Today I attended my first appointment with the newest member of my healthcare team - 'Dr T' - my Radiation Oncologist. The appointment lasted for over 90 minutes - I finally got to ask, and have answered, ALL of my questions!!
Firstly, I want to talk about the 'new' technique that I will be undergoing in terms of my radiotherapy - sometimes referred to as 'gold seed technology'.
Gold seed technology is a fairly recent innovation in Australia and is only available in a (very) limited number of places. Fortunately for me, my radiologist is one of the few 'experts' who not only possess such technology, but have become very conversant with it's usage.
Now, some history...
November 2005
A new treatment method for prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy that more accurately and effectively targets the cancer while minimizing side effects is now available in Australia.
Fiducial markers, or "gold seeds," are non-radioactive markers that are placed in the prostate. Because it is natural for the prostate to move around in the pelvic cavity, depending on how much liquid a patient has consumed and other factors, it can be challenging to locate the prostate precisely during radiation therapy.
Unlike brachytherapy, which uses radioactive seeds to treat the cancer, gold seeds simply allow the prostate's location to be tracked on a daily basis using X-ray imaging to ensure treatment accuracy. Only a handful of health care organizations offer this treatment in Australia.
Previously, physicians had to leave a margin of error when locating the cancerous tissue because it was difficult to target the exact location of the prostate before the gold seed technology emerged. During this process, healthy tissue may have been exposed to radiation.
Gold seed technology allows the physician to know exactly where the prostate is at any given time. Therefore, a higher dose of radiation can be delivered to a more precise area, while minimizing exposure to nearby healthy tissues.
Gold Seeds Help Pinpoint Prostate Cancer
WCVB-TV 04.07.2006
BOSTON -- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. One in six men will be diagnosed with the disease in his lifetime.
NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Friday that treating it can be tricky -- even a slight movement of the prostate can alter the effectiveness of radiation and potentially damage healthy tissue.
Now, doctors at Mount Auburn Hospital are using new technology to pinpoint prostate cancer with the help of some very tiny but very precious metals.
A tiny gold seed is helping doctors treat Joe Crowley's prostate cancer.
"I feel good about the treatment," Crowley said.
The gold seeds are actual gold, but they are not radioactive. Instead, they serve as markers for radiologists attempting to locate and treat the often hard-to-target prostate.
"In the past, our solution was very simple. You simply enlarge the area you're treating to make sure the target is going to be fully covered by the radiation -- but in the process, we were exposing more normal tissue to the radiation and increasing the risk of injury," Mount Auburn Hospital's Dr. Anthony Abner said.
With Gold Seed technology, [a number of] seeds are placed around the prostate. Using X-ray imaging, doctors can then monitor the location of the seeds. If the seeds have moved, the prostate has moved, and they can alter the radiation accordingly.
"The benefit is that we can dramatically reduce the amount of normal tissue that's hit by the radiation. By doing so, we can actually use higher doses of radiation with better cure rates," Abner said.
The treatment is less painful and more accurate than other options, such as balloon dilation and ultrasound. But it does require almost daily monitoring, which means many trips to the radiologist -- a price Crowley said he is willing to pay.
"It's a little lengthy, but I think I have 34 treatments, but hopefully they'll go by fast and I'll pick up where I left off," Crowley said.
While it's too soon to know exactly how much Gold Seed technology is improving prostate cancer outcomes, doctors said that patients report feeling better during treatment, having fewer side effects and fewer long-term complications.
The implications for me are ...
Firstly, I want to talk about the 'new' technique that I will be undergoing in terms of my radiotherapy - sometimes referred to as 'gold seed technology'.
Gold seed technology is a fairly recent innovation in Australia and is only available in a (very) limited number of places. Fortunately for me, my radiologist is one of the few 'experts' who not only possess such technology, but have become very conversant with it's usage.
Now, some history...
November 2005
A new treatment method for prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy that more accurately and effectively targets the cancer while minimizing side effects is now available in Australia.
Fiducial markers, or "gold seeds," are non-radioactive markers that are placed in the prostate. Because it is natural for the prostate to move around in the pelvic cavity, depending on how much liquid a patient has consumed and other factors, it can be challenging to locate the prostate precisely during radiation therapy.
Unlike brachytherapy, which uses radioactive seeds to treat the cancer, gold seeds simply allow the prostate's location to be tracked on a daily basis using X-ray imaging to ensure treatment accuracy. Only a handful of health care organizations offer this treatment in Australia.
Previously, physicians had to leave a margin of error when locating the cancerous tissue because it was difficult to target the exact location of the prostate before the gold seed technology emerged. During this process, healthy tissue may have been exposed to radiation.
Gold seed technology allows the physician to know exactly where the prostate is at any given time. Therefore, a higher dose of radiation can be delivered to a more precise area, while minimizing exposure to nearby healthy tissues.
Gold Seeds Help Pinpoint Prostate Cancer
WCVB-TV 04.07.2006
BOSTON -- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. One in six men will be diagnosed with the disease in his lifetime.
NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Friday that treating it can be tricky -- even a slight movement of the prostate can alter the effectiveness of radiation and potentially damage healthy tissue.
Now, doctors at Mount Auburn Hospital are using new technology to pinpoint prostate cancer with the help of some very tiny but very precious metals.
A tiny gold seed is helping doctors treat Joe Crowley's prostate cancer.
"I feel good about the treatment," Crowley said.
The gold seeds are actual gold, but they are not radioactive. Instead, they serve as markers for radiologists attempting to locate and treat the often hard-to-target prostate.
"In the past, our solution was very simple. You simply enlarge the area you're treating to make sure the target is going to be fully covered by the radiation -- but in the process, we were exposing more normal tissue to the radiation and increasing the risk of injury," Mount Auburn Hospital's Dr. Anthony Abner said.
With Gold Seed technology, [a number of] seeds are placed around the prostate. Using X-ray imaging, doctors can then monitor the location of the seeds. If the seeds have moved, the prostate has moved, and they can alter the radiation accordingly.
"The benefit is that we can dramatically reduce the amount of normal tissue that's hit by the radiation. By doing so, we can actually use higher doses of radiation with better cure rates," Abner said.
The treatment is less painful and more accurate than other options, such as balloon dilation and ultrasound. But it does require almost daily monitoring, which means many trips to the radiologist -- a price Crowley said he is willing to pay.
"It's a little lengthy, but I think I have 34 treatments, but hopefully they'll go by fast and I'll pick up where I left off," Crowley said.
While it's too soon to know exactly how much Gold Seed technology is improving prostate cancer outcomes, doctors said that patients report feeling better during treatment, having fewer side effects and fewer long-term complications.
The implications for me are ...
- I can benefit from the higher doses of radiation , without the risk of 'other organ damage'!
- I can also receive a variation of the 'whole-pelvic' treatment described in an earlier post - safely.
We'll look at this in more details in my next post.
2 comments:
It's important to keep your prostate healthy by eating a prostate-healthy diet as well. I've heard that onions, soy products, and tomatoes are great. I've also been trying prostate supplements that have been keeping my prostate in tip-top shape! Just food for thought!
You are of course correct, diet plays an important role in both prevention and treatment. I deal with these benefits elsewhere e.g. you might want to click on 'diet' in the category section. Thanks for dropping by.
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