Skip Navigation
Book Now! Find care near you Find care near you Find care near you
wellstar-logo
Wellstar Go Back
Go to MyChart

Questions? We can help!

Call (770) 956-STAR (7827)

Monday - Friday, 7 AM - 4:30 PM

Contact Us
For Patients & Families For the Community For Providers About Us Careers
  • Start Your Care

  • Find a Doctor
  • Find a Location
  • Our Services
  • Virtual Visits
  • Planning

  • Accepted Insurance
  • Financial Assistance
  • Pricing Information
  • Before Your Visit

  • Sign Up for MyChart
  • Visitation Guidelines
  • Know Where to Go
  • While You're Here

  • Support & Entertainment
  • Join an Event
  • After Your Visit

  • Pay Your Bill
  • Get Medical Records
  • Contact us
  • COVID-19 Support

  • COVID-19 Information
  • Vaccines
  • Testing Information
  • Visitation Updates
  • Foundation Relief
  • Community Health

  • In the Community
  • Health Highlights
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Latest News
  • Center for Health Equity
  • Events & Programs

  • Events Calendar
  • On-Demand Classes
  • Support Groups
  • Give

  • Wellstar Foundation
  • Donate
  • Ways to Give
  • Thank a Caregiver
  • West Georgia
    Health Foundation
  • Volunteer

  • For Adults
  • Care

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Cures Act
  • Refer a Patient
  • Lab Test Directory
  • Request to Conduct Research
  • Connect

  • Physician Relations
  • Request Imaging Services
  • Wellstar Clinical Partners
  • Wellstar Medical Group
  • Mayo Clinic Care Network
  • Medical Staff Services Credentialing
  • Provider Recruitment
  • Log In

  • EpicCare Link
  • Lawson Connect
  • MyID Password Reset
  • Citrix Access
  • Leadership

  • Authority Board
  • Board Of Trustees
  • Foundation Board
  • Regional Health Boards
  • Executive Leadership
  • Awards, Recognition & Safety

  • Accreditation & Certifications
  • Awards & Recognition
  • Safety First Program
  • Nursing
  • Careers at Wellstar

  • Apply now
  • Upcoming virtual events
  • Why Wellstar?
  • Nursing Careers

  • Nursing (Direct Care)
  • Nursing Leadership
  • Nursing (Non-bedside)
  • Nursing Support
  • Physician, APP & Clinical Careers

  • Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)
  • Allied Health Professionals
  • Homecare & Hospice
  • Physicians
  • Support Team Careers

  • Administrative & Clerical
  • Coding, Compliance & HIM Systems
  • Facility, Environmental & Nutrition/Food Services
  • Information Technology & Systems
  • For Patients & Families
  • For the Community
  • For Providers
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Search Search Search
  • MyChart MyChart MyChart

Start Your Care

Find a DoctorFind a LocationOur ServicesVirtual Visits

Planning

Accepted InsuranceFinancial AssistancePricing Information

Before Your Visit

Sign Up for MyChartVisitation GuidelinesKnow Where to Go

While You're Here

Support & EntertainmentJoin an Event

After Your Visit

Pay Your BillGet Medical RecordsContact us

COVID-19 Support

COVID-19 InformationVaccinesTesting InformationVisitation UpdatesFoundation Relief

Community Health

In the CommunityHealth HighlightsCommunity Health Needs AssessmentLatest NewsCenter for Health Equity

Events & Programs

Events CalendarOn-Demand ClassesSupport Groups

Give

Wellstar FoundationDonateWays to GiveThank a CaregiverWest Georgia
Health Foundation

Volunteer

For Adults

Care

Transfer a PatientCures ActRefer a PatientLab Test DirectoryRequest to Conduct Research

Connect

Physician RelationsRequest Imaging ServicesWellstar Clinical PartnersWellstar Medical GroupMayo Clinic Care NetworkMedical Staff Services CredentialingProvider Recruitment

Log In

EpicCare LinkLawson ConnectMyID Password ResetCitrix Access
About Wellstar

Our patients are the center of everything we do. We're nationally ranked and locally recognized for our high-quality care, inclusive culture, exceptional doctors and caregivers, and one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia.

About Us

Leadership

Authority BoardBoard Of TrusteesFoundation BoardRegional Health BoardsExecutive Leadership

Awards, Recognition & Safety

Accreditation & CertificationsAwards & RecognitionSafety First ProgramNursing

Careers at Wellstar

Apply nowUpcoming virtual eventsWhy Wellstar?

