We are delighted to partner with Western Radiation Oncology today, with two of their distinguished radiation oncologists joining us on the Prostate Health Podcast. 

LDR (Low Dose Rate) prostate brachytherapy has recently been an underutilized treatment for prostate cancer. However, advancements in modern techniques have demonstrated that LDR brachytherapy, a procedure that can be performed quite easily in an ambulatory surgery center, offers high cure rates with minimal long-term complications, making it a convenient, non-invasive option for men with prostate cancer.

Today, we chat with Dr. Steven Kurtzman and Dr. Ankit Agarwal, two distinguished radiation oncologists working to expand access to LDR brachytherapy by partnering with urologists to establish new programs across the United States. 

Drs. Kurtzman and Agarwal are national leaders in targeted real-time intraoperative planned brachytherapy. With over 7,000 implants performed in the past two decades and more than 700 procedures conducted annually, they have managed to preserve this specialized technique despite its limited expansion in recent years. Based primarily in the Bay Area, California, they provide exceptional cancer care while collaborating with urologists, medical oncologists, and prostate cancer specialists across the United States to assist in establishing LDR programs in ambulatory surgery centers nationwide to provide high-quality prostate cancer care.

Tune in to learn more about this promising treatment option!

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show Highlights:

• Who are the most viable candidates for LDR brachytherapy?

• How the treatments for low, intermediate, and high-risk prostate cancer patients differ

• The benefits of a combination of brachytherapy and external beam radiation for high-risk prostate cancer patients

• How factors like urinary function, bowel function, and prostate size can influence men’s eligibility for LDR brachytherapy

• Why prostate size is no longer a limitation for brachytherapy treatment

• How is the LDR brachytherapy procedure performed?

• What can patients expect in terms of recovery and side effects following brachytherapy?

• Post-therapy safety precautions

Links: 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd 

Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)  

Join our Facebook group 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram 

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

Sponsor Links: 

Western Radiation Oncology

Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer with Dr. Steven Kurtzman and Dr. Ankit Agarwal on YouTube

Expanding Treatment Options at Ambulatory Surgical Centers: LDR Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer screening is an essential aspect of men’s health, and current advancements in testing are making early detection more precise than ever before.

While the PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test has long been the standard, it has limitations and may lead to unnecessary biopsies. The new EpiSwitch PSE test helps differentiate between high and low prostate cancer risks. With an impressive 94% accuracy rate, the EpiSwitch PSE test empowers patients and physicians to make informed decisions.

In this episode, Dr. Garrett Pohlman explores the latest innovations in prostate cancer screening, focusing on the EpiSwitch PSE blood test. 

Stay tuned to discover the benefits of the new EpiSwitch PSE test and learn how precision medicine is reshaping prostate cancer management for men.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show Highlights:

• What are the limitations of the PSA test?

• How the EpiSwitch PSE test can predict the risk of prostate cancer with 94% accuracy

• How prostate cancer biomarkers help to identify the likelihood of prostate cancer 

• How the EpiSwitch PSE test can provide a more accurate assessment of prostate cancer risk

• How the EpiSwitch PSE test can help men avoid unnecessary biopsies

• The clinical applications of the EpiSwitch PSE test and how it can be used alongside a standard PSA test to improve accuracy

• How the EpiSwitch PSE test requires just two milliliters of blood 

• How even patients who have undergone recent BPH procedures or are on 5-alpha reductase inhibitors can use the EpiSwitch PSE test

• Why the EpiSwitch PSE test is more accurate than PSA testing

• Why men need to be aware of their PSA numbers and consider additional testing if they have an elevated PSA

Pertinent disclosures for this episode: 

Dr. Garrett Pohlman is a Consultant for Oxford BioDynamics

Links: 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd 

Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)  

Join our Facebook group 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram 

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

We are thrilled to partner with Laborie to bring you this episode of the Prostate Health Podcast.

In Episode 91, we introduced the Optilume® procedure, a cutting-edge new solution for an enlarged prostate, or BPH, that requires no heating, cutting, or permanent implantation. Today, we bring you the story of how Dr. Sijo Parekattil, a leading urologist specializing in cutting-edge treatments for men with BPH, was approached by Vinit, his closest friend, who was struggling with the effects of an enlarged prostate. 

Dr. Sijo Parekattil is the Director of Avant Concierge Urology in Winter Garden, Florida, and an Associate Professor of Urology at the University of Central Florida. He was an electrical engineer before undergoing his medical training, and he was fascinated by surgical techniques incorporating technology, robotics, and microsurgery. 

