Atlantic Health System Cancer Care Physicians are first in New Jersey to perform new treatment for prostate cancer
Innovative, non-invasive treatment reduces recovery time and minimizes side effects
ROCKAWAY, NJ (Morris County) – Patients in New Jersey suffering from localized prostate cancer have a new, in-state option for care thanks to an innovative procedure offered through Atlantic Health System Cancer Care.
Using Focal One robotic technology, urologists can deliver high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to remove discrete lesions within the prostate. The first two cases in New Jersey were performed by urologists Lee Pressler, MD and Joseph Steinberg, MD.
Focal One combines real-time ultrasound image guidance with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biopsy data to robotically control the HIFU energy to treat localized prostate cancer. The guidance technology allows the physician to directly target only the tumor within the diseased portion of the prostate, sparing the normal prostate tissue. Together, these treatments and targeting technologies minimize side effects and may eliminate the need for surgical prostate removal or radiation.
The procedures took place recently at the brand new, state-of-the-art surgery center at Morristown Medical Center Health Pavilion (ASCR) in Rockaway. Focal One uses advanced targeting technology to precisely isolate diseased prostate tissue for a procedure known as ablation. In an ablation procedure, only a small portion of the prostate is treated, allowing urologists to spare healthy surrounding tissue and minimize side effects.
“We are incredibly proud to be the first in New Jersey to offer this breakthrough non-invasive focal therapy technology to our prostate cancer patients,” said Pam Mestel, Executive Director, Surgical Services at Morristown Medical Center. “Combining the latest technological advancements with our nationally recognized clinical excellence is further enhanced by our ability to offer this procedure in a brand-new ambulatory surgery setting.”
Minimizing side effects for prostate cancer patients can mean significant improvements in their quality of life. Traditional treatments for prostate cancer, including surgical prostatectomy and radiation, can result in urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
“What should be most exciting for the patients eligible for this procedure is that through targeted ablation we can target only the cancerous tumor within the prostate. This minimally invasive technique limits side effects associated with more aggressive treatments” said Lee Pressler, MD, a urologic oncologist with Garden State Urology, part of Atlantic Medical Group.
Garden State Urology and Morristown Medical Center are at the forefront in treating prostate cancer. The addition of Focal One is the latest high-tech offering to advance the care of urology patients at Atlantic Health System Cancer Care, joining a comprehensive suite of options including innovative research trials, robotic surgery, intensity modulated radiation therapy, Tomotherapy® and other novel treatments for locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer.
These clinical advances are integrated into an advanced prostate cancer clinic led by David Taylor, MD. Dr. Taylor is at the leading edge of new treatments and advanced imaging modalities for advanced disease including PMSA PET.
To learn more about the options available to prostate cancer patients, visit the Atlantic Health System website.
