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Ed Suba jr. / Akron Beacon Journal
Dr. Todd F. Breaux (left) and Dr. Gregory G. Danesis stand next to the external radiation therapy unit for prostate cancer patients in their office, Physicians Center for Urologic Health.
Prostate cancer: basic facts |
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Some local urologists are shifting treatment for a common male health problem out of the hospital and into their private practice.
The new Physicians Center for Urologic Health on West Exchange Street near the Akron General Medical Center campus offers diagnosis, treatment, education and support for patients with prostate cancer, a disease of the male reproductive system that affects one in six men in their lifetime.
The facility is owned and operated by Physicians Urology, a 12-doctor group that formed when two Akron-area practices (Advanced Urology Associates Inc. and Urology Inc.) merged last month.
The combined practice invested between $3 million and $4 million to open the new center, said Dr. Todd Breaux, a urologist in the practice.
Doctors see patients at the center and at the practice's other facilities throughout the Akron area for a wide range of urological problems. But a primary focus of the West Exchange location is treating men with prostate cancer.
Patients of Physicians Urology who opt for surgery or implanted, radioactive seeds known as brachytherapy to treat their prostate cancer still get treated at area hospitals.
Before the outpatient center opened recently, doctors also referred patients to hospitals for external radiation therapy to shrink cancerous prostate tumors, Breaux said.
Prostate cancer patients undergoing external radiation therapy get treatments five times a week for eight to nine weeks in a row. Though each treatment lasts just 15 minutes, patients often end up spending much longer in the hospital setting, Breaux said.
"Coming to the hospital, that 15 minutes turns into two hours," he said. |
Part of national trend In contrast, he said, the new outpatient center "is a much smaller, more intimate environment.''
Larry Bays, 65, of Akron, said he prefers getting his radiation treatments at the new location.
He started his nine-week course of external radiation therapy at the center last week. So far, he said, he's spent only about 20 minutes at the center for each treatment.
"It's better than going to the hospital,'' he said. "There's too much confusion there.''
The outpatient prostate cancer treatment center is part of a national trend toward offering consumer-friendly facilities that provide easy access.
Some doctors are venturing out on their own to construct and operate outpatient testing and treatment centers.
Hospitals concerned But the hospital industry is concerned about ongoing efforts by doctors and other businesses to lure away profit-generating patients, Ohio Hospital Association spokesman Tiffany Himmelreich said.
Hospitals rely on profitable services to offset money-sapping services they must provide around-the-clock, she said.
``With increasing uninsured patients and increasing bad debt, hospitals are afraid they won't have the resources they need to treat everyone if they're treating all these low-paying services and all their high-paying services are being pulled away,'' she said.
Doctors are prohibited by strict laws from inappropriately steering patients toward physician-owned treatment or surgery centers, said Dr. Gregory G. Danesis, a urologist at Physicians Urology.
"You educate every patient on every aspect of treatment that is appropriate,'' he said.
Younger patients, particularly, sometimes prefer to have their prostate surgically removed to make sure the cancer doesn't return, Breaux said.
But for older patients and those with other health problems, surgery isn't always feasible, Danesis said.
"A lot of times,'' Breaux said, "it comes down to patient choice.''
Intensity radiation Patients who choose external radiation at the Physicians Center for Urologic Health get a treatment known as intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT for short. IMRT uses computer technology to deliver radiation precisely where it's needed in the prostate and reduce damage to other parts of the body, Danesis said.
An area radiation oncologist oversees the radiation treatments. The urology group contracts with Akron General to provide a physicist to review treatment plans and monitor equipment for quality assurance.
A computed topography (CT) scanner is offered at the center for diagnosis and to pinpoint where the radiation therapy needs to be delivered.
In addition, a patient liaison tells the men what to expect and answers their questions.
"All of that is done here in one stop,'' Breaux said.
This year, an estimated 234,460 new cases of prostate cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. About 27,350 will die from the disease.
Early detection is key, Breaux said.
"If prostate cancer spreads beyond the prostate,'' he said, ``there is no cure.''
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com
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