Prostate Cancer: Why Choose Johns Hopkins
- The Brady Urological Institute and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center take a team-based approach to care, meeting with newly diagnosed patients in a single room, on a single day, for a comprehensive evaluation and consultation.
- As a Precision Medicine Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancer, our team uses precision medicine technology to provide the right level of management for each patient leading to better outcomes and a higher value of overall care.
- Our urologic surgeons have extensive experience performing robotic-assisted radical laparoscopic prostatectomies , including nerve-sparing techniques. These procedures provide patients with less pain, a shorter hospital stay and an earlier return to daily activities.
- Our surgeons, oncologists and radiologists are also world leaders in prostate cancer research, giving patients access to the latest discoveries and clinical trial opportunities.
Prostate Cancer | Q& A
Mohamad Allaf, M.D., answers questions about prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment options and discusses robotic prostatectomy at Johns Hopkins.
Recovery from Prostate Cancer | Bills Story
This championship swimmer sought a second opinion at Johns Hopkins. Four weeks after a radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, he was back in the pool.
Project : Developing Telomere Length Variation As A Prognostic Test For Prostate Cancer
Project Co-Leaders:
For this population science project, we assembled an interdisciplinary prostate cancer research team, co-led by an applied and a basic scientist, to address an unmet clinical need for prostate cancer patients: improved risk stratification. Specifically, we will verify a novel tissue biomarker of prognosis in men with clinically-localized prostate cancer that we discovered telomere length variability in prostate cancer cells combined with short telomere length in cancer-associated stromal cells . In the prospective cohort Health Professionals Follow-up Study , the telomere biomarker was strongly associated with prostate cancer death after prostatectomy, including in Gleason 7 disease. Men without the biomarker rarely died of their cancer over 15 years. Because current prognostic factors inadequately distinguish between aggressive and nonaggressive disease, new markers that inform beyond the current factors are needed for clinical management decision-making. While our findings point to the telomere biomarkers prognostic utility, we have completed only the discovery phase.
Specific Aim 1: Demonstrate the validity and reproducibility of automated TELI-FISH, our FISH-based telomere length measurement tool, and re-estimate the association between the telomere biomarker and prostate cancer death in the same prospective HPFS cohort study.
Specific Aim 2: To provide high quality histopathologic diagnoses of tissue specimens and tissue microarrays.
The Faq Initiative: Understanding Your Pathology Report
Patients are beginning to take a more active role in their health care. They go online to research their disease and to find doctors to offer second opinions. They are also starting to ask for and read their pathology reports. Often, however, patients might not understand the medical terms used in the reports. Most websites that provide cancer information do not attempt to explain pathology reports on specific cancers, but rather give general information about various cancers and how they are treated.
To help patients and their families begin to better understand what their pathology report means, a series of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers were developed for the most common cancer types. The FAQs were developed by the Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology and have been endorsed by the College of American Pathologists . After their development, we partnered with the American Cancer Society to make the FAQs easily available to those who need them. American Cancer Society has also reviewed our work, and together we hope this resource will help patients and families make informed decisions about their cancer and its treatment.
Jonathan Epstein, MDThe Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MDDirector of the FAQ InitiativeThe Weinberg Building, Rm. 2242401 N. Broadway Street
The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD
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Why Would I Need A Second Opinion
A second opinion can help you make an informed, confident decision about your medical care. Sometimes, you may find out about treatment options you didnt know were available. And in some cases, the information you gain during a second opinion consultation can even change your diagnosis.
Now its easier than ever to get the answers you need and peace of mind you deserve. Cleveland Clinics Virtual Second Opinions program connects you to an expert physician who specializes in your specific health needs. You receive a secure, private online consultation without leaving home.
Finally To Get The Most Out Of Your Second Opinion Appointment Dr Matasar Suggests 5 Key Questions You Should Ask:
- Are you sure my diagnosis is correct and is as accurate and precise as is necessary? For many cancers, molecular diagnosis is an important part of matching patients with the best treatment. If youre not sure whether you had molecular or genetic testing or if its important for your type of cancer, you should ask.
- What is the standard-of-care treatment, and is there more than one option? There may be multiple treatments that offer the same likelihood of success. Its important to understand the pros and cons of each one, including how the side effects of various treatments may differ.
- What are the clinical trials that are relevant to me both at your institution and elsewhere? Every hospital has its own portfolio of clinical trials, and it may be helpful to understand the full landscape of ongoing research.
- Do I need to receive treatment here? Clinical trial participation is often restricted to certain hospitals, but an expert at an academic medical center may be able to collaborate with your community oncologist to help you get the same treatment.
- Can I reach out to you with further questions? Even if you return to your first oncologist for care, often your second-opinion oncologist will be glad to receive updates and offer continuing guidance.
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Project : Discovery And Pre
Project Co-Leaders:
Specific Aim 1: To estimate the therapeutic index of DNMT inhibitor/Aurora kinase inhibitor combinations using human prostate cancer cell lines propagated as xenograft tumors in immunodeficient mice.
Specific Aim 2: To explore molecular determinants of response to DNMT inhibitor/Aurora kinase inhibitor combinations.
