Screening and Prevention for Prostate Cancer
Nuvance Health offers prostate screenings and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to detect cancer as soon as possible. The team offers Axumin® scans to assist with early detection of recurrent prostate cancer after surgery or radiation. We also have a strong prevention research program. Learn more about cancer screening and prevention and explore our clinical trials.
Learn more about cancer screening and prevention and explore our clinical trials.
Prostate Cancer Symptoms
Early-stage prostate cancer may cause no signs or symptoms. Your urologist or primary care doctor may detect cancer during routine screenings.
Advanced Diagnosis for Prostate Cancer
Specialists at Nuvance Health use UroNav® fusion biopsy to diagnose prostate cancer. This technology combines images from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound-guided biopsy for a detailed, three-dimensional view of the prostate.
We may also perform these procedures to make or confirm a diagnosis:
- Nuclear medicine, including positron emission tomography (PET): This type of imaging uses radioactive materials to detect and determine the stage of prostate cancer. The team offers Axumin® PET scans to assist with early detection of recurrent prostate cancer after surgery or radiation.
- Bone scans: This procedure uses a tiny amount of a radioactive drug to reveal problems with bone metabolism, which can signal prostate problems.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This procedure uses magnetic fields and radio waves to generate images. We use multiple parametric MRI to produce detailed images of the prostate.
- Biopsy: We remove tissue or sometimes fluid from the affected area and examine it under a microscope to check for signs of cancer.
Prostate Cancer Treatment
We offer the full range of prostate cancer treatments, including:
- Surgical oncology to remove the tumor or affected organs. Learn more about cancer surgery.
- Radiation oncology uses rays of energy to shrink the cancer or remove traces of cancer that remain after surgery. Explore radiation therapy.
- Medical oncology, a group of treatments that use drugs and other substances to fight cancer cells. Read more about chemotherapy and other medical oncology.
- Supportive care may include assistance from nurse navigators and social workers, along with therapies to reduce the side effects of treatment. Find out more about supportive therapies.
Accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy (or precision stereotactic body radiation therapy) safely delivers higher doses of radiation during each session. If you’re eligible, you can complete treatment in five or fewer daily sessions of about five minutes each. That’s compared to the conventional treatment of 25 to 45 sessions over 5 to 9 weeks.
Radiation beams precisely target cancer, sparing healthy tissue to reduce the risk of side effects such as urinary incontinence and impotence. Nuvance Health also uses a biodegradable rectal spacer to protect healthy tissue and preserve bowel, urinary, and sexual function.
This breakthrough treatment is available at several Nuvance Health locations in the Hudson Valley:
Advanced surgery for prostate cancer
To make your recovery faster and easier, we can perform many surgeries using minimally invasive methods. These options include:
- Laparoscopy: We make small incisions in the abdomen and use a thin, flexible instrument with a camera on the tip to guide the procedure.
- Robotic surgery: Your surgeon uses a robotic system to assist in laparoscopic procedures. The robot allows us to operate using 3D vision and precise movements.
