Tulane Cancer Center is the first facility in the Deep South to offer MRI-guided perineal prostate biopsies as a follow-up for some men whose PSAs are elevated.

This new procedure -- which is done in the operating room while the patient is under deep sedation -- is less painful, has lower infection rates than traditional prostate biopsies and helps to pinpoint suspicious areas more easily, which means fewer biopsies will need to be performed.

Learn more about this novel procedure by clicking here!

"At Tulane, our multidisciplinary team of oncologists, radiologists, urologists, radiation oncologists, nurses and staff is constantly evolving to offer our patients diagnostic and treatment opportunities not seen elsewhere in the community," said Spencer Krane, MD, urologic oncologist (pictured above). "This is a totally novel technique that provides superior prostate cancer detection with significantly less discomfort, and we are excited to be able to provide it to our patients."

For additional information or to schedule a clinical consult, please call 504-988-7869 or email cancercare@tulane.edu.

One in six men being treated for advanced prostate cancer experiences a reduced sense of smell and taste, a symptom that could cause increased anxiety among patients because it is also a side effect of COVID-19, according to Tulane researchers.

A study published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer says a reduced sense of smell and taste among some prostate cancer patients is largely associated with poor appetite and weight loss.

Although the data collection for the study predated the COVID-19 pandemic, the results pose important implications for cancer patients undergoing hormone therapy, chemotherapy and/or bone antiresorptive therapy during the coronavirus crisis.

“We wanted to make sure the article mentioned the significance of advanced prostate cancer patients experiencing losses in taste/smell as a side effect of their cancer treatment during the pandemic,” said Laura Perry, a Tulane doctoral student in psychology and one of the study’s authors. “Since it is a commonly known symptom of COVID-19, the experience may be appraised by patients as especially stressful at this time.”

Perry said most symptom assessments in cancer patients do not ask patients about their senses of taste or smell. “Our findings suggest these could be a valuable addition to routine assessments in prostate cancer,” she said.

The study surveyed 75 men with advanced prostate cancer, asking them about their appetite, nausea while eating, and taste and smell of food over a 15-month period. Of the patients questioned, 17% experienced poor taste of food and 8% poor sense of smell. Participants were more likely to experience reduced sense of taste if they were being treated with the drugs denosumab or docetaxel, and they were more likely to experience weight loss if experiencing poor taste of food or poor appetite. Nausea was associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing poor taste and smell.

The study incorporated demographics, treatments and weight data from electronic health records.

Participants of the study were from the greater New Orleans area, where food and eating are central to the city’s culture. If cancer patients can no longer enjoy the pleasure associated with food, that, too, can affect them emotionally, researchers said.

“For advanced cancer patients, losing their sense of taste and smell can have profound impacts on their emotional well being and ability to engage with others socially,” Perry said.

Lead author Sarah Alonzi, a lab manager in the Tulane Department of Psychology, agreed. “I hope that communicating these findings improves patients’ awareness that treatment-related reduction in taste and smell can occur, providing some reassurance for those experiencing these symptoms,” she said.

Based on the findings of this study, the authors suggest that clinicians should regularly query patients for changes in sense of taste and smell, especially patients who are experiencing weight loss. During the pandemic, they said, it is especially important that clinicians make patients aware of the potential for treatment-related reduction in taste and smell to reduce COVID-19 anxiety.

The research team included authors from Tulane’s uptown and downtown campuses, a collaboration cultivated by the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center.

In addition to Alonzi and Perry, the Tulane team included Michael Hoerger, assistant professor of psychology at the Tulane School of Science and Engineering and an assistant professor of psychology and psychiatry at the Tulane Cancer Center. Also part of the Tulane team was a group from the Tulane Cancer Center, including Dr. Oliver Sartor, Charlotte Manogue, Patrick Cotogno and Dr. Elisa Ledet.

Lydia Chow of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Emma Ernst of the Tufts University School of Medicine also contributed to the study.

To help address this problem, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has awarded Tulane Cancer Center $10,000 in emergency lodging funds to be distributed to patients in need of lodging assistance during their treatment appointments.

“Many of our patients have to travel far distances every day to receive their cancer treatments here. And several of them either do not have access to reliable transportation, are too fatigued or sick to drive themselves or cannot afford to pay for lodging nearby,” said Prescott Deininger, PhD, Tulane Cancer Center director. “Access to care is a big problem in our country, with low-income people of color and those living in rural communities suffering the most from disparities. Lodging programs are vital for these patients to get the treatments they need and deserve, and we are deeply thankful to the American Cancer Society for their assistance.”

For additional information about the American Cancer Society, call 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

To increase awareness of the causes, symptoms, risk factors and treatment options for various urological conditions, the Department of Urology recently launched a Men's Health Webinar Series.

"The topics we plan to cover are directly pertinent to cancer survivorship and improved quality of life for many men who have been diagnosed with and treated for genitourinary cancers," said Omer Raheem, MD, MSc, assistant professor of urology and director of men's health in Tulane's Department of Urology.

Director of Men's Health

Assistant Professor of Urology

Prostate Cancer treatments often result in erectile dysfunction (ED) and/or stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Prostate Cancer, ED, and SUI can take a toll on men and their partners, both physically and emotionally. In this webinar, symptoms and causes will be discussed, as well as treatment options ranging from ED medication to surgical treatments for both ED and SUI.

For more information, please click here.