Prostate Cancer Centers
Prostate cancer, Phoenix area cancer doctors explain, is the most common form of cancer found in American men. Cancer centers in the Phoenix area can effectively treat prostate cancer patients who are diagnosed early in the disease process, as well as patients who are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
RISK FACTORS:
• Age- This is the leading risk factor in the development of prostate cancer. After age 60, the chance of getting prostate cancer dramatically increases.
• Family History-Statistically, having a father or a brother with a history of prostate cancer, more than doubles a man’s chance of developing the disease. The risk increases even more if a man has several relatives that have been affected.
• Diet-Men who eat diets that are high in saturated fat appear to have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
• Nationality-Prostate cancer is much more prevalent in certain parts of the world than others, but is not necessarily linked to ethnicity.
IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) and IGRT (Image-Guided Radiation Therapy) are both highly advanced forms of cancer treatment, utilized by cancer doctors. Precise delivery of radiation is a very important part of successful prostate cancer treatment. IMRT and IGRT allow treatment to be carried out with a greater degree of accuracy which can translate into higher cure rates and fewer side effects when compared with other less sophisticated forms of radiation therapy.
IMRT allows for radiation beams to conform more precisely to the three-dimensional shape of the tumor by controlling the intensity of the radiation beams. When treating prostate cancer, IMRT allows higher radiation doses to be focused directly on the prostate, while minimizing the amount of radiation that is delivered to the surrounding parts of the body, specifically the rectum and bladder.
IGRT takes prostate cancer treatment to another level, by using digital imaging to locate the position of a tumor before the treatment, thereby taking into account the body’s movement or changes in position of the tumor day to day.
The most sophisticated form of IGRT is called Calypso which involves 3 GPS beacons that are placed inside the prostate to track and monitor the exact position of the prostate gland not only before therapy but also every second throughout treatments for added accuracy and precision.
Scott Tropper, M.D., was recently named "Top Doc" by Phoenix Magazine. Dr. Tropper is one of Arizona's best known radiation oncologists, and specializes in the treatment of Prostate Cancer.