PROSTATE SCAN NOW: I welcome you to view our pilot episode in support of proactive checkups and Prostate Health! I'm speaking to all my dude-friends in their 50's who need to start taking their health more seriously, while applauding those who have stayed on top of early detection and prevention. One such person is my latest hero in this- Mr. Barrie Kolstein. Check out our feature on this great motivator and role model!
STATS ABOUT PC:
"Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer." (Source- American Cancer Assoc)
"...leading cause of cancer death among men in the US, with 94 men dying from it every day." (Source: pcf.org)
"More than 3.3 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today". (Source- American Cancer Assoc)
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This section originally published 8/26/20 @ The American Council on Science and Health (www.acsh.org) Patient-Specific Anxiety: "My PSA was 22. I had a biopsy; it was benign...GOOD! The biopsy showed inflammation, so I had a (surgical) biopsy I didn’t need... BAD! There has to be a better way!”
Evolution of NON-INVASIVE PROSTATE DIAGNOSIS
In 2012 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against routine PSA screening for prostate cancer due to the risk of over-diagnosis and over-treatment with most prostate cancer remaining asymptomatic. The panel concluded that the potential benefit of testing did not outweigh the risk of harm, arguing against continued screening except for those with known risk factors and a life expectancy greater than 10 years. Screening may have indeed reduced the rate of death from prostate cancer by an estimated 20%, but it was also associated with a high risk of overdiagnosis (diagnosis in men who would not have clinical symptoms in their lifetime). This means that PSA testing would have saved about 60,000 lives but some 900,000 men would have undergone the undue injury of an unnecessary surgical biopsy.
THE BIOPSY is an invasive procedure removing a small section of tissue and examination for cancer cells. It remains the gold standard in diagnosing prostate cancer. Biopsies are now performed in an office setting, using topical or sedation anesthesia. It involves using a needle to obtain tissue from the prostate through the rectum. Twenty five years ago the routine biopsy protocol called for six needle cores. Because it was performed without imaging, it missed many cancers deep within the prostate. The number of tissue samples taken was expanded to 12 and even up to 96 cores at some centers. Needle biopsies cause serious complications in 1% of patients - even fatal outcomes have recorded. Infection which can require prolonged antibiotic therapy is the most common problem. Nowadays biopsies are guided, meaning that doctors use imaging through ultrasound or MRI to direct the needles to areas of concern.
CALLING FOR A DIAGNOSTIC UPGRADE: The strategy of relying on a (PSA) blood test as the precursor to a biopsy required significant reassessment. Though approved by the FDA in 1986 as the gold standard for monitoring cancer relapses, increasing reports continue to indicate that elevated PSA levels in over 70% of men show a false positive reading- and does not conclude a malignant cancer. (NIH ref). Because of the inaccuracies of the PSA test and the risk of side effects, many centers are now using imaging solutions like ultrasound 3-D Doppler and MRI before considering a biopsy.
First Responder Gets Checked for Enlarged Prostate
NYCRA's own "COUSIN SAL" BANCHITTA, Retired FDNY FF and Cancer Prevention Advocate for the F.A.C.E.S. (Firefighters Against Cancers and Exposures) "Get Checked NOW!" program often partners with Dr. Robert Bard's clinical research team to explore the latest in diagnostic and therapeutic health innovations.
Use of ultrasound imaging has been Dr. Bard's "scanner of choice" when it comes to analyzing and diagnosing a wide array of complex health disorders, from cancer tumors to inflammatory disorders. As a beta tester for developers of ultrasound feature upgrades, Dr. Bard has published an expanded set of findings in support of PEMF regenerative benefits. His latest pilot study provided quantitative evidence about PEMF-induced micro-tissue and vascular reactions, thanks to his creative use of echocardiography. "Over the years, I have gained significant confidence in Pulsed Bioenergy therapeutic innovations", states Dr. Bard. "...through strategic imaging, we can visibly and quantifiably identify the smallest veins dilating and the contractility of the tissue being energized- appearing as pulse vibrations in the form of the undulating surface line of the muscle. This is how we can illustrate the path of ENERGY MEDICINE in real-time action".
PILOT STUDY ON THE ROAD
I have always been a proponent of early detection- especially when it comes to prostate cancer. Four years ago, my annual retirement exam started with a blood test. My primary found my PSA was slightly elevated, so I was then sent to the urologist as standard operating procedure. Before you know it, I received a report of a "slightly" enlarged prostate which put me into what felt like an automated track to getting a biopsy. Getting a biopsy without an MRI or any type of imaging made the needle work a complete and painful shot in the dark. Getting poked 12+ times in what felt like complete guesswork was terrible experience. In the end, we found that the biopsy could have been avoided if the PSA reading gave more information, and a more accurate assessment. As a member of a family predisposed to cancer, the stress of waiting for the biopsy, then actually undergoing the procedure thinking I MAY have have cancer or not was completely an unfair ordeal to put anyone through. 
