Prisma Health Magazine

PRISMA HEALTH MAGAZINE

studies show that many older men – and even some younger men – who died of other causes also had prostate cancer that never affected them, according to Cancer Society officials. Dr. Brisson acknowledged the simplest form of treatment for prostate cancer is “watchful waiting,” or active surveillance, for men with slow-growing, early-stage cancer. Should it worsen, more aggressive options include surgery to remove the pros- tate or radiation, he said. “The key determinant for me is the grade of the prostate cancer,” Dr. Brisson said. “If you have high-grade prostate cancer, unless you’re over the age of 80, you’re going to need that treated.” The Cancer Society said the main type of surgery is a radical prostatectomy, through which the surgeon removes the entire prostate gland and some of the tissue around it. In anoth- er approach, known as robotic prostatectomy, laparoscopic surgery is conducted using a robotic system. The surgeon sits at a control panel in the operating room and moves robotic arms to operate through several small incisions in the patient’s abdomen. Dr. Brisson, who treats diseases of the urinary system and male reproductive system – including the prostate – has done more than 2,000 robotic surgeries in the past 10 years on differ- ent types of cancers. KEEPING THE FAITH WHEN FACED WITH PROSTATE CANCER By David Dykes

M

ichael Allan of Summerville came home from the Vietnam War and eventually found himself in a

new type of battle. For Allan, 73, it was prostate cancer. After he left military service, he worked different jobs, including being a bodyguard for 38 years. At one point, a PSA test showed elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen in his blood, so his family doctor referred Allan to Dr. Theodore Bris- son, a Charleston urologist. Once the cancer was confirmed, robotic surgery followed. Then came radiation treatments, overseen by Allan’s radiation oncologist, Dr. William Collins. These days, Allan monitors his PSA levels and takes a hor- mone shot every four months to keep any cancer in check. Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that this year there will be about 174,650 new cases, and 31,620 people will die of the disease. But the Cancer Society said more than 2.9 million U.S. men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive. Most prostate cancers are first found during screening with a PSA blood test or a digital rectal exam. If cancer is suspected based on results of screening tests or symptoms, a prostate biop- sy is needed to confirm the diagnosis. Some prostate cancers can grow and spread quickly, but most grow slowly. In fact, autopsy

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