Men’s Women’s Patient Resources Clinical Trials Careers Locations & Contact Quick Facts Affects 1 in 6 men during their lifetime Men begin prostate screenings at age 40 Request Appointment Prostate Cancer Doctors Christopher Cantrill, MD John Case, MD Patrick Cockerill, MD Jose De La Cerda, MD Christopher Graham, MD Samuel Hakim, MD William Harmon, MD Clayton Hudnall, MD John Lavin, MD Kurt Meissner, MD Neil Parikh, MD Matthew Rogers, MD Douglas Russell, MD Daniel Saltzstein, MD Michael Selva, MD Kenneth Stallman, MD David Talley, MD George Vassar, MD Kyle Weld, MD Michael White, DO Daniel Yelfimov, MD Daniel Zainfeld, MD Advanced Practice Providers Emily White, MSN, RN, FNP-BC Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer affects one in six men during their lifetime. It’s the second most common cancer diagnosed in American men – more common than breast cancer is among women. Knowing the facts about prostate cancer will help you make informed choices about screening and treatment. Symptoms Risk Factors Prostate Cancer Screening Stages of Prostate Cancer Most men who learn they have prostate cancer are surprised. This is because, when caught early, prostate cancer does not cause symptoms. Symptoms can develop as prostate cancer grows and spreads. These many include: Problems urinating Trouble with erections Trouble urinating Blood in your urine or semen Frequent pain in your lower back, hips or upper thighs If you’re experiencing these symptoms, don’t panic. These symptoms similar to those caused by other noncancerous prostate problems such asenlarged prostate and prostatitis. Your doctor will evaluate you to determine the cause of your symptoms. Prostate Cancer Treatment Options If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you have lots of questions and may feel overwhelmed by all of the treatment options. We’ll help you understand the risks and benefits of each option so that you can make an informed choice. In general, the treatment options you consider will depend on your age, cancer grade, cancer stage, symptoms and your general health. You’ll also want to consider how well each treatment option will work and how you may be affected by side effects. Active Surveillance Radiation Therapy Robotic Prostatectomy Hormone Therapy Cryotherapy Prostate cancer does not always require immediate treatment. Active surveillance is a reasonable approach for men who have early-stage prostate cancer that’s growing slowly or who are older and have other health concerns. Active surveillance means you follow a protocol of regular appointments with your urologist to monitor your tumor for changes. If your cancer’s behavior changes, your urologist may recommend moving from active surveillance to treatment. Urology San Antonio doctors use a standardized active surveillance protocol, based on the latest proven research to ensure, that ensures key tests are offered and any changes in the cancer’s behavior are caught in time to trigger the next step in the surveillance protocol. Advanced Prostate Cancer Treatment Options Thirty percent of men treated for early-stage prostate cancer face recurrence, often a decade after initial treatment. Thankfully, many new treatment options exist slow the progression of the cancer. These treatments aren’t curative, but they allow men to live longer with minimal disruption to their normal lives. Immunotherapy Secondary Hormone Therapy Bone Health Chemotherapy Research Provenge (sipuleucel T) is the world’s first therapeutic cancer vaccine. It’s administered by removing immune cells from the your blood, exposing them to a protein found on prostate cancer cells, and infusing the cells back into your body to attack the cancer. Since Provenge uses the body’s immune system to attack the cancer rather than chemotherapy to poison the cancer, its side effects are usually no worse than the flu and they fade in a few hours. Physicians that provide immunotherapy Jose De La Cerda, MD Patrick Cockerill, MD Clayton Hudnall, MD Daniel Saltzstein, MD Kenneth Stallman, MD Matthew Rogers, MD Kyle Weld, MD Chronic Care Management Program Urology San Antonio is delighted to offer a Chronic Care Management Program for our Medicare patients. The program helps patients with chronic conditions better manage their self-care and optimize their health. A member of our care team will visit with you by phone for about 20 minutes per month to help you access needed health services, to coordinate the care you already are receiving, to help you understand your treatment, to monitor your use of prescribed medications, and to get answers to any questions you may have in-between visits. Frequently Asked Questions Who should be screened for prostate cancer? In general, men over age 40 whose life expectancy is greater than 10 years should consider being screened for prostate cancer. Urology San Antonio has developed these recommendations outlining who should be screened and how frequently. How curable is prostate cancer? Thanks to screening, most prostate cancer is caught early, when it is still confined to the prostate. Nearly 100% of men who are treated for early-stage prostate cancer are cancer free 5 years later. Is there a prostate cancer support group in the area? The Alamo chapter of the Us TOO Prostate Cancer Education and Support network meets monthly to provide educational opportunities and a time for you to connect with other patients, survivors, and caregivers affected by prostate cancer. The group is facilitated by volunteer leaders. Will prostate cancer treatment affect my bladder function be affected? Urinary incontinence or bladder leakage is a potential side effect of prostate cancer treatment. Thanks to the precision of newer treatment techniques such as robotic surgery and IMRT, the incidence of incontinence is lower than it was in the past, and most men do not experience incontinence after their initial recovery. For men who do face incontinence, treatment options ranging from pelvic floor physical therapy to corrective surgery exist. Will my sex life be affected by prostate cancer treatment? Erectile dysfunction is a potential side effect of prostate cancer treatment. If your erection quality before treatment was good, you may regain your pre-treatment functionality. If your erection quality was poor prior to treatment, returning to your pre-treatment functionality is less likely and you may require treatment for ED. What is penile rehabilitation? During prostate surgery, the nerves that control erections may be damaged. While the nerves regenerate, your surgeon will offer strategies to increase blood flow to the penis keep the tissue elastic and healthy. He or she may prescribe erectile dysfunction medications or the use of a vacuum erection device starting four weeks after surgery. What if my prostate cancer recurs? As with any cancer treatment, there is always a risk that the disease will recur. If your PSA falls to near zero after treatment and begins to rise later, you are considered to have advanced or recurrent disease and are a candidate for several new therapies that have been developed in the last few years. While not curative, these treatments can extend allow you to continue with your daily activities while extending your life. © 1996-2021, Urology San Antonio - All Rights Reserved. Home Careers Locations & Contact COVID-19: Patient Info and Face Mask Requirements +