Precision Prostate Cancer Treatment -- In Depth Doctor's Interview ...

Prostate cancer is a secret for many men; they don't like to talk about it.

Dr. Sandler: Prostate cancer is a disease people know about but they don't like to talk about. You get a couple of guys together they're not talking about prostate cancer or how their prostate is doing. But prostate cancer is a big problem; it's the most common cancer among US men. Each year, September is prostate cancer awareness month and we're hoping that men will have even a brief conversation with their physician about whether they are a candidate for screening for prostate cancer.

Do the signs just go ignored for a while?

Dr. Sandler: Often prostate cancer is detected by a blood test and physical signs only occur when the disease is very advanced. So we hope to detect prostate cancer before any signs occur. It's detected with a PSA blood test or with a rectal examination.

What is the treatment now for prostate cancer?

Dr. Sandler: There are different kinds of treatments so if a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer, he should meet with a surgeon to talk about surgery and a radiation oncologist to talk about the radiation options.

We're talking about radiation and specifically how to track the tumor?

Dr. Sandler: Radiation is a very precise treatment for prostate cancer. It's so precise that it's very important to know where the prostate gland is during every radiation session. And so one technique for tracking the prostate during a treatment is called "GPS for the body" and it uses small radiofrequency tracking devices to pinpoint the prostate gland and show us where the prostate is throughout the entire treatment. This kind of technology really helps us target better and by targeting better we can reduce the side effects that are potentially a problem from treatment.

What would those side effects be?

Dr. Sandler: The side effects can include sexual dysfunction or urinary problems and those effects can be reduced by careful tracking.

With the tracking with this GPS device does it cut down on radiation to other organs and tissues?

Dr. Sandler: Side effects from radiation occur when other organs that aren't cancerous get some radiation. By tracking the prostate and minimizing the exposure of other organs we can reduce the exposure and thus reduce the side effects.

How does the Calypso work?

Dr. Sandler: The Calypso device uses radio waves, the kind that we listen to in the car, so they're totally innocuous. These radio waves hit a very small device called a transponder that's inserted into the prostate. When the device gets hit by these radio waves, it emits another radio wave which allows us to track exactly where it is. It's like the GPS device in your car.

Is this the first time you've had real time tracking?

Dr. Sandler: This is the first time we've had real time tracking. I've done some research using a more static tracking technology using tiny gold seeds that allowed us to take a snapshot at an instant in time and know where the prostate was. But if the prostate moves right after we take the picture, we couldn't detect it with the old technology. With the new Calypso technology, it's like having a movie, a continuous readout of where the prostate is throughout the entire treatment. The treatment could be as long as fifteen minutes and over that entire fifteen minute time we know exactly where the prostate is.

It seems like technology for prostate cancer is changing every year.

Dr. Sandler: You're exactly right and this just doesn't happen accidently. Today's technology is a result of research and planning. It took a number of years for this particular technology to be developed and marketed. But there are new technologies that are coming along all the time, new drugs, new surgery, and new radiation devices. At Cedars-Sinai, we're happy that we can offer this latest prostate tracking technology to our patients.

Prostate cancer is one of the more survivable ones.

Dr. Sandler: It is. Prostate cancer is very, very common and so unfortunately, a lot of men get it. But the good news is that if it's detected and treated early, the cure rate is very high.

Do you think this technology in prostate cancer is very well thought out because of the aging population?

Dr. Sandler: I think that new discoveries in medicine that improve things are a result of a little bit of chance and a little bit of foresight. I think it's hard to make plans for the future and so you do the best you can and with some good planning and a little bit of luck we make things better every year.

Do you think this technology has made your life better and easier?

Dr. Sandler: This technology has made our patient's lives better and easier. If we can treat a man's prostate and reassure them that their chance for side effects is less during treatment and afterwards, they're satisfied.

Have you changed anything in your lifestyle knowing and treating prostate cancer every day?

Dr. Sandler: I've had discussions with my own physician about prostate cancer screening and I've had my prostate checked annually for the past several years. I think it's important for me as a doctor who takes care of prostate cancer patients to monitor my own prostate for potential prostate cancer.

END OF INTERVIEWThis information is intended for additional research purposes only. It is not to be used as a prescription or advice from Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. or any medical professional interviewed. Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. assumes no responsibility for the depth or accuracy of physician statements. Procedures or medicines apply to different people and medical factors; always consult your physician on medical matters.

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Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

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Source: http://www.theeagle.com/health/Precision-Prostate-Cancer-Treatment----In-Depth-Doctor-s-Interview

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