Nursing Careers

Nursing (Direct Care)Nursing LeadershipNursing (Non-bedside)Nursing Support

Physician, APP & Clinical Careers

Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)Allied Health ProfessionalsHomecare & HospicePhysicians

Support Team Careers

Administrative & ClericalCoding, Compliance & HIM SystemsFacility, Environmental & Nutrition/Food ServicesInformation Technology & Systems
Questions? We can help!

Call (770) 956-STAR (7827)

Monday - Friday, 7 AM - 4:30 PM

Contact Us
Close
  • Urgent Care
  • Primary Care
  • Virtual Care
  • Emergency Care
Close Close Close Book Now Menu
  • Urgent Care
  • Primary Care
  • Virtual Care
  • Emergency Care

Introducing

Wellstar Virtual Care

Access Wellstar healthcare providers
wherever you are.

Get started

Warning Warning Our "Book Now" feature should not be used for life threatening conditions such as heart attack, severe injury, poisoning, chest pain, or stroke. If you are experiencing such conditions, STOP and CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or visit your nearest Emergency Department.

I Understand
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Are You Ready to Take Charge of Your Prostate Health?
Article Category: Highlights

Are You Ready to Take Charge of Your Prostate Health?

Published on September 12, 2023

Last updated 10:09 PM September 12, 2023

Physician talking to a male patient

To live life to the fullest, men need to keep a pulse on their health stats, including their prostate numbers. Regular well checks and prostate cancer screenings with a primary care physician or urologist can identify prostate conditions—like prostate cancer—early, leading to better outcomes and higher long-term survival.

Partnering with a Wellstar doctor now means that if you are diagnosed later, you’ll have a team of prostate specialists in your court who are ready to support you faster.

For example, if you have prostate-related symptoms or an elevated PSA, our Prostate Health Program offers patients access to the least invasive and most advanced testing and treatment options. Plus, patients who are diagnosed with prostate cancer will have a multidisciplinary team to provide treatment options. If needed, men can have non-invasive monitoring, minimally invasive robotic surgery or highly targeted radiation therapy at Wellstar—all of which minimize side effects compared to traditional treatments.

A better approach to prostate health

Wellstar created the Prostate Health Program to offer men a safe place to discuss sensitive health topics with less anxiety. 

One benefit of seeking care at Wellstar is that the team will minimize uncomfortable testing while giving you a best-in-class evaluation that delivers clear results. And you’ll have access to advanced genetic testing. If diagnosed with prostate cancer, patients have immediate access to a team of specialists working together to create the most personalized treatment plan.

“One great benefit of the Wellstar Prostate Program is our multidisciplinary approach to prostate care,” said Wellstar Urologist Dr. Adarsh Manjunath. “We work closely with radiation and medical oncologists to provide holistic care to our patients. The collective expertise and communication between everyone involved optimizes patient well-being.”

At the first appointment, patients meet with a urologist and a nurse navigator. Navigators help bridge the gap between office visits and medical tests. They’ll facilitate scheduling any appointments that are needed, help patients prepare and arrange any follow-up care that may be needed.

Today’s treatments offer fewer side effects

Once diagnosed, patients have immediate access to a multidisciplinary team of prostate experts. They want what’s best for you and work together to help you understand your diagnosis and personalized care options. Because not all prostate cancers are the same, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. 

One great benefit of the Wellstar Prostate Program is our multidisciplinary approach to prostate care. We work closely with radiation and medical oncologists to provide holistic care to our patients. The collective expertise and communication between everyone involved optimizes patient well-being.

- Dr. Adarsh Manjunath, Wellstar Urologist

Today’s treatments offer fewer side effects

Once diagnosed, patients have immediate access to a multidisciplinary team of prostate experts. They want what’s best for you and work together to help you understand your diagnosis and personalized care options. Because not all prostate cancers are the same, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment.

The latest in robotic surgery

Wellstar is on the cutting edge of surgical technology. Robotic prostatectomy allows an experienced urologist to guide a robot and remove the prostate. This outpatient procedure is available at multiple Wellstar locations, shortens a patient’s time in surgery and hastens recovery.

Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center recently upgraded to the da Vinci Single Port robot, the latest advancement in robotic surgery. Beyond great precision and control of surgical movements, the da Vinci SP allows a surgeon to operate from a single port—and through one small incision—rather than four. Patients experience even less scarring and pain as a result.

“It’s like a plumber carrying his tool belt into the crawl space of your home rather than cutting multiple holes in your floor to replace the pipes,” said Dr. Scott Miller, MD, a Wellstar urologist. “Surgery has gone so far beyond precision—it’s all about minimizing trauma to the surrounding healthy tissues.”
 

