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The ADVANCE, September 27, 2023/Page 14A
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Vidalia Urologist Highlights Strides in Treating Prostate Cancer
September Is National
Prostate Cancer
Awareness Month
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
On a global basis,
prostate cancer is the sec
ond most commonly oc
curring cancer in men and
the fourth most common
cancer overall, according
to the World Cancer Re
search Fund International
(WCRF).
Based in London, the
WCRF examines how diet,
weight and physical activity
affect the risk of developing
and surviving cancer. As
part of an international net
work of charities, WCRF
has been funding life-saving
research, influencing global
public health policy, and
educating the public since
1982.
In 2020, 1.4 million
new cases of prostate cancer
were reported worldwide.
The good news is that in
the United States, there is
a 98% survival rate for men
who are treated for localized
prostate cancer. This fact is
due to early detection and
progressive treatment tech
niques.
Dr. Gilbert Gonzalez,
a urologist practicing at
Memorial Health Mead
ows Hospital in Vidalia,
commented on changes in
the way prostate cancer is
now treated compared to
the methods used when he
began his practice 34 years
ago.
Dr. Gonzalez earned
his medical degree at the
Medical College of Georgia
in 1983 and completed his
urology training in 1989.
He first came to Vidalia in
2001, worked in Covington
for a few years, and returned
to Meadows in 2021.
During his years of
practice, Dr. Gonzalez has
witnessed many positive
developments in the treat
ment of prostate cancer.
“Treatments have vastly
improved with radiation
and the aiming capability
of computers —specifically
CT scans. Treatments are
not as dangerous now and
complications are lower.”
Better efficacy and lower
morbidity in treatment
techniques might also be at
tributed in part to the use of
robotically assisted targeted
surgery.
The number of cases of
prostate cancer has risen in
step with the world’s popu
lation increase. In the U.S.,
about a quarter of a mil
lion cases are reported each
Shooting
continued from page 1A
and is currently being held
at the Toombs County
Detention Center on war
rants for 1 count of aggra
vated assault, 1 count of
aggravated battery, 1 count
of possession of a firearm
during the commission of
a crime, 1 count of theft by
receiving stolen property,
1 count of reckless driving,
1 count of driving while
license suspended, and 1
count of obstruction of an
officer.
The case is still un
der active investigation.
Anyone with information
on this incident or other
criminal activity is asked
to contact Sergeant Inves
tigator Christopher Mor
gan at (912) 537-4123, or
CrimeStoppers at (912)
386-4480.
Dr. Gilbert Gonzalez
year, and 35,000-40,000
prostate cancer deaths are
recorded annually. “There is
a high incidence of prostate
cancer, and if a man lives to
be 90, there will be a greater
than 50% chance that pros
tate cancer will be found at
his autopsy,” Dr. Gonzalez
said.
But in actuality, the sur
vival rate for localized pros
tate cancer is quite good, Dr.
Gonzalez stressed. “Once it
is diagnosed, if the cancer is
localized to the gland and
has not spread, the survival
rate is high.”
Localized prostate can
cer treatment is done with
Brachytherapy, a radiation
treatment that is given di
rectly into the body and
placed as close to the cancer
as possible. The radiation is
administered using tiny de
vices such as wires, seeds, or
rods filled with radioactive
materials. These devices are
called implants.
Brachytherapy allows
doctors to use a higher to
tal dose of radiation over
a shorter time than is pos
sible with external beam
therapy. The radiation dose
is focused on the cancer
cells and does less damage
to the nearby normal cells.
This treatment maybe done
along with external beam
therapy to help destroy tu
mor cells for certain types
of cancer.
Drugs may used when
cancer becomes resistant to
treatment or has spread into
tissues, bones and organs.
“The scene for prostate
cancer drugs has changed
because of anti-androgens,”
Dr. Gonzalez said. These
drugs block androgen hor
mones, such as testosterone,
and can be used for many
purposes, like slowing pros
tate cancer and minimizing
the masculinizing effects of
certain hormones. “We can
now treat individuals with
a drug called Lupron and
anti-androgens. The combi
nation of these drugs is very
effective.”
Dr. Gonzalez said little
is known as to the actual
cause of prostate cancer.
He said there are a hand
ful of genetic markers or
genes associated with pros
tate cancer such as BRCA1
(BReast CAncer gene 1)
and BRCA2 (BReast CAn
cer gene 2. These are genes
that produce proteins that
help repair damaged DNA.
Everyone has two copies of
each of these genes — one
copy inherited from each
parent. BRCA1 andBRCA2
are sometimes called tumor
suppressor genes because
when they have certain
changes, called harmful (or
pathogenic) variants (or
mutations), cancer can de
velop.
BRCA1 and BRCA2
are strongly associated with
inherited prostate cancer.
“It can run in families,”
Gonzalez said of the genetic
trait. People who are over
weight and who have Type
2 Diabetes and hyperten
sion run a slightly higher
risk of developing prostate
cancer. Studies show that
individuals who eat lots of
fruits and vegetables and
engage in regular aerobic
exercise appear to dimin
ish their chances of getting
prostate cancer.
Studies in the U.S. have
shown that African Ameri
can men are 1.6 times more
likely to develop prostate
cancer; not only that, but
they are more likely to have
the more aggressive forms
of the cancer. “We are doing
everything we can as a uro
logical association to find
these men with prostate
cancer in the early stages,
treat them, and lower this
mortality rate,” Dr. Gonza
lez noted.
Most family practitio
ners are tuned into provid
ing periodic screenings for
prostate cancer for their
patients. This can be done
in the form of PSA screen
ings and digital rectal exams
(DRE). “The screening is
there. Only people who re
fuse to get tested are at risk,”
Dr. Gonzalez pointed out.
PSA — or prostate-
specific antigen — is a pro
tein produced by normal, as
well as malignant, cells of
the prostate gland. The PSA
test measures the level of
PSA in the blood. For this
test, a blood sample is sent
to a laboratory for analysis.
The blood level of PSA
is often elevated in people
with prostate cancer. The
PSA test was originally ap
proved by the Food and
Drug Administration
(FDA) in 1986 to monitor
the progression of prostate
cancer in men who had al
ready been diagnosed with
the disease. In 1994, the
FDA approved the PSA test
to be used in conjunction
with a DRE to aid in the de
tection of prostate cancer in
men 50 years and older.
There are no warning
signs for prostate cancer in
its early stages. “Once you
start having symptoms,
you are almost in a losing
position,” Dr. Gonzalez
emphasized. At this stage,
the cancer has probably
spread. “If man is between
50 and 75, and has a strong
family history of prostate
cancer, or has females in his
family with breast cancer, I
strongly encourage him to
get tested.”
The urologist empha
sized, “Early screening is
an excellent way to prevent
bad outcomes. Once di
agnosed, patients should
begin appropriate treat
ments, and if the cancer
has spread, a combined,
team approach to treatment
with a urologist, oncologist
and radiation therapist, has
been proven to be the best
approach for long-term sur
vival.”
And with the Low
Country Cancer Treatment
Center on Meadows’ Vida
lia campus, all of this can
be accomplished close to
home.
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