No Side Effects.
No Cancer.
No Prostate.
Five years after having his prostate removed, Michael F. is healthy and continues being active.
In 2014, 64-year-old Michael F., a resident of south Orange County, was feeling well at his routine physical with his primary care physician, Kenneth Kazenelson, M.D., of MemorialCare Medical Group. However, his lab results came back with an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level.
PSA is a protein that is produced only by prostate cells and its level can be detected by a simple blood test. Prostate cancer causes elevation in PSA levels because cancerous cells leak more PSA than healthy cells. There are many benign causes of an elevated PSA, including advanced age, inflammation, or infections, so it’s always important to follow up with a specialist.
Michael’s physician referred him to Don Bui, M.D., urologist at Orange Coast Medical Center. After an ultrasound-guided biopsy, Dr. Bui determined that Michael had very low-risk prostate cancer and the best approach was active surveillance. He enjoyed two good years of monitoring before the cancer progressed to moderate risk and treatment was advised.
“Michael made a good choice by deciding to go in for an annual screening,” Dr. Bui says. “Though there have been changing recommendations for PSA screenings, we understand the biology of the cancer better today than ever before. We treat the aggressive cancer equally, but safely treat the slower-growing cancers more conservatively.”
Robotic-assisted surgery
The prostate is one of the most difficult organs to operate due to its location deep in the pelvis and the delicate structures around it. Dr. Bui presented the options to Michael, explaining the procedure in detail, and though Michael was inclined toward surgery, he was afraid of the risks, including incontinence and sexual impotence.
Robotic assistance greatly improves visibility and accuracy of the surgeon. Operating through small incisions, the system uses a high-definition, 3D camera, which offers the surgeon significantly more visibility. In addition, there are fully articulating tools that the surgeon controls inside the patient. For Michael, that meant less pain and blood loss, and a faster recovery.
“I had some pain and weakness for a few days,” says Michael. “But having my prostate removed was the right choice considering the outcome: absolutely no issues, no chemotherapy and no radiation. I’ve been healthy for almost five years.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 9 will develop prostate cancer, though rarely before age 40.
The average age at diagnosis is 66.
Orange Coast Medical Center’s oncology program provides high-quality care and support to patients with a multidisciplinary team of experts, navigation and various support services. Visit memorialcare.org/CancerCare to learn more.
Lung Cancer Screenings
MemorialCare provides this preventative health screening that may help to save lives.
Lung cancer has consistently been the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, claiming an average of 135,000 lives each year. Orange Coast Medical Center, a Lung Cancer Screening Center of Excellence, offers low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans, which may improve patient outcomes through early detection.
Providing high-definition views of the lungs – in slices as thin as one millimeter or as a 3D composite – LDCT scans allow radiologists to find cancer at its earliest stages, when treatment may be more successful.
“Lung screening is critical for detecting early cancer in high-risk individuals,” says Thomas Asciuto, M.D., medical director of critical care and respiratory care services at Orange Coast Medical Center.
Patients who meet all of the following criteria are eligible for an LDCT scan:
55 to 77 years of age
Current or former smokers who quit within the last 15 years
Have a smoking history of at least one pack of cigarettes per day for 30 years
“Many people are afraid to come to the Imaging Center at Orange Coast Medical Center for a lung cancer screening, given the current COVID-19 climate. The health of patients and staff are our utmost concern, so we consistently follow strict sanitizing and safety guidelines each and every day," says Robin Philips, RN, M.S.N., B.S.N., P.H.N., oncology nurse navigator at Orange Coast Medical Center. “If screenings are deferred, cancer might be discovered at a later stage when it’s less treatable.”
To schedule your lung screening, please call (714) 378-7650. Click here to listen to a podcast by Robin Philips and learn more about lung screenings.
Smoking damages the airways and lungs, may increase the severity of pulmonary infections, and accounts for 85 percent of lung cancer cases. Orange Coast Medical Center offers Smoking Cessation classes in affiliation with the American Lung Association. To learn more, refer to the Classes and Events section or call (714) 378-7650.
Make the one choice that takes care of everything.
Choose MemorialCare.
Life is full of surprises. That’s why we’re here. Choose MemorialCare this open enrollment for leading healthcare when and where you need it. With access to virtual or in-person care from nationally renowned experts at more than 200 locations from the South Bay to San Clemente. After all, you can’t predict life’s surprises. But you can prepare for them.
Find a doctor with our easy-to-use “Find a Provider” tool at choosememorialcare.org.
Call 877-MYMEMCARE (696-3622) to speak to our navigation center experts about your options.
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Specializing in internal medicine and family medicine for almost 60 years, Edinger Medical Group has successfully embraced healthcare changes to provide the best, coordinated care to its patients in good health and in times of crisis. Edinger Medical Group continues to strive for their goal to keep in touch with patients during this time to ensure their health and safety needs are always being met.
Despite the COVID-19 crisis, Edinger Medical Group is still caring for the community through its secure patient portal, 24-hour on-call physicians, video visits and in-office appointments with extra precautions in place. Edinger Medical Group created ways for patients to stay connected to their healthcare provider, both from the safety of their homes and when they’re ready to get back into the office.
Edinger Medical Group is pleased to announce the arrival of two internal medicine physicians from LAC+USC Medical Center, Victor Lin, M.D., and Janice Rivelle, M.D. The entire physician and support team are eager to welcome them into the Edinger Medical Group family.
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(714) 965-2500 | edingermedicalgroup.com
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