Chicago PCa treatment center?

[BerkshireBear]

Can any of you recommend a practice in the Chicago area that might be considered a center of excellence for PCa treatment. My buddy has a rapidly rising PSA but totally negative biopsy. He needs a center which will find the source of that rapidly rising PSA, rule out other sources, and determine what's really going on.

[Hidden]

My former oncologist from University of Michigan cancer center is now doing research and seeing patients at Northwestern University. Her name is Maha Hussain. She is generally regarded as one of the best. Google her name and you will see for yourself.

feinberg.northwestern.edu/f...

[AlanMeyer]

Northwestern University and the University of Chicago are both National Cancer Institute "Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers". Both should have top scientists/doctors.

Alan

[cesanon]

1. I wouldn't be so quick to limit yourself to just Chicago.

2. The best way to get a well informed and nuanced assessment of who locally is good, as well as what their respective strengths and weaknesses are, is to talk to local support group leaders.

Local support group leaders make it their business to know this and they are generally going to be the most informed people on the subject.

And they are surprisingly accessible. You can just call them and they will almost always be accessible and helpful.

recommendations. If you see all 6 pointing you in the same direction that should give you some confidence you are making the right initial decisions.

With respect to Northwestern Memorial, it is a very fine facility, but I think with respect to individual physicians there, you will likely find that the support group leaders may give you some mixed reviews. They were one of several teaching hospital facilities that I consulted. At that time I found them lacking with respect to Prostate Cancer. I was specifically warned away from one of their top name Urologists by one of his ex-patients. Things there may have changed since then though.

PS: Prostate biopsies by their very nature can miss the cancer. My recollection is that they are something like 60 - 80% accurate. What your friend really wants is to get some non-invasive testing done ASAP.

Getting a color ultrasound is a no brainer. Not too many places have the equipment or the training, but it is cheap, non-invasive, with no dangerous contrast agents, and will catch things that a biopsy can miss. I seem to recollect that Glenview Hospital in Illinois has one.

It is a crime that few urologists have them in their office. I personally think it is because there is no money in using them. In fact I am certain of it. Urologists are one of the most remunerative specialities in the US, above or near heart surgeons. They have a simple business model, they get a high PSA, do a biopsy (a prerequisite to get the surgery approved by the hospital), then schedule the procedure as quickly as possible before anyone can change their mind. Prostatectomies are relatively quick, simple and profitable procedures.

There are more expensive invasive & non-invasive diagnostic alternatives to color ultrasound, but why not start with cheap, easy, safe and effective? Then move up the scale to more expensive, inconvenient, dangerous, and invasive?

[Hidden]

Don't know what rapidly riding a PSA means. It is standard to give antibiotics for possible inflammation and infection.

Depending on the number of sticks, there is a wide variety of accuracy. For example, some only gave 8 sticks; some 12; I had 15 of the planned 18. Having a negative biopsy could inky mean that the Urologist simply missed cancerous tissue. What is FreePSA? Lesser or greater than 25%?

Gourd Dancer

[Wdoug]

Get an MRI for sure