For the 20th consecutive year, Jefferson Hospitals will offer free prostate cancer screenings in September -- the month designated for national prostate cancer awareness. Prostate cancer screenings are recommended for all men age 35 years and older.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men. Screening is important because prostate cancer shows no symptoms in its earliest stages.

Event Overview

Free Prostate Cancer Screenings (You must register for these screenings by calling 1-800-JEFF-NOW)

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals has again been ranked as the top hospital in Philadelphia for orthopaedics and rehabilitation medicine by U.S.News & World Report in their 2009 Best Hospitals survey. This ranking translates into the 17th best hospital in the nation for orthopaedic surgery and the 11th best in the U.S. for rehabilitation medicine. U.S. News & World Report this year also named Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals as among the best in the nation in four other specialties – cancer; ear nose & throat; gastrointestinal (digestive) disorders; and respiratory disorders. In addition, Wills Eye, which serves as the Department of Ophthalmology for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, was ranked as third in the nation and the top medical center in Philadelphia for ophthalmology. Jefferson Hospitals’ President and CEO Thomas J. Lewis said Jefferson and its staff are again honored to be among a select number of medical centers of excellence in the nation. “Being recognized in this way by U.S. News & World Report reflects the extraordinary efforts of all the talented doctors, nurses, and staff, who are dedicated to providing exceptional patient care here at Jefferson every day,” said Mr. Lewis. Redefining how healthcare is delivered is at the core of Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals’ commitment to its patients, its community and the nation.

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America – affecting one in six men. This year, more than 192,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 27,000 men will die from the disease.

The most common way to screen for prostate cancer is a blood test that measures prostate specific antigen (PSA). Because various factors can lead to elevated PSA levels, a biopsy must be performed to confirm a tumor.

Two studies published this spring in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that screening for prostate cancer doesn’t necessarily save lives – and that any benefits of screening can come at a high price.

The studies – one in the United States and the other in Europe – reached different conclusions.

In the U.S., where screening is widely used, researchers reported that it did not save lives in a study of 76,000 men. In Europe, where PSA screening isn’t a routine practice, researchers studied 162,000 men and found a slight reduction of about seven fewer deaths per 10,000 men screened. However, screening subjected men to the risk of getting treatments they didn’t need – and experiencing serious side effects, such as impotence and incontinence.

What Does it Mean for You?
When the studies were released, local TV news stations turned to Leonard Gomella, MD, chair of the Department of Urology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, ranked as one of America’s best hospitals, has earned the prestigious Magnet designation awarded for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association.

Less than five percent of hospitals in the US have achieved Magnet status which recognizes superior patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice.

Highly regarded as the “gold standard” of nursing excellence, Magnet designation provides a benchmark by which consumers and patients can measure the quality of care they can expect to receive at a hospital.  Magnet-designated hospitals are associated with improved patient care outcomes as well as attracting top notch physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals.

“Jefferson is extremely proud of the high caliber of our nurses and the exceptional care they provide to patients,” remarked Mary Ann McGinley, PhD, RN, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer. “Magnet status validates what we already know and enhances our reputation as a center of excellence.”

Radiation oncologist Richard K. Valicenti, MD, is associate professor and clinical chief of Radiation Oncology, Thomas Jefferson Medical College, and co-director of Genitourinary Oncology Center, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Here, he answers a patient’s question about the use of robots in treating prostate cancer.

Question: I’ve heard that doctors are using robots to treat prostate cancer. Is that possible?

Answer: It’s not only possible, it’s absolutely true, and at Jefferson, use of this state-of-the-art technology places our doctors at the forefront of prostate cancer treatment. When you consider that prostate cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men and one of the leading causes of cancer death in men, clearly this new robotic technology is invaluable.

The robotic seed implant has advanced the way that Jefferson doctors perform the radioactive seed implant, a common treatment mode for prostate cancer. With radioactive seed implant – a minimally invasive, localized therapy performed under general anesthesia – tiny needles are used to place small, radioactive pellets, or “seeds” about the size of a grain of rice, into the prostate. The seeds, which are so small they don’t cause any discomfort, deliver radiation from inside the gland for a number of months. Previously, the implant was done manually.

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