcinogenic cells break loose from the origin and travel through other places of the body, there is a high chance that new tumors form as the prostate cancer stages advance. Therefore, identifying the appropriate prostate cancer stages is of great importance for carrying out treatment successfully.

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Prostate Cancer Awareness

Posted on September 22, 2011 by admin

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that majority of men are afflicted with.  Therefore, prostate cancer awareness will definitely help the individual to keep himself informed of the signs, symptoms, treatment and causes of the cancer and help save lives.  Awareness can definitely help identify the cancer at primary stage level where in the treatment offered can also give positive results.  But, once delay is done, the complexity of the treatment too increases along with the malignancy of the tumor too.  Prostate cancer awareness can therefore help save a lot of agony for the person involved.

prostate-cancer-awarenessThe screening tests at regular intervals of time help the individual understand his health conditions.  As soon as the person experiences a difficulty in urinating or ejaculation, he may get the alarm signals and approach his doctor to get a thorough check-up.  The frequent urination sensation is yet another symptom which men should take heed of and visit their doctor right away.  Rather than running to the doctor with every symptom they experience once in a while, it does pay to have a deeper understanding of what prostate cancer is all about.

Joining community forums on the web, becoming a member in the prostate cancer awareness programs and promoting the same are channels through which men can keep themselves associated more with the cancer and remain informed and well equipped to tackle the predicament if they are diagnosed of the same.  Healthy life style habits will definitely save people from succumbing to the most dreadful disease called cancer.  The kind of inconvenience that men get subjected to when suffering from this cancer is inexplicable.

September is hailed as Prostate cancer awareness month in majority of the countries and as an effort to spread the awareness a blue ribbon is made used in promoting the cause.  An active participation in spreading the facts about this type of cancer is what is needed in order to curtail the number of cases that are being identified month after month.  Prevention is better than cure and when it is cancer, early identification is the main trigger to the road to cure.  So, awareness in prostate cancer is a great help in an effort to save numerous lives.

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