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[STK]
[IN] HEA MTC
[SU] TRI
-- WITH PHOTO -- TO HEALTH, MEDICAL, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
Prostate Embolization Studied at Georgetown for Most Common Prostate
Problem in Men
WASHINGTON, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Physicians at
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Georgetown University
Medical Center have just begun to study the safety and effectiveness
of prostate artery embolization (PAE) in men with enlarged prostate
glands and urinary obstruction. The condition is called benign
prostatic hyperplasia or BPH and, according to the National Institutes
of Health, occurs in more than half of men in their 60s and 90 percent
of men in their 70s and 80s.
Symptoms of BPH include difficulty urinating, more frequent and urgent
urination, especially at night and a weak urine flow. "While the
condition is not cancer and is not life-threatening, the symptoms can
be very severe and substantially affect a man's quality of life," said
James Spies, MD, principal investigator of the study and chair of
Radiology at MedStar Georgetown. "Because so many men are affected by
this condition, the potential impact of an effective
minimally-invasive treatment could be substantial."
Alternatives to treating BPH include drug therapy or partial removal
of the prostate through the urethra in the penis, called a TURP
procedure or removal of the prostate by way of an open abdominal
operation," said Dr Spies. "We hope PAE will be a less invasive, less
drastic approach that will be safe and effective."
Prostate artery embolization is a non-surgical, minimally invasive
procedure that injects small beads into the arteries surrounding the
prostate. The beads block the prostate's blood supply and the prostate
begins to shrivel and shrink. The patient stays in the hospital for
one night and can usually return to regular activities within several
days.
"We go in through the artery at the top of the leg and the procedure
usually takes two hours or less," said Dr. Spies, who also is a
professor of Radiology at Georgetown University School of Medicine.
Sixty-eight year old Ron Simmons of Woodstock, Virginia is one of the
first to enroll in this study and have the procedure. "My biggest
problem has been trying to urinate in the morning. It's not a life
threatening problem but I'm miserable. I'm on the maximum dosage of
the prescription I take for this and I'm just hoping for some relief.
I've also researched the side effects of some of the other treatments
out there and I was concerned about the potential problems."
Studies that have been conducted in other countries suggest the
procedure is effective in most men and that injuries to other
structures are rare.
"This procedure does carry some potential risks," said Dr. Spies.
"This study will focus on the safety of the procedure, particularly to
make sure there are no injuries to the bladder or rectum which are
very close to the prostate. The study will also measure the severity
of symptoms before and for five years after the procedure."
Since 2001, Dr. Spies has pioneered fibroid embolization in women and
is considered an international expert in interventional radiology. In
that procedure, called Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE), the same
kinds of tiny beads are used to block the blood supply to the fibroid
which causes it to shrink and die.
This is the first PAE study authorized in the U.S. by the FDA under an
Investigational Device Exemption and will allow the research team to
study the safety and effectiveness of the treatment. PAE is still
considered investigational in the United States.
Because this is a clinical study, there are certain criteria that are
required for participation and some conditions that might exclude a
patient from taking part. In general, patients must be at least 50
years of age but not older than 90, have had symptoms of BPH for at
least six months, and meet certain criteria for urine flow and size of
the prostate gland. They cannot have had prior surgery for BPH or have
prostate cancer. Each patient will be screened for prostate cancer as
a part of the protocol.
About two weeks after his PAE procedure Ron Simmons said he was
feeling positive about his experience. "I feel like my symptoms have
improved and I'm interested to see how much my prostate might shrink
over the next year."
A full list of requirements can be found at:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01924988?term=prostate+embolization&rank=1
To be considered for the PAE study please call 202-444-6825.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140313/DC81801
SOURCE MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
-0- 03/13/2014
/CONTACT: Marianne Worley, 703-558-1287, worleym@gunet.georgetown.edu
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140313/DC81801
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
/Web Site: https://www.medstarhealth.org
CO: MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
ST: District of Columbia
IN: HEA MTC
SU: TRI
PRN
-- DC81801 --
0000 03/13/2014 13:20:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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