Prostate Cancer Symptoms Tips What is prostate cancer symptoms? We have tips about prostate cancer symptoms

Since the Sonablate 500 for HIFU, or high intensity focused ultrasound, hit the medical market, many more physicians are using this minimally invasive procedure. The Sonablate 500 uses what is known as a transrectal probe that enables the physician to focus all the ultrasound waves onto a targeted area of the prostate. The procedure only takes up to four hours and is considered an out-patient procedure. Physicians have found a number of advantages with this new technology, making the Sonablate 500 the most trusted HIFU treatment currently available.

If possible, individuals are always looking for ways to not stay in the hospital overnight after a procedure. As previously mentioned, the Sonablate 500 is an out-patient procedure. This is because there is no surgery and the procedure is does not leave the patient in much pain. A wider therapy zone is offered because of the design of the transducer focal length and probe. Because the zone is 120 degrees, physicians are capable of getting fast access to the targeted area on the prostate without ever having to reposition the probe.

Physicians like the Sonablate 500 for HIFU because it offers them great imaging of the whole prostate gland and areas surrounding it. Physicians are provided with immediate feedback through the use of images made in real time, allowing them to have the ultimate precision necessary throughout the duration of the procedure. Through superior imaging, a customized plan can be developed for the patient. Three dimensional imaging is also provided to further enable a physician to plan a precise treatment plan to attack all targeted areas.

The design of the Sonablate 500 has been updated to assist physicians and make the procedure more comfortable for the patient. Prior to the development of the Sonablate 500, machines for HIFU did not have power level adjustment capabilities. This meant that no matter the patient's prostate cancer situation, every patient was treated with the same level of power. As well, prior to the Sonablate 500, physicians had minimal control over the probe placement and positioning because it was a stationary device. The Sonablate 500 took these items in mind and created power adjustment capabilities to increase safety and customize each patient's plan. Not only that, but the Sonablate 500 allows physicians to move the probe and readjust it for maximum comfort and most advantageous outcome.

Quite possible the biggest risk that patients are concerned about when it comes to treating prostate cancer with HIFU is the possibility of it causing erectile dysfunction. They have heard a number of stories where men undergo a procedure to eliminate the affected areas of the prostate but become impotent after. The manufactures of the Sonablate 500 were able to create integrated software and hardware that allows it to locate blood flow as well as neurovascular bundles through precision techniques. Because of the amazing imaging capabilities plus the ability to adjust the power level and have full control over the probe itself, the physician is able to avoid all neurovascular bundles that may cause nerve damage leading to impotence.

Central Maryland Urology Associates is a state-of-the-art urology practice, comprised of 8 urologists located in Columbia, Maryland, half-way between Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland. CMUA is the only urology practice exclusively serving Howard County for over 30 years.The CMUA mission is to provide the highest quality of urologic care for our entire community through innovation, service excellence, compassion, and patient safety.

The CMUA HIFU Center is headed by Dr. Kevin Blumenthal, one of only a select few urologists trained in HIFU in the entire Mid-Atlantic region. http://www.marylandprostatecancer.com/

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The Sonblate 500 is a minimal invasive treatment technique using a transrectal probe to ensure focus of ultrasound waves on the prostate, to a targeted and precise location. It raises the temperature, causes the tissue to break down, treating the entire prostate. HIFU using the Sonablate 500 takes at most four hours and is considered an out-patient procedure. There are numerous benefits associated with this treatment method, which makes it one of the most utilized HIFU methods currently available.

There is no surgery required with then Sonablate 500 is used. It is currently the only HIFU treatment device that can treat a maximum of 50 CC prostate without the use of an invasive procedure. Because of the design of the Sonablate 500's probe as well as the transducer's focal lengths, it offers a therapy zone of 120 degrees. This provides the physician with immediate access to the whole prostate gland with no need to reposition or move the probe. This makes it an out-patient procedure without the need for overnight hospital stay.

Superior imaging is offered by the Sonablate 500. This machine offers reference and real-time images that enable the physician to receive immediate feedback that can be used for maximum precision. The images provided to the physician allow them to plan a custom HIFU treatment. Through the use of three-dimensional imaging, it is possible to accurately plan treatment for the targeted areas.

