Until recently, the practice of the HIFU procedure was not available in the United States, but that has since changed and we’re proud to say we are an Orlando urologist that can now provide this top-of-the-line prostate cancer treatment right here in the heart of Central Florida. HIFU stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, which is a wave of ultrasound that is pushed through to eliminate the cancerous cells before they have the opportunity to grow and spread.
Not only is this treatment incredibly quick, but it is a non-invasive procedure that will result in very minimal downtime and aftercare. Compared to other procedures which prohibit lifting excess weight, or even having sex, the HIFU process reduces those to the bare minimum. If you or a loved one are dealing with any of the information below about prostate cancer, please do not hesitate to call our offices. We are one of the only places in all of Florida that performs this procedure, and you will be happy that you did.
We offer Nitrous Oxide as a means of ease and care for our patients during some procedures including Prostate Ultrasound and Prostate Biopsy.
Information on Prostate Cancer
The latest consensus is that not all instances of prostate cancer need treatment. This strategy has already been in place for the smallest cases for decades, but over the last few years the trend has been to expand the surveillance option to even larger cases. Some of the cancers under surveillance will progress and will eventually need treatment. Very sophisticated molecular indicators are now used, and some are still being developed to try and predict which cancers need treatments, and which can be monitored.
Nowadays, there is much controversy and confusion regarding prostate cancer screening and treatment. However, the statistics are still very impressive:
- One in seven men will be affected by prostate cancer in their lifetime
- One man dies of prostate cancer every nineteen minutes in the USA
- It is the second most common cancer in US men, and the fourth most common tumor diagnosed worldwide
- It is 1.6 times more common in African American men and 2.4 times more deadly compared to Caucasian men
Symptoms:
Early prostate cancer usually does not cause any symptoms. If there are symptoms, they are usually similar to those of a non-cancerous enlarged prostate such as slowing urine stream, hesitancy, urinary frequency or urgency, and difficulty emptying the bladder. Symptoms such as pelvic or bone pain and bleeding are typically associated with advanced stages of prostate cancer.
Diagnosis:
Definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer requires a prostate biopsy, and the need for a biopsy can be determined in multiple ways: The first way is through the digital rectal exam (finger wave), which may indicate an abnormality in the prostate. Should that not yield the necessary results, a PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test may be administered; this test has not shown significant reliability in finding prostate cancer, however. It is because of this that more sophisticated tests such as the 4k score and multiparametric MP-MRI were discovered. These tests may give you and the urologist a better indication regarding the presence of prostate cancer, as well as the need for a biopsy.
