CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A prominent prostate cancer specialist is urging men recently diagnosed with localized prostate cancer to carefully review all methods of treatment—treatments that sometimes can result in numerous post-operative quality of life issues including incontinence and impotence, often requiring second surgeries.

Dr. Bert Vorstman, a former faculty member in the Department of Urology at the University of Miami and a Board Certified and internationally recognized urologist practicing in Coral Springs, Florida, today launched a Prostate Cancer Advocacy Help Center, where he can personally respond to recently diagnosed patients through a help center call-in number, 877-783-4438.  He has also recently launched a website, www.hifurx.com, which offers a broad spectrum of information, including an interactive blog site for the latest updates on prostate cancer treatments and options.

"Sadly, over the past 30-plus years, I've counseled far too many post-operative cases done elsewhere, where men are suffering from numerous quality of life issues and are desperate for help," said Dr. Vorstman.  "Often these men relied solely on the advice of their physician, who specialized in a specific localized prostate cancer treatment procedure and the patient was not fully aware of all alternative treatment options."

Dr. Vorstman said his goal is to try to educate newly diagnosed patients to review and understand the four definitive therapy options for localized cancer—High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), Cryoablation, Radiation and Surgery—and provide information as to selected risks, recovery and quality of life issues related to each procedure.  

"The four treatment options for localized prostate cancer offer similar survival benefits but vary differently in quality of life considerations. The incidences of complications are profoundly different between the four treatments. My goal is to allow these men to make an educated decision on the course of treatment," he added.

According to the American Cancer Society, next to skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men.  The latest statistics show that more than 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2011 and about 30,000 men will die of the disease. About one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime and more than two million U.S. men, who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point, are still alive today.  About one man in 36 will die of prostate cancer.

About Bert Vorstman, MD

MS, FAAP, FRACS and FACS

A former National Institute of Health (NIH)-sponsored surgeon researcher, Dr. Vorstman is a diplomat of the American College of Surgeons and has been awarded with the highly regarded Master of Surgery diploma as a direct result of his original and pioneering research conducted on Urinary Bladder Reinnervation. These studies focused on a novel surgical technique that may show promise in helping those with neurogenic voiding dysfunction.

Dr. Vorstman is a proponent and leader in innovative, yet conservative and minimally invasive, definitive treatment options for localized prostate cancer. The Board Certified and internationally recognized urologist is the founding member of the Coral Springs, Florida-based Florida Urological Associates group and its Minimally Invasive Prostate Cancer Treatment Center as well as the Coral Springs Surgical Center, a facility dedicated to innovative outpatient surgical options.

SOURCE Dr. Bert Vorstman