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I am going to discuss the known benefits that are associated with robotic prostatectomy.
A common question the patients have in regards to their surgical option after a diagnosis
of prostate cancer and wanting to undergo prostatectomy is whether or not to pursue
this via a robotic approach or an open approach. The robotic approach is now the most common
form of removal of the prostate gland in the United States. Known benefits that have been
associated with the robotic approach over the open or traditional approach is the decrease
in blood loss, relatively decreased pain, and relatively decreased length of hospital
stay. Both patients, however, have had similar incidents of erectile dysfunction, urinary
incontinence, and similar return to normal activities pending upon of course the surgeon
and the literature series that are in fact published.
Some prostate cancers are high risk, aggressive, and more likely to spread. Others are low
risk, least likely to have bad outcomes. The biopsy says cancer, but current diagnostic
tools provide limited information about how aggressive a man's individual disease is,
so most men decide to treat prostate cancer immediately. Once treated, many men experience
serious long-term side effects like incontinence and *** impotence. Immediate treatment
is not always needed, but right now a man can't be sure if his cancer is the kind that
is likely to require treatment or if he is okay to wait for now. What if there was a
test that could determine how aggressive prostate cancer is. Genomic health is developing a
new test to do just that. By reviewing the underlying biology of the tumor and using
genes from multiple biologic pathways, the test can predict the aggressiveness of prostate
cancer when diagnosed, allowing a man to make a more informed treatment decision with confidence,
taking care of himself with more information and greater peace of mind.