Saint Mary's - Thrive

NEW LASER TREATMENT IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE B enign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a noncancerous condition that can have a significant impact on men's quality of life. Symptoms include difficulty initiating urination, weak stream, and sudden urge to urinate. BPH occurs when age-related prostate enlargement causes the gland to press against the urethra, narrowing the passageway through which urine leaves the bladder. Men often experience symptoms, such as having to go at night, leaking, or dribbling, when an enlarged prostate prevents the bladder from emptying completely. Saint Mary's Hospital offers Speak with your urologist to determine whether benign prostatic hyperplasia could be to blame for urinary problems. Need a urologist? Visit stmh.org and click "Find a Physician." Men have a nearly one in seven chance of having prostate cancer during their lifetimes. Only skin cancer affects more American men. "Prostate cancer usually grows slowly and initially remains confined to the prostate, where it may not cause serious harm," said Dr. Anthony Kim, a urologist at Saint Mary's Hospital. "Although some types of prostate cancer progress gradually and may need minimal or no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly. Prostate cancer that's detected early, when it's still confined to the gland, has a better chance of successful treatment." A key to early detection is knowledge of risk factors. Age is a significant one—most prostate cancer cases occur after age 50. "African-American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer compared with Caucasian men and are nearly 2.4 times more likely to die from the disease, though scientists do not yet understand why prostate cancer incidence and death rates are higher among African-American men," said Dr. York Paul Moy, a urologist at Saint Mary's. "Your risk is doubled if your father or brother had prostate cancer and depends on the age at which your relative was diagnosed. Men whose families carry the gene changes that cause breast cancer, BRCA1 or BRCA2, are also thought to be at increased risk for prostate cancer." SHOULD YOU BE SCREENED? A digital rectal exam and a prostate- specific antigen (PSA) blood test can shed additional light on your risk for prostate cancer. "The PSA test is a screening tool that can only assess one's risk of prostate cancer," Dr. Kim said. "Diagnosis can only be made by a biopsy of the gland. Patients and their physicians should thoroughly discuss the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening." minimally invasive treatment for BPH using a leading-edge technology: the Lumenis Pulse™ 120H Holmium laser. "is is the world's most powerful laser for urologic procedures, and we're pleased to be the first in Connecticut to obtain it," said Dr.Anthony Kim, a urologist at SaintMary's. "e procedure requires no incisions—we access the obstructed area through the penis and use the laser to ablate the tissue that's pressing on the urethra. We also use the laser to disintegrate complex kidney stones much quicker andmore effectively than any other available technology." Dr. Anthony Kim Dr. York Paul Moy Men have a nearly one in seven chance Spotlight on Prostate Cancer 6 thrive | Winter 2016

• Cover