Prostate Cancer Treatment

Effective prostate cancer treatment in Israel helps patients from all over the world to eliminate this disease. Our experts, the leading private hospital in Israel, specialize in modern methods of diagnosis and treatment of cancer, including this type. HMC Private Hospital opens up many possibilities for its patients with advanced medical technologies, guaranteeing the highest safety and comfort.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor that grows from the alveolar cells of the glandular epithelium. Delayed diagnosis may lead to the spread of the disease (usually with bone metastases), which greatly complicates the treatment and worsens the prognosis of a full recovery. However, current treatments for this cancer in Israel, successfully practiced here, can effectively treat a tumor, even in advanced stages.

Prostate cancer symptoms

Early clinical signs of the disease are identical to benign prostatic hyperplasia (adenoma), which can complicate timely diagnosis. The main symptoms are:

• A progressive disorder of urination – a weakening of the jet, frequent urge to urinate, a feeling of incomplete emptying
• Bleeding when urinating
• The presence of blood in the semen (sperm)
• Erectile dysfunction
• Acute urinary retention – inability to urinate, requiring emergency catheterization to prevent severe complications
• Urinary incontinence and paradoxical urination – involuntary leakage of small amounts of urine as a consequence of chronic delays and excessive filling of the bladder
• Complications of the urinary tract and kidney associated with chronic urodynamic disorders – recurrent infections and renal failure
• Signs of disease progression – pain in the perineum and pelvis (with tumor invasion into surrounding tissue), bone pain, back pain, pathological fractures and dangerous rise in blood calcium levels (with bone metastases), as well as signs of metastatic lesions in other organs.

The appearance of the first symptoms of the disease requires an immediate differential diagnosis in centers specializing in the treatment.

Diagnosis in Israel

Among the basic methods of modern diagnosis of this cancer, in Israel, practiced at HMC, the following are important to note:

• Analysis of blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is the main method of early diagnosis of the disease, as well as an important parameter to monitor the effectiveness of treatment
• Rectal examination by a qualified proctologist will detect prostate enlargement and helps to estimate the consistency of the suspected malignancy
• Transrectal ultrasound and a pelvic ultrasound will assess the size of the tumor and the involvement of the adjacent organs
• Prostate biopsy with subsequent histological examination of samples will help to establish an accurate diagnosis and to determine the right treatment. Here, this procedure is performed using minimally invasive aspiration of tumor fragments with a fine needle
• Evaluation of the spreading cancer is carried out using CT, PET-CT, MRI and isotope bone scan

Treatment in Israel

Our Hospital conducts the most modern methods of treatment, among them are:

• Radical removal of the prostate which means the complete removal of the tumor and regional lymph nodes to prevent the recurrence of the disease. There are several modern methods of carrying out this operation. Specialists at HMC prefer laparoscopic (LRP) and robotic prostate surgery, which greatly improves the efficiency of the procedure and reduces the likelihood of complications
• Operations of prostate cancer with nerve preservation. Applying this innovative technique we completely preserve the innervation of the pelvic organs, preventing the development of neurological disorders, including erectile problems in patients after tumor removal
• Minimally invasive procedures that destroy tumor cells and prevent the growth and spread of cancer – ultrasound and cryoablation. These methods are shown effective in the presence of contraindications to radical prostatectomy
• Radiation therapy is used as a primary or adjunctive treatment. Along with contactless methods of pelvic irradiation, the treatment has been successfully applied with the usage of brachytherapy – the introduction of radioactive material directly into the tumor tissue for the purpose of its destruction with minimal side effects
• Chemotherapy is used in the most common forms of cancer alone or in combination with other treatments
• Hormone therapy is effective in some forms of the disease and allows to stop tumor growth even in the presence of distant metastases
• Symptomatic treatment is aimed at reducing pain and reducing calcium in the blood, rising critical bone decay

New research and perspectives

Our experts work closely with leading research institutes of Oncology, allowing to immediately put into practice innovative methods of cancer treatment. The hospital has been using a new generation of immunotherapeutic agents, and soon the use of the drug Alpharadin will be started, which allows delivering radioactive isotopes in metastatic lesions throughout the body, effectively killing the cancer cells without significant side effects.

Herzliya Medical Center leads a professional approach to help cope with prostate cancer and a rapid return to a normal lifestyle.