Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men -- almost 35,000 men will die from it this year. It develops when abnormal cells form and grow in the prostate gland. Now there is a new, minimally invasive procedure that targets these cells.
It’s the leading cause of cancer deaths in men 65 and older. Traditional treatment includes chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation.
Urologist Ruben Olivares specializes in prostate cancer and is an early adopter of a new procedure to treat it.
“We start the treatment with the passage of current between the electrodes. The main idea here is the electrical current, it’s able to break up the cell wall,” Olivares said.
The Nanoknife, also known as Irreversible Electroporation, or IRE, enables surgeons to treat the cancerous part of the prostate only. Instead of heat, electric pulses destroy the tumor leaving the surrounding healthy tissue and minimizing side effects.
“This is an outpatient procedure. The patient leaves the hospital the same day of the surgery with a catheter,” explained Olivares.
Based on the published data, Olivares said the Nanoknife is very safe and has a very low complication rate. He does warn, however, as with any prostate treatment, there is some danger of infertility. So, men should preserve sperm before the procedure.