The most advanced prostate cancer treatments in your area.

We have the most experienced robotic surgeons in the mid-Atlantic region with over 4,000 robotic cases since 2003. In fact, we’re among the top providers in the region to perform prostate cancer surgery. We’re proud to offer innovative, minimally invasive treatments, such as:

• Pelvic Fascia Sparing Robotic Radical Prostatectomy: We are a national leader in the Pelvic Fascia Sparing Robotic Radical Prostatectomy procedure. This treatment can significantly reduce the risk of urinary incontinence, expedite your healing process and improve quality of life without compromising outcomes.
• Athermal Nerve Sparing Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy (NS-RALP): Used to treat early-stage prostate cancer in sexually active men, this option offers less side effects and excellent trifecta outcomes.
• Cryoablation: This minimally invasive interventional radiology procedure uses extreme cold to freeze and kill abnormal cancerous and precancerous cells.
• High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU): Performed using “heated” sound waves, this treatment kills cancer cells with minimum side effects.

Our radiation oncologists have an incomparable set of tools available to deliver your radiation treatment plan.

• Brachytherapy: An advanced cancer treatment in which radioactive materials (known as seeds or sources) are placed inside the body, giving a high radiation dose to the tumor while reducing the radiation exposure to adjacent healthy tissues.
• CyberKnife®: This painless, non-invasive procedure allows us to precisely target the affected area for maximum success in as few as 5 treatments versus 40 treatments. We were first on the east coast to offer CyberKnife technology, so our physicians offer unmatched expertise and experience.
  
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• The Edge® Radiosurgery System: Ideal for difficult to reach tumors, the Edge® uses precision beam sculpting and a real-time tracking system to deliver large, targeted doses of radiation from many different angles.
• Elekta Infinity System: Requiring fewer treatment sessions, the Elekta Infinity System targets tumors more precisely and delivers a higher dose of radiation. In some cases, patient treatment times are reduced to as few as two minutes.
• Halcyon™: We were the first in the region to offer this leading-edge radiation therapy which precisely targets the tumor while providing treatment in half the time.
• Proton therapy: We were the first facility in the world to offer proton therapy with HYPERSCAN™ technology, the latest and most precise form of proton therapy. Using pencil beam scanning (PBS) technology, the radiation is “painted” on the tumor layer-by-layer, but stops at the target, sparing normal, healthy surrounding tissue.
• Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT): This non-invasive treatment delivers precisely targeted radiation in fewer high doses compared to traditional therapy.

Active surveillance monitors your cancer closely with regular doctor visits that may include prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests, physical exams, biopsies, and imaging tests. Many men who are diagnosed with low and favorable intermediate prostate cancer are excellent candidates for active surveillance. At MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute, we offer a comprehensive Active Surveillance program including genetic testing for eligible candidates.

Hormonal therapy: Hormonal therapy is the cornerstone of the treatment of advanced prostate cancer; either metastatic prostate cancer—cancer that has spread beyond the gland—or other advanced presentations. Hormonal therapy is also used in combination with other treatments.

Chemotherapy: There are now effective chemotherapy drugs used in combination with hormonal therapy that prolong survival by causing prostate cancer to regress.

Immunotherapy and other targeted therapies: Our researchers and physicians are leading the way in developing innovative therapies that bring new hope to cancer patients. This includes immunotherapy that retrains a patient’s own immune system (white blood cells) to recognize and destroy prostate cancer cells as well as other targeted therapies that target some specific gene mutations to kill cancer cells.

As part of our network, you’ll also have access to:

• BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genetic testing
• Survivorship programs aimed at improving quality of life
• Reconstructive urologists who can help you avoid dysfunction/sexual dysfunction or regain function
• Mental health counseling to help you cope with the psychosocial aspects of your diagnosis
• Nutritionists
• Social workers
• Palliative care
• Financial guidance

Whether your treatment plan includes surgery, radiation therapy, clinical trials, or other support services, everything you need is offered within the Institute. And those options are expanding every day, with new therapies and research continually rolling out across the organization.

We have over 20 physicians and advanced practitioners dedicated to prostate cancer care in the Washington, D.C., region. A full team of caring and compassionate providers, including urologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and surgeons, will work together to ensure your treatment plan is right for your unique cancer.

We treat the whole person. We’ll be here to support you and your family every step of the way. During this time, it’s only natural to have questions or concerns. Our physicians will communicate directly with you.

In the United States, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, except for skin cancer, but when caught early, the prognosis is one of the best among all other cancers. 98% of people diagnosed with prostate cancer have a 5-year survival rate.

We currently have many clinical trials for advanced prostate cancer through the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. For localized, non-metastatic prostate cancer, we have a trial comparing outcomes between two robotic prostatectomy techniques (PARTIAL trial) as well as a trial comparing two methods of prostate biopsy (TREXIT and PREVENT2 trials)

Yes

This is very difficult to answer as there is a wide spectrum of prostate cancer, from low risk, in which your risk of death is extremely low over 10-15 years without treatment to high risk, in which death within 5 years is likely without treatment. Again, it is best to review all aspects of your cancer diagnosis with a physician to give you the most accurate prediction of your prognosis. The good news is that if prostate cancer is found early, it is very rarely lethal if treated appropriately.

Sexual and urinary function outcomes depend on many factors. Both are affected by most treatments but in different ways. Most urinary symptoms are temporary for both surgery and radiation, but sexual function has wide variations based not only on treatment but also age and health of the patient. It is best to have a consultation with a urologist to discuss each individual’s likely outcome.

Minimizing and managing any possible side effects, like incontinence and erectile dysfunction, is of the utmost importance. That's why we offer technically-complex robotic surgeries and the latest in radiation and targeted therapies that preserve healthy tissue and nerves. As a result, many men report fewer impacts on their urinary, bowel, and sexual function.