Dr. Parekattil completed his urology residency training at Albany Medical Center and dual fellowship training in laparoscopy, robotic surgery, microsurgery, and male infertility at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland. He is among the elite urologists in the United States still positioned at the forefront of new technology, particularly for managing benign prostate enlargement. 

We are delighted to have Dr. Parekattil and his close friend, Vinit, joining us on the podcast today and have Vinit share his prostate journey with our listeners. Stay tuned to learn about his experience undergoing the innovative new Optilume® BPH procedure.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show Highlights:

• Vinit explains the symptoms he experienced that began to affect his quality of life

• Dr. Parekattil discusses the tests he performed to obtain more information about Vinit ’s condition

• Vinit shares his experience of the initial testing

• How they selected a treatment option for Vinit 

• What is Optilume® BPH, and how does it work?

• How Vinit ended up becoming Dr. Parekattil’s first Optilume®BPH patient

• Vinit shares his experience with the Optilume® BPH procedure 

• Vinit describes his recovery after the Optilume® BPH procedure

• Vinit explains how his prostate journey began

Links: 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd 

Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)  

Join our Facebook group 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram 

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

Laborie

​​Optilume® BPH 

Avant Concierge Urology

Dr. Sijo J. Parekattil

We are delighted to partner with Cortechs.ai to bring you this episode of the Prostate Health Podcast.

Prostate MRI has become a valuable tool in enhancing the detection, localization, and staging of prostate cancer. However, current protocols come with various challenges, like inconsistent accuracy, a significant rate of missed clinically significant prostate cancers, and considerable variability in how different radiologists interpret the results.

We are thrilled to have Brittany Hunt, the head of Prostate Business Development at Cortechs.ai, joining us on the show today to introduce OnQ Prostate, an innovative new prostate MRI solution.

OnQ Prostate is an FDA-cleared software solution, designed to improve the precision, consistency, and reproducibility of prostate MRI. It will enable more accurate targeting and, ultimately, better treatment outcomes.

Join us as Brittany dives into this groundbreaking new technology, highlighting its advantages for patients and urologists, and explaining how it will help connect patients, referring physicians, and radiologists far more effectively.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show Highlights:

• Brittany reviews some of the ongoing limitations of existing prostate MRIs

• Brittany explains what OnQ Prostate is

• How OnQ Prostate makes it much easier for prostate lesions to be seen

• The benefits of OnQ Prostate for urologists and their patients 

• How OnQ Prostate works as a software add-on for existing MRI systems

• The multiple advantages of using the OnQ Prostate system for prostate cancer detection

• Why OnQ Prostate will help to bridge the gaps between patients, referring physicians, and radiologists

• How OnQ Prostate will help urologists become more accurate in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer 

Links: 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd 

Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)  

Join our Facebook group 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitterand Instagram 

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

OnQ Prostate Website  

Brittany Hunt on LinkedIn 

Email Brittany Hunt: [email protected] 

We are delighted to partner with Procept BioRobotics to bring you this episode of the Prostate Health Podcast.

The primary reason men consult urologists is due to an enlarged prostate. 

With June being Men's Health Month, we are thrilled to welcome urologist Dr. Jennifer Lloyd-Harris on the podcast today to discuss Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is a significant health issue for men, and we are excited to inform listeners about a groundbreaking water-based technology to bring men relief from their symptoms. We also have Ken, a patient of Dr. Lloyd-Harris, joining us to share his journey with BPH and his experience with the innovative aquablation procedure.

Dr. Lloyd-Harris is a board-certified urologist at the Penn Medicine Urology Center in Philadelphia. She completed her urology residency training at the University of Wisconsin and now manages both benign and malignant urologic conditions. She has received training in minimally invasive surgery and the medical and surgical treatment of urinary problems and benign enlargement of the prostate. Her goal is to provide high-quality, up-to-date, and comprehensive patient-centered urologic care, and she is committed to building meaningful relationships with her patients through communication and passion.

Stay tuned as Dr. Lloyd-Harris shares her insights on BPH and utilizing the aquablation procedure for treating its symptoms.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show Highlights:

• Dr. Lloyd-Harris explains what BPH is

• Some of the symptoms men may experience from BPH.

• Complications that could occur in men with an enlarged prostate

• The issues Dr. Lloyd-Harris has seen with some of the initial treatment options for men with BPH

• The factors Dr. Lloyd-Harris takes into account when guiding men with treatment selections for BPH

• Dr. Lloyd-Harris explains how aquablation technology works.

• Dr. Lloyd-Harris shares her initial motivation for utilizing aquablation technology.

