Healthy You: United Regional’s new technology helps detect prostate cancer in early stages

When it comes to detecting cancer, you want the fastest detection possible in order to treat it accurately and in a timely manner, and that is exactly what United Regional Health Care System aims to do by having the latest and greatest technology to help better diagnose a patient with cancer.

This month’s Healthy You takes you inside United Regional’s radiology department to show how the newly introduced Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) PET Scans are paving the way for medical advancements.

For United Regional’s Director of Radiology, Mark Wright, early detection of a disease could be the difference between life and death, and that’s why they rely on the newly acquired PSMA PET scans.

“PSMA is an antigen. That is a protein cell in the prostate. And it attaches at the molecular level, where FDG scans we’ve been doing for over a decade attach at the metabolic level. So basically, on the PSMA, it’s just a much more specific scan for prostate cancer that allows us to have earlier detection. And for smaller, smaller cancerous tumors,” Wright said.

And ultimately allowing them to monitor and track the prostate cancer in a patient to see if it’s spreading.

“Once the diagnosis of prostate cancer is made, then we will try to get the scan that will help us to see if the cancer is localized to the prostate, or if it has spread to any other parts in the body, like lymph nodes, bones, or any visual organs. That way, the staging of the cancer is different, so depending on the stage, we can tailor the treatments to the patient’s stage,” Dr. Reddy said.

And while United Regional has had the capability to perform FDG scans, United Regional Oncologist Dr. Praveen Reddy said this technology will allow patients to stay closer to home.

“It’s very important to have the PSMA PET Scan locally. It is good for the patients in the community who are diagnosed. Prostate cancer, which is a very common cancer in males, does not need to travel to the Metroplex for this staging purpose,” Dr. Reddy said.

While helping ease the patient’s mind, especially during one of the roughest times of their life.

We’ve continued to advance that technology to get quick determination of early cancer diagnoses. So patients get in with their providers and schedule a plan to ensure a better quality of life treatment, intervention and ultimately, put them at peace of mind,” Wright said.

And much faster now, thanks to United Regional’s ongoing upgrades and technological advancements.

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