The most commonly accepted prostate cancer treatments in the United States are surgery to remove the prostate and radiation therapy. There have been technological advances in both surgery and radiation over the past 10 years such as Robotic Assisted Surgery, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Cyberknife Radiosurgery (hypo-fractionated radiation) and Proton Beam Radiation. These advancements have helped to reduce common side effects such as erectile dysfunction and urinary leakage or incontinence. However, even in expert hands erectile dysfunction may occur in over 50% of patients and urinary leakage requiring pad protection may occur in over 20% of men.
It is being increasingly recognized that prostate cancer is being OVER treated in many men and this has led the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to advise against routine PSA screening, stating that the harms of PSA screening outweigh the survival benefits. PSA screening automatically led to a reflex prostate biopsy, and even men with minimal disease were treated traditionally with surgery or radiation—resulting in significant quality of life related side effects.
Today, many men are not offered any alternatives to traditional treatment by their urologists. At the Scionti Prostate Center, we discuss all treatments options and suggest LESS invasive treatment options when appropriate.
Minimally invasive prostate cancer treatment means delivering cancer treatment to the prostate without having to do surgery, without making major incisions. This is called ablation (destruction) which is accomplished by precisely targeting lethal energy (focused ultrasound, ice, or laser) to diseased prostate tissue, based on tumor locations revealed by Advanced Diagnostics. The advantages are:
a) quick recovery,
b) no incisions,
c) less collateral damage to neighboring structures and
d) better preservation of sexual and urinary function.
The whole concept of minimally invasive ablative therapy is an exciting frontier in which the Scionti Prostate Center has taken the lead. We have the ability to target thermal energy (heat) to specific tumors, or to the entire gland if that is necessary. Our leading treatments are HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) and TULSA Pro. Between these two treatments,
Dr. Scionti is a pioneer in minimally invasive prostate cancer treatment and was formerly the Director of Prostate Cancer Ablative Surgery at the Joel E. Smilow Comprehensive Prostate Cancer Center at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Stephen Scionti is currently the Medical Director at Scionti Prostate Center in Sarasota, Fl.
Dr. Scionti has the largest cumulative prostate ablative treatment experience in North America with over 2500 patients treated over the past 14 years.