New York, NY, March 15, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New evidence supports the importance of swift action in treating prostate cancer for some patients. A recent study found that older men who take a non-curative approach to "low-risk" prostate cancer (PCa) are at increased risk of prostate-cancer specific mortality (PCSM). While age is an important factor in the treatment-decision process, prostate cancer expert, Dr. David Samadi, encourages patients to take a broader look at potential outcomes. Dr. Samadi performs his custom SMART (Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique) surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center where he serves as Vice Chairman, Department of Urology, and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery.
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When it comes to prostate cancer treatment, some patients postpone or decline intervention in favor of watchful waiting or active surveillance, both of which are considered non-curative management of the disease. Curative treatments, on the other hand, include robotic surgery, hormone therapy, and radiation therapy for prostate cancer.
Having performed more than 4,500 successful robotic prostatectomy surgeries, Dr. Samadi encourages a curative treatment plan, taking into account each patient's age, contributing medical factors, and personal beliefs. "Most men, including older men, have the opportunity to overcome prostate cancer and preserve quality of life through effective, curative treatments such as robotic surgery," he said.
The recent study from the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program in Boston is featured the March 12 online edition of Renal & Urology News, http://www.renalandurologynews.com/prostate-cancer-death-rate-higher-with-non-curative-approaches/article/283974/. Researchers studied a cohort of nearly 28,000 men with PSA-detected low-risk PCa.
"Men older than the median age (67 years) experienced increased estimates of PCSM when treated with non-curative as opposed to curative intent; this finding was not observed in men at or below the median age," according to Renal & Urology News. Qualifying the data, researchers noted that PCa undergrading is more common among older patients and could contribute to the increased mortality rate.
"Current diagnostics do not allow us to stage a man's prostate cancer with absolute certainty," said Dr. Samadi. "Often, older men are diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer, but after the careful exploration of prostate removal surgery, they learn their disease is more advanced. If those men had chosen non-curative management their cancer could have advanced swiftly."
A robotic prostatectomy affords surgeons like Dr. Samadi the opportunity to evaluate the prostate cancer firsthand. Other prostate cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy, rely on pre-treatment imaging to isolate the prostate tumor and can undergrade the extent of the disease. Additionally, prostate cancer tumors are tested post-surgery yielding the most definitive analysis of tumor type and grade.
Related Sites:
http://www.roboticoncology.com/
Related Videos:
Robotic-Assisted Prostate Cancer Surgery on Good Day New York - Click Here
PROSTATE CANCER NEWS: Better Survival Rates With Robotic SMART Surgery - Click Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwFoiVLc5UE
Watchful Waiting the Wait and See Approach to Prostate Cancer - Click Here
http://www.media.roboticoncology.com/tv-interviews/WaitandSeeApproachtoProstateCancer/
SEX AFTER PROSTATE CANCER : A Candid Look - Click Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7I0Q7mGhE0&list=UUZvOHUgjV5EzAS-ZSOBeEGw&index=6