Every now and then I get a really good question from a patient that I have never heard before. I am making a new category on my blog for these type of questions.
A patient of mine who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer asked me today if his wife could catch prostate cancer. His concern stemmed from the fact that his original presenting symptom was blood in the semen.
Many patients are undergoing non-surgical therapies of their prostate cancer with curative intent.
These include seeds, external beam radiation, and cryosurgery. What are their alternatives if they fail therapy?
Inguinal hernias often coexist in prostate cancer patients. They can
sometimes be found on physical exam or during staging CT scans. At the
time of transperitoneal robotic prostatectomy the inguinal areas are examined
with the robotic scope. If hernias exist, they can be fixed at the time of
prostatectomy..
A presentation at the AUA Western section meeting was reviewed in the Urology Times November 2005 issue:
UT article: Smokers face higher risk of TCC after radiation
Patients that have a history of smoking are 13 more likely to get bladder cancer (transitional cell cancer) after radiation as compared to patients who get radiation and have not smoked.
Dr. Smith at Vanderbilt offers a concise review of the current literature on robotic assisted prostatectomy. Click for abstract.
Laparoscopic (with a focus on Robotic-assisted) vs. open RRP was reviewed.