We know that hearing the words, ‘you have cancer’ and coming to terms with a cancer diagnosis can be incredibly challenging – for you and your loved ones. At GenesisCare we believe care should be focused on you, the individual, and not just the condition. Our belief is that care should be available when and where you need it most and be designed to help give you the best life outcomes possible.
If you or someone you love has prostate cancer, you want confidence and precision. You want access to the latest advancements in cancer care and research. And you want a success plan designed for you. That’s why we’re here.
GenesisCare is a first-of-its-kind, global network of 5,000 cancer specialists. Our physicians collect and study the most promising advances in science and care from across the US and around the world.
With over 130 radiation oncology centers in the US, GenesisCare brings these proven best practices right to your community. Whether an effective approach for treating your cancer was investigated by our physicians in Brisbane, Barcelona, or Boca Raton, you’ll find confidence having GenesisCare as part of your cancer care team.
Only men have a prostate gland. The prostate is a small, rubbery gland about the size of a ping-pong ball, located deep inside the pelvis at the base of the bladder. It is important for reproduction, because it supplies part of the seminal fluid (semen), which mixes with sperm from the testes. Seminal fluid helps the sperm to travel and survive.
Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in America. In the United States, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. Early diagnosis and treatment can mean a positive outcome for many.
The exact cause of prostate cancer is not known. However, some factors are known to increase the risk. Prostate cancer is rare before the age of 40, and the risk increases after the age of 50.
Risk factors can also include:
Prostate cancer is usually slow-growing and does not spread beyond the prostate gland before the time of diagnosis. Early detection is key to deciding which men require active treatment for a more active tumor that is classed as higher-grade.
Prostate cancer happens when abnormal cells in the prostate multiply, causing a tumor. In men diagnosed with early or localized prostate cancer due to an elevated PSA blood test result, the majority have no symptoms. This is because early prostate cancer often starts in the outer edge of the prostate, away from the urethra, and not does not cause any symptoms.
These cancerous cells sometimes grow throughout the prostate and through the capsule surrounding the prostate. There may be spread to the adjacent seminal gland, and they can spread to other areas including bone and lymph nodes. This is known as advanced or secondary prostate cancer.
Advanced prostate cancer symptoms can include:
Some symptoms of advanced prostate cancer can be symptoms of other common conditions, for example benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) – a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate causing some of the above symptoms. It is therefore important to seek medical advice for any symptoms you are experiencing.
If prostate cancer is found before it has spread, there are a broader range of treatments available, with greater expectation that treatment will achieve a curative outcome. Depending on the type and stage of cancer, you may be offered one, or a combination of treatments including surgery, radiation therapy and hormone therapy.
At GenesisCare we not only focus on treating your cancer, but we also take a holistic approach that cares for you as a person.
Our oncologists work with a team of medical professionals to design a personalized treatment plan that is tailored for you. Our centers are staffed with caring and highly qualified teams to provide you with the highest level of care throughout your treatment. Each step of your treatment will be closely monitored, and each member of your team will be fully informed and up to date with your treatment progress. At GenesisCare we offer Radiation Therapy, Brachytherapy, Chemotherapy, Hormonal Therapy and Theranosics.
We provide each of the following to you:
We work closely with other healthcare professionals to deliver comprehensive care to you.
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer the specialist leading your treatment may be a urologist, radiation oncologist or perhaps a medical oncologist. The group of specialists supporting your care have a wide range of tools available and will work with you to design a treatment plan that gives you the best possible outcome. Different factors influence what treatment may be recommended for your cancer.
These include the type of cancer, tumor location, speed of growth, how advanced the cancer is, your age.
At GenesisCare we are constantly challenging ourselves to design better care. We personalize care for you and your condition so treatment can involve a combination of therapies such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, dietary changes, and other holistic care.
Making the decision about what cancer treatment to have can be difficult. We recommend you discuss all your options (including those suggested by your multidisciplinary team) with your specialist before starting any treatment. Other important considerations may include the location of the treatment center, duration of treatment(s), potential side-effects, and any extra costs.
There are many ways to have radiation therapy but they all work in a similar way. Carefully controlled high-energy X-rays destroy or damage cancer cells. This stops them growing or spreading.
Radiation therapy is usually delivered in daily intervals called ‘fractions’. This allows time between treatments for the healthy cells to repair and the cancer cells to die off.
At GenesisCare, we’re always pushing the boundaries of technology to develop better radiation therapy treatments. Targeting the cancer cells in tumors without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue.
