Prostate cancer is the most common solid organ cancer in men. Last year there were 164,690 new cases, and 29,430 deaths related to prostate cancer. While the incidence varies in different countries, genetic makeup, diet, and exposure to carcinogens contribute to the development of the disease. White males over fifty have a higher likelihood of developing the disease, and black males more frequently develop a more aggressive type of prostate cancer.
The good news is that there are new advances in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
There are a significant number of men with an elevated prostate-specific antigen blood test who undergo expensive and invasive testing looking for prostate cancer. Many of them don’t have the disease. Recently there have been breakthrough developments of new genetic markers and more efficient diagnostic testing that can help determine whether or not a biopsy is needed. These tests may involve the collection of blood and urine and even an MRI of the gland.
There are a wide variety of treatment options available for prostate cancer patients depending upon the aggressiveness and stage of the disease. These include, removing the prostate with a minimally invasive incision or a robotic procedure; radiation with or without seed implantation, cryosurgery (an outpatient technique that freezes the prostate gland); and HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound, which destroys the cancerous tissue with ultrasound waves). In some cases with a very slow growing tumor, the patient may elect to do active surveillance where he is monitored at regular intervals.
Georgia Urology’s Dr. Hal Scherz appeared as a guest on “The Weekly Check-Up” on News/Talk WSB Radio on Sunday, March 29th, 2020. During the show, Dr. Scherz and host, Dr. Bruce Feinberg, spoke about the impact the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has made on the healthcare industry specifically through telemedicine. In the age of various social media […]
Atlanta’s largest urology practice honored for excellence in pediatric healthcare Georgia Urology’s pediatric urologists are among the medical professionals recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. This annual honor spotlights excellence in pediatric healthcare. The practice’s wholly owned subsidiary, Georgia Urology Pediatrics, collaborates with and provides pediatric urological services at Children’s […]
Innovative UroLift System to Treat Enlarged Prostate Now Available at Georgia Urology Lawrenceville, GA-July 18, 2014 – Georgia Urology announced today that their first patient has been treated with the UroLift® System, the first permanent implant to treat symptoms due to urinary outflow obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men 50 years of […]
