NEW TREATMENT FOR PROSTATE CANCER

Pretoria - Patients at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital will today see the launch of a new technique for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Radiation oncologist based at the hospital, Professor Vinay Sharma, said approximately 50 percent of patients attending the Charlotte Maxeke hospital diagnosed with prostate cancer will benefit from this new technique.

"This combination will bring down the waiting period for treatment in the hospital for this cancer. This treatment will also be cost effective in comparison to the seed implantation being done at present in private sector," he said.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of deaths among men in South Africa. The most common risk factors include age (men over 50 are at risk), family history and unhealthy diet (food high in animal fat and protein). Black men tend to present with more advanced prostate cancer.

The launch will see experts from radiation oncology, urology and medical physics taken through a hands-on demonstration of prostate branch therapy procedures, treatment planning and evaluation by Professor Nisar Syed from the University of Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Workshops and lectures will be conducted by Professor Syed, the pioneer of prostate branch therapy, at the hospital until Wednesday.

"This type of workshop is being held for the 1st time in a public sector institution in South Africa. We are expecting over 100 delegates from different academic hospitals in South Africa as well as from African countries like Zimbabwe and Ghana," said Sharma. - BuaNews