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Experience Critical When Choosing Prostatectomy Surgeon
January 22, 2010
It seems like common sense to say that a surgeon with more experience will achieve better results. It's a statement that's also backed up by medical research conducted by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and the Journal of Urology. Looking specifically at robotic prostatectomies, the data shows that:
"...a typical patient undergoing RP with a surgeon who reached a learning curve plateau of 250 prior RPs had a 10.9% risk of recurrence at five years compared with a…
Huge Prostate Stuns Doctors
January 22, 2010
The good folks over at Renal & Urology News often provide us with serious updates on the latest medical research, but they're also good for a laugh or two. And so we bring you the story of the largest prostate ever removed. According to the doctor who performed the prostatectomy:
“Had I known it was as big as it was, I wouldn't have done it. The normal prostate is about 20, 25 grams, and the biggest one that we've…
Famous Survivors Give Hope and a Voice to Prostate Cancer
January 18, 2010
In 2009 the National Cancer Institute reported 192,280 new cases and deaths of prostate cancer. But a diagnosis of prostate cancer is not a death sentence – it’s a disease that can be beat. Celebrated composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, is one of many male celebrities to publicly fight prostate cancer. While some famous men choose to be more private in their battle, others use their platform to educate the public about the disease.
The following celebrities, including famous politicians, actors…
Nerve Stimulation Provides Long-Term Overactive Bladder Relief
January 12, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO: Patients with overactive bladder (OAB) who respond well to 12 weeks of a type of nerve stimulation therapy are likely to have sustained improvement at 12 months if they continue treatments, researchers announced here at the 39th Annual Meeting of the International Continence Society. The treatment, called percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), involves sending electrical impulses into nerves that control bladder function. Kenneth Peters, MD, Chairman of the Department of Urology at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak,…
Low Cholesterol May Lower the Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer
January 12, 2010
Men who have low cholesterol levels have a decreased risk of aggressive prostate cancer, a recently published study suggests. The study, which included 5,586 men aged 55 years and older who participated in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), showed that men whose cholesterol levels were below 200 mg/dL had a 59% decreased risk of aggressive prostate cancer compared with men who had higher cholesterol levels, researchers reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Cholesterol levels did not…
Promising Research Results for New Prostate Cancer Drug, Abiraterone
January 12, 2010
A new drug, currently being tested in clinical trials, has doctors very optimistic for the treatment of prostate cancer. Abiraterone, discovered by British chemists in the 1990s and tested by the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London, is currently in phase III of clinical trials. In phases I and II of clinical trials, two-thirds of men with advanced and aggressive prostate cancer responded positively to abiraterone. The drug’s benefits include: Dramatically shrinks tumors Benefits last longer (it works for…
Tall Men Are At Higher Risk for Aggressive Prostate Cancer
January 12, 2010
Are you tall? Have you been complimented on a number of times because of your height? Do you indulge in the attention that you get from it? Do you enjoy “looking down” on short men? Maybe you should think twice. Did you know that a recent study published in the British Journal of Cancer has found out that tall men are at a higher risk of having aggressive prostate cancer than those who are shorter than them? This is especially…
Welcome to the Robotic Prostatectomy Blog
January 12, 2010
Welcome to the new Robotic Prostatectomy Blog. This blog has been created as a response to the urologic cancer community’s need for information, advice, news, and simply relating with other cancer patients and their family members. We encourage our readers to post comments and contribute to the ongoing discussions we hope will take place on our blog. If you are looking for pure technical and medical information on the types of urologic cancers and treatments provided by Dr. Scherr, please…