• Which men would be considered appropriate candidates for aquablation?

• What men can expect with the aquablation procedure 

• Some of the risks that may be associated with the aquablation procedure

• Ken shares his experience with aquablation therapy and explains how he was able to return to work just two weeks after having the procedure done.

Links: 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd 

Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)  

Join our Facebook group 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram 

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

Procept BioRobotics

Penn Medicine Urology Center

Men have many challenges to deal with when battling prostate cancer, including managing the side effects of their treatment. 

One common issue men face after a radical prostatectomy is erectile dysfunction. As June is Men's Health Month, we are fortunate to have men's health expert Dr. Helen Bernie joining us today to provide a modern perspective on restoring erectile function post-prostatectomy through penile rehabilitation.

Dr. Bernie is a board-certified and fellowship-trained urologist. She is the Director of Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, the Andrology Fellowship Program Director, and the Assistant Professor of Urology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where she teaches medical students. She is passionate about men's health, cancer survivorship, and fertility preservation, and she treats all aspects of men's health, including male sexual dysfunctions and infertility. Dr. Bernie completed her residency in urology at the University of Rochester Medical Center and did a two-year fellowship in sexual and reproductive medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre and New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical College. She has presented award-winning research on sexual medicine, testosterone replacement, prostate cancer, and male fertility.

Stay tuned as Dr. Bernie shares her expert insights and practical advice on how men can reclaim their sexual health after prostate cancer treatment.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show Highlights:

• How prostate removal or prostate cancer may affect men’s sexual function

• How often does erectile dysfunction occur after a radical prostatectomy?

• Dr. Bernie shares some of the many options available for men to regain erectile function after a prostatectomy.

• Some of the barriers that exist in instituting penile rehabilitation

• Dr. Bernie shares her current approach to penile rehabilitation. 

• Why it is crucial for anyone diagnosed with prostate cancer or experiencing erectile dysfunction to find out what a penile rehabilitation program is and what it involves.

Links: 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd 

Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)  

Join our Facebook group 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram 

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

Indiana University School of Medicine  

Indiana University Andrology Fellowship Program

Indiana University Urology Services

We are delighted to partner with Olympus America for this episode of the Prostate Health Podcast.

Minimally invasive surgical therapies (MIST) have revolutionized treatment options for men suffering from symptoms of an enlarged prostate. So, we are excited to have urologist Dr. Rahul Mehan joining us today to bring our listeners up to speed on the iTind™ procedure.

Dr. Mehan is a nationally recognized expert in minimally invasive urology treatments and the Founder of East Valley Urology Center in Mesa, Arizona. In his practice, he provides state-of-the-art urologic care, using the latest technology to improve the quality of life of his patients. He led several workshops at the national meeting of the American Urologic Association in San Antonio earlier this year and frequently gets invited to teach surgery across the US. He is also a social media influencer, providing enjoyable educational content.

Stay tuned as Dr. Mehan shares the low-down on the iTind™ procedure, highlighting its safety and explaining how it provides rapid symptomatic relief while preserving the sexual function of men with enlarged prostates.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Pertinent disclosure for today’s episode – Dr. Mehan is a paid consultant for Olympus. The following are the opinions of Dr. Mehan based upon his education and personal experiences and are not those of Olympus.

Show Highlights:

• Explanation of what the iTind™ device is 

• Dr. Mehan was one of the first urologists to utilize the iTind™ technology in his region.

• How men have recently been taking a stance against medications with sexual side effects

• Which men are ideal iTind™ candidates?

• What are the risks associated with theiTind™ procedure?

• How the iTind™differs from other currently available MIST interventions 

• Expectations from the iTind™procedure 

• What recovery looks like after the iTind™ procedure, in terms of device removal, potential limitations, and symptomatic improvement

• Dr. Mehan shares some of the clinical pearls he gained from his iTind™ experience.

Links: 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd 

Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)  

Join our Facebook group 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram 

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

Olympus America

iTind™

East Valley Urology Center, Mesa, Arizona

We are delighted to partner with Soundable Health for our milestone 100th episode of the Prostate Health Podcast!

Did you know that you can now monitor the health of your prostate and bladder in the comfort of your home? 

We have a special guest, Dr. Catherine Song, joining us today to introduce and guide you through the features of a cutting-edge new mobile app called proudP, which has demonstrated its value for men as a personal prostate health monitor, and for urologists, providing valuable uroflow data without the need for expensive and cumbersome equipment.

