G E N I TO U R I N A R Y O N C O LO G Y
TARGETED TREATMENT FOR PROSTATE CANCER Unique lumpectomy-like therapy helps preserve prostate The biggest thing Dick Weiss, 72, should have been celebrating in 2019 was his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife, Mary Beth. But he had another big reason to celebrate. After undergoing an innovative treatment for prostate cancer at the UC Cancer Center, he was declared cancer-free. Weiss’ prostate cancer journey started like that of many men before him. A routine PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test came back high in May 2017. A local urologist repeated the test and got the same results. He conducted a biopsy: prostate cancer. Soon after, Weiss learned of a new treatment offered at the UC Cancer Center that removed only the cancerous portion of the prostate. The new treatment, called focal therapy, is the first prostate cancer treatment that addresses the fact that, in most cases, less than 25 percent of the prostate is affected.
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“With focal therapy, which is similar to a lumpectomy for a breast cancer patient, we are able to target the cancerous area only, treat it more effectively, and save healthy prostate tissue to limit side effects, such as urinary issues or erectile dysfunction,” says Abhinav Sidana, MD, an assistant professor of surgery at the UC College of Medicine, director of urologic oncology at UC Health, and a member of the UC Cancer Center. Using MRI scans to guide him, Dr. Sidana mapped the precise location of each tumor in Weiss’ prostate. He then used a technique, called cryoablation, to insert tiny needles in the prostate and use gases such as argon and helium to freeze the cancerous tissue. “I was so impressed because I learned that UC (Cancer Center) has a prostate cancer multidisciplinary clinic — a whole team of experts, including radiation oncologists, radiologists, a surgeon, and pathologists meeting to discuss each case,” Weiss says. “I wasn’t just getting one person’s opinion — I had a whole team working for me. And they were ready with a plan of attack.”
men received prostate screenings as part of the UC Cancer Center’s community outreach in 2019
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UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI CANCER CENTER
Prostate Gland
Urethra
Cancer Lesion
Focal Therapy Ablated Tissue
Rather than removing the entire prostate gland or treating it with radiation therapy, both of which can cause side effects such as erectile dysfunction, focal therapy removes only the cancerous portion of the prostate.