Possibly one of the biggest worries with any of these types of treatments is the possibility of causing impotency. However, the Sonblate 500's integrated software and hardware identifies blood flow throughout the neurovascular bundles. Physicians can locate all neurovascular bundles that are associated with potency, avoiding damage to these nerves. Men who have been treated with the Sonblate 500 have fewer problems associated with erectile dysfunction.

Physicians are able to adjust the power throughout the duration of HIFU treatment in areas such as nerve bundles and in close proximity to the rectum. This power adjustment feature provides additional safety and the customization of the HIFU treatment. Other machines do not offer power adjustment capabilities, meaning that all patients are treated with the exact same power level, which is not an ideal situation. Furthermore, the physician has more control over the placement and position of the probe. They are able to adjust it to ensure optimal outcomes as well as comfort. Other probes offer only limited control because they remain fixed to the treatment table. The Sonablate 500 offers a full hands-on approach to the procedure.

Lastly, the Sonablate 500 for HIFU for prostate cancer treatment is quite possibly the most accurate treatment currently available. It can treat the entire prostate area in a number of different overlapping zones. Only small lesions are produced that are very precise. The legions made by the Sonablate 500 are smaller than any other treatment of this variety.

Richard R. Lotenfoe, MD, is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and Board Certified Urological Surgeon in Orlando, Florida. He specializes in the treatment of prostate cancer using the HIFU procedure.The HIFU Treatment uses ultrasound to destroy prostate cancer cells. http://www.orlandoprostatecancer.com/

Central FL Prostate Care Center
410 Celebration Place
Celebration, FL 34747
Toll Free: (877) 458-8443
Local: (407) 584-7771

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Benign prostatic hyperplasia may or may not require surgery. When a doctor comes back to a patient with a diagnosis, a patient may ask what the diagnosis means and what he can do about it. The answer will not be prostate cancer surgery because the patient does not have cancer. The patient simply has an enlarged gland. Medical professionals will avoid recommending surgery unless it is absolutely necessary. A good doctor will seek for non-surgical procedures first.

Patients who come back with a different diagnosis may not fare so well. Doctors will prescribe chemotherapy, non-invasive procedures or prostate cancer surgery depending on how far the cancer has spread and the size of the tumor. He may recommend a laparoscopic prostatectomy. The patient may take some time to digest the news. No one ever wants to hear the first diagnosis, and the second suggestion often causes a person to experience a deeper level of shock.

The laparoscopic prostatectomy may sound scary but hundreds of men each year undergo the procedure. It does not necessarily require the entire removal of the prostate gland. The side effects remain the same for other types of treatment for prostate cancer. A man may become impotent, incontinent or suffer increased sexual desire after undergoing the surgery. All three may happen. Other side effects include prolonged pain.

The advantages of this type of surgery over the more traditional radical prostectomy is that it does not require removal of the entire glans. The goal is to remove the tumor. Additional advantages include a reduced amount of blood loss and an increased recovery time. The cancer recovery rites from either type of surgery are comparable. The survival rate with any type of cancer relies on early detection in the patient.

No one wants to hear his doctor says he has cancer. Even benign prostatic hyperplasia does not bode well for most men. Both conditions often start with increased urination, particularly during the night. Taking care of both problems will usually solve the first symptom. Malignant cells cause many more problems if they are left unchecked. Even if they are not left unchecked, the process of chemotherapy causes many problems.

If the patient can find little comfort in the situation, it is the fact that the surgery is unlikely to cause fatal complications. Doctors will understand a desire to seek a second opinion, but they may recommend not to take too long on getting the second opinion.

The Prostate Clinic, treatment and complete care for all the diseases and conditions which affect the prostate, urinary and reproductive system. Please visit our website at http://www.theprostateclinic.com/

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Proton therapy is the most precise and advanced form of radiation treatment today. It primarily radiates the tumor site, leaving surrounding healthy tissue and organs intact. Conventional x-ray radiation often radiates healthy tissue in its path and surrounding the tumor site. Chemotherapy moves throughout the entire body, unlike radiation and surgery, which are considered "site specific" treatments.