Specific Aim 3: To introduce a DNMT inhibitor/Aurora kinase inhibitor combination into human clinical trials for men with castration-resistant prostate cancer.
You Always Have Options
When you get a diagnosis of breast cancer from your doctor, its not uncommon to get a second opinion. An accurate diagnosis is essential to ensure the most effective treatment. Your current doctor will frequently suggest a second opinion, if only to confirm the recommended course of action.
There are also many reasons why you may want to seek another opinion during the course of your cancer care. Not all cancers are the same and not all treatment plans are absolutely clear. Whether you want expert confirmation, lack understanding or confidence in your treatment plan, have a rare or unusual type of cancer, your cancer isnt responding to current treatment its reassuring to know that you have options through a second opinion.
In addition to providing a better understanding of your diagnosis, a second opinion can also shed new light on treatment options and give you confidence in how to proceed with your care. Advances in our understanding of breast cancer have opened up new treatment options or clinical trial opportunities, including targeted drug therapies and tissue-conserving procedures proven to greatly reduce pain and nausea. Because physicians may differ in their approach to treating breast cancer, its very important to check with a breast cancer expert to know youre receiving the best treatment for you.
Make an appointment:
Centro Diagnostico Italiano , Milan, Italy
Manfred Dietel, M.D.Institute of Pathology Charité, Humboldt University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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Concept Of Faq Initiative
Centro Diagnostico Italiano , Milan, Italy
Manfred Dietel, M.D.Institute of Pathology Charité, Humboldt University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany
Jonathan I. Epstein, M.D.The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD
Robert J. Kurman, M.D.The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD
Elizabeth Montgomery, M.D.The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD
Manuel Sobrinho-Simões, M.D.University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Ronald S. Weinstein, M.D.University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ
Franco VisinoniMilestone Medical Technologies, Bergamo, Italy
Not All Of Men With Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer Need Immediate Treatment
The Brady Urological Institute has achieved world renown for discoveries that led to improvements in the surgical treatment of prostate cancer. However, not every man will benefit from treatment since some cancers will never progress to a harmful state. Researchers at the Brady Urological Institute have a commitment to learn how to identify those men who can safely forego treatment -instead undergoing careful follow up for any evidence of progression of their disease . An active surveillance program at the Brady Urological Institute under the direction of Dr. Christian Pavlovich has followed more than 1100 men over more than 15 years who are thought to have tumors that can be safely managed without immediate treatment.
The Johns Hopkins Active Surveillance Program is unique:
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Largest and longest ongoing surveillance study using strict criteria for recruitment developed at Johns Hopkins
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Close follow-up of men, with annual prostate biopsies performed using techniques that are based on original studies from Johns Hopkins
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Collection of blood and urine samples for future studies
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Multidisciplinary team of dedicated urologists, pathologists, radiologists, statisticians, basic scientists, and clinical coordinators working together to improve patient care through discovery
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Latest research findings translated into patient care before they become available to the medical community
For more information about the Johns Hopkins Active Surveillance Program:
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How Much Does A Second Opinion Cost
The all-inclusive cost for a virtual second opinion for patients in the U.S. is $1,850. This fee includes:
- Consultation with your nurse care manager.
- Medical record collection from doctors and hospitals.
- Reinterpretation of imaging scans and lab tests.
- Expert review of your case by a Cleveland Clinic specialist.
- Video consultation and written report from your expert.
Minimally Invasive Treatments For Bph
We specialize in minimally invasive procedures to treat BPH, including:
- Transurethral microwave thermotherapy : In selected patients, microwave energy helps to restructure prostate tissue and alleviate symptoms such as incontinence and voiding dysfunction
For selected BPH patients, our specialists also perform transurethral resection of the prostate , a procedure that requires no incisions and has a high rate of success.
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Why Do I Need A Second Opinion
A second opinion is part of the education process that is critical for many cancer patients. The treatment of prostate cancer has evolved tremendously. In order to receive appropriate treatment, patients must understand the treatment options that are available. However, there are also many more options for treatment and these options are more complicated than in the past. For these reasons and others, it is advantageous to seek more than one opinion about how your cancer can be treated. Also, a second opinion provides the opportunity to get information from someone other than the physician who will be directing treatment, which is usually the main source of information for most patients. Second opinions are a common practice in any area of medicine that is complex and that has multiple treatment options available.
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Project : Msc Delivery Of Psa Activated Pre
Project Co-Leaders:
Presently, there is no effective treatment for either preventing the initial development of prostate cancer or curing a man once he develops prostate cancer throughout the body . While intensive research efforts have yielded several new agents with modest effects on survival, the standard therapy for prostate cancer once it has spread throughout the body has remained nearly the same for the last 70 years. The standard approach is to block the bodys ability to produce androgens. This is termed androgen ablation or more commonly hormonal therapy. In men with prostate cancer spread throughout the body, such androgen ablation does produce an initial positive relief from clinical symptoms. Unfortunately, however, after a variable period of symptom relief, symptoms return eventually killing the patient. Thus, prostate cancer will kill more than 32,000 US males this year alone .
