Groundbreaking and less invasive techniques of diagnosing prostate cancer at Docrates Cancer Center

– Diagnostics deserves at least to share the podium with advanced treatment, says Timo Joensuu, a Specialist in Radiotherapy and Oncology at Docrates Cancer Center.

– The best possible results in treating prostate cancer can only be achieved with the best possible diagnostic methods available.

Joensuu says that for example STHLM3 test, which has been available in the hospital for a while now, helps gain much more accurate information regarding the risks of prostate cancer than simply with a mere PSA test. The test provides valuable information especially if the PSA level is moderately low.

– If the test result of STHLM3 is elevated, an MRI of the prostate should be conducted even if the PSA is low to decide whether a biopsy should be performed. In some cases, the results of these examinations can make biopsy unnecessary, says Joensuu.

Docrates has also advanced the technique of performing a diagnostic prostate biopsy to a whole new level. The hospital was the first one in Finland to start performing robotic magnetically controlled biopsy of the prostate that eliminates the challenges of fusing magnetic resonance imaging and real-time ultrasound imaging.

– The accuracy of the new method is very high, and only 2 or 3 biopsies of a suspicious lesion are required as the MRI enables targeting the tumor directly. Traditional biopsy methods, in turn, apply taking twelve random samples of different sections of the prostate under ultrasound guidance. Direct MRI guidance also seems to be a better solution than the complicated option of fusing MRI with ultrasound guidance, Joensuu says.

The considerably lower number of samples required aims not only to improve the accuracy of diagnostics, but to lower the risk of complications, such as bleeding, pain and inflammation. In addition to the cutting edge robotic biopsy, Docrates also applies MRI-ultrasound fusion guided prostate biopsy and the traditional method of taking random samples under ultrasound guidance. In certain cases, the samples may have to be taken through the perineum instead of the rectum under general anaesthesia.

High-quality images and ideal tracers for prostate cancer

Docrates uses the Vida 3 Tesla MRI scanner in MRI examinations, which we think is the best possible option for diagnosing cancer from the range of currently available MRI scanners. The device was acquired last summer. The Vida MRI generates more signals than traditional MRI scanners, which improves the quality of images considerably.

– The excellent quality of images provided by the scanner and the latest software are the best possible tools for radiologists to detect prostate cancer and its local staging. Compared to other imaging techniques, we are now able to verify our findings more accurately and treat the cancer more efficiently, says Joensuu.

The local staging of prostate cancer refers to how the cancer grows through the prostatic capsule or spreads to seminal vesicles or nearby organs.

According to Joensuu, additional examinations are required if the prostate cancer is suspected to have metastasised, i.e. spread to other parts of the body, which typically include bones and lymph nodes.

– We use radiolabelled tracers that are extremely sensible to metastases and cancer cells in our tumor staging examinations. The tracer injected to a patient in a PET-CT scan is ideal for diagnosing prostate cancer as it targets the surface of cancer cells or bone metastases with increased metabolism, and the radioactive radiation determines the tracer’s specific location in the imaging examination.

Docrates uses tracers that are ideal for prostate cancer, F-PSMA (prostate specific membrane antigen) and sodium fluoride (NaF). The former and the latter are used to examine the overall staging and bone tumor staging of the cancer, respectively. The advantage of F-PSMA over previously applied tracers is its sensitivity. The tracer targets the surface structures of prostate cancer cell membranes, which increases the accuracy of detecting metastases. This means that it is ideal for detecting the recurrence of the cancer after a surgery or radiotherapy even if the patient’s PSA value is very low and beginning the treatment of the recurrent cancer at as early a stage as possible.

Why choose Docrates for the treatment of prostate cancer?

• Experienced leading experts of prostate cancer
• Accurate and individual diagnostics
• Urologists, oncologists, radiologists and nuclear medicine specialists under one roof – comprehensive insight
• Individually customised radiotherapy
• Finland’s most extensive experience in prostate HDR brachytherapy, a form of targeted interstitial radiotherapy

Quick access to treatment and satisfied patients

• Diagnosis and treatment without delay
• The entire treatment is coordinated under one roof
• Designated personal doctor and primary nurse
• Easy to access (tram, metro and bus lines), free parking spaces
• Over 90% of all patients are extremely satisfied