PSA Screening Test

Should a PSA screening test be part of a prostate exam? Read the response of Dr. Claus Roehrborn, professor and chairman of the UT Southwestern Department of Urology.

The urologic cancer specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center are recognized as national leaders in the treatment of all types of urologic cancers, including bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and cancers of the prostate, testis and penis. Our Urologic Cancer Program provides state-of-the-art treatments for patients with urologic tumors and malignancies.

UT Southwestern’s urologic cancer specialists are experts at using minimally invasive procedures such as brachytherapy, laparoscopic surgery and radiofrequency ablation, which are specifically designed to provide effective alternatives to extensive surgery and radiation treatments. Brachytherapy treatments involve implanting tiny radiotherapy seeds about the size of a grain of rice that are able to destroy cancer cells, while leaving the rest of the body unharmed. These minimally invasive treatments may be used in conjunction with radiation or in place of conventional radiation treatments.

In addition, UT Southwestern’s urologic specialists perform advanced laparoscopic surgery. Also known as “keyhole surgery,” the procedure uses three or four one-half-inch incisions, instead of one long incision, as an alternative to removing the prostate or other cancerous tissues. Our specialists are also experts at performing radiofrequency ablation procedures, which destroy cancerous cells by heating them with high-frequency radio waves. Select patients with small kidney tumors may also be eligible for radiofrequency ablation, which avoids surgery and requires hospitalization for only one or two days.

In addition, surgeons in UT Southwestern’s Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery are studying the use of groundbreaking technology — a $1.4 million robot named da Vinci — that, with a human at the controls, filters out tremor, enhances precision, offers three-dimensional imaging and eliminates the inverted manipulation of instruments usually required in laparoscopic procedures.

UT Southwestern’s researchers and clinicians are nationally recognized leaders in the development and use of radiation therapies to precisely target urologic cancer tumors while sparing surrounding tissues. The rapid advancement of radiotherapy techniques and imaging technologies has enabled our specialists to determine the location, shape and size of urologic cancer tumors with an unprecedented level of precision and deliver the most effective radiation treatments available.

Our radiation oncology specialists are achieving remarkable results by applying advanced technologies that include CyberKnife, Gamma Knife, Philips Brilliance, Synergy-S and Varian Linac With On-Board Imaging. These capabilities enable UT Southwestern’s specialists to more effectively plan, simulate, deliver and verify radiation treatments using state-of-the-art technology and techniques such as:

• Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)
• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• Brachytherapy – high-dose rate (HDR) and low-dose rate (LDR)
• Combined-modality treatments

UT Southwestern also offers a clinical trials program for the prevention and detection of prostate, kidney, bladder, testis and other urologic cancers. Patients who qualify for a study may be offered therapies that show particular promise years before they are available to the public.

Our experience in conducting some of the most advanced research into the causes and cures for urologic cancer enables UT Southwestern to provide patients with the best possible medical care in a caring and compassionate environment. The Urologic Cancer Program offers each patient a unique treatment plan designed to achieve an effective cure, an optimal rehabilitation and preservation of quality of life.