Prostate cancer is the third leading cause of death in American men, and one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Dr. Joseph Wagner is a urologist with the Tallwood Urology and Kidney Institute, and Director of Robotic Surgery at Hartford Hospital.
Q: There has been a fair amount of conflicting information regarding prostate cancer screening test, known as the PSA. What are the current recommendations?
A: There has been a lot of debate over the years as to the benefit of prostate cancer screening, but the dust finally seems to be settling. A number of years ago, the United States Preventative Task Force recommended against prostate cancer screening. There have been a number of studies since then that have shown that the incidence of metastatic prostate cancer and prostate cancer deaths have gone up because of that move. Based on these studies, the Task Force has softened their stance.
There was an excellent study released just this month conducted within the Kaiser healthcare system. They looked at over 400,000 men. The bottom line was men aged 55-75 those who got a yearly PSA test had much lower risk of prostate cancer death. Not only that, they also had a decreased risk of death from other causes as well.
Q: What are some of the treatments the Hartford HealthCare Tallwood Urology and Kidney Institute offers men with prostate cancer?
It is important to recognize that treatment for prostate cancer needs to be individualized. Treatment is really determined by the aggressiveness of the man’s prostate cancer along with his health and life expectancy. We offer robotic surgery, radiation, various forms of androgen deprivation, and chemotherapy. Just as importantly, active surveillance is a reasonable option for many men. Currently, it is an option for approximately 50% of the men I see in the clinic.
Q: What do you want men to know about prostate cancer?
A: I want men to know that low prostate cancer is slow growing still the most in American man because of cancer death. The only thing in their control to battle this is early detection.
Q: Recently your abstract along with your colleagues was chosen to be included in the Journal of the American Urological Association. What was the topic of that abstract?
A: When a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer, sometimes genomic testing is helpful in deciding whether or not to embark on active surveillance or move straight to treatment. In genomic testing the DNA of the biopsies is analyzed and helps to further determine the aggressiveness of the prostate cancer. There are various tests on the market. We compared them and made some conclusions that certain tests might be better for certain individuals.
For more information on prostate cancer, attend a FREE community education class in Avon on October 9 entitled, “Understanding Prostate Cancer: Active Surveillance.” Registration is required. To register, or call 1-855-HHC-HERE (1.855.442.4373)