Full-scale prostate models ease men\'s fears and reduce the risk of cancers and unnecessary treatments that lead to impotence

Worried men\'s prostate model made with 3D printing technology eased concerns about prostate cancer treatment.
The surgeon is using an image scanned by MRI to bring the complete
Proportional model of walnut
The size of the gland used for consultation.
They say these models can reduce opportunities for important cancers to be missed, or reduce opportunities for unnecessary treatment that may lead to erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
Mr. Hashim Ahmed, urological consultant at Nuada Urology in London, said: \"The 3d model can create more accurate picture of the problem and is a useful visual aid to help patients understand the treatment regimen.
The prostate is relatively small, slightly larger than the walnut, surrounded by delicate tissue, so it can be very difficult to treat.
\"The 3D model is very accurate and easier to explain than the scanned plane image, providing tactile assistance to surgeons and patients in order to make informed decisions about what actions to take.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK, with about 130 cases diagnosed every day.
It affects one of the eight men.
Treatment depends on the size and staging of the cancer.
This can include active surveillance or slow waiting
In order to avoid unnecessary treatment, do not treat prostate cancer immediately.
Other options include removal of the prostate or radiation therapy in more advanced cases.
But treatment has a risk of side effects.
Destruction or destruction of healthy tissue around the prostate can lead to erectile dysfunction in up to 60 patients, with incontinence occurring in up to one of the 5 men.
Radiation therapy can cause bleeding and discomfort in patients, and about patients will develop incontinence.
New treatment methods, such as high
Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)
Mr. Ahmed said that the 3D model can help doctors guide surgeons accurately before and during treatment.
It is essential that their use may lead to low
Risk cancer for young patients receiving unnecessary treatment, medium-to-
Classified as low risk cancerrisk.
Surveys of these models can also prevent men from being wrongly advised to \"wait\"and-
See when it\'s more appropriate to provide treatment.
Surgery and radiotherapy can\'t be repeated, so you really don\'t have a second chance, Ahmed said.
The model allows surgeons to accurately ask about the number of tissues they want to treat or remove around the tumor.
Daniel Loberg, 54year-
Old physicist from northern Finchley
Western London was diagnosed with prostate cancer last fall.
He said I felt very anxious when my father died of prostate cancer 15 years ago.
Mr. Lowenberg met with Mr. Ahmed at Nuada Urology on Harley Street, who recommended the 3D print output.
Being able to see the problem in the form of a model really helped me take a break, Daniel said.
We are weighing my options now, but it seems that Mr Ahmed will try a high intensity focused ultrasound.
The cost of the 3D model is about £ 180 and can be printed in less than a week using the 3D printer software.
Nuada clinic is the only clinic in the UK that offers the technology.
But Mr. Ahmed, who is also a urological consultant at the University College Hospital in London, hopes to be available nationwide in the coming years.
After decades of treatment for prostate cancer, he said, the 3D print output knew understandable concerns and risks, a huge leap forward.