Most men going through prostate radiation therapy will also go through hormonal therapy leading up to, during, and sometimes for a time after radiation therapy. This improves the outcome of prostate radiation therapy by enhancing local control, and by potentially reducing relapse. Your treatment team will discuss and prescribe hormone therapy where required. They will also monitor you whilst on the treatment, supporting you to manage potential side effects.
Chemotherapy is medication that treats your cancer. It kills cancer cells, preventing them from dividing and spreading further.
Traditional or standard chemotherapy works by disrupting the cell cycle. Each time a new cell forms it goes through a series of phases to become mature. Traditional chemotherapy drugs target the different phases of the cell cycle. By disrupting or stopping a particular phase, a cancerous cell can no longer mature and divide and ultimately dies.
Chemotherapy is generally used to kill cancer cells in advanced prostate cancer cases when the cancer has spread outside the prostate gland. In this instance, the aim of chemotherapy is to shrink the tumor and slow its growth; it is not used to cure the cancer. By doing this, it may help to prolong the survival of advanced prostate cancer patients.6
Chemotherapy is generally given intravenously at a GenesisCare clinic as a day procedure. The number of sessions will be based on the latest scientific research and personalized to your specific cancer.
The side effects of chemotherapy may include fatigue, hair loss, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, changes in nails, low energy and changes in blood counts increasing the risk of infection or bleeding and numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
Theranostics is a treatment that combines diagnostic imaging with radiation treatment; identifying if target receptors are present on cancer cells, and then delivering precision radiation treatment to target these receptors.
Theranostics can be used to treat cancers that have spread (metastasised), or where cancer is advanced and/or has not responded to other treatments.
While in the future theranostics may be used for different cancers, to date most experience and success has been in metastatic prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors.
Theranostics uses PET scan imaging to see if specific targets, known as tumor receptors, are present on tumor cells.
If these targets are present and visible on the scan, a radioactive drug is used to treat the tumors. The drug is given as an injection and selectively targets the tumor cells while avoiding healthy areas. Most of the radioactive drug that doesn’t reach the target is quickly passed out of the body.
It’s important to note that at this time, treatment for neuroendocrine cancer is approved by the FDA and treatment for prostate cancer is expected to get approval soon.
Brachytherapy involves placing small radioactive seeds to release radiation directly into a tumor. This limits radiation to surrounding tissues, which is critical for patients with prostate cancer. GenesisCare offers both low-dose brachytherapy (continuously delivered over several days or weeks) and high-dose brachytherapy (performed in one session).
Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) and surgery are often the first treatments for someone with early-stage prostate cancer. With both, you need precise treatment to decrease the risk for erectile dysfunction or incontinence.
Current advances in prostate cancer radiation therapy focus on precision, accuracy, and radiation safety. GenesisCare physicians are on the forefront of testing and proving better ways to improve radiation delivery, while minimizing its risks and side effects.
If you are just starting your prostate cancer treatment, or you know radiation therapy is required, be sure to speak with a GenesisCare specialist.
We work in close collaboration with your oncologist and surgeon to develop the right therapy option for you. And we leverage our leading-edge technologies, global clinical trials network, and unmatched care experience throughout your treatment.
Side effects may arise due to radiation therapy because of the proximity of the rectum and bladder. During treatment, these symptoms are usually mild, and only occasionally moderate in intensity. There may be slowing of the urinary stream, increased frequency of needing to pass urine and a degree of stinging when passing urine. Similarly, you may pass more wind from the rectum and have some irregularity of bowel functioning and loose stools. Side effects usually decrease within a few weeks of the treatment being completed. You will be given clear instructions on things you can do to minimize these symptoms during treatment. Occasionally symptoms can persist more long term, and your radiation oncologist will discuss the potential long-term changes that can affect your bladder, bowel, and erectile functioning.
Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) is a less invasive radiation treatment for men diagnosed with prostate cancer. SBRT has a shorter treatment schedule and limits potential damage to surrounding organs while lessening side effects through its sub-millimeter accuracy. SBRT is often used as an alternative to surgery. Additionally, SBRT has shown to be highly effective for late-stage cancers, allowing patients who were previously considered incurable to be offered long-term and curative outcomes.
Surface-Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT) uses sophisticated 3D camera accuracy to help correctly position you for treatment without the need for permanent tattoos. SGRT delivers highly accurate doses of radiation while monitoring the unintended movements you make during treatment. With SGRT, the radiation delivery pauses until you are back in the correct position.
