Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Understanding HIFU for Prostate Cancer

By Anthony Jones


The prostate is a chestnut shaped gland located in men under the bladder in front of the rectum. Prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate grow out of control, creating tumors. It is the leading cause of cancer in American men.

The risk of getting prostate cancer increases with age. Over 700,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year. For early stages of prostate cancer, signs and symptoms are usually not evident. Prostate cancer is rare in men under 50, but those with a family history should get checked regularly.

In order to confirm cancer stages in the prostate, a biopsy must be performed. If the biopsy confirms that cancer exists, the next step is to know what stage the cancer is in. The prostate cancer stage will help determine the best course of treatment to take. Various tests are done to determine if the cancer has spread, including imaging and blood tests. The clinical stage uses results fro the digital rectal exam, trans-rectal ultrasound or needle biopsy.

Your doctor will check your prostate by inserting a gloved finger into the rectum. The prostate in located below the bladder, in front of the rectum, so your doctor will be able to feel the prostate via the rectum to check for tumors. The other form of screening is a PSA or prostate-specific antigen test. The PSA test gives a reading of protein made by the prostate. A low PSA level of less than 4 ng/mL, would usually mean no further testing is required. If the PSA Levels are high, or rise over time, then your urologist will want to evaluate further.

In the T stages (T1-T4) the cancer is rated from 0 to 4 depending on evidence of the cancer being localized in the prostate gland and surrounding areas. For T-0, there is no evidence of a primary tumor in the prostate. T-1 (a, b, or c) shows a tumor in the prostate, with a less than 5%, b greater than 5% and c -there is evidence of a tumor as identified by a needle biopsy. For T-2 stages, the tumor is confined within the prostate.

In the T2a stag, the tumor affects one-half or less of one lobe, In the T2b stage, the tumor affects more than half of one lobe but not both lobes. For T2c, the tumor affects both lobes. When the tumors are confined to the prostate in stages T1-T2, the disease usually has cure rates of 90% or higher.

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.




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