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Seeds
of Life
By implanting tiny radioactive capsules, Monmouth Medical Center
pioneers are helping men wage a tough new war against prostate cancer.
They resemble grains of rice, so small
that dozens can be cupped in thee palm of your hand. But
when these radioactive capsules are placed directly into
the prostate gland, they deliver a powerful punch against
the second-leading cause of cancer death among American
men: prostate cancer. This innovative, low-dose procedure,
which is performed by a team of highly skilled urologist,
radiation oncologists and physicists, dramatically limits
the radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissue.
Since 1998, this pioneering radiation implant therapy,
also called permanent seed brachytherapy (PSB), has been
performed at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, the
region's top provider of state-of-the-art cancer and urological
services.
Know the symptoms
In its earliest stages, prostate
cancer generally progresses slowly. Watch for these symptoms: -
Frequent urination or inability to urinate -
Trouble starting or holding back urination -
Weak or interrupted urine flow -
Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back,
hips or upper thighs -
Impotence
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How
healthy is your prostate?
Two simple test can yield an answer: a rectal
exam to feel for abnormalities of the prostate gland and a blood test that measures
prostate-specific antigen (PSA), an enzyme produced by the gland. "When
performed together, these test are the most effective tools to detect prostate
cancer early," says Arnold Grebler, M.D., chief of urology. Beginning
at age 50, men are encouraged to undergo annual checkups that include both tests.
Men at high risk for the disease, including African Americans and those with a
family history of the disease, should begin routine testing at age 40. If
the PSA finding is abnormal, DR. Grebler recommends men undergo an advanced blood
test known as percent-free PSA testing, which measures the normal fraction of
prostate-specific antigen in the specimen. Monmouth Medical Center was the first
hospital in the region to offer this diagnosis tool. | |
And last year, Monmouth became the
first hospital in central New Jersey to offer real-time,
dynamic, computer-assisted planning for men with early-stage
prostate cancer undergoing PSB.
PINPOINT ACCURACY The new VariSeed system
produces 3-d images of the prostate while the procedure
is under way. The images are transmitted to a planning
computer in the operating room. A sophisticated software
program then calculates the number of seeds needed ---
and their precise placement --- to deliver the most effective
dose.
REAL-TIME FEEDBACK
"The intraoperative planning program is critical
for identifying the approach to be followed in placing
the seeds," says Arnold Grebler, M.D., chief of urology
at Monmouth. "It also provides 'real-time' dose calculation
and dynamic feedback during the procedure."
"This significant advance allows
us to immediately gauge the dose to the prostate from
the seeds as we are implanting them," says Adam Raben,
M.D., chairman of the Institute fro Advanced Radiation
Oncology at Monmouth. "It gives us a tremendous advantage
in minimizing the dose the urethra and the rectum while
delivering the proper dose to the gland itself.
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