Prostate Cancer
One in seven men in the United States will develop prostate cancer over the course of their lifetimes. Fortunately, prostate cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer. And with new advances in early detection and treatment techniques, many men are living better and longer lives with prostate cancer.
Holy Cross Health Cancer Institute specializes in treating prostate cancer. Our team of prostate cancer specialists is among the most experienced and most innovative in the state, supported by state-of-the-art technology for prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. We have turned thousands of men from prostate cancer patients into prostate cancer survivors.
Holy Cross Health Cancer Institute has been at the forefront of emerging treatment technologies for prostate cancer. Among the first to use radioactive seed implantation in the region, our specialists perform a high volume of this procedure - more than 2,500 to date.
Prostate Cancer Screening and Diagnosis
Prevention and early detection of prostate cancer are by far the best ways to fight the disease. Holy Cross Health Cancer Institute offers a wide range of diagnostic tools to help detect prostate cancer in its earliest stages when it is often curable.
Deciding whether, and when, to be tested for prostate cancer is a discussion men should have with their doctors. According to the American Cancer Society’s prostate cancer screening recommendations:
- Men at average risk should talk to their doctors about prostate cancer screening starting at age 50
- Men at high risk should talk to their doctors about prostate cancer screening starting at age 45. Men at high risk include African-American men and men with a close relative (father, brother, or son) who had prostate cancer before age 65.
Screening and diagnostic options for prostate cancer include:
- Digital rectal exam (DRE) – allows doctors to explore the prostate and the rectum for abnormalities that could be cancerous.
- Prostate-specific antigen testing (PSA) – a blood test that looks for specific "markers" in the blood that can indicate the presence of cancer in the prostate. In general, a higher PSA correlates to more advanced cancer. The PSA is valuable in determining the likelihood that you will be cured. Your PSA also helps your physicians determine the most appropriate treatment for you. In general, the higher the PSA, the more aggressive the treatment.
- Transrectal Ultrasound (TRUS) – if your PSA is elevated, or if you have an abnormal DRE, your urologist may perform a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and multiple biopsies of the prostate. The TRUS uses sound waves to image the prostate. Sometimes abnormal areas within the prostate can be seen with TRUS and your urologist will target these at the time of biopsy. Once the procedure is completed, the biopsy tissue is sent to a pathologist for analysis.
Learn more about cancer screening and diagnosis
Prostate Cancer Treatment
Holy Cross Health Cancer Institute offers a wide variety of treatments for prostate cancer. Your cancer care team will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan based on your specific cancer, tailoring a program designed to offer the best outcome and lifestyle for you and your family.
Treatments for prostate cancer include:
- Radical prostatectomy – surgical removal of the entire prostate gland to stop cancer from spreading.
- Minimally invasive robotic prostatectomy – a nerve-sparing approach to surgical removal of the prostate gland, drawing on the strength of Holy Cross Health’s robust robotic surgery program.
- Radioactive prostate seed implants – also called “brachytherapy,” delivers radiation through tiny pellets that are placed directly into the prostate and surrounding tissues. These seed implants can deliver two to four times more cancer-killing radiation than external beam radiation.
- External beam radiation therapy – precise beams of high-energy X-rays, delivered by powerful linear accelerators, that can destroy cancer cells or keep them from multiplying.
- Hormone therapy – medication that interrupts the body's hormone production, which can slow down or stop the growth of prostate cancer. This treatment can work well for many years.
- Watchful waiting – in some cases, a patient’s prostate cancer is not likely to harm him. In those cases, patients may choose not to undergo treatment, but rather be carefully monitored with routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and, in some cases, biopsies.
Learn more about treatment options at Holy Cross Health Cancer Institute.
Patient Story
Robotic Prostatectomy Allows Vance Perkins (right) to Maintain His Active Lifestyle
Vance Perkins
"From the phone call the day before surgery to the phone call after my discharge, I had a great experience with everyone."
Read Vance's Story