Treatments

Traditional methods of treating prostate cancer, which attack the whole prostate with radiation or surgery, often come at the cost of the patient’s continence or erectile function. A new, less-invasive technology for getting rid of prostate cancer, known as the “nanoknife”, targets only the site of the cancer, destroying the cells of the cancer without the structures surrounding it, including the erectile and urethral nerves. In a study of 25 patients, in 76 per cent of cases the cancer had not returned after eight months. None of them developed incontinence or impotence. Read the article.

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer said data suggests three-quarters of men with low-risk prostate cancer in Manitoba and Prince Edward Island opted for active surveillance. In contrast, more than half of low-risk prostate cancer patients in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia were treated with surgery, radiation, or a combination, treatments with possible side-effects that include erectile dysfunction and incontinence. Read the article.

The optimal treatment strategy for men with prostate cancer has evolved dramatically, with a growing acceptance of multimodal approaches that include surgery, hormonal therapy, and radiotherapy for patients with high-risk prostate cancer, according to Matthew Cooperberg, MD. Furthermore, in the low-risk population, active surveillance is now being utilized more appropriately and effectively. In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Cooperberg, genitourinary cancer specialist, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), discussed the varying management techniques for both low- and high-risk prostate cancers, including radiation therapy, surgery, hormonal therapy, and active surveillance. Read the article.