Stem Cell And Other Less Invasive Treatments Benefit Prostate Cancer Patients

Stem Cell and Other Less Invasive Treatments Benefit Prostate Cancer Patients

In the United States, the second major cause of cancer death is prostate cancer, next to lung cancer which takes the top spot. One out of every six men over the age of 65 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, and one out of every 36 will die from the disease, according to research studies. Along with this, stem cell therapy is developed and offered by different hospitals to treat different types of health conditions.

According to a medical study, one type of stem cell evolve from prostate cancer cells, and then developed to look like a different stem cell that makes prostate cancer stem cells a "moving target" for treatments. The study further reveals that there is a small part of stems cells found in each cancer cell that is responsible for the continuance and progression of the disease.

Early detection of cancer can prevent the cancer cells from spreading and raises the survival rate to 100 percent. However, once the cancer reaches stage IV, survival rate significantly drops to 28 percent.

With this, new treatments for the disease have lessened the impact of older, more radical treatments. There are new treatment options that are less invasive and less impact of older, more radical treatments. Incontinence and impotence are some of the complications caused by treatments, such as the complete removal of the prostate gland.

Laparoscopic robotic surgery is a new surgical treatment options that is less radical and invasive. Patients are able to easily recuperate without problems because it is more accurate and easier and decreasing the risk of incontinence. Thus, prostate cancer patients have higher chance of recovering and avoid death with these new treatments.

Medical professionals explain that "less invasive surgery" means less blood loss and quicker healing time. With this, the da Vinci surgical system came into picture. It is a complex robotic platform designed to allow surgeons to make lesser, smaller, and more accurate incisions in doing surgery on patients through the use of its magnified 3D high-definition camera and miniature "jointed-wrist" parts.

However, critics say that the da Vinci surgical system may not be medically required because it may further put patients at risk of serious injury and death. Among injuries that may result from robotic surgeries are burns, lacerated bladders and cut ureters. Some patients who suffered injuries during a robotic surgery have required additional surgeries to repair the damage.