LDR brachytherapy is often used to treat prostate cancer. It involves permanently placing brachytherapy seeds in, or near, the tumor. The seeds continually release low-dose radiation over several months.
HDR brachytherapy is given by placing temporary needles or rods into the prostate under anesthetic, and then delivering internal radiation, avoiding dose to the surrounding tissues.
PSMA PET is most effective and precise for localizing metastatic prostate cancer. GenesisCare is one of the only medical centers in the U.S. offering FDA approved PSMA PET to deliver the best possible life outcomes. With PSMA PET scans, we use targeted imaging to detect areas of suspected metastasis for initial therapy and suspected recurrence based on an elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level.
IMRT delivery enables high doses of radiation to be precisely delivered to the tumor while protecting normal tissues, resulting in fewer side effects.
This form of IMRT involves a quicker treatment delivery process resulting in each treatment being significantly shorter.
IGRT uses X-rays and scans before, and during your treatment. It is used to check your position before the treatment machine is turned on. The scans show the exact shape, size, and location of the tumor. We can then make tiny adjustments to precisely target the tumor.
Some patients may be offered the use of gel spacing as a treatment option for their radiation therapy, and this is something that your radiation oncologist will discuss with you. As the rectum sits close to the prostate, the use of a gel creates a space between the prostate and the rectum, ensuring the radiation is targeted at the prostate, to minimize the amount and to lower the chances of damage to the rectum. This may be done at the same time as the placement of fiducial markers, to provide additional guidance for your treatment. Insertion of a spacer is an effective technique to reduce the side effects of prostate radiation therapy.
We believe you deserve the best and that’s why we offer services that help reduce side effects of treatment and improve your quality of life. The spacer acts as a temporary cushion between the prostate and rectum to protect the rectal wall from receiving radiation therapy dose, and in turn can help reduce side-effects including urinary, bowel and sexual function.
GenesisCare utilizes two types of spacers for prostate cancer treatment; Barrigel and SpaceOAR. Spacers can be used for both internal and external radiation therapy. The spacer gel will dissolve a few months after radiation therapy has been completed. Avoiding radiation therapy dose to the rectum reduces the potential for rectal inflammation during therapy and further lowers the small risk of delayed rectal bleeding after treatment. The spacers are routinely used worldwide, but spacers aren’t for everyone. Your doctor is the best person to advise you on suitability for your condition
Barrigel is a safe and effective hyaluronic acid based material inserted into the tissue planes between the prostate and the rectum, pushing the rectal wall away from the prostate, helping to reduce unwanted radiation doses to the front rectal wall. Barrigel is a natural, biodegradable material that stays in place for 6 to 9 months and is then broken down by the body over time.
The spacer procedure is usually performed under a light general anesthetic, although occasionally performed under sedation. An ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum to ‘visualize’ the prostate, bladder, rectum, and the area surrounding these organs. Thin needles are used to insert the markers into the prostate through the area of skin between the scrotum and anus called the perineum. Using a separate needle, the Barrigel spacer is injected into the space between the rectum and the prostate to increase this area. The gel is sculpted to fit so each insertion is individualized. The procedure takes between 15-30 minutes.
SpaceOAR hydrogel is a water-based soft gel implant that is injected before you start your radiation therapy. SpaceOAR hydrogel stays in place for around three months. After that, it’s naturally absorbed by the body.
The spacer procedure is usually performed under a light general anesthetic, although occasionally performed under sedation. An ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum to ‘visualize’ the prostate, bladder, rectum, and the area surrounding these organs. Thin needles are used to insert the markers into the prostate through the area of skin between the scrotum and anus called the perineum. Using a separate needle, the SpaceOAR hydrogel spacer is injected into the space between the rectum and the prostate to increase this area. The gel is sculpted to fit so each insertion is individualized. The procedure takes between 15-30 minutes.
Access to spacing is generally in our offices and in partner ambulatory surgery centers. It will likely be a day procedure done under a light general anesthetic, although occasionally performed under sedation. You will need to spend a few hours in hospital until the anesthetic has worn off. Generally, you will not need to stay in hospital overnight and will go home afterwards.
Side effects are generally mild, and many people do not experience any. However, following insertion of the spacer, some people may experience procedure-related side effects, such as injection site pain and possible bruising at the injection site in the perineum. You may experience a mild to moderate sensation of rectal filling that may make you feel as if you need to empty your bowel. Very occasionally, some people may experience cramping pain in the rectum or possible urinary symptoms. It is important to let your doctor know if you do experience any side effects.
