‘‘ 4 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1


OUR QUESTION ONE QUESTION, THREE DOCTORS’ ADVICE


I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer— what are my treatment options?”


Harvey A. Sauer, MD Board-Certified Urologist


Cryotherapy is a very good primary treatment option for men with localized cancer,” says Dr. Sauer, an expert in robotic surgery and cryotherapy. “ It is noninvasive, repeatable, and can be done with patients who are not good candidates for surgery, older men, and those who have had a recurrence of cancer after radiation therapy.”


Cryotherapy surgery is usually done as an outpatient procedure. “Tree- quarters of patients go home the same day, although some do stay overnight,” says Sauer. Recovery time is short, and normal activity can begin within a few days. Te catheter stays in for about a week. “Tere is a lower risk of incontinence with this procedure, but a higher risk of erectile dysfunction.”


“Follow-up is routine,” adds Sauer. “There’s a post-op visit about one week after surgery followed by another visit after three months. It’s similar to radiation therapy.”


Cryotherapy has been around for about 20 years, although Sauer has observed significant improvements made to this method in the last five to six years, definitely adding it to the prostate cancer treatment options AMP Urology makes available.


Neil Mariados, MD Board-Certified Radiation Oncologist


“Machines that treat patients with radiation have become quite advanced,” says Dr. Mariados, a Board Certified Radiation Oncologist. “Our robotic linear accelerators use complex software. Each dose is calculated to treat tumor sites, while sparing surrounding structures.”


“We suggest external beam radiotherapy or brachytherapy depending on the tumor and the patient. Some may need a combination of the two if their cancer is more advanced,” Mariados explains. “Both therapies are relatively convenient procedures and well-tolerated. We have patients who run marathons and play golf throughout treatment.”


In fact, says Mariados, radiation patients are often surprised at how well they tolerate the therapies. “Patients are not sickened by the treatment, a surprise to those who have friends who have had chemotherapy. And there is no urinary catheter.” Patients might experience slight changes in urinary habits during treatment, but these are well controlled with medication.


After treatment patients can expect physical exams and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, but in most cases there’s no need for another biopsy. “Patients can continue with their lives, putting their treatment behind them,” says Mariados.


David M. Albala, MD Board-Certified Urologist


Most prostate cancer patients are candidates for robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery, explains Dr. Albala, chief of urology at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, NY, and medical director for Associated Medical Professionals (AMP). Albala is an international authority in laparoscopic and robotic urological surgery and has taught the procedure for more than 20 years.


Laparoscopic surgery candidates can expect the same presurgical preparation as with open surgery, says Albala, but one difference is the length of recovery time. “There is a much quicker resumption of normal activity,” Albala notes, because less blood is lost than with open surgery, the catheter is used for only about a week, and the hospital stay is usually one night.


Albala says it’s important to understand that robotic surgery is not performed by a machine. Te robot is simply a cutting-edge tool to aid the surgeon. “It makes us more precise,” he says.


When it comes to successful robotic surgery, experience makes a difference, and physicians at AMP have a great deal of experience in this procedure. “We have performed more than 2,000 robotic surgeries combined,” Albala concludes.


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