Sanoj Punnen, M.D., is a researcher at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and urologist with Desai Sethi Urology Institute. For more information about prostate cancer treatment and services, click here or visit the UHealth blog.
Meet Jack Edwards:
Ten years ago, Jack Edwards received a life-changing phone call.
āThey said, āYou have cancer of the prostate. You need surgery,āā says Jack.
Jack sought a second opinion with Sylvester researcher Sanoj Punnen, M.D. who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
āProstate cancer is actually the most common cancer that guys will get in the United States. Almost one in seven men are at risk for prostate cancer,ā Dr. Punnen says.
Dr. Punnen, a urologist with the Desai Sethi Urology Institute - part of the University of Miami Health System, is studying patients with slow-growing tumors who may never need surgery.
āThe majority of men, when theyāre diagnosed, their cancers are localized to the prostate,ā Dr. Punnen explains. āWeāre getting more and more confident that these types of cancers donāt need immediate treatment, whether itās surgery or radiation.ā
In certain cases, Dr. Punnen recommends active surveillance which is based on a patientās pathology.
āWeāll do a PSA usually every six to 12 months, weāll do an MRI often every year or two, and then weāll do biopsies,ā says Dr. Punnen.
Jack avoided surgery and its side effects with active surveillance for five years. Then Dr. Punnen and his team gave him the good news!
āYouāre doing great. You donāt need anything else,ā says Jack.
Jack and his wife just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have a message for Dr. Punnen.
āHe changed the fate of my life,ā Jack says.
Focusing on you
Focusing on You: Innovations in Modern Medicine is a series of healthcare-related stories airing regularly on WPLG Local 10. For more stories like this one, visit YouTube channels for UHealth, the University of Miami Health System.
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