Prostate Cancer Facts

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month. It’s important to be aware of the symptoms and treatment options for prostate cancer so you can detect and treat it as early as possible.

What is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland, which is a small, walnut-sized structure that is part of the man’s reproductive system. Though there are some cases of prostate cancer that are more aggressive, prostate cancer usually grows slowly and