Prostate cancer care, from a PSA result to a plan
Plenty of men arrive at our Marietta office because of a PSA number someone wants rechecked, and for most of them the answer turns out not to be cancer. A raised PSA can also come from an enlarged or inflamed prostate. The first step is careful assessment.
The testing path
- PSA: a blood test read in context with your age, history and earlier results
- Digital rectal exam: a brief exam to feel for changes in the prostate
- Prostate MRI: to look for areas that need a closer look
- Biopsy: to confirm whether cancer is present and how active it is
- PSMA PET/CT: imaging used in some situations to check for spread
Treatment options
Options depend on how active the cancer is, how much is present and what matters to you. They include active surveillance (careful monitoring), surgery to remove the prostate, radiation, and hormone therapy, with other medicines for advanced disease. Robotic prostate surgery is available at the Marietta Clinic & Surgery Center. Surgery and radiation can affect urinary control and erections, and those trade-offs are part of every discussion.
What is active surveillance for prostate cancer?
For many men with early, low-risk prostate cancer, monitoring is a reasonable first choice. Dr. Jason Lomboy explains how it works in the article linked below.
More on this topic from Advanced Urology: prostate cancer
Educational information, not medical advice. Every treatment has risks, benefits and alternatives to discuss with your clinician.
When should you see a urologist about prostate cancer?
See us when a PSA result comes back higher than expected, when a primary care exam finds a change in the prostate, or when you'd like a second opinion on a biopsy result. Being unable to urinate is an emergency.
What is recovery usually like?
Active surveillance involves regular tests rather than recovery. Robotic prostate surgery at our Marietta surgery center involves a recovery period, and surgery or radiation can affect urinary control and erections; those trade-offs are part of every treatment conversation.
More questions we hear
Does a high PSA mean I have prostate cancer?
No. An enlarged or inflamed prostate can also raise PSA, and most men referred for a high reading turn out not to have cancer.
What is focal therapy?
Focal therapy treats the area with cancer instead of the whole prostate. Our urologists offer Vanquish, a steam-based treatment, and HIFU for certain localized cancers.
Is robotic prostate surgery done locally?
Yes. Robotic prostate surgery is available at our Marietta Clinic & Surgery Center.
Will treatment affect urinary control or erections?
It can. Surgery and radiation may affect both, and we go through those trade-offs before you choose.
Which articles go deeper on prostate cancer?
These short reads answer questions patients often bring to us.
- I was just diagnosed with prostate cancer: what are my options?
- Active surveillance vs watchful waiting: what is the difference?
- What is salvage radiation after prostatectomy?
- Questions to ask before choosing prostate cancer treatment
- Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer: who is a good candidate?
- Is watching low-risk prostate cancer a reasonable choice?
- What is focal therapy for prostate cancer?
- Active surveillance for early prostate cancer
All 8 articles on prostate cancer
Clinicians whose Advanced Urology profiles list this area: Jason Lomboy, MD.
How is prostate cancer staged?
PSA, a digital rectal exam, prostate MRI and biopsy results combine to show how much cancer is present and how aggressive it looks. PSMA PET/CT may be added to check for spread in selected men. Together these guide the conversation about options.
Common questions
Is watchful waiting the same as active surveillance?
No. Active surveillance includes regular testing with the aim of treating if the cancer changes; watchful waiting focuses on symptoms.
Can I get a second opinion?
Yes. Bring your biopsy pathology report, PSA history and any MRI or PSMA scan, and we review whether surveillance, surgery, radiation or focal therapy fits.
Videos from Advanced Urology
Videos play here from Advanced Urology’s YouTube channel, using YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode.
Noticing symptoms? Our plain-language guide, Your PSA came back high. What happens now?, explains what to do next.
Treatment and doctors
Let's sort this out together. Our offices in Marietta, Canton, Dallas and Jasper share one phone line and one caring team.