The Society of Interventional Radiology hosts Men's Health Month briefing to raise awareness of cutting-edge treatments

FAIRFAX, Va., May 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Interventional Radiology will host a Capitol Hill briefing on prostate health on June 5, highlighting a state-of-the-art, minimally-invasive procedure known as prostate artery embolization (PAE). The briefing will feature Rep. Donald Payne, Jr., D-N.J., Chair of the Congressional Men's Health Caucus and follows Rep. Payne, Jr.'s resolution to support the designation of June 12–18, 2023 as National Men's Health Week.

"The majority of American men avoid the preventative care necessary to prevent minor health issues from becoming major health problems," said Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. "But if we can raise awareness of the importance of early health screenings, we can promote more advanced treatments for early medical interventions, such as prostate artery embolization, to improve the lives of men nationwide."

Prostate artery embolization is a solution for benign prostatic hyperplasia, a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, which is the most common benign condition found in men, impacting nearly 70% over age 60. The enlarged prostate leads to symptoms like urinary urgency, increased frequency, poor urinary flow and an inability to empty the bladder. If left untreated, this condition can lead to urinary retention, formation of stones in the urinary tract and compromised kidney function.

With PAE, interventional radiologists inject tiny particles into arteries that feed the prostate gland, reducing its blood supply, thereby shrinking it.

"Millions of men avoid treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia because of the risks of surgery, including sexual side effects and leakage," said Shivank Bhatia, M.D., FSIR, Professor of Interventional Radiology and Urology, and Chair of Interventional Radiology at UHealth—the University of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. "PAE avoids these risks while achieving long-term positive clinical outcomes."

"The biggest barrier to treatments like prostate artery embolization is public awareness," said Alda L. Tam, M.D., MBA, FSIR, FACR, President of the Society of Interventional Radiology and Professor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. "Highlighting innovative, evidence-based treatments like this will help equip medical professionals with knowledge about the latest treatment advancements available to their patients so they can positively impact their lives."

Rep. Payne, Jr., will speak on a panel with Dr. Bhatia and Bruce R. Kava, M.D., Professor of Urology and Director of Men's Health at the University of Miami Desai Sethi Urology Institute and President-elect of the American Society for Men's Health, along with a patient whose benign prostatic hyperplasia was treated successfully with PAE.

The briefing will take place on June 5, at 1 p.m. in room 401 at the Cannon House Office Building. The briefing is open to the public and the media. You can register for the event here.

SOURCE The Society of Interventional Radiology