FCS: Pioneering Prostate Cancer Treatment

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men, with one out of every nine expected to be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime.

At Florida Healthcare Specialists (FHS), a division practice of Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), we offer all the available treatments for prostate cancer based on the guidelines set by the American Urology Association and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. That includes radiation therapy, robotic radical prostatectomy and cryoablation.

We also offer therapies and regimens that aren’t available at any other cancer center, ensuring our patients receive a high level of care they cannot find anywhere else. And it starts with our unique approach to conducting a biopsy.

A Better Type of Biopsy

Traditionally, biopsies are performed through a patient’s rectum, allowing 12 samples — six from the right, six from the left — to be taken from the prostate. However, in 1%-2% of patients, this method has traditionally led to infections severe enough to require hospitalization.

In contrast, we perform a biopsy through the perineum, which is the space between a patient’s testicles and rectum. Doing so reduces the risk of infection to nearly zero while still delivering reliable results that allow our physicians to map out an appropriate course of treatment.

Merging MRI and Ultrasound

When determining whether a biopsy needs to be performed, urologists have transitioned away from doing just prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and digital rectal exams. Now they are more reliant on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (PI-RADS) score, which grades the risk of cancer being present from 1 (not very likely) to 5 (very suspicious.)

If a biopsy is ordered, we take an ultrasound of a patient’s prostate at the same time and merge those images with the MRI results. This unprecedented procedure allows us to better identify patients requiring a more aggressive form of treatment.

The aggressiveness of prostate cancer is classified by The Gleason Score, with 10 considered the most aggressive. We take a conservative approach to ensure we deliver the most effective form of treatment with the least amount of side effects or complications. We start those with a Gleason Score of 6 or lower on hormonal therapies, which typically spares them from radiation treatments, while those with a score of 7 or higher will typically require more aggressive therapies.

For those who require more aggressive radiation therapy or a prostatectomy, the good news is that prostate cancer doesn’t reoccur in 80%-85% of patients. However, for those who may require even more advanced treatment, we offer access to some of the best and most forward-thinking clinical trials in the country, including a host of additional hormone therapies or medications.

Continuing to Progress

We strive to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to treatment, which is why we will continue to invest time and resources into making sure we have the best ultrasound technology and treat patients in the least invasive way possible for their cancer.

It is our mission to not only provide our patients with world-class medicine, close to home with minimal disruptions and complications.