Prostate Cancer Institute Gives Men Get Easier Access to Care

May 25, 2010 - PRLog -- A group of urologists and radiation oncologists working with 21st Century Oncology have come together to provide a comprehensive resource for information and treatment for men with prostate cancer in Southwest Florida.

The Prostate Cancer Institute combines the thought and opinion leaders in prostate cancer care to give patients a single, central resource to obtain opinions and treatment options, and to improve access to information with an easy phone number and soon to be launched website.

Prostate cancer is very commonly diagnosed in men of ages 65 or older, and one in six men in the United States will be diagnosed with this disease in his lifetime. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men after skin cancer.

“We recognize prostate cancer is a complicated disease for patients to understand and know how to manage disease decisions,” said Dr. Constantine Mantz, a radiation oncologist and director of research with 21st Century Oncology and medical director of the Prostate Cancer Institute. “A wealth of information is out there and we’ve seen patients with much confusing information on the cancer.”

The goal of the Prostate Cancer Institute is to offer clear and customized information for patients through the multidisciplinary team of urologists and radiation oncologists that is easily accessible in a location close to the patient’s home. Prostate Cancer Institute member practices are located in more than 20 offices around Southwest Florida.

The Prostate Cancer Institute offers a patient navigator to provide patients a virtual one-stop answer to prostate cancer, with a doctor available for consultation on the telephone or in person. The institute also has a tumor board where doctors in the group regularly discuss challenging cases and physicians participate in ongoing research in prostate cancer. The group will also provide the community with ongoing education on options for prostate cancer treatment.

In the 1980s and 1990s, when there were fewer options for prostate cancer treatment, the standard course was a referral to an urologist or radiation oncologist. “Back when we used to only have a handful of choices – the technologies and treatments were more straightforward,” said Dr. Mantz. “Now, it requires a forum for physicians to work together to know all surgical and radiation options.”

As a result, physicians are well informed and up to date with modern tools – in order to offer customized plans for patients and find options that will reduce potential side effects such as urinary, bowel and sexual function. Men can now expect a favorable outcome if cancer is found in early stage. A Prostate Specific Antigen, or PSA, screening will identify cancer at an early stage 90 percent of the time.

The expertise of the physicians at the Prostate Cancer Institute has been recognized by professional societies and organizations and, most importantly, patients. To speak to the patient navigator, physician referral service or to schedule an appointment, call 1-800-NEW-HELP or visit www.MensCancerCenter.com.

Sidebar:

Community-based Research on Prostate Cancer Treatment Published in medical journal Urology – New Calypso® Treatment Proves to Reduce and Eliminate Some Side Effects
Studies have proven that radiation treatment – delivered externally and internally - is as effective in treating the disease as surgical removal of the prostate. One of the biggest issues in the external delivery of radiation is accounting for natural organ motion - which is caused by normal bodily activities such as digestion, breathing or coughing - and presents challenges to delivering precise intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to the prostate.

Dr. Constantine Mantz led a study of a new system called Calypso that enables clinicians to monitor the slightest of movements and keep the target in the path of the radiation beam at all times. It works using Beacon transponders about the size of a grain of rice, implanted in the prostate, to show the tumors exact location. The ability to more exactly monitor cancerous tissue’s location allows clinicians to deliver radiation in narrower beams at higher dosages.

The study group experienced significantly fewer side effects associated with bowel urgency and frequency, fecal incontinence and urinary irritation, compared to patients who had been treated with radiation not using the Calypso system. Study patients not receiving hormonal therapy also reported experiencing significantly less impact on sexual function.

“Patients who have undergone therapy using the Calypso System find confidence in knowing that the technology provides guidance to detect and manage any possible target motion during treatment,” says Dr. Mantz. “The end result is the more accurate delivery of radiation to cancerous tissue with minimal impact to adjacent healthy tissue.”