At KCUC Urology and Oncology, we pride ourselves on offering the latest & best prostate cancer care. From treatments to procedures to equipment, we are consistently the first to introduce new technology and bring cutting-edge medicine to Kansas City. If you find yourself, or a loved one, facing a diagnosis of prostate cancer, or perhaps you’d simply like a second opinion on a diagnosis, KCUC is the place to trust.
Best Prostate Cancer Care
When it comes to cancer treatments, we know you want the very best. That’s exactly what KCUC has been bringing to Kansas City since we opened our doors. We put our patients first and strive to bring you not only the best, but the most personalized care possible. Our outpatient facilities mean you can have the latest and best prostate cancer care, plus the most convenient and affordable care. Sound too good to be true? Read on to see all of the technology and treatments we offer and why we’re the best choice when it comes to finding the best prostate cancer care.
DaVinci Robot
The da Vinci robotic system is an advanced form of laparoscopic (small incision) surgery where surgeons use a computer-controlled robot to assist them. The robot’s “hands” are much smaller and deliver a high degree of dexterity. This allows surgeons to operate in very tight spaces in the body that would otherwise require traditional open surgery. The surgeons get a better view of the surgery site, increased dexterity, and enhanced precision.
When you’re talking about urologic surgeries, being able to make a smaller incision and get the job done with less disruption to the body is a big deal to our patients. It reduces pain, swelling, and recovery time as well as leaving smaller scars on the skin. KCUC has more robotic-trained surgeons within our group than any other group in town. Our physicians have performed over 2,500 successful robotic surgeries. In 2019, KCUC surgeons pioneered the first daVinci Single Port system in Kansas City (which requires only one incision point) after pioneering the first multi-port daVinci robot back in 2003.
Rectal Spacing
Rectal spacers are biomaterials that create a temporary separation between the prostate and rectum to protect healthy tissue during radiation therapy. KCUC uses a rectal spacer that can be sculpted in place to create a custom fit to the patient’s anatomy, better protecting the healthy tissue from radiation beam exposure. The rectal spacer used has been proven to significantly reduce long-term side effects from prostate cancer radiation therapy. The good news is there is no additional procedure necessary to remove it because it is naturally absorbed by the body after treatments are complete.
Fusion Biopsy
Detecting, diagnosing, and treating urologic cancers, like prostate cancer, can be tricky because the prostate is not in an easily accessible area. A fusion biopsy combines MRI technology with ultrasound technology to create a more detailed image and more accurate biopsy. Using both types of technology, provides a more accurate means to identify prostate cancer and treat it more effectively.
PROVENGE Cellular Immunotherapy
PROVENGE is a type of cancer treatment known as cellular immunotherapy. It uses the existing power of the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. The immune system detects abnormal cells, like cancer cells, and attacks them. It can recognize substances it has encountered before. We take cells from the patient, activate them, and then return them to the patient’s body, thus boosting the immune system to target and attack the cancer cells.
RapidArc Radiation Treatments
RapidArc™ radiotherapy technology is a breakthrough technology for delivering fast, precise cancer treatments. KCUC’s Radiation Treatment Center is proud to be Kansas City’s first provider of RapidArc and the only office-based provider. RapidArc is delivered with a medical linear accelerator, which is a large machine that generates high-powered X-rays and rotates around the patient allowing it to deliver the beams from many angles. IMRT shapes the radiation dose so that it conforms closely to the three-dimensional shape of the tumor. That means more radiation is delivered to the tumor and less to surrounding healthy tissues. RapidArc provides faster treatments, fewer side effects, and greater accuracy.
Proton Radiation Treatments (Proton Therapy)
Proton therapy represents the latest advances in radiation therapy treatments for cancer. Why is it better than traditional X-ray therapy? Proton therapy targets and destroys cancer tumors while reducing the risks of harmful side-effects. The MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System with HYPERSCAN Pencil Beam Scanning technology is the world’s smallest proton therapy system. The smaller size eliminates the obstacles of size, complexity, and cost that exist with other proton therapy systems.
Outpatient Proton Therapy Costs Less
Our Kansas City Proton Institute (KCPI) is scheduled to open in the winter of 2023. KCPI will be the only office-based proton therapy facility in the central United States. Having an office-based proton therapy center will make cutting-edge cancer care more accessible and convenient for thousands of cancer patients in both Kansas and Missouri. But the biggest advantage for our patients is that the cost of proton therapy in the outpatient setting is actually less than X-ray therapies in the inpatient setting. So we’re bringing state-of-the-art technology to the community in a much more cost-effective manner.
Advantages of Choosing an Outpatient Facility
One of the biggest advantages we have at KCUC Urology and Oncology is the fact that we are an outpatient facility. Hospital-based radiation oncology programs are allowed by insurers and Medicare to charge higher rates and facility fees than non-hospital-based programs for the same treatment. Because cancer care is not usually something that is “shopped” for or price compared, most patients have no idea that there is a difference in price for the care they receive. Hospital-based radiation therapy is usually 20-40% higher (even more if it is an NCI-designated cancer center). It’s perfectly legal. It’s just the way the system works. Cancer care is expensive and if you have a deductible, choosing outpatient care can result in savings of thousands of dollars.