Bill Faulkner, a 73-year-old who had long been skeptical of prostate cancer testing due to concerns about over-diagnosis and treatment side effects, found himself facing a significant health challenge. During a routine check-up in November 2021, his physician detected an enlarged prostate and ordered a PSA test, which revealed alarming results with a level of 21 nanograms per milliliter. Further tests confirmed two cancerous lesions on his prostate.
Faulkner and his wife, Jacquie, were apprehensive about traditional treatments like surgery or radiation therapy due to potential side effects such as incontinence and sexual dysfunction. Seeking alternatives that would preserve their quality of life, Faulkner chose MRI-guided ultrasound ablation.
Faulkner has ties to Stanford University, having earned his undergraduate degree there, while his wife previously worked at Stanford Medicine. He opted for treatment at the Minimally Invasive MR Interventional Center (MIMRIC) because of its collaborative approach between radiologists and urologists.
He consulted with Geoffrey Sonn, MD, an associate professor of urology, and Pejman Ghanouni, MD, PhD, an associate professor of radiology. They devised a plan using magnetic resonance-guided transrectal focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for one lesion and magnetic resonance-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA) for the other.
“Bill was very interested in the approach,” Sonn said. “It was in line with his desire to treat his prostate cancer with the goal of keeping side effects to a minimum.”
Stanford Health Care is unique in Northern California for offering both TULSA and MRgFUS procedures. In May 2022, Faulkner underwent MRgFUS followed by TULSA three months later. These procedures allowed precise targeting of cancerous tissue while preserving healthy tissue.
“MR gives us a lot of confidence during the treatment that we can see the lesion and immediately afterward we can verify the treatment efficacy,” Ghanouni explained.
Both procedures were outpatient under anesthesia without significant side effects. Faulkner reported only minor discomfort post-treatment.
“The recovery was surprisingly straightforward,” he recalled. “Within a week or two everything returned to normal.”
Two and a half years after treatment, Faulkner remains cancer-free and praises MIMRIC’s care team.
“This treatment gave me my life back,” he said.
The story highlights ongoing studies by Sonn and Ghanouni comparing TULSA’s effectiveness against traditional surgery methods.
For further information or media inquiries:
Lisa Kim
Tel: 650-723-6696
Email: likim@stanfordhealthcare.org
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