Prostate Cancer
At Hackensack Meridian Health, you receive advanced care from our nationally and internationally known prostate cancer experts.
We understand your precise type of prostate cancer, right down to its genetic profile.
Hackensack University Medical Center has been ranked the #1 Urology Department in New Jersey for eleven years in a row by U.S. News & World Report and is the only urology department in New Jersey that is nationally ranked.
Our team of specialists is armed with the latest diagnostics and imaging technology. We then pool our expertise to recommend the most effective treatments with the fewest possible side effects. If surgery is needed, you have access to New Jersey’s largest and most successful robotic prostate cancer surgery program. Hackensack University Medical Center was among the first hospitals in the world to use the da Vinci SP® single-port robotic surgery system for urologic surgeries. We now perform over 1000 robotic procedures a year, and more than 5,000 in the past decade, with over 50% of prostate cancer surgeries using single-port technology.
Over the last 5 years our surgeons have performed over 1700 robotic prostatectomies, with an average length of stay of 1 night, just a 5% readmission rate and zero mortalities.
What is Prostate Cancer?
The prostate is a small, walnut-sized male gland, located below the bladder between the rectum and base of the penis. The prostate produces seminal fluid which is part of your semen. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men in the United States. For men over age 50, the risk begins to increase significantly. Most prostate cancer grows slowly, although some types can be more aggressive. That’s why screening with a PSA blood test and a physical exam is important in detecting prostate cancer at an early stage.
Accurate Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer
At Hackensack Meridian Health, you’ll find New Jersey’s most experienced team of urologists, radiologists and pathologists who specialize in diagnosing prostate cancer. Some prostate cancer is faster growing than others. We always take into consideration the benefit versus the risk of testing. Rest assured, we avoid unnecessary biopsies and use the most advanced technology with the least invasive approaches.Biomarker tests can help determine if your elevated PSA may be caused by prostate cancer and if a biopsy is recommended.
- Prostate Health Index (PHI) is a combination of three blood tests (free PSA, total PSA, (-2) pro-PSA isoform (p2PSA)) that can clarify your PSA value.
- The 4Kscore blood test analyzes four biomarkers (total PSA, free PSA, intact PSA, human kallikrein 2 [hK2]) and gives us a probability score for finding prostate cancer.
- The PCA3 test detects levels of genetic material in your urine that can indicate the probability of finding prostate cancer.
High-resolution MRI has been a game changer for diagnosing prostate cancer and preventing unnecessary biopsies.
Hackensack Meridian urologists have led at the forefront as imaging technology for prostate cancer has advanced. Compared with other MRI technology, our 3 Tesla (3T) MRI is unmatched in creating detailed, 3D images of the prostate.
Our 3T MRI makes a difference by allowing your care team to:
- Determine with great precision the size and stage of any tumors in the prostate.
- Distinguish low-risk tumors that are candidates for active surveillance without biopsy.
- Identify more aggressive tumors for biopsy and treatment.
- Detect any cancer that has spread beyond the prostate.
- Fuse high-resolution, 3D images with ultrasound for precise biopsy.
Following PSA blood, biomarker and imaging tests, your doctor may recommend a biopsy of some prostate tissue. Hackensack Meridian Health is the first center in the area to offer MRI-targeted fusion biopsy. This advanced approach combines real-time ultrasound and MRI images for exceptional accuracy.
Advantages of MRI-targeted transperineal biopsy include:
- The safest and most accurate biopsy available.
- A team highly experienced in this approach.
- Takes about 30 minutes in an outpatient clinic. You go home after the procedure.
- Biopsy performed through the perineum (skin between the scrotum and anus) to significantly reduce your risk of infection.
- Your biopsy samples are analyzed by our expert prostate cancer pathologists.
- Proven to increase the detection of aggressive prostate cancer, compared to a traditional biopsy.
Our urologists are pioneers in MRI-targeted fusion biopsy for prostate cancer. In the last decade, we have performed more than 1,500 MRI-targeted biopsies and have published and presented our outcomes at national conferences. In collaboration with other leading institutions, we continue to track patient outcomes to advance the science for you.
Why Choose Hackensack Meridian Health for Prostate Cancer Treatment
Hackensack Meridian Health is a leader in innovative approaches to prostate cancer.
- MRI-targeted fusion biopsy: Our advanced prostate cancer biopsy system is the first in northern New Jersey to use high-quality, 3-Tesla MRI and ultrasound imaging.
- Genetic tumor profiling: We identify a cancer’s origin, biology, behavior and response to your immune system.
- Precision medicine approach: Your treatment plan is designed around the molecular biology, location, size, grade and stage of your prostate tumor.
- Single-port robotic prostate cancer surgery: We were among the first in the world to perform robotic surgery with only one abdominal incision.
- High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU): Your cancer is destroyed using ultrasound with the greatest precision.
Hackensack University Medical Center has been ranked the best Urology Program in New Jersey for eleven years in a row by U.S. News & World Report and ranked in the Top 20 nationally.
Awards & Accreditations | Year in Review
Leaders in Prostate Cancer Treatment
Doctors at Hackensack Meridian Health are experts in the latest approaches to treating prostate cancer.Our Research and Clinical Trials
John Theurer Cancer Center provides you with access to a wide range of clinical trials for new treatments, including studies not available elsewhere. By participating in a clinical trial, you have access today to the treatments of tomorrow.Learn more about clinical trials for prostate cancer and other urologic cancers.
