Articles
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Dr. Geo Espinosa Speaks Out About Prostate Laser Ablation
By Dan Sperling, MD
I am asked by many patients why Focal Laser Ablation (FLA) is not yet covered by insurance, and how soon it will be. As with all new treatments, the problem is complex.
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Prostate Laser Ablation: The Power Of Patient Reviews
Dan Sperling, MD
Where would you turn if you were seeking someone reliable and trustworthy to design a deck, repair your roof, or sand your hardwood floors? If you are one of the 1.5 million paid subscribers to Angie's List, you turn to the List because you know the power of testimony gathered one person at a time. Each month, members submit 40,000 reviews of service professionals. The more positive the reviews, the more credible the service provider.
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The Importance of Patient Education
By Dr. Sperling
One of the most satisfying and enjoyable aspects of my profession is making presentations to patient support groups. When I first began speaking to groups such as the American Cancer Society's Man to Man program, or Us Too International, I saw it as a way of informing men about expanded diagnostic and treatment options for those concerned about their prostate health.
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Are High-Cost Prostate Cancer Treatments Worth It?
By Dr. Sperling
What makes a prostate cancer treatment worth the dollars spent on it? I asked myself this question after coming across two online articles posted in January 2012. One article questions the high price tag associated with proton beam radiation for prostate cancer. The other asks if robotic prostatectomy is overhyped.
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A New Year, A New Prostate Cancer Worldview
By Dr. Sperling
As a new year begins, many people are surprised at how time seems to fly by. "Where did last year go?" they wonder. Yet when it comes to changes in medical practice, I am astonished at how often the
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MRI vs. Color Doppler
By Dr. Sperling
As imaging improves, so does prostate cancer detection. Beginning with the use of gray-scale ultrasound (black-and-white images) in the late 1980s, doctors had the ability to guide biopsy needles into the prostate gland, thus raising the rate of cancer-positive detection.
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Can MRI Imaging Resolve The PSA Controversy?
By Dr. Sperling
In early October, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made front page news by recommending that healthy men of all ages avoid routine PSA screening for prostate cancer. After decades of raising awareness and encouraging men over 40 to have an annual blood test, both patients and their doctors now face a burning medical controversy: To screen, or not to screen?
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Interdisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer
By Dr. Sperling
Many historic trends in medical practice have been influenced by patient need and desire. Women's health offers a case in point: the advancement of the breast lumpectomy as an alternative to radical mastectomy.
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The Role of Focal Therapy in Treating Prostate Cancer
By Dr. Sperling
Focal therapy is intended as a middle ground between no treatment vs. radical (whole‐gland) treatment.
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Prostate Laser Ablation
By Dr. Sperling
The term 'ablation' refers to a type of medical procedure, usually minimally‐to‐noninvasive, that destroys tissue within the body.
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