Health news on prostate cancer: Radioactive seed therapy can increase lifespan, improve quality of life
According to Dr. Daniel Shasha, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in NY and attending MD at Gramercy Surgery Center, "For the nearly 219,000 men who will be diagnosed with Prostate Cancer this year, the decision regarding how to treat it can be confusing. However, several recent studies comparing the most prevalent treatment options, including watchful waiting, surgery, external radiation and radioactive seed implantation, have shown that the latter, also known as brachytherapy, offers several key advantages over other treatment alternatives."
New York, NY (PRWEB) July 27, 2007 -- For the nearly 219,000 men who will be diagnosed with Prostate Cancer this year, the decision regarding how to treat it can be confusing. However, several recent studies comparing the most prevalent treatment options - including "watchful waiting," surgery, external radiation and radioactive seed implantation - have shown that the latter, also known as brachytherapy, offers several key advantages over other treatment alternatives.
"Seed implantation is more effective than some of the other approaches, and less invasive than others," explains Dr. Daniel Shasha, MD, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York and an expert on brachytherapy and attending MD at Gramercy Surgery Center in NYC. "A host of recent research has shown that brachytherapy may increase a patient's lifespan quite considerably, improve survival rates, as well as offer a better quality of life with fewer side effects than other treatments," Dr. Shasha adds.
Brachytherapy is a minimally invasive procedure to implant tiny radioactive "seeds" - about the size of a grain of rice - into the prostate gland in order to eradicate cancerous tumors. The seeds are pinpointed to the site of the cancer, reducing the effect of the radiation on healthy tissue, and the procedure is less traumatic than the open surgical removal of the prostate gland.
Success, Satisfaction and Survival
In a study published in the March edition of the Journal of Urology, for example, researchers from New York Presbyterian Hospital determined that men who are diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that is "localized," or confined to the prostate gland, should seek immediate and decisive treatment. The authors noted that, in the retrospective study of more than 450 men with high-grade prostate cancer, those who were treated promptly with surgery or radiation lived an average of 14 years, while those who were not survived an average of only seven years. In addition, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic recently conducted an analysis of more than 2,000 patient records and determined that patients treated with brachytherapy had better overall survival rates than those treated with external beam radiation.
In another study, published in the June issue of the journal Cancer, UCLA researchers evaluated quality of life indicators for 580 men who were recently treated with surgery (prostatectomy), external radiation or brachytherapy. Those who received radioactive seed implantation therapy reported less difficulty with urinary and/or sexual function than those who underwent surgical removal of their prostate. These results mirror those of a French study published in the February edition of the International Journal for Radiation Oncology/Biology/Physics. In it, 435 men with prostate cancer were surveyed before treatment, immediately after treatment and subsequently at follow-up exams to gauge their quality of life and treatment-related side effects. Doctors found that urinary incontinence was more common after surgery, and that sexual dysfunction was consistently higher among those who received surgery than those who received brachytherapy.
"It is so important for patients who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer to find a physician they can trust, who will discuss the benefits, risks and side effects associated with each treatment option," Dr. Shasha points out. "For those men diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer, even if it remains localized in the prostate, I would encourage them to talk with their doctors about commencing treatment immediately," he continues. "Barring any medical condition that precludes assertive treatment, it is imperative to attack the faster-growing grade of prostate cancer as quickly as possible."
While a major public awareness campaign has been effective in educating men about prostate cancer in general, the seriousness of the disease is often underestimated. Despite the fact that overall five-year survival rates are over 90%, prostate cancer is still the third leading cause of cancer death in men, claiming the lives of more than 27,000 American men each year. According to the American Cancer Society, only about half of all men over age 50 are screened each year for prostate cancer, indicating a lack of appreciation for the gravity of the disease.
"With today's simple and precise diagnostic tests, along with current advances in minimally invasive treatment options, improvements in survival, and a better quality of life for patients, men can be confident that prostate cancer can be found early and treated successfully," Dr. Shasha concludes.
BIO: Dr. Daniel Shasha:
Daniel Shasha, MD, is a leader in the field of radiation oncology and has particular expertise in prostate cancer. He has led several studies to improve the treatment of this common malignancy, with a special focus on improving quality of life through the use of minimally invasive techniques using intensity modulated radiation therapy, and permanent and temporary radioactive seed implantation of the prostate. He has lectured extensively internationally on the topic and has several publications in professional journals. Dr. Shasha is board certified in radiation oncology and is a diplomate of the National Board of Examiners. He is the Co-Director of Genitourinary Oncology of Continuum Health Partners and holds the academic title of Assistant Professor of radiation oncology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Shasha holds a medical degree from McGill University in Montreal,Quebec Canada. He completed an internship in internal medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He then went to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to do his residency in radiation oncology and brachytherapy.
About Gramercy Surgery Center Seeds program:
The center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) allowed the procedure of implanting radioactive seeds for the treatment of Prostate Cancer to be done in outpatient Ambulatory Surgery Centers as of April 2004. Until that time they were done only in a hospital setting. To date, Gramercy Surgery Center will be the only freestanding ambulatory surgery center in New York State to have implemented the program since CMS changed their guidelines in 2004. www.gramercysurgery.com
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