Prostate Cancer Treatment
Diagnosing and Treating Prostate Cancer in DuBois
Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in men and also the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. But Penn Highlands Healthcare is committed to helping all men in northwestern, central and southwestern Pennsylvania beat these odds by improving early detection rates and by providing the most effective prostate cancer treatments available.
Prostate Cancer Early Detection
The first and most important step in beating prostate cancer is making sure it is found early. When found before it has moved outside the prostate, prostate cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 100%! That means it is curable! The key is finding it early and knowing which cancers to treat and which to simply keep an eye on.
For years, men over 50 were given a routine blood test to screen for prostate cancer. This test, which looked for prostate specific antigen, is called a PSA test. Unfortunately, however, an elevated PSA doesn’t always mean prostate cancer. An enlarged prostate, for instance, or even vigorous exercise can cause elevated PSA levels. Prostate cancer that is very slow growing also can cause higher than normal PSA levels. Because there was no way of telling why PSA was elevated, all men were being referred for biopsies (when samples of the prostate tissue are removed and tested for cancer).
Now, however, we are much more sophisticated in our understanding of PSA and prostate cancer. We also have additional tests, such as prostate cancer molecular tests, that give us additional information to know which men should have biopsies and which men need other types of tests or simply to be watched and retested down the road.
The key take-away for men and their support partners are these:
- Know the risk factors for prostate cancer
- Talk to your primary care provider about PSA testing starting at age 50 (or earlier if you have risk factors)
- If you have a high PSA level, talk to your provider about what might be causing that and other tests that can be run prior to a biopsy
Urology
Penn Highlands Urology - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois
Urology
Penn Highlands Urology - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois
Urology
Penn Highlands Urology - ClearfieldA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois
Penn Highlands Urology - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois
Urology
Penn Highlands Urology - ClearfieldA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois
Penn Highlands Urology - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois
Urology
Penn Highlands Urology - DuBoisA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois
Penn Highlands Urology - RidgwayA Service of Penn Highlands DuBois
Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer has few symptoms until it is in very late stage when it has grown outside of the prostate, most often to the bones and lungs. That’s why it’s important that all men — especially Black men who are at twice the risk of developing prostate cancer and men who have a family history of any type of cancer — talk to their primary care provider about prostate cancer screening.
The most common screening test is the PSA blood test. Your provider also will perform a digital exam to check the size of your prostate because non-cancerous conditions that cause the prostate to enlarge can also cause higher-than-normal PSA levels. Your provider also may use a prostate cancer molecular marker test, such as the 4K or Select MDx. These tests look for molecules in your blood or urine related to prostate cancer.
There is no single test that can tell you whether or not you have prostate cancer. Instead, your provider will combine information from your personal and family health history, your physical exam, your PSA score and other tests to determine if it possible you have prostate cancer. If so, they will refer you to a urologist who most likely will perform a biopsy.
A biopsy uses very tiny needles to collect tissue samples from the prostate. A pathologist will then test these samples and assign each sample a “grade,” which is an indication of how normal vs abnormal the tissue looks. Since the samples often have different grades, they are combined in a formula called a Gleason score that your urologist will discuss with you. It is easy at this point to compare your Gleason score to those of other men or those you read about on the internet; however, it’s important to talk to your urologist because while your score is probably not unique, your situation which looks at your health, your family history and other factors is unique.
At this point your urologist may recommend that additional testing is performed. Prostate cancer molecular testing, such as Decipher, can give your healthcare provider additional information to determine next steps. Even if prostate cancer is detected, your provider may recommend active surveillance where your cancer is closely monitored to make sure it is not growing but it is not treated. About 60% of men will have low-grade, low-risk prostate cancer that can be monitored in this manner.
Prostate Cancer Treatment
If your uro-oncologist determines that your prostate cancer needs to be treated, there are several options, including:
- Robotic Prostatectomy: This is the main type of surgery to treat prostate cancer. The urology surgeon removed the entire prostate and some of the tissue around it. If the cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes, those will be removed as well. In the past, surgeons performed radical prostatectomies through long incisions. Today, however, Penn Highlands expert urology surgeons perform robotic prostatectomy using the da Vinci robotic surgery system. This system gives the surgeons enhanced vision, control and precision, allowing them to perform the procedure must faster through small incisions. The benefits to patients include:
- Minimal blood loss
- Reduced pain
- Shorter hospital stays (most patients only spend 1 night in the hospital)
- Faster recovery (patients can typically return to everyday activities, with the exception of heavy lifting and strenuous exercise, within 2-3 weeks)
- Radiation Therapy: This is a non-surgical treatment for prostate cancer that uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be recommended as treatment for prostate cancer in a number of situations, including:
- For men over the age of 72
- For me who have a health condition or overall poor health that does not support surgery
- For men with low-risk cancer confined to the prostate who prefer treatment over active surveillance
- In combination with hormone therapy for prostate cancer that has grown outside the prostate gland
- After surgery if there is some suspicion that the cancer may have grown outside the prostate gland
- For advanced cancer that has spread outside the prostate (most often to the bones) to help keep it under control for as long as possible or to help prevent or relieve symptoms
- For men over the age of 72 or men who do not have good overall health, radiation therapy may be recommended to treat the prostate cancer.
