Johns Hopkins Health Alert
HIFU: Testing a Novel Prostate Cancer Procedure
UPDATE
As part of our ongoing effort to ensure that this website is up to date, we have determined that the information in the article HIFU: Testing a Novel Prostate Cancer Procedure is no longer current, and has therefore been removed.
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Posted in Prostate Disorders on August 21, 2008
Reviewed September 2011
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to Confused:
I am not a doctor, but I had a biopsy that showed 2/12 snips with cancer and ranging from 5-10%. My doctor who is the head of the Urological surgery department at a major university medical teaching hospital told me that with a Gleason score of 3+3 (6),
the cancer cells were some of the least aggressive cells reported by pathologists. I am on a "watch and see" program with Finasteride to shrink my prostrate (very large they said).
My original PSA was 20.6 done in an outside lab, with a follow up in their labs that was 15.6. They said that with the results
shown by the Gleason score, I could likely live 10-15 years if I did nothing and likely die of something else. They do not recommend doing nothing, but shrinking the prostate will give me more treatment options, some of which are not recommended just because of the size of my prostate now.
A follow up PSA and perhaps biopsy are scheduled for 6 months, but I plan to have the biopsy samples reviewed by another pathologist, but haven't decided where yet.
I would highly recommend getting a second opinion by a urologist who specializes in cancer treatment. You might even want to consult with an Oncologist regarding treatment in your case. A surgeon will usually recommend surgery, an Oncologist will likely recommend radiation or chemo. Just be sure that they all are asked for the plus and minus for each procedure and ask them what your likelihood of CURE, not remission, is and what size database they have from their personal experience to predict that. Remember, the goal is CURE.....that means no cancer shown by psa after 10 years from treatment.
Good Luck and God Bless
Posted by: metoo | October 21, 2010 3:25 PM
Dear Confused, I am not a doctor either. I was 60yo when diagnosed last June with a PSA of 4.2 (doubled over past yr) and biopsy of 7 (3+4). Elected to have robotic surgery, recovery went well. Pathology returned a new Gleason of 9 resulting in follow up radiation for 6 weeks. I would not recommend a wait & see approach with PSA of 15.8. Again, I'm not a doctor let alone your doctor.
Posted by: virgdad | February 19, 2011 3:45 PM
Sorry your PSA was 2.8 not 15.8, still, not knowing your age, I would not ignore the Gleason score.
Posted by: virgdad | February 19, 2011 3:47 PM
I was diagnosed with prostrate cancer Feb. 2010. Gleason's score 7 on both sides.PSA was 3.35.I met with surgens and radiologist, but both had, what I consider high possibilities of side effects, not including recovery time and chemo effects. I had to start looking at other options. I found the HIFU procedure and read everything about it I could. I decided, if I was qualified, this would be for me. My reasons were simple. No overnight in the hospital, no cuts in my body, recovery seemed quick and I only had a catheter for two days. Because I am married to a South African, I chose to do the procedure there. After research I found Dr. Eppel who reviewed my situation and made an initial decision to do the procedure, based on a final examination. On Sept. 21, 2010 my procedure was completed, taking about three hours. I stayed over night because I lived far from the hospital in Cape Town. After the catheter was removed, I rested for two weeks and went on a safari to the Kalahari Desert. Never did I feel pain or any disconfort. I did not know anything had changed inside me. Three month PSA is 0.02 and six months it was 0.07. I am very happy with the results and the cost, since we must do it outside the US, is about one-third to one-half of surgery. I hope anyone with prostrate cancer would investigate possibilities of HIFU. This procedure is studied for over 15 years and many countries have seen the positive side of HIFU. One other thing, If HIFU does not completly cure you, you can have any other procedure done. I am a beliiver in HIFU
Posted by: jrhamlin | April 15, 2011 2:17 PM
Noticed I did not check spelling, sorry
Posted by: jrhamlin | April 15, 2011 2:20 PM
I posted before as "meetoo" but had to get new name to post a followup. As I said before I am on a "wait and see" program taking finasteride. We have finished the initial 6 months and the PSA has dropped to 8 (they were hoping for 7-10). Even though the PSA has dropped to where the Drs hoped, the prostrate is still large and we are going to go another 6 months on the finasteride, hoping to drop it even further so that future monitoring will be in a range where any cancer activity can be measured by a change in the PSA.
I know when you hear the word cancer, the instinct is to panic.
Mine was. After a period of about a week, I began to realize that whatever was going to happen would happen and all I could do was to learn everything I could and act on that information. The anxiety went away significantly after that. Now, afte 6 months and the drop in PSA, I feel comfortable in the decision we made and hope to get the PSA down to 4-6 at the end of the next 6 months.
Again, good luck and GOD bless.
METOO
Posted by: 2metoo | April 16, 2011 2:22 PM
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I was diagnosed on August 18 2010 with prostate cancer.My gleason score is 6 and my psa level at the time of the biopsy was 2.8 on August 3 2010.My doctor informed me if I dont have immediate surgery I will fie with in two years.I am a wreck and not sure what to do.Are there any treatments I can try aside from surgery?The biopsy report states that the extent of cancer on biopsy is 1/10 cores 0.5-1% of total core tissue.Can some one please help me.I am so stressed out and my doctor is of no help.Can anyone please provide some help.
Thank You. Confused.
Posted by: CONFUSED1961 | September 1, 2010 8:27 AM