Prostate Cancer

The American Cancer Society says 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. However the earlier it’s caught, the better the prognosis. “It’s recommended that we screen men from 55 to 70 for prostate cancer with something called a PSA test,” said Dr. Chase Cavayero.

If it’s discovered in an early stage before it spreads, removing the prostate can be curative. Robotic assisted surgery has made that process better than ever for patients. “We’re just making a few small holes in the abdomen. Then we basically have to dissect out the prostate and remove the prostate and tissue surrounding the prostate,” said Dr. Cavayero.

The robot is helpful because the pelvis is a very confined space. “It’s quite difficult to do the traditional open procedure for surgeons trained in this era. It really provides wonderful access into the pelvis in a way that was never before able to be done,” said Dr. Cavayero.

Since the procedure is less invasive, the recovery is much better than it was in the past. “My patients typically go home within 24 hours, but there are many examples where patients can even be discharged home on the same day,” said Dr. Cavayero. “It’s a situation where it has truly become I would say days to weeks rather than weeks to months.” You can learn more by searching for prostate cancer on leehealth.org. 

There are no symptoms in the beginning stages of prostate cancer but as the cancer develops so do the signs. “Most of the symptoms patients present are symptoms from enlargement of the prostate,” explained Dr. Alejandro Miranda-Sousa, a urologic surgeon on the medical staff of Lee Health.

But that’s not always the case. Some patients may find a lump in the prostate while others will simply have an elevated PSA or prostate specific antigen. “Some other times the patient comes to see us because they are having urinary frequency, urinary urgency, night time urination,” he said.

With different types of prostate cancer, doctors say it can present in different ways. But if a patient has symptoms, an elevated PSA or an abnormal prostate exam it’s time to see a urologist. “What we try to do is see first is it cancer or not and what kind of cancer is it,” said Dr. Miranda-Sousa.

But if a patient is diagnosed with prostate cancer, doctors say there is some good news. “Overall prostate cancer grows very slowly. It’s very curative if you find it early,” he said.

And with regular PSA testing, doctors are catching it early. With close evaluation and early detection, patients may not need immediate treatment. “When we see a patient who has very slow growing cancer at an earlier stage, and DNA testing shows that it’s not aggressive, I think it’s safe to follow it with PSA’s and prostate examinations,” said Dr. Miranda-Sousa.

The type of treatment is dependent on the patient’s age and medical history. “There are two main treatments accepted as curative. One is surgery, removing the prostate and the other is radiation,” he said.

Early detection can give patients time and treatment options for prostate cancer.

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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health - Caring People. Inspiring Care.

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