High Tech Robot New Cancer Fighter
Posted January 9, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s a diagnosis no man wants to hear – prostate cancer. The good news is it’s one of the most treatable forms of the disease. The bad news is the symptoms are subtle and many don’t get checked until it’s too late.
But a new treatment option is restoring hope for help. And you can get it right here in Toronto.
Treating the ailment once presented a problem. In the early days, the only answer was to watch and wait or remove the organ altogether. Then came brachytherapy, a method that implants radioactive seeds to kill off the invader.
Both came with potentially devastating side effects, including erectile dysfunction and urination troubles.
But now a robot surgeon at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre promises a revolutionary new treatment that’s both non-invasive, avoids the unpleasant aftermath and gets you out of the hospital faster. It’s called the da Vinci robotic system and it gives surgeons a never-before-possible 3D view of the affected area.
It allows a doctor to literally pinpoint targeted areas while avoiding healthy tissue by using a series of electronically controlled arms to accurately reach the unreachable.
A physician only has to make a small keyhole-sized incision, then let the machine do the rest, magnifying the area beyond anything the human eye would be able to see.
“That means less pain for the patient, much more rapid recovery, less time in hospital,” explains Dr. Laurence Klotz, Urologist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Dr. Klotz is familiar with the technology.
“It’s sort of like a combination of Game Boy and standard operating.”
“It’s remarkably easy.”
It’s also remarkably expensive. Each machine comes with a $5 million price tag. Dr. Klotz thinks it’s worth it.
“We think the advantages in terms of the decrease in side effects are really going to make that very worthwhile.”
Symptoms of prostate cancer
- A need to urinate frequently, especially at night;
- Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine;
- Weak or interrupted flow of urine;
- Painful or burning urination;
- Difficulty in having an erection;
- Painful ejaculation;
- Blood in urine or semen; or
- Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.
Doctors recommend you get tested if you’re in your mid-40s or older or have a family history of the disease. Early detection is vital to a good outcome. To find out how to talk to your doctor about a PSA test, click here.