Advanced radiation therapy technology

Wellstar also offers a variety of state-of-the-art radiotherapies that limit exposure of the healthy tissue and lessen side effects. Treatments range from brachytherapy, small radiotherapy seeds implanted into the prostate, to targeted radiation therapy. Some types of radiation therapies are paired with SpaceOAR Vue Hydrogel technology, which lowers the impact of treatment on urinary, sexual and bowel function. Wellstar was the first system in Georgia to offer this option to patients with prostate cancer.

“Before treatment, we use a special gel to improve outcomes for our patients,” said Radiation Oncologist Dr. Robert Taylor. In typical men, the rectum touches the prostate. The SpaceOAR Hydrogel separates them, so radiation can be delivered—sometimes in much higher doses—causing fewer side effects.”
 

Active surveillance

Patients diagnosed with low-grade, early-stage prostate cancer may choose to monitor its progress with their doctor. More than 70% of Wellstar patients with low-risk prostate cancer choose this option. Should the cancer change over time, other treatment options are discussed.

Make a Prostate Health Program appointment

Our team is here to help you manage and monitor your prostate health so you can keep living life to the fullest for years to come. Find a location near you and schedule an appointment today. 

Tags

Adarsh Manjunath Robert B Taylor Jr Scott David Miller
Mens Health Cancer Care
Related Articles
Greg Rodgers with his wife ringing the cancer bell

PeopleCare

GregCare

Picture a big swath of land out in West Georgia. It’s a little wild and a little cultivated, but it’s well cared for thanks to the Rodgers.

“My wife and I are blessed to live on this land,” Greg Rodgers said. “God instructs us to be good stewards of the land and we are dedicated to doing just that. We’re always mowing, planting and tending to fallen trees.”

Photo collage of Greg Rodgers on a tractor and his land

Much like their acreage, Greg sees his body as something that deserves to be maintained with care. And he’s an advocate that other men do the same. Seeing a doctor regularly and getting screened can help identify conditions earlier so they’re more treatable. Greg learned that from his personal experience with prostate cancer, and the team at Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center who helped him overcome it.

“It’s not so much my story as the story of the professionals at Wellstar—they’re tremendous people,” he said.

The right tests for an accurate diagnosis

Prostate health is not something to ignore. Greg understands this now after a routine PSA test—a simple blood test—came back abnormal in 2020. When PSA levels are checked regularly and rise over time, they can be a sign of prostate cancer.

Because of his elevated PSA, Greg began monitoring his prostate health and eventually, connected with Wellstar Urologist Dr. Richard Jadick in LaGrange. Dr. Jadick performed a UroNav fusion biopsy to investigate his climbing PSA. During the procedure, an MRI helps accurately target the biopsy location. This biopsy has a low false negative rate, meaning the results are more trustworthy than in the past. Greg’s results came back positive for prostate cancer.

Pursuing personalized, expert care

Because every case of prostate cancer is different, there are a range of options for treating it, from active surveillance (monitoring with imaging) to advanced treatments like robotic surgery and targeted radiation therapy that have fewer side effects than traditional treatments. 

Greg and Dr. Jadick discussed several options, but before Greg made any decisions, Dr. Jadick recommended he see Dr. Robert Taylor, a Wellstar radiation oncologist. 

Greg remembers having reservations about radiation therapy. But once he arrived for the appointment, he felt immediately at ease. “Dr. Taylor is a quiet, confident person with a kind smile,” he said. “He was really good at explaining everything, going through studies and the different procedures. He’s so methodical, so good at answering questions and so patient.”

The option they settled on was a high dose of targeted radiation aimed at the prostate during a shorter treatment course (20 days versus 44). A newer technology called SpaceOAR Hydrogel would separate the rectum from the prostate during treatment, preventing unnecessary radiation exposure—and side effects.

“When it comes to choosing the right treatment, everything is a balance between the risk level and a variety of other personal factors,” Dr. Taylor said. “We want to provide treatment that is the least disruptive and most effective.”

To be sure this was the best plan for Greg, Dr. Taylor requested a second opinion from Mayo Clinic. Wellstar experts have a direct connection to Mayo Clinic specialists through its Mayo Clinic Care Network membership. Wellstar physicians and patients can access eConsults—virtual second opinions—at no additional cost to patients.

Some additional imaging was recommended, which validated Dr. Taylor’s treatment plan. Greg moved forward with his cancer treatment with pure confidence.

