At the Peritus Clinic, all help is available under the same roof, which means that we are with you all the way, from investigation to treatment and counseling after your cancer diagnosis. This means that you avoid long waiting times in the entire process. We are the only private hospital in Sweden that has the safest methods for diagnosing prostate cancer: MRI, fusion biopsy and PET-DT. We use the latest technology in robot-assisted surgery for prostate cancer surgery and we who treat you are some of the top robotic surgeons in the country.

Some of the country’s most experienced specialists and specialist nurses also work with us, all keen to give you a safe treatment and the best treatment available. As a patient with a cancer diagnosis, it can be difficult to manage several different care contacts both before, during and after treatment. That is why our contact nurses are there to support you and help you navigate through the entire process.

You can also come to us to get a second opinion where we make sure that you get the best treatment plan for you. It is the core of our entire service.

SYMPTOMS

In the early stages, prostate cancer is symptomless. Trouble emptying the bladder can be a symptom of prostate cancer but is more often due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). There are many similarities between symptoms of prostate cancer and symptoms of benign enlargement of the prostate, so it is important to seek care when symptoms arise and not wait. The following symptoms can be caused by prostate cancer:

  • The need to urinate frequently, especially during the night.
  • Difficulty starting to urinate or holding back urine.
  • Inability to urinate.
  • Painful or burning urination.
  • Difficulty getting an erection.
  • Painful ejaculations.
  • Blood in urine or semen.
  • Recurring pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips or upper thighs.

If you have any of the above symptoms, please contact us for a consultation. We offer fast and efficient investigations of elevated PSA (prostate-specific antigen). A thorough examination together with all other parts of the investigation is done at the clinic. We also offer a test in the form of a blood test that combines protein markers, genetic markers and clinical data with the aim of detecting prostate cancer at an early stage. Here you will find our contact details.

INVESTIGATION AND TREATMENT

We offer fast investigations because we have all parts in the investigation chain at our disposal and thus minimize the waiting time.

  • Elevated PSA
  • Examination with magnetic camera
  • Biopsy
  • Diagnosis

You will receive the initial test results within a few days. At the Peritus Clinic, you will be fully examined within about two weeks.

SECOND OPINION

If you have received a cancer diagnosis and a treatment plan from another healthcare provider, we also offer a so-called second opinion. This means that our specialists review relevant medical records and make a new assessment of your optimal treatment plan. Urologists, oncologists and radiologists participate in these assessments.

INVESTIGATION

We offer all parts of the investigation, including advanced image diagnostics for refined diagnostics in tumor diseases.

PSA test

With us, you can take a blood sample and receive a confirmed PSA test within a few days. PSA tend to rise with increased age due to higher incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia. We follow the national guidelines and reference values and make an individual assessment if you need further examinations in case of suspected prostate cancer. Read more about PSA.

Palpation

Palpation means that the doctor feels the prostate gland through the rectal wall with his index finger. If the gland is hard or asymmetrical, it may indicate that a tumor has developed and more investigations are prescribed.

Risk-free method for tissue sample/biopsy

The Peritus clinic uses a modern and risk-free method to take tissue samples where the specialist enters through the skin in front of the rectum instead of via the rectal wall. This minimizes the risk of blood poisoning.

Fusion biopsy

Magnetic camera examination of the prostate in combination with ultrasound is today considered the safest method for detecting or ruling out cancer. This method is used in the clinic in connection with tissue samples/biopsies being carried out.

PET-DT

Peritus Clinic is the only private hospital in Sweden that offers a PET camera in combination with X-rays. PET-DT is used to diagnose tumors and follow the effects of a treatment. During a PET scan, a radioactive tracer is injected into the body. Because tumor cells have a high metabolism, a greater amount of the tracer accumulates in tumor cells than in adjacent healthy cells. It is this accumulation of the radioactive substance that is visible in the images. The examination is painless and takes an average of one hour. The patient must lie still and is therefore given pillows to support the head and body. Side effects after a PET scan are rare. The radiation dose is relatively small and the radioactive substance has a short life (half-life). The substance thus quickly disappears from the body.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Questions at a prostate cancer diagnosis

A cancer diagnosis raises many questions and the need to have someone to talk to is often great. Our experienced and knowledgeable contact nurses can give you and your relatives answers to questions about treatment options, prognosis, what it’s like to live with prostate cancer and other things you may be wondering about. At prostatacancerförbundet.se and cancerfonden.se you will also find professional and scientifically based information about prostate cancer.

