Men’s Health - GP Active Learning Day

Left to right: Dr James MacKean with Dr Boon Kua at the Wesley Men’s Health ALM

The Wesley Hospital recently hosted a Men’s Health Active Learning Day for doctors on Saturday 27 August 2016. The event was very well attended with a presentation by specialist Radiation Oncologist Dr James MacKean - ‘Radiation Treatment in Prostate Cancer – What’s New?’

The event was the perfect avenue to showcase SpaceOAR, a procedure to implant a temporary spacer between the prostate and rectum prior to receiving radiation therapy to reduce the potential for radiation induced rectal side effects. SpaceOAR has been used at Genesis CancerCare site Radiation Oncology Victoria for 3 years and is now available for Queensland patients.

The SpaceOAR is placed by a urologist during the same procedure as gold fiducial marker seeds (used for positioning the prostate during radiation therapy treatment) are placed. The hydrogel maintains the space throughout treatment and then liquefies as it is cleared from the body.

James’ presentation was very well received by GP’s.  Extra copies of the discussion paper were requested showcasing key findings from the latest editorial from the Journal of Clinical Oncology Volume 34 – Number 23 August 10. 2016 Stacey Loeb, New York University, New York – titled Evidence-Based Versus Personalized Prostate Cancer Screening: Using Baseline Prostate-Specific Antigen Measurements to Individualize Screening.

Where should we go from here?

In 2012, the US Preventive Services Task Force issued a grade D recommendation against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for men of all ages. Early data suggest that this has been associated with a reduction in the diagnosis of low-risk disease but the proportion of high-risk cases has increased. Mathematical models project that abandoning screening altogether, as suggested, would eliminate over diagnosis but also would result in a doubling of patients presenting with metastatic disease and a 13% to 20% increase in prostate cancer deaths by 2025. Thus, completely eliminating screening is not a good option, because it will also reverse the substantial progress that has been made in reducing suffering and death from advanced disease.” If you would like a copy of the editorial, please call Fiona Humphreys on 07 3326 9512.

Dr James MacKean (MBBS, FRANZCR) is a specialist Radiation Oncologist based at GCCQ Wesley and Chermside Centres. He has a particular interest in all aspects of the management of prostate cancer, including prostate brachytherapy in both High and Low dose rate procedures.

Urological surgeon Dr Boon Kua presented on “PSA Screening for Prostate Cancer-Should we still be screening?” Dr Kua is now offering insertion of SpaceOAR for Prostate Radiation Therapy patients treated at Genesis CancerCare. His offices are located at The Wesley Hospital - http://www.urobriz.com.au/

Left to right: Radiation Oncologist Dr Gail Tsang from GCCQ with Urological Surgeon Dr Rachel Esler

Left to Right: Damian Walker from Bayer with Cardiologist Dr Vagish Singh

Dr Nick Brown - Vascular and Interventional Radiologist