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PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS: THREE AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH NON-INVASIVE HIFU PROCEDURE
By Shelly Gordon
Nationwide -- Three African American men: Reggie Dye, a healthcare executive, Thomas Newell, a retired basketball referee for youth at risk and Victory Murray, NASA lead engineer whose team repaired Apollo 13, wanted a better way to treat their prostate cancer - one that promises a better quality of life post-treatment than surgery and radiation which are the standards of care. These two procedures can come with a greater risk of urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and penile shrinkage.
When diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, they each selected a noninvasive procedure called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). They got together to share each of their stories about their HIFU treatment, which is widely used across the world, but still relatively new in the United States, with select physicians across the country delivering the treatment.
HIFU is a noninvasive focal-therapy procedure that destroys targeted prostate tissue. HIFU directs extremely precise high-frequency sound waves that heat up and burn off only the diseased portion of the prostate, sparing surrounding tissue and nerves. Therefore, risks of common side effects associated with surgery and radiation -- urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction -- are lessened with HIFU.
