CentraState - Healthy Directions

www.centrastate.com Spring 2015 L ike a lot of men, John Flynn was concerned about potential side effects when weighing his options for prostate cancer treatment. The rectum and prostate are next to each other in the body. As a result, the rectum can receive significant doses of radiation during prostate cancer treatment. This has the potential to result in side effects such as rectal pain, bleeding and, in extremely rare cases, incontinence. John says that's why he didn't hesitate to volunteer for a trial for new therapy aimed at reducing the possibility of side effects from radiation treatments. The therapy uses a special gel to protect the rectum from radiation exposure while the prostate is being treated. "I was scared to death when I learned I had prostate cancer," the 71-year-old Howell man says. "I didn't know what to do, and I wanted to look at every possible option." Now, two years after completing his radiation treatments in the winter of 2013, John is cancer-free and doing well. He credits the new therapy, which at the time was only available at select hospitals including CentraState, with his nearly problem-free recovery. A CANCER DIAGNOSIS John, a grandfather of seven, didn't have any symptoms of prostate problems, but his doctors were concerned by a rise in his prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, blood level in late 2012. "A biopsy found he had intermediate/ high-grade prostate cancer," says Troy Sukkarieh, MD, a urologist on staff at CentraState. Dr. Sukkarieh says CentraState offers a full range of options for treating prostate cancer, including several modes of radiation as well as robotic surgery, using the da Vinci ® Surgical System. "We discussed his options and he chose to have radiation therapy, which was very appropriate for him," Dr. Sukkarieh says. "I give patients their options so they can make a fully informed decision on their cancer care." John met with Edward Soffen, MD, a board-certified radiation oncologist with Princeton Radiation Oncology and chair of the Radiation Oncology Department at CentraState, who recommended treatment with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), a highly precise system to deliver beams of radiation directly to the prostate. Dr. Soffen also asked John if he would like to participate in a national study of a new therapy aimed at reducing possible side effects. A NEW APPROACH The new therapy, called the SpaceOAR ® System, involves injecting a gel between the prostate and rectum under ultrasound guidance. The gel hardens, pushes the rectum away from the prostate and absorbs much of the radiation that might otherwise impact the rectum. In six months to a year, the body naturally absorbs the gel. John was part of a "blind" study—he didn't know at the time whether he had received the gel therapy. Once he learned he had received it, he knew it had helped. "I haven't had any problems," says John, who is now volunteering at CentraState as a mentor for other men undergoing prostate cancer treatment. Based on the results of the national study, which found a significant reduction in rectal symptoms among men who received the gel, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve the new therapy this spring, and it will be available nationwide, Dr. Soffen says. "It is going to become something we hope to offer as an option for all patients going forward," Dr. Soffen says. "We're always looking to see if we can offer treatments that are safer and better." To learn more about CentraState's cancer services, visit www.centrastatecancercenter.com or call 855-411-CANCER (855-411-2262). The Statesir Cancer Center at CentraState is providing a free prostate and colon cancer screening on June 17 for men 40 years and older who have not been screened for prostate cancer in the past. For more information and to register, visit www.centrastate.com, then click on "Classes/Events" or call 732-308-0570. HD Troy Sukkarieh, MD, board-certified urologist 5 Making Prostate Cancer Treatment Safer: Howell Man Benefits from Novel Therapy at CentraState John Flynn (left) is all smiles after Dr. Edward Soffen (right) successfully treated him in a leading-edge prostate cancer trial at CentraState.

• Cover