Joshua Halpern,

MD

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Halpern click here.

Types and Typical Victims of Prostate Cancer

Most forms of the disease progress slowly and are highly treatable. However, prostate cancer is deadly, and it kills quickly. Once a patient’s cancer reaches its fourth and final stage, however, the five-year survival rate is is a dismal 29%.

Two groups of males are particularly susceptible to prostate cancer: those over the age of 70, and African-American men. The latter are 1.6 times more likely to develop the disease than white males, and 2.6 times more likely to experience prostate cancer than Asian-American men.

Prostate Cancer: Symptoms and Diagnosis

Most alarming is that many patients with the disease don’t experience any symptoms. Experts like Dr. Joshua Halpern of the Accord Physicians Group recommends that all males, especially African-Americans, be screened regularly for prostate cancer by a doctor once they reach age 40.

Dr. Halpern is a certified radiation oncologist who received his oncology training at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center, the nation’s leading cancer treatment center. He has treated all forms of cancer for more than 40 years, and has had hands-on experience with thousands of prostate cancer patients. He explains the processes that urologists use to diagnose and confirm the disease.

The first step in the rigorous process of diagnosing prostate cancer is to draw blood and conduct a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test. PSA is a protein naturally produced in men’s prostate glands, and abnormally-high PSA levels may indicate the presence of prostate cancer, although they could also be signs of other prostate issues such as inflammation or enlargement.

Normal levels of the protein are usually in the 0.0-4.0 range. But once the PSA levels are greater than 4.0, Dr. Halpern says, the normal procedure is to recommend a biopsy during which a small section of prostate tissue is removed and examined for signs of cancer.

Dr. Halpern explains that if the biopsy results are positive for prostate cancer, the next step is to consult a radiation oncologist. At Accord Physicians Group, he and his fellow physicians  work in close collaboration to decide on a course of action.

Prostate Cancer Treatment 

Dr. Halpern is one of the first oncologists to use a form of treatment, called Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT). It is completely non-invasive, and involves 45 ten-minute sessions during which a short beam of radiation is targeted directly at the inside of the prostate. “Published reports on IMRT/IGRT radiation, with careful administration, have shown the best results and the lowest toxicity,” says Dr. Halpern. “In our experience, tumor control is very high and tolerance to our treatment is nearly universal.”

Excellent results of the cancer control as well as the low side effect profile are due to the fascinating physics of this radiation therapy.  The plan that's used to deliver the radiotherapy is individually and specifically designed for each person.  It take into account the differences that all people have in relation to their size, muscle to body fat ratio and the physical size of the prostate and the surrounding organs.  It also takes into consideration any anatomic changes that may have occurred due to previous pelvic surgeries, trauma and anatomic abnormalities such as inguinal hernias.   After this detailed plan is complete, the treatment therapy begins.  On a daily basis during the therapy, the equipment and the technician who delivers the radiation performs a daily minute adjustment to precisely deliver the radiotherapy despite differences such as contents of the colon and the amount of urine in the bladder at the time of treatment. 

Once IGRT therapy has been completed, the patient usually exhibits dramatically lower PSA levels, indicating that the cancer is either gone or is fully in remission. In the occasional case when PSA levels remain extremely high, the oncologist will meet regularly with the patient to track progress and discuss options. All medical personnel at Accord Physicians Group have received special training to ensure the patient’s comfort during and after treatment, and to respectfully and compassionately assist him with the emotional effects of a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Accord Physicians Group and Prostate Cancer

Dr. Halpern states, “Over the last ten years we treated hundreds of prostate cancer patients at Accord Physicians.”  He elaborates, that “Our cure and remission rates are between 93 and 95% over this ten year period, and our side effect profile is well below the national average.”

Dr. Halpern urges all men – particularly African-American men over the age of 40 – to be screened regularly for prostate cancer.