UHS Prostate Cancer Center - Urology Health Specialists, LLC - Urologists, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Urology Health Specialists, LLC (UHS) and Fox Chase Radiation Oncology Associates have teamed up to provide prostate cancer treatment in a center dedicated to men.

At the UHS Prostate Cancer Center we have combined the expertise of Fox Chase Radiation Ongologists and UHS Urologists to provide continuity of care in a facility that was designed to provide patient comfort, convenience, and state of the art technology.

As a team our board-certified urologists and radiation oncologists work seamlessly to personalize your care and treatment plan. While undergoing treatment in our highly advanced linear accelerator, you and your love ones can relax in the center’s reception and lounge area.

Prostate cancer is second only to skin cancer as the most common male cancer in the United States. Each year more than 200,000 men are affected by this disease. Men aged 50 and older, African American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer are at higher risk.

To learn more about prostate cancer, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment options, go to: www.cancer.org/cancer/prostatecancer

If diagnosed with prostate cancer, what can I expect as a patient of Urology Health Specialists?

Once diagnosed, your Urologist will discuss all available treatments and which treatment options are best for you.

Learn more about treatment options for prostate cancer

If radiation therapy is discussed, your doctor will refer you to the Radiation Oncologist, who will consult with you regarding the treatment methods which suit your individual needs. Your referral to the UHS Prostate Cancer Center will be handled by our staff, with little inconvenience to you.

Treating My Prostate Cancer At The UHS Prostate Cancer Center

Consultation Appointment

UHS has teamed up with Fox Chase Radiation Oncology Associates to bring you the best in radiation therapy. Together we offer you physician expertise in a center dedicated solely to prostate cancer radiation treatment. The Radiation Oncologist will communicate and collaborate with your UHS Urologist throughout your course of treatment.

Your first consultation appointment will take about an hour and consists of the following steps:
- A UHS Prostate Cancer Center staff member will talk with you about your current and past medical history, review any medications you may be taking and answer your questions.
- A Radiation Oncologist will conduct a physical exam, review your medical history, x-rays and test results and order any additional tests, if needed.
- The Radiation Oncologist will talk with you about how you could benefit from radiation therapy, explain the details of treatment and potential side effects and answer your questions.
Please bring these things with you to your consultation appointment:
- Health insurance card or information
- You are encouraged to bring a family member or other support person with you to your consultation appointment. Since the center is part of Urology Health Specialists, all of your medical records are readily available to the Radiation Oncologist through the UHS electronic medical record system.
If you decide radiation treatment is right for you, the staff at UHS Prostate Cancer Center will go over what to expect from start to finish. Our center manager will evaluate your insurance plan and will review your plan’s coverage with you.

All of your treatment appointments will be at the UHS Prostate Center and arranged by our staff.

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Fiducial Marker Placement
Accurate daily targeting increases radiation to the tumor and spares normal surrounding tissue.

Your urologist will implant two to three tiny metallic markers into the prostate gland to assist the radiation team in performing accurate IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy) target localization. The marker implantation is a simple in-office procedure similar to a prostate biopsy procedure that is performed at the center. The markers become visible landmarks for prostate location on pre-treatment images.
CT Simulation - Treatment Planning
You will be scheduled for a CT scan to localize the exact position of the metallic markers in your prostate gland, and to gather its specific size and shape data for computerized treatment planning.

The treatment planning sessions, sometimes referred to as simulation, helps the radiation oncology team determine the best set-up for the radiation beams to most effectively target the prostate with as little radiation as possible to the healthy tissues around it. The treatment planning sessions will last approximately one hour and are similar to having a CT scan. Each treatment plan is carefully customized by a team of radiation oncologists, radiation physicists and dosimetrists for your specific prostate gland tumor and body habitus.
Beginning Your Treatment
Upon completion of treatment planning, your IMRT/IGRT prostate cancer treatment will begin. Treatments will usually take place Monday through Friday at the same appointment time each day. For those receiving primary radiation therapy (without prior surgery), a usual treatment course consists of 43 or 44 daily sessions over an 8 to 9 week period. Treatments generally last 10 to 12 minutes and involve no pain or discomfort during the therapy.

If radiation is given after surgery, usually 6 to 7 weeks of therapy is prescribed.

CLICK to Learn more about IMRT and IGRT

A Team Of Physicians And Medical Professionals Will Be Involved In Your Care

The Radiation Oncologist, a specially trained physician, heads the treatment team, working closely with the radiation physicist to set an individualized course of treatment to ensure a precise radiation dose. The dosimetrist calculates the IMRT exposures and beam configurations necessary to deliver the dose prescribed. The highly trained radiation therapist positions the patient on the treatment table and operates the machine. The Radiation Oncologist reviews every IGRT treatment and the radiation therapy assistant is available to assess your medical needs throughout the course of your treatment.

Meet Our Team
of
Professionals

We will be there to hold your hand,
answer your questions and
address your concerns.

Urology Health Specialists, LLC
And
Fox Chase Radiation Oncology Associates
A team of experts dedicated to prostate cancer patients in a
center dedicated to prostate cancer treatment

The UHS Prostate Cancer Center is dedicated to the care of patients who have elected to use Radiation Therapy to treat their prostate cancer.

Information On IMRT And IGRT

What is Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced mode of high-precision radiotherapy that utilizes computer-controlled x-ray accelerators to deliver precise radiation doses to the prostate tumor and/or specific areas around the tumor. The radiation dose is designed to conform to the three-dimensional shape of the target volume by modulating or controlling the intensity of the radiation beam. Treatment is carefully planned using CT images of the patient in conjunction with computerized dose calculations to determine the dose intensity pattern that will best conform to the target volume shape. Because the normal tissue dose is reduced to a minimum with the IMRT approach, higher and more effective radiation doses can safely be delivered to tumors with fewer side effects compared with conventional radiotherapy techniques.

What is Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) is a daily method of target localization using images taken immediately before treatment resulting in a precise targeting of the prostate. Tumor volumes may experience small shifts due to internal organ motion. Accurate daily targeting increases radiation to the tumor and spares normal surrounding tissue.

IGRT has many different methodologies. One method utilizes tiny, pure gold markers to localize the prostate. The markers become visible landmarks for prostate location on pre-treatment images. The treatment planning scans with the markers implanted allow the creation of planned target volume.