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Dr Lyn Oliver AM MSc PhD
Retired Medical Physicist
This section describes how technology is used in four different prostate cancer methods and provides a progress report on trials underway for a new electric pulse method, called electroporation.
In producing these articles, I have drawn on past experience:
- as a robotic surgery prostate cancer patient (treatment in 2011);
- over 50 years work as a medical physicist – primarily in cancer treatment and radiation safety;
- pioneering radiation therapy and brachytherapy research and development for prostate cancer; and
- early research leading to the new electroporation method for prostate cancer patients.
I thank the in-depth collaboration of my surgeon and radiation oncology colleagues. Together, these techniques were developed over the years from ‘bench-to-bedside’ as safe, modern high-technology methods for prostate cancer treatment. One way and another, I’ve received first-hand experience of the healthcare processes and appreciate what prostate cancer patients experience!
For a quick tag, click on:
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Nuclear Medicine Therapy of Advanced Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer Support Organisations
Prostate Cancer Research and Clinical Trials
Clinical Trials for Prostate Cancer
3D dose prescribing for prostate cancer therapy
Electroporation for Prostate Cancer – Early Clinical Trials
Please Note:
Theses articles are scientific and technically based. They provide my personal knowledge and past scientific experience as a medical physicist working closely in this field of medicine. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is for information only.
If you have any health problems or questions related to your health, then please consult your doctor.
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Overview
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare quotes the chances of all Australians being diagnosed with any form of cancer during a lifetime is approximately 1 in 4 .
The estimated lifetime chance of Australian men diagnosed with prostate cancer, is 1 in 7 and the 2018 expected NEW prostate cancer cases was expected to be 17,729 ……..
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Diagnosis by 3D Prostate Biopsy
Medical specialists in urology, radiation oncology and medical oncology can advise you during this early consultation period. The choice you need to discuss with them is whether it’s a case of no treatment with your doctor monitoring your medical condition or having to choose one of the treatment methods:
- chemotherapy or other forms of pharmaceutical treatment;
- surgery;
- radiation therapy;
- brachytherapy; or
- a prostate ablation technique.
Surgery for Prostate Cancer
Prostate Surgery
This article describes my personal experience as a prostate cancer patient. My choice for this mode of treatment came from the advice of my medical colleagues and other information I procured during the process. Deciding which treatment method I should choose, was not easy.
Manual surgical methods for prostate cancer have progressed from open surgery to what is known as ‘key-hole surgery’. Your surgeon will explain and advise you about the differences between the options of manual, key-hole surgery and robotic surgery ……….Read More
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Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Prostate Radiation Therapy
Technology for radiation therapy of prostate cancer has improved significantly by reducing inaccuracies in targeting the prostate and having better methods for protecting the nearby non-malignant sensitive organs, such as the rectum and bladder.
The prostate position inside the patient’s pelvis can change from day-to-day. The amount of urine in the bladder, faecal content in the bowel and gas in the rectum can also slightly change the prostate position. To ensure the prostate cancer is totally eradicated, the X-ray dose should be as high as possible. But the surrounding normal critical structures should receive as little X-ray irradiation as possible because of their radiation sensitivity. Excessive dose to the rectum can cause long-term complications for the patient…………Read More
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Prostate Brachytherapy
Prostate Brachytherapy
This article describes the use of radioactive iodine-125 and iridium-192 prostate cancer brachytherapy with ‘better healthcare technology‘. Brachytherapy is radiation therapy using a radioactive source placed either within the body or a cavity, on the bodysurface, or a short distance from the surface. Prostate brachytherapy is a specialised technique used for special prostate cancer patients referred to radiotherapy………….Read More
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Nuclear Medicine Therapy of Advanced Prostate Cancer
Nuclear Medicine Imaging
and Treatment
for
Advanced Prostate Cancer
When prostate cancer spreads throughout the body, and particularly to the bones, it is far more difficult to treat. Australian clinicians and researchers, with the assistance and fundraising efforts of ANZUP, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and ‘Movember‘, are at the forefront of using a precision pharmaceutical labelled with radioactive isotope to treat these cases.
From very encouraging results obtained in the early Australian trials, the research group have announced the launch of a worldwide clinical trial for the treatment of prostate cancer patients with widespread bony metastases………….Read More
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Prostate Cancer Support Organisations
| Links: For prostate cancer medical information and patient support groups: Australian Prostate Cancer – Home Page Cancer Council Australia 2018 – Management & Treatment Cancer Council Australia 2018 – Understanding Prostate Cancer Prostate Cancer of Australia – Home Page RANZCR – Treatment Options RANZCR – Brachytherapy |
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Clinical Trials for Prostate Cancer
3D dose prescribing for prostate cancer therapy
The goal of radiotherapy when treating patients with localised prostate cancer, is to distribute sufficient radiation dose to eradicate the tumour and as little as possible to all parts of the surrounding healthy tissues. Clinicians want to make sure that enough radiation dose reaches the prostate cancer to kill it, while keeping any radiation side effects to the surrounding healthy organ structures (bladder, urethra and rectum) to a minimum.
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Electroporation for Prostate Cancer – Early Clinical Trials
Electrical Treatment
of
Prostate Cancer
An artist’s impression of a cell membrane,
proteins and cytoskeleton structure.
Ablation of the prostate by an electroporation technique is on clinical trial. The technique offers high cure rate for clinically suitable cancer patients without the current unwanted complications. Prostate cancer is the number one cancer incidence for men. And, as this series has explained, it’s not simple for men to decide what might be the best mode of treatment for their prostate cancer. For instance, the pathology, extent of the cancer and the patient’s general physical fitness need to be considered before choosing the optimum treatment…………Read More
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Cells Treated by Electroporation
When an electric field is applied to living cells, their membrane suffers electrical stretch forces. Depending on the electric field amplitude and duration, the cell shape is deformed and free ions can be transported across the membrane. There are also additional osmotic forces and water leakage through the pore(s) formed.
Part 1 describes how research from yesteryear can elucidate a better understanding in using electroporation to ‘kill’ cancer cells. Part 2 provides a progress update for the recent adaptive method of non-thermal irreversible electroporation (NTIRE) therapy for prostate and other cancers.
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Cancer Treatment Update: Non-Thermal Irreversible Electroporation
Non-thermal irreversible electroporation (NTIRE) for cancer therapy is a technique introduced by Davalos and Rubinsky1,2 in 2005. The emphasis was on the term, ‘non-thermal’, because membrane electroporation was used to kill cancer cells while protecting lethal heating effects to nearby critical tissue structures.
Possible reasons on how the use of a high number of electric pulses at low electric field strengths (0.5 – 1.0 kV/cm) can kill cancer cells, is discussed and NTIRE treatment of prostate, pancreas and liver, are summarised.
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For a quick tag, click on:
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Nuclear Medicine Therapy of Advanced Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer Support Organisations
Clinical Trials for Prostate Cancer
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> Welcome to community Information > Cancer Care Technologies > Technology in Surgery and Therapy > Index: All Articles