Keep reading
Illustration of group of women, thought bubbles and question marks

Highlights

What Women Should Know About Prostate Cancer

By Wellstar Urologist Dr. Reena Kabaria

Most women don’t spend much time thinking about prostate cancer until someone they know is touched by this disease. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second most common cause of cancer death in men. If a woman’s loved one is diagnosed with prostate cancer, here is some guidance she can use to stay informed and support them throughout their cancer care.

What is the prostate gland? 

The prostate is an organ tucked away under a man’s bladder. The sole purpose of the prostate is to produce the fluid needed for reproduction. Although the prostate serves no other role, it is surrounded by several delicate structures responsible for urinary and other sexual functions. 

Detecting and treating prostate cancer

Fortunately, recent advances in the treatment of prostate cancer usually allow men to keep sexual and urinary functions intact. In fact, early detection not only increases the likelihood of cure, but also minimizes the chances for side effects. At the most curable stage, prostate cancer does not usually cause any symptoms. Therefore, men aged 40 and above should ask their doctor when they should have a screening PSA blood test based on their individual needs and risks.

Many men with a new diagnosis have such a slow-growing form of prostate cancer that it can merely be observed over time. When exploring different treatment options, it's recommended that patients consult with both a urologist and a radiation oncologist. 

Wellstar surrounds patients with compassionate care. Nurse navigators provide a highly personalized level of support and guidance throughout diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care. We also offer support groups if patients want to meet others who are dealing with the same diagnosis. While a cancer diagnosis is often upsetting and overwhelming for both patients and the people they love, our team stands with patients and families at every step. 

Learn more about prostate cancer care at Wellstar. 

Keep reading
Illustration of patient, imaging technology and provider

Highlights

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

By Wellstar Urologist Dr. Justin Watson

Many men are reluctant to seek diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer because they fear the effects of treatment on their urinary and sexual function. Enter modern technology. MRI scans, PET scans and molecular testing of blood and tissue samples not only help physicians know how and where to treat, but also identify those who may not need any treatment.

Having a PSA blood test is usually the first step in detecting prostate cancer. Now, modern MRI scans can help the urologist target abnormal areas for biopsy, like how a GPS pinpoints a destination. With this technique, patients can be more confident that the biopsy samples accurately represent their condition. In fact, this confidence has allowed men with slow-growing forms of prostate cancer to observe their condition rather than immediately pursue treatment. Since the formation of cancer cells all starts with changes in a cell’s genetic material, specialized testing of the biopsy sample can help further define the behavior of an individual’s prostate cancer.

When treatment for prostate cancer is needed, the latest methods bring next-level precision to protect the delicate nerves and muscles surrounding the prostate. Now in its second decade as a standard treatment for prostate cancer, robotic prostate removal continues to break barriers with new instrumentation, refined techniques and artificial intelligence. Not only do these advancements speed up recovery, but they also facilitate less traumatic access to spaces that were previously very difficult to reach. Similarly, the latest radiation therapy techniques allow delivery of a thin beam to the prostate.  

For more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, the latest type of PET scan can identify the cancer in other locations. First, a radiotracer (slightly radioactive substance) is injected into a vein, and it binds to prostate cancer cells, wherever they may be hiding. Then the resulting X-ray images are superimposed onto a CT scan to highlight any areas of suspicion. We can now attach medications to this radiotracer to attack and kill remote prostate cancer cells like a guided missile. 

With these recent advancements in technology, the management of prostate cancer continues to be more effective and gentler for the modern man. One can only imagine what’s on the horizon. 

Find a Wellstar urologist near you.

Keep reading
Back to Top
Branding illustration
Wellstar Logo
More than healthcare. PeopleCare.
Branding illustration
For Job Seekers & Team
Careers Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Onboarding
For Students
Students Portal
Graduate Medical Education
Medical Residency Pharmacy Residency
For Business
Occupational Medicine Corporate Purchasing
For the Media
Media Room Community Health Needs Assessment
Help
Contact Us Pay Your Bill Policy & Privacy Information Hospital Transparency Information
For Job Seekers & Team
Careers Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Onboarding
For Students
Students Portal

Graduate Medical Education
Medical Residency Pharmacy Residency
For Business
Occupational Medicine Corporate Purchasing
For the Media
Media Room Community Health Needs Assessment
Help
Contact Us Pay Your Bill Policy & Privacy Information Hospital Transparency Information

Copyright © 2023 Wellstar Health System. All Rights Reserved.

Wellstar does not discriminate on, exclude people or treat them differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity or expression or any other type of discrimination prohibited by law.