Specific Aim 1: Is to genetically modify hbMSCs to endogenously express and secrete biologically active recombinant PSA activated pro-aerolysin
Specific Aim 2: Is to develop a standardized infusion protocol for allogeneic hbMSCs in xenograft studies which mimics the homing efficiency to sites of prostate cancer in humans.
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Value Of Second Opinion In Prostate Cancer Uncertain Says Hopkins Study
A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University has found that second opinions did not change treatment choice among men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer.
Men often seek second opinions from urologists before they initiate treatment for their newly diagnosed prostate cancer. However, a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University has found that second opinions did not change treatment choice or the persons perception of the quality of care they receive, at least among low-risk men. Therefore, the value of these second opinions remains unknown.
For this study, published in the journal Cancer, 2386 men in the greater Philadelphia area, who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2012 and 2014, responded to survey questions. The survey asked the men if they had opted for a second opinion from a urologist following their diagnosis of prostate cancer, and the reasons for the second opinion. Following application of the relevant exclusion criteria, 2365 respondents remained in the analytical cohort.
These results, if validated in other studies, justify additional investigation on how second opinions can contribute to increasing the value of cancer care, the authors concluded.
Reference
Radhakrishnan A, Grande D, Mitra N, Bekelman J, Stillson C, Pollack CE. Second opinions from urologists for prostate cancer: who gets them, why, and their link to treatment . Cancer. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30412.
What Is A Second Opinion
A second opinion is a review of the cancer diagnosis and the treatment recommendations of the physician who is treating the cancer by another, independent physician. Either the patient or the primary physician can initiate the process of getting a second opinion. Usually, patients obtain a second opinion after being referred to a second physician or to a special team of experts in a cancer center, called a multidisciplinary team. This doctor or team of doctors will review the following:
- Pathology report ,
- The physical condition of the patient
- The proposed treatment
The doctor then communicate their opinion regarding treatment to both the patient and the primary physician.
Second opinions are more likely to be comprehensive, or inclusive of every possible perspective, when performed in a cancer center with a multidisciplinary team, which usually includes surgeons, oncologists, radiation therapists, and sub-specialist oncologists.
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Just Because Youre Getting A Second Opinion Doesnt Mean You Have To Change Doctors
Patients are often under the mistaken notion that they have to pick between their oncologist and MSK, but thats often not the case, Dr. Matasar explains. A doctor at MSK can collaborate with another doctor to offer support and help ensure the best outcomes.
However, there are other cases when a second opinion results in a very different diagnosis or set of treatment recommendations. In those cases, patients are tremendously grateful for having received the advice and encouragement to get a second opinion, Dr. Matasar adds.
Find The Best Surgeon You Can Get It Done Right
Radical prostatectomy is a very difficult operation. It takes not only skill, but the kind of expertise you get only after being involved in a lot of procedures, first from the sidelines as a doctor in training, and then learning how to do it meticulously with the guidance of an expert surgeon.
The very best prostate surgeons specialize in the prostate. Thats often all they do, and they do a lot of these procedures every year.
You dont want to be part of the learning curve.
Another point: Because there are so many bad surgeons out there, you cant trust everything you read on the internet or from hospitals propaganda.
Our goal is to weed out the bad surgeons, so they stop doing procedures they arent skilled enough to do.
As for you, well, this is your one shot at this. Do your due diligence. How can you find the right surgeon? We have developed this checklist with the help of three experts. Please. Take the following things into consideration before you go under the knife:
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Dr Ken Pienta Professor Of Urology Oncology Pharmacology Molecular Sciences And Director Of Research For The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute Shares His Insight On The State
In the second installment of our Johns Hopkins series, hosts Dr. Steven Taback and Bill Curtis are joined by Dr. Ken Pienta, Professor of Urology, Oncology, Pharmacology, Molecular Sciences, and Director or Research for The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, as he sheds light on the state of the art for treatment and outcomes of prostate cancer.
In this dedicated series, we’re showcasing the medical breakthroughs & innovations from one of the world’s most preeminent hospitals: Johns Hopkins Medicine.
to the lack of testing?
Renowned Cancer Expert To Address Uconn Health Graduates
Dr. William G. Nelson of Johns Hopkins, a national leader in the treatment and research of prostate cancer, is the 2022 commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient.
Dr. William G. Nelson from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine is UConn Health’s 2022 commencement speaker.
Dr. William G. Nelson, a renowned expert in translational cancer research from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, will deliver the keynote commencement address to UConn Healths Classes of 2022.
Nelson, who specializes in the treatment and research of prostate cancer, is the Marion I. Knott Professor of Oncology and director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. He holds professorships in oncology, medicine, pharmacology, pathology, radiation oncology, urology, and environmental health sciences.
The key message I want to deliver is that the new graduates will need to ensure that the human element is preserved or amplified, Nelson says. When it comes to disease and its treatment, people will need caring as much as care.
In addition to holding the most professorships in Hopkins history, Nelson serves on the boards of the V Foundation and the Break Through Cancer Foundation, as a scientific co-chair for Stand Up 2 Cancer, and as executive editor of Cancer Today.
More than 40 years later, UConn will confer Nelson with an honorary doctor of science degree.
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