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Key Facts:
- A Shift in Care: Nearly 60% of prostate cancer patients at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center now go on “active surveillance,” avoiding immediate surgery and its side effects, a major shift from two decades ago when surgery was default.
- Pioneering Diagnostics: Patients are closely monitored using MRIs, biopsies and the PSA blood test, a lifesaving screening tool first developed at Roswell Park.
- Minimally Invasive Fallbacks: If the cancer progresses, treatments like high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) allow patients to go home the exact same day.
- Better Surgical Outcomes: If surgery is required, Roswell Park’s robotic technique helps 77% of patients regain urinary control within three months, compared to just 32% with standard surgery.
One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, but a diagnosis is no longer a direct line to the operating room. At Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY, specialists are proving that for many patients, “active surveillance” is the best initial medicine.
When Tim O’Shei received a prostate cancer diagnosis at age 47 alongside a recommendation for immediate surgery, he sought a second opinion from Khurshid A. Guru, MD, at Roswell Park. By doing so, O’Shei avoided the operating table. For the past three years, he has managed his disease symptom-free under active surveillance, allowing him to maintain his active lifestyle.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, N.Y.) Rated “Exceptional” by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the agency’s highest distinction, Roswell Park is the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Upstate New York and a national leader in cancer research, treatment, screening and prevention. The organization is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading cancer centers and continues to advance molecular diagnostics, immunotherapies and cellular therapies that improve outcomes for patients with complex cancers. Additional distinctions include Magnet Recognition for nursing excellence, Optum Centers of Excellence designations for adult and pediatric cancer care and stem cell transplantation, and accreditation through multiple American College of Surgeons/Commission on Cancer quality programs. Since its founding in 1898 as the first center dedicated to cancer research, Roswell Park has generated numerous landmark discoveries and innovations, including the PSA prostate cancer test, pioneering advances in cancer chemotherapy and SurVaxM, a novel immunotherapy currently in late-stage clinical development as a treatment for glioblastoma brain tumors. Home to New York State’s first and largest cell therapy hub, a portfolio of more than 400 active clinical trials and an award-winning community outreach and engagement program, Roswell Park serves as a national destination for complex cancer care and services.