Active monitoring

You can choose to wait for treatment if the cancer is only in the prostate and is growing slowly. Instead, you have to go to regular check-ups. This is called active monitoring. In such cases you make a return visit to the doctor and submit a PSA test every 3-6 months. You may also need to be examined with a magnetic camera and provide tissue samples. You will receive treatment if the checks show that the cancerous tumor is beginning to develop.

Surgery

If your cancer diagnosis means that surgery is the most appropriate treatment method, the surgery is performed at the Peritus Clinic. At our clinic prostate cancer surgery is usually performed with robot-assisted surgery. This means that the urologist controls the robotic instruments through four keyholes in the body (keyhole surgery or laparoscopic surgery). The prostate is removed through a slightly larger incision near the navel. Complications are rare, but there is a risk of urinary leakage and impotence, which your doctor will inform you about before the procedure. You can read more about how the operation is done below.

Drug treatment

Prostate cancer needs testosterone to grow and can therefore be slowed down with hormone therapy. There are various drugs whose effect is to make it more difficult for testosterone to form or to work. Hormone treatment may sometimes need to be combined with other drugs to have an extra effect. Hormone therapy can also be given along with radiation.

Treatment of advanced prostate cancer, when there are metastases elsewhere in the body, must always be planned individually. The primary treatment of advanced prostate cancer always includes drug treatment, usually hormonal treatment and cytostatic treatment or a combination of these.

Radiation treatment

Radiation therapy is an option for treating prostate cancer. Whether radiation or surgery is the preferred treatment for a patient depends on various factors and is judged by an oncologist on a case-by-case basis. Side effects from radiation are common, but in many cases temporary. When it comes to prostate cancer, the most common side effect of radiation therapy is bowel side effects such as changes in bowel habits, mucus formation and leakage, and frequent urges to urinate. Radiation can also affect erectile function.

The Peritus Clinic does not currently offer radiation therapy. However, we can offer a consultation with our oncologist to review the treatments that are most suitable for your disease. In cases where this treatment is relevant, we will refer you to another healthcare provider.

There are two types of radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

External radiation therapy

External beam radiation therapy can be an alternative to surgery if you have other diseases. The treatment takes a few minutes and is not felt. In many cases, seven treatments over three weeks are enough.

Internal radiation therapy – brachytherapy

Internal radiation therapy is usually used if the cancer tumor is larger and growing rapidly. The treatment is given inside the prostate. Then it is possible to receive higher radiation doses than with external radiation therapy without affecting the healthy body tissue.

SURGERY

Some of the country’s leading robotic surgeons work at the Peritus Clinic. We have the latest version of the DaVinci Xi surgical robot. With it, many different types of surgery can be performed, including prostate and kidney surgery.

Robot-assisted surgery for prostate cancer

Robot-assisted surgery for prostate cancer means that the doctor controls the robotic instruments through four peepholes in the body (peephole surgery). The prostate is removed through a slightly larger incision near the navel. Complications are rare, but there is a risk of urinary leakage and impotence, which your doctor will inform you about before the procedure. As a rule, you stay one night after the operation and go home the next day with a catheter in your bladder. The catheter is removed after 7-10 days. In the case of a more aggressive tumor, the lymph nodes around the prostate are also removed. At the Peritus Clinic, we can also operate in case of relapse after radiotherapy.

Preparation

Before the operation, you must fill in a questionnaire about how your ejaculation works and describe your sexual ability. Your doctor will discuss how these functions may be affected for you. You also get a named liaison nurse who goes through pelvic floor training before the operation. Your contact nurse handles all preparations for your operation.

The contact nurse has time for you

As a patient with a cancer diagnosis, it is often difficult to navigate a complex system with many healthcare contacts. Perituskliniken therefore has specialist trained contact nurses in urology and oncology who coordinate the care and treatment throughout the entire care process and any care transitions between private and public care.

All patients diagnosed with prostate cancer need counseling before, during and after treatment. We offer rehabilitation of incontinence and impotence after surgery as well as follow-up with PSA. In the event of a possible recurrence of the disease, we can investigate and give advice on treatment, and regular conversations with the contact nurse are then of great importance for your security.

Being a patient at Peritus Clinic, you can feel secure in the fact that there is always a contact nurse who has insight into your medical history.