Prostate Cancer

Find exceptional care, guidance, and leading-edge treatment options for prostate cancer at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center. Ranked in the top 1% of all hospitals in the nation for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report and as “High Performing” in prostate cancer surgery, we are a leader in caring for men with this very common cancer.

We can offer you the safest and most effective possible treatment options whatever the stage of your cancer—so you can focus on healing.

We’ve developed a unique approach to prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment that’s designed to help men get from uncertainty to a diagnosis quickly. In our care, you’ll be the focus of a dedicated and highly collaborative team of world-class doctors who are specialists in their field. We’ll carefully assess your situation and provide you with an individualized care plan.

Whether you have an elevated PSA level, need a biopsy or are unsure if you need treatment, you can feel confident that your needs will be heard and respected. To preserve urinary and sexual function, we use minimally invasive treatments whenever possible. From the first time you meet with us and going forward, you’ll be in touch with a healthcare provider who will help you navigate the next steps and advocate for you.

For some men with prostate changes, the best option may involve receiving little or no treatment—just a schedule of regular screenings and tests at periodic intervals. For others, a more aggressive approach is recommended. Whatever your situation, you can count on a team with insight and awareness of the latest evidence-based recommendations to give you guidance.

Screening & Diagnosis

Prostate cancer screenings involve looking for cancer before symptoms develop. A common screening tool is a blood test that measures the level of a substance made by the prostate called prostate specific antigen (PSA). An elevated PSA can indicate prostate cancer—although other causes exist as well.

Another common screening (and diagnosis) test is an MRI. This kind of imaging test can help get a close look at what’s happening in and around the prostate gland. It can help doctors figure out how extensive a cancer is, whether it has spread past the prostate gland and, if so, how far. This information is valuable in staging.

Talk to your doctor about whether you should get screened for prostate cancer, since there are both benefits and potential harms to consider.

Through screenings, early changes in the condition of your prostate can be identified, sometimes at a point when lifestyle, diet, and other factors can affect your risk for cancer. Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center periodically offers free prostate cancer screening events through its Bronx Oncology Living Daily (BOLD) Wellness Program.

The primary tool for diagnosis of prostate cancer is a biopsy, which involves removing a small bit of tissue (sometimes with guidance from an MRI) and examining it under a microscope to see if cancer cells are there. Then, a Gleason score is generated, which signals the likelihood that the cancer will spread.

When diagnosed early and determined to be a low-risk cancer, many men choose to watch the cancer carefully through an approach called active surveillance.

Active Surveillance

For men with slow-growing cancer that is localized and hasn’t spread beyond the prostate gland, active surveillance is an option. With this approach, men have regularly scheduled checkups and tests—but no treatment unless tests show the cancer is growing. Reasons many men choose active surveillance include:

• Most prostate cancer grows very slowly. It’s possible to have prostate cancer for years and not have any signs or symptoms of illness.
• Treatments for prostate cancer treatments can have serious side effects, such as bladder and erection problems. Active surveillance enables men to avoid or delay treatment and its side effects.

If test results such as the Gleason score from a prostate biopsy indicate that active surveillance is an option for you, be sure to have a conversation with your doctor about benefits and harms. You might ask about the impact of your overall health status and life expectancy on cancer risk, for example, since many men will end up outliving prostate cancer that’s growing very slowly.

Active surveillance is not without risk, since prostate cancer can grow during this time. That said, if cancer is found to be growing in a potentially harmful way during active surveillance, it can be treated in the early stages—when it’s most successful.

Active surveillance is a form of treatment, and to be effective and safe it’s important to be proactive and vigilant about following the schedule of tests and exams recommended for you.

Genetic Testing

Genetic testing is an additional option you might want to consider if you have a family history of prostate cancer or other cancer risk factors. Talk to your doctor about whether they recommend this for you. Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center offers genetic testing staffed by genetic counselors and others who can help you decide whether testing is a good idea.