Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer happens when normal cells in the prostate gland change into abnormal cells and grow out of control. The prostate gland makes fluid that is part of semen. This gland sits below the bladder and in front of the rectum, and forms a ring around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.
Prostate cancer occurs most often in men older than 50 and often causes no symptoms at first.
But if symptoms do occur, they can include:
- Needing to urinate more often than usual
- A urine stream that is slower than usual
These symptoms can also be caused by conditions that are not prostate cancer. But if you have these symptoms, you should let your doctor or nurse know.
Why choose CMC?
Doctors use a blood test called a PSA test and an exam called a rectal exam to check for prostate cancer. In a rectal exam, your doctor or nurse puts a finger in your anus and up into your rectum. He or she presses on the rectum wall to feel for abnormal areas on the prostate.
If prostate cancer is suspected, your doctor or nurse will follow up with one or more tests. These tests may include:
- Biopsy—A doctor will take a small sample of tissue from the prostate. Then another doctor will look at the sample under a microscope to see if it has cancer.
- Ultrasound, MRI scan, or other imaging tests—these tests create images of the inside of the body and can show abnormal growths. (link to prostate MRI on radiology page)
Da Vinci Intuitive Surgical Robotics System: A Laparoscopic Surgical Robot
CMC is one of the first hospitals in the country and the first hospital in New England to offer this treatment with the da Vinci® Intuitive Surgical Robotics System, a laparoscopic surgical robot that integrates the most recent advancements in robotics, computer technology and a surgeon’s skill. Patients from across the Northeast have come to CMC for a minimally invasive laparoscopic robot-assisted radical prostatectomy since it was first offered at CMC in 2003.
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Minimally-Invasive Prostate Surgery
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may be a candidate for prostate surgery. Surgeons at Catholic Medical Center typically perform a laparoscopic robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, a minimally invasive technique that reduces the problems and risks associated with traditional open prostate surgery. Patients usually experience less bleeding and discomfort and recover faster with fewer complications following the minimally invasive surgical approach. Patients from across the Northeast have come to Catholic Medical Center for a minimally invasive laparoscopic robot-assisted radical prostatectomy since it was first offered at CMC in 2003.