LDR Brachytherapy Treatment with Prostate Cancer Institute AZ
PCIAZ takes us through the fascinating journey of Steven StClair’s diagnosis and treatment of his prostate cancer with LDR Brachytherapy by Dr. Ajay Bhatnagar. September is prostate Cancer Awareness Month. For more information visit prostatecancerinstituteaz.com
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00:00 (laughs)
00:01 September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
00:04 and joining me today is Dr. B
00:05 of the Prostate Cancer Institute of Arizona
00:07 and Dr. Sinclair who knows firsthand
00:10 how important the Prostate Cancer Institute of Arizona
00:12 is fighting prostate cancer.
00:14 I'm saying prostate a lot right now, Dr. B,
00:16 because it's a month we gotta get aware of,
00:19 we need to start talking about it and it's so important.
00:21 I love that you brought in Dr. Patel last week.
00:24 You're bringing Dr. Sinclair in here too to talk about this
00:27 and I think that's the important thing, Dr. B,
00:29 is that we gotta talk about it, am I right?
00:32 - Completely.
00:33 - Yeah, and that's what helps us.
00:34 So I'm gonna talk to Dr. Sinclair here
00:36 'cause we talked about firsthand.
00:38 Let's talk about you and the prostate fight right now
00:41 that you went through.
00:42 - Okay, well, my father had prostate cancer
00:45 at a relatively young age, so I was expecting
00:49 to get prostate cancer, actually,
00:50 we think every man would get prostate cancer
00:52 if we live long enough.
00:54 So I've always been attuned to knowing
00:56 that I probably would need prostate cancer treatment
00:58 at some point.
00:59 So when I did get diagnosed with prostate cancer
01:03 just a few months ago, it wasn't a surprise.
01:05 I did the updated research that I'd already done
01:09 to find out what treatments I thought would be best
01:11 and it was clear to me that low-dose brachytherapy,
01:14 which is what Dr. B offers, it is the best treatment,
01:19 certainly in terms of scientific literature
01:21 and everything else.
01:23 Best treatment in terms of best outcomes,
01:24 best treatment in terms of lowest adverse side effects.
01:27 - And I think it's neat that you being a doctor
01:30 actually went and did research.
01:31 You kind of like didn't go, oh, you know,
01:33 I know Dr. Wilson down the street,
01:35 or I know this person.
01:37 You actually went and looked yourself a little bit.
01:38 - Well, I sort of started the process
01:41 of letting the other doctors help me direct my care
01:45 and I could not find a provider
01:47 who provided low-dose brachytherapy
01:49 without going through the extra effort
01:51 that I had to just actually ultimately find Dr. B.
01:54 - And again, this process is something
01:57 that's been around for a while,
01:58 but we don't hear so much about it
02:00 and that's where, again, Dr. B,
02:01 you're kind of like letting, again, the word out
02:03 that this is a way to fight a certain type
02:06 of prostate cancer.
02:07 And what type of cancer is that, prostate cancer?
02:11 - Well, this is, for early stage prostate cancer,
02:14 when the cancer's confined to the prostate,
02:16 low-dose brachytherapy or prostate seed implant
02:19 is an excellent modality for these type of patients,
02:21 such as Dr. Sinclair.
02:23 - Yeah, and I think one thing that men get scared about
02:26 is what's gonna happen afterwards,
02:27 am I gonna be able to walk straight,
02:28 am I gonna be able to still be intimate,
02:30 am I gonna still be doing things,
02:32 especially as we're starting to find younger men
02:34 getting prostate cancer,
02:36 and we're knowing that with this type of procedure,
02:39 you are still able to get back out there
02:40 and function and be much better.
02:43 - Well, it's the simplest and most direct treatment
02:47 and it has the best profile in terms of not only outcomes,
02:52 which is you don't wanna have your cancer recur,
02:55 but also in terms of side effects,
02:56 which are basically urinary, sexual, and bowel function.
03:00 In the long term, low-dose brachytherapy
03:03 has as good or better a profile for all of those
03:06 than does any other treatment available.
03:07 - Yeah, and again, doctors, you recommend,
03:10 let's start talking about this,
03:12 let's actually not try to hide away from it,
03:14 not to, I actually saw Dr. Patel yesterday,
03:16 I have no problem seeing it,
03:17 we went through an exam and checked everything,
03:20 and that's what's so important here too,
03:22 is to get checked, am I right?
03:24 - Completely.
03:26 Early detection allows for cancer being found
03:31 in the earlier stages, which have excellent cure rates,
03:33 not just with LDR brachytherapy, but any treatment,
03:36 the cure rates are above 95% when we're found early,
03:40 and that's really the key for awareness,
03:43 to have patients to be able to be found
03:46 in these early stages.
03:48 - Yeah, and I love doctors, you're bringing other people
03:49 in, doctors to talk about this,
03:51 but a doctor who knows firsthand about, of course,
03:53 getting the procedure done, which is so important.
03:56 So, I thank you both for coming in.
03:57 - Thanks. - Doctor, it's always nice
03:58 seeing you, Dr. B, and thank you, Dr. Sinclair.
04:00 - Thank you.
04:01 - And again, you want more information,
04:02 head over to aztv.com, Dr. B is part of our
04:06 Live Well program, you'll see it on there,
04:08 and it's so important to start getting checked,
04:11 and this is the perfect month, men, so it's not over,
04:13 we still got another week of this,
04:14 so go talk to your doctor, so thank you.
04:16 (upbeat music)
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