Patient Testimonials - David

"I didn’t like the consequences of what surgery or radiotherapy offered. Statistically both have a high rate of success (no recurrence of the cancer for at least 10 years) treating early stage Prostate cancer but the side effects are unattractive: 70% probability of impotence and up to 10% likelihood of incontinence. My wife Jayne and I searched the web to find the most promising new treatment for prostate cancer and we found it. I suffered no surgical trauma and I expect no adverse effects whatsoever.

Ultrasound has been used as a treatment for prostate cancer in some countries for the past 15 years. Its success rate has matched surgery and radiotherapy but the adverse side effects, caused by unintended damage to surrounding tissue, were similar. This latest highly technical version has been developed by cooperating research centers across USA, Europe and Japan. It allows the urologist to plan treatment under ultrasound image guidance, target the tumor and monitor the therapy with a single multifunction probe. The precision and flexibility of the treatment virtually eliminates collateral damage.

I managed to locate the urologist and had several conversations with him from Australia. In late September I met with him and his team in the Dominican Republic and underwent the procedure. The treatment was painless and any discomfort over the six weeks since has been negligible. My prostate has been effectively removed, but its shell remains and with it the intricate nervous system required to ensure potency. The outcome is better than the best nerve-sparing surgeon can hope to achieve without any of the trauma and prolonged recovery associated with surgery. The procedure does not require hospitalization. . It is so non invasive that patients were enjoying celebratory drinks around the hotel swimming pool only hours after treatment.

The third world location did not concern me. I have lived and worked in environments similar to the Dominican Republic and I enjoy the people and the experience. I knew that these countries often take the opportunity to embrace medical skills and technologies ahead of the more conservative first world. The smartest thing I did was to consult widely in Australia before reaching a decision on treatment. Not only did I better understand the technical aspects of my condition and the range of treatments available worldwide, but I learned that in general the medical profession is unhappy with mainstream treatments and is deeply divided on which is the best of an unsatisfactory lot. My decision was based on simple logic.

I am the first Australian to have the treatment. I was intrigued to learn that many of the early patients in Mexico and the Dominican Republic have been surgeons themselves.

I arrived home to read that brachytherapy is now available in Adelaide. In this procedure radioactive seeds are implanted in the prostate to directly target the tumor. But it is still a form of radiotherapy with similar inherent risks. Cutting edge prostate cancer treatment technology has moved from brachytherapy in the late nineties through cryotherapy (a process of killing the tumor with frozen gas chosen by Rupert Murdoch several years ago) to HIFU. My USA urologist is a leading authority on cryotherapy. In his view HIFU is vastly superior to any of these treatments."

David
Australia