Advancements in Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Give Providers and Patients New Tools

If you had to guess which cancer took the most lives in America, what would your guess be?

“Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer in the U.S. for both women and men since 1986,” said Dr. Daniel Miller. Dr. Miller is the chief of thoracic surgery and the director of the Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center lung cancer screening program.

About 80% of lung cancer cases are associated with cigarette smoking, including secondhand smoke. Unfortunately, when symptoms begin showing, the cancer has already spread, making treatment very time-sensitive. When a patient is diagnosed, their care team typically includes not just one, but four doctors: a thoracic surgeon, an interventional pulmonologist, a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist. There are many benefits to having a large care team, but a huge drawback can be the wait time between appointments with each doctor.

“When you have cancer, you want to be seen now and be treated now,” Dr. Miller said.

The speed of treatment time for patients is what inspired the creation of the Thoracic-Oncology NOW (New Oncology Workgroup) Clinic at Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center. The multidisciplinary clinic is staffed by specialized physicians in the treatment of thoracic malignancies. 

The clinic treats not just lung cancer, but also esophageal cancer, metastatic disease to the lungs and malignant pleural effusions.

“You’re cutting back on treatment time, waiting time, travel time and, more importantly, you have a group of doctors, rather than a doctor, who are talking about your care,” said Hematologist and Oncologist Dr. Girinda Raval.

The clinic operates on Wednesdays and acts as a one-stop shop for patients, saving their time and the time of their loved ones who join them for treatments. Patients also have access to Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center’s registered dietitians and social workers, along with a scheduler, financial personnel and medical assistants, creating one large care team ready to help them on their treatment journey.

“There is a degree of reassurance for the patient that there is a team who are all engrossed in caring for that patient,” Dr. Raval said.

To learn more about the Thoracic-Oncology NOW Clinic or make an appointment, call (706) 721-6744 for more information.

Kathy DeJoseph delights in making and giving away thousands of soft and cheerful hats to Wellstar cancer patients through a nonprofit she founded called Happy Caps. It’s all in the name of bringing a little light and comfort to people during a hard time.

Where did the idea come from? It started with Kathy’s own lung cancer diagnosis.

A commitment to yearly lung cancer screening

A cancer survivor for more than a decade, Kathy said regular lung cancer screenings were the key to her survival. With a long history of smoking and growing up around relatives who smoked, she decided to join an early detection lung cancer study at Wellstar.

Even though she felt fine and had no symptoms, committing to the study meant having an annual low-dose CT scan every year. After several years of clean scans with no signs of lung cancer, Kathy told a nurse that she was going to quit. But the nurse persuaded her to come in for another screening.

“Thank goodness she did,” Kathy said. “I was diagnosed the very next day.”

Quick and efficient treatment at the STAT Clinic

Being a part of the study and getting screened early allowed Kathy to move immediately to Wellstar Lung Cancer STAT Clinic at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center.

STAT stands for Specialty Teams and Treatment, highlighting the collaboration of multiple cancer experts. Together, they come to a consensus on a treatment plan and meet with the patient on the same day. This puts the patients at the center of their care plan, allowing them and their families to get immediate answers to questions, make decisions and start treatment faster.

“The biggest benefit for me with the way the STAT Clinic works is that I didn’t have to worry about whether the doctors had actually talked to each other,” Kathy said. “They’d come in one after another and tell me what they thought from their expertise.”

Immediate communication and mutual agreement among medical experts mean treatment plans are established and started faster, which is proven to improve long-term survival. On average, it takes 60 to 90 days from the time of diagnosis to treatment in the U.S. With the STAT Clinic at Wellstar, patients go from diagnosis to treatment in 14 to 20 days.

Kathy’s treatment started quickly—she had a lung biopsy the day after her STAT Clinic appointment and started chemotherapy a week later.

“I wasn’t as terrified for as long as most people are because I had answers within a short period of time,” Kathy remembered.

She had surgery once she completed chemotherapy. Throughout the process, she had the support of an entire cancer team, including a medical oncologist, a lung cancer surgeon, a pulmonologist and a nurse navigator.

By Dr. Al Ray, Wellstar urologist

If you’re experiencing urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, you’re not alone—and effective treatment is available.

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition in which the prostate gland becomes enlarged. Using advanced laser technology, HoLEP helps remove prostate tissue that blocks urine flow, providing lasting relief from uncomfortable urinary symptoms.

Understanding BPH

The prostate is a small gland located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. As men age, it can enlarge and obstruct the urethra—the tube that carries urine out of the body.

This can lead to symptoms such as:

• Frequent urination
• Difficulty starting or stopping urination
• Weak urine stream
• Urinary retention (feeling that the bladder doesn’t completely empty)

How HoLEP works

During HoLEP, your surgeon uses a holmium laser—a precise and powerful tool—to carefully remove the prostate tissue causing the blockage.

The tissue is separated into sections (called lobes), broken into smaller pieces and removed from the bladder. Because the procedure is performed entirely through the urethra, no external incisions are needed—making it less invasive than traditional surgery.

Benefits of HoLEP

HoLEP offers several important benefits, including:

• Less bleeding: The laser minimizes bleeding, making it a safer option for many patients, including those on blood thinners.
• Lasting results: Studies show HoLEP provides durable relief of BPH symptoms, with a recurrence rate of less than 1%.
• Stronger urinary flow: Most patients notice significant improvement in urinary flow and comfort.
• Effective for large prostates: HoLEP works well for men with larger prostates that may not be suitable for other minimally invasive procedures.

What to expect

Knowing what to expect before, during and after your procedure can help you feel prepared and confident. Your care team will guide you every step of the way.

• Anesthesia: HoLEP is performed under general anesthesia.
• Procedure time: Typically lasts one to two hours
• Hospital stay: Most patients go home the same day.
• Recovery: Some mild discomfort or urinary symptoms—such as frequent urination, temporary incontinence or urgency—may occur for a few weeks while healing.

After surgery, a catheter may be placed for one to two days to help with urination while your prostate heals. It’s normal to see a small amount of blood in your urine during this time. Once the catheter is removed in the office, many patients no longer need medication to manage prostate symptoms.

While rare, potential risks include infection, temporary urinary incontinence or urethral stricture (narrowing of the urethra). Most men recover fully and experience excellent long-term results.

Is HoLEP right for you?

HoLEP may be a good option if you have moderate to severe BPH symptoms that haven’t improved with medication, or if you have a larger prostate that isn’t suitable for other procedures.

It’s a safe, highly effective way to relieve symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate—with no incisions, minimal bleeding and a faster recovery.

To learn more about prostate care and other urology services, visit wellstar.org/urology.