Dr. Song is the Founder and CEO of Soundable Health, a digital health startup developing digital audible biomarkers. Dr. Song has a Ph.D. in electrical and electronics engineering from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. She brings a wealth of experience to the show, having served previously as the Chief Operating Officer at HUINNO, a Boston Seoul-based digital health startup, and as a member of the digital health advisory committee at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for two years. She also spent over ten years as a Senior Strategic Operations Manager at Lam Research Corporation, a NASDAQ company and global leader in semiconductor equipment, and in various technology and product leadership roles in LG Electronics in the high technology and consumer electronics field. 

Stay tuned to learn all you need to know about the innovative new proudP mobile app.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show Highlights:

• Dr. Song explains how AI detects subtle changes in urine flow and sound to measure flow speed and amount with proudP

• Dr. Song shares the story behind proudP

• The limitations of office-based uroflow practices

• The accuracy of the uroflow data captured with proudP

• Why objective data is essential for BPH treatments

• The implications for urologists of implementing the proudP technology within the urology space 

• Where can the proudP app be obtained?

Links: 

Get your free What To Expect Guide or find the link on our podcast website. 

Join our Facebook group. 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram. (@gpohlmanmd)

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

Soundable Health

proudP

I was recently honored to be a guest speaker among the innovators, stakeholders, and pioneering minds in managing benign prostate hyperplasia at the annual assembly of the Society of Benign Prostate Disease, held in Dallas this February. 

Today, I am delighted to have one of the Society of Benign Prostate Disease board of directors, Dr. Kevin Zorn, joining me to share an insider perspective as we review the key takeaways from the meeting and bring you up to speed on the latest technologies for evaluating and managing BPH. We will also offer a sneak peek into several new advancements coming down the pipeline. 

Dr. Kevin Zorn, from the BPH Canada Clinic in Montreal, is a board-certified urologist and former Associate Professor of Urology at the Universities of Montreal and Chicago, sub-specializing in robotic surgery and BPH surgical care. Throughout his career, Dr. Zorn has been committed to research and innovation. He was the first in Canada and Quebec to use many new BPH technologies, including Greenlight XPS, Rezum, ITind, Optilume, and aquablation.

Dr. Zorn is a senior author of the BPH guidelines for the Canadian Urological Association, having authored 345 peer-reviewed publications and 12 book chapters on BPH and minimally invasive surgical care. He has lectured, taught, and practiced surgery globally and is intimately involved in developing several new pioneering BPH technologies.

Stay tuned for the latest insights and breakthroughs as we unveil the future of BPH management.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show Highlights:

• Dr. Zorn shares some highlights from his presentation on the evaluation of BPH in the modern clinic setting

• How new technology, like mobile apps and point-of-care ultrasound, can improve the diagnosis and treatment times for BPH

• Explanation of the UroCuff technology

• Discussion of the latest technology that has been available over the last year for interventional management of BPH

• The importance of knowing the personal preferences of patients when selecting their treatment options for BPH

• The benefits of aquablation technology

• Dr. Zorn discusses the evolution of BPH treatment

• Why urologists must remain flexible in their approach to BPH care

• The importance stay up-to-date with the latest BPH technology and guidelines

• The potential of AI to empower urologists and improve patient care

Links: 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd 

Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)  

Join our Facebook group 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram 

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

BPH Canada 

Society of Benign Prostate Disease

Weighing the possible side effects of prostate cancer treatments while considering various treatment options can be a daunting challenge for men and their loved ones.

We are excited to partner with BioProtect for this episode, with our distinguished guest, Dr. Jonathan Tward, a Radiation Oncologist and tenured professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Utah Health. Dr. Tward will fill us in on a progressive new technology that aims to minimize both short and long-term side effects of radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

Dr. Tward is a highly regarded authority and key opinion leader in the management of prostate cancer. He earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry at UCLA, a Medical Degree at Tufts University in Boston, and he completed his radiation oncology residency training at the University of Utah. He holds the Vincent P. and Janet Manzini Presidential Endowed Chair at Huntsman Cancer Institute in genitourinary malignancies.

Dr. Tward specializes in delivering precisely targeted radiation therapy for numerous genitourinary malignancies, including prostate cancer. He utilizes various advanced technologies, including intensity-modulated radiotherapy, image-guided radiotherapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, and low and high-dose-rate brachytherapy. Dr. Tward has contributed to over 100 published peer-reviewed journal articles. He also actively serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines committees for prostate, bladder, and penile cancers.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Links:

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd 

Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)  

Join our Facebook group 

Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram 

Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up. 

You can access Dr. Pohlman’s free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men’s prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here.

Connect with Dr. Tward

Dr. Jonathan D. Tward

BioProtect

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