TUCC In The News

When Bill Meyn lost his fight against prostate cancer three years ago he left behind a wonderful family.

The Meyn family wants all men out there to know that getting a PSA test at the 9 Health Fair takes only a matter of minutes and can prevent a lifetime of heartbreak and loss for your family.

According to Dr. Mark Jones, urologist with The Urology Center of Colorado, the best thing men can do for their health is be screened for prostate cancer. If prostate cancer is detected at an early stage, it is survivable and treatable. Dr. Jones has performed hundreds of robotic prostatectomies to treat prostate cancer. In this story, 9News examines the advancements in robotic surgery and the importance of annual prostate cancer screenings.

March Madness is here. Time for brackets, basketball and the perfect excuse to sit around and watch hours of games - vasectomies. In this clip, TUCC Men's Health Specialist Dr. Jesse Mills offers his Final Four picks to Al and D-Mac on The Drive FAN Sports Radio show.

The bladder is an amazing organ with a very special design. November is recognized as National Bladder Health Month and expert urologists at The Urology Center of Colorado (TUCC) have put together a list of bladder health facts all Coloradans should be aware of.

The statistics are stark. One in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
 
The disease is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Colorado today. More than 3,000 men in our state will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012.
 
Men are often reluctant to be poked and prodded by a doctor. However, a prostate cancer screening takes less than 10 minutes and the results can be life-saving. Prostate cancer screenings include a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam.

Four TUCC physicians were recently recognized as "Top Docs" in the metro area by 5280 Magazine.

The perseverance and hope expressed by cancer survivors is recognized nationwide on National Cancer Survivors Day the first Sunday of every June. On Sunday, June 3rd, The Urology Center of Colorado (TUCC) honored close to 700 survivors of urologic conditions – prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, testicular cancer and interstitial cystitis patients – and their families and friends at the fourth annual TUCC Patient Survivorship Picnic in north Denver. These diseases impact the lives of thousands of Coloradans each year. In fact, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the state today.

In a variety of surveys conducted by medical organizations and nonprofit groups, anywhere from 58% to 95% of physicians acknowledge they practice defensive medicine. In a recent informal survey on the Urology Times Web site, 93% of respondents said they believe urologists practice defensive medicine.

A survey by Northwestern University in Chicago of its medical students showed that 94% have witnessed medicine being practiced defensively. Northwestern says the survey suggests that although defensive medicine isn't an official part of the curriculum, it is being "taught" to medical students.

Urology Times wanted to know urologists' outlook on defensive medicine.

Approximately 22,000 Coloradans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2012. Of that group, more than 3,000 are men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Colorado today, and has been so for the past five years. For many in our state, prostate cancer has impacted the life of a father, brother, husband or friend.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended against routine use of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test to diagnose prostate cancer. This recommendation was given despite significant opposition from urologists, oncologists, patients and advocacy groups. No urologists or medical oncologists who regularly treat prostate cancer participated in the recommendation.

Stan, a 48 year-old man, walks into my office the other day with the chief complaint of, “Doc, my wife sent me here because I lost my sex drive “. He hasn’t been to a doctor in 15 years. The last time he saw one was to get a hernia repaired. He otherwise told me he’s healthy. On the surface, he is right. He takes no medications, has never been hospitalized and almost never calls in sick. As a urologist, I see hundreds of men a year just like this. Common in men’s health - guys don’t go to the doctor unless something really hurts or doesn’t work. In my field, things that don’t work are pretty important to men - man parts. Men don’t see doctors until they’re 50 to begin annual screenings. Unfortunately, the diseases that kill men most frequently start in the 30s and 40s. These are heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. All of these conditions can be detected early and treated effectively. These conditions also are the biggest risk factors for sexual problems.