Due to their relatively large mass, protons have little lateral side scatter in the tissue; the beam does not broaden much, stays on the tumor shape and delivers only low dose side effects to surrounding tissue. All protons of a given energy have a certain range; very few protons penetrate beyond that distance. Furthermore, the dose delivered to tissue is maximum just over the last few millimeters of the particle's range; this maximum is called the Bragg peak. (Bragg Peak,the path followed by ionizing particles used in a radiation treatment. Because certain particles reach a peak of potential near the end of their path, the Bragg curve can be used to direct the radiation to deep-seated tumors while significantly sparing normal overlying tissues).

To understand the benefits of this new cancer treatment, it is important to understand how traditional radiation therapy works. A patient who undergoes conventional radiation therapy is exposed to X-rays. As they pass through both healthy and diseased tissue, X-rays leave a track of damage - much like a bullet. This damage can help destroy tumors, but may cause significant harm to surrounding areas. Protons, on the other hand, are more precisely targeted than X-rays. Protons also cause less damage to healthy tissue as they enter the body, and deposit the majority of their destructive energy at the tumor site. Once this energy has been deposited at the tumor site, there is no additional damage to the healthy tissue behind the tumor as there is no exit dose. This phenomenon is called the Bragg peak. As a result, normal, healthy tissue receives less exposure to radiation, resulting in fewer treatment complications. Fewer treatment complications enable our physicians to deliver higher doses of radiation to the tumor. This increased dose improves a patient's probability of a successful outcome.

PROTON THERAPY FACT SHEET
Most precise form of radiation treatment available today. Destroys primary tumor site, leaves surrounding healthy tissue and organs intact and unharmed.
Is non-invasive and painless. Maintains a patient's quality-of life during treatment process as an out-patient. Patients continue with normal activities during treatment. Play golf, tennis, swim, walk, run, workout in a gym, or go on a "radiation vacation."
Avoids the usual side effects of standard x-ray radiation. Minimum to no side effects with protons. Highly effective treatment for wide range of localized tumors in head and neck area, lung, prostate, bladder, spinal cord, gastro malignancies, and ocular tumors, among others. Working on treating breast cancer with small protocols utilizing a new scanning technique. Women with breast cancer can avoid damage to lungs and surrounding breast tissue.
Protons can be used in conjunction with other cancer treatment modalities such as chemotherapy.
Treatment time can take from one day for certain conditions or up to eight weeks (prostate cancer) depending on tumor sites.
Highly preferred radiation treatment modality option for pediatric cases because children are susceptible to injury from standard x-ray radiation as their tissues and organs are growing rapidly. Children don't have to be subjected to needless exposure from damaging radiation.
As of mid-2008, nearly 20,000 patients treated in U.S. First hospital-based proton center opened in 1990 at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Operating proton centers can treat 150-200 patients daily.

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Want protection from prostate cancer symptoms? A new study finds that men who consume coffee (decaf or caffeinated) on a regular basis appear to have a lower risk of this disease, especially the more deadly form. One of the benefits of coffee is it's delicious taste, however coffee is also a very complicated drink, with lots of chemicals we know about, and some we don't fully understand yet.

Official figures from show 217,730 men were diagnosed with cancer of the prostate last year. Almost 32,000 men lost their lives to this cancer in 2010, supporting the notion that prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of every age.

Prostate cancer, rare in men under 40, starts in the prostate gland, a tiny, walnut sized structure that's part of the reproductive system. The PSA test continues to be the standard for screening for prostate cancer, and offers the chance to find these cancers early, when they are most effectively treated.

The researchers followed over 47,911 male subjects who took part in a lengthy, well-respected study.

The participants, all men, reported on how much coffee they consumed, both decaf and caffeinated, from 1986 and for every four years since. By 2006, over 5,000 men had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 542 with the most deadly types of this cancer. Was there an association between coffee and cancer of the prostate?

When the team looked at all types of cancer of the prostate, they saw that those who drunk the most coffee had a 20% reduced chance of prostate cancer over the study follow up period. The lower risk was seen in those drinking 6 (or more) cups per day, compared to those who drank no coffee each day.

Something else - coffee gave even more protection against the most deadly type of prostate cancer. For those who drank up to three cups on a daily basis, the risk of this type of cancer went down 29%, when compared to non-drinkers. For the subjects who drank 6 or more cups per day, the risk for the most deadly form of the cancer dropped 60% when compared to those who drank no coffee at all.

Hard to argue with those numbers, isn't it?

Even more intriguing, the reduction in risk held for both decaf and caffeinated coffee. And while it might not be the caffeine that provides the benefit, researchers aren't sure just what the protective element is, though the antioxidants in the coffee are a likely candidate. Or it might be substances that bring down inflammation, also tied to an increased risk of cancer of the prostate. Perhaps compounds that help to regulate insulin levels may be involved, as inflated insulin levels have also been associated with an increased chance of this potential deadly cancer.

So should a man worried about his risk start drinking coffee?

According to researchers it's probably too early for men to make that change in order to cut the risk of this type of cancer.

But it is good news for those who are already drinking at least one or more cups of either type of coffee each day. The study shows that even those who shouldn't drink caffeinated coffee can enjoy the benefits (via decaf) of in terms of prostate cancer benefits.

More work needs to be done in terms of the deadly types of prostate cancer symptoms and the benefits of coffee. We do know that smoking and being in the obese category are already tied to an increased chance of prostate cancer, so it is on these habits that you'll want to put most of your focus, but for those who enjoy a steaming cup of, delicious coffee regularly, you've now been given another reason to drink up.

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The HIFU procedure is minimally invasive and utilizes a transrectal probe to guarantee total focus of all ultrasound waves onto the prostate and the targeted location. The Sonablate 500 elevates temperature, causing the breakdown of tissue along the prostate. After two to four hours, the procedure is done and the patient can leave the hospital. The advantages associated with the Sonablate 500 for HIFU are numerous and it is therefore considered the most widely used HIFU treatments available.

The Sonablate 500 procedure is an out-patient one, meaning that there is no required hospital stay. There is no need for surgery and it only uses invasive procedures that do not cause harm to the individual. Due to the probe and transducer focal length design, the Sonablate 500 provides a full therapy zone of up to 120 degrees. With this enlarged zone, physicians have the capability necessary to gain quick access to the entire prostate gland without repositioning the probe.

The Sonablate 500 provides physicians with amazing imaging of the prostate gland and surrounding area. Through the utilization of real time images and quick reference points, the physician obtains immediate feedback enabling them with maximum precision during the procedure. By using superior imaging, the physician is able to customize a plan of attack specifically for that patient. The Sonablate 500 also offers three-dimensional imaging. This further allows the physician to plan an accurate treatment route to all the targeted areas along the prostate gland.

When it comes to prostate cancer procedures, one of the major concerns on the minds of men is impotency. They have heard of procedures being done where the man ends up suffering from erectile dysfunction. This can make any man worry about going under a procedure. However, they do not need to worry with the Sonablate 500. Due to the integrated hardware and software, the Sonablate 500 is able to find all the neurovascular bundles and blood flow in the area. Due to the precision of this device, the physician can avoid the neurovascular bundles and prevent nerve damage that may cause impotency.

Before the Sonablate 500, a number of machines were not able to provide physicians with the ability to alter the power level. All patients were treated using the same power level despite their personal situation. The manufacturers of Sonablate 500 provide physicians with the ability to adjust the level of power for customization and safety purposes. As well, previous machines before the Sonablate 500, there was minimal control when it came to positioning and placing the probe because it was stationary. However, the Sonablate 500 enables physicians to adjust the probe for comfort and optimal outcome.

There is no doubt that the Sonablate 500 used for HIFU for men needing prostate cancer treatment is the best, most accurate treatment method available today. The lesions remain small and the whole prostate area can be treated. Numerous hospitals in Manassas are using them today for prostate cancer patients.

Dr. Anshu Guleria was hand selected by the Board of Directors of International HIFU to be one of a select number of doctors approved to perform HIFU with the Sonablate 500.
Dr. Guleria is in private practice in Manassas, and Gainesville, VA. He is Past-Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Prince William Hospital. He was also the Chief of the Section of Urology and serves on the Cancer Committee at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital.
For more information go to http://www.virginiaprostatecancer.com/.

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