In Good Health - Spring 2012 - Fairview - (Page 4)

Stopping cancer COLD Cryotherapy puts the freeze on Avon man’s prostate cancer When Tom Shamess of Avon was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 58, he had a distinct advantage over most of the more than 2.3 million men in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with the disease. First, he was fortunate that a routine physical exam caught it at an early stage. And, as a nurse for more than 27 years, he was knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of disease. But perhaps most fortunate was his familiarity with David Levy, MD, a Cleveland Clinic urologist at Fairview Hospital who specializes in cryotherapy, a minimally invasive, incision-free procedure to treat prostate cancer. “I worked with Dr. Levy when I ﬁrst got out of nursing school,” says Shamess. “He was a resident at the time.” “Cryotherapy is a minimally invasive, incision-free procedure that involves freezing prostate tissue to kill cancer cells,” explains Dr. Levy. It is most often used on men who have early-stage prostate cancer, but it has also proved to be a good choice for those who have had unsuccessful radiation treatments. “In the right hands, cryotherapy is an excellent option with a minimal risk of complications,” says Dr. Levy. Introduced in the late 1990s, cryotherapy initially had more problems with long-term side effects than other treatment options. However, in 2000, technological improvements minimized the side effects. These improvements have included ultrasound guidance, ultrathin freezing probes, strict temperature monitoring and protection of the urethra with an FDA-approved warming catheter. “Dr. Levy and I went over the options,” says Shamess, who knew he didn’t want a radical prostatectomy, a major surgery to remove the prostate gland and the surrounding tissues. In contrast, cryotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses no radiation. In addition, studies reveal that outcomes for patients treated with cryotherapy are essentially equivalent with those who receive radiation therapy or surgical therapy. “I felt cryotherapy was the right option for me,” says Shamess. Choosing a Treatment After routine blood tests conﬁrmed a high PSA (prostate-speciﬁc antigen) level, his physician referred him to Dr. Levy for a prostate biopsy. Tissue extracted from his biopsy indicated a mildly aggressive form of prostate cancer. “Dr. Levy and I discussed options,” says Shamess. “As an operating room nurse, I am aware of many procedures, but I really didn’t know much about cryotherapy.” Dr. Levy told him about the procedure, which is routinely used and accepted in treating prostate cancers today. BENEFITS 4I IN GOOD HEALTH toYOU Cryotherapy is just one of the latest treatments for prostate cancer offered by Fairview Hospital. To learn more about treatment options for prostate cancer, download a Prostate Cancer Treatment guide at clevelandclinic.org/cancertreatmentguides. http://www.clevelandclinic.org/cancertreatmentguides

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Good Health - Spring 2012 - Fairview

In Good Health - Spring 2012 - Fairview
Exciting news about In Good Health
Stopping cancer cold at Fairview Hospital
A grandmother’s strength
Six tips for talking better with your doctor
Canadian woman travels to Lutheran Hospital for ankle surgery

In Good Health - Spring 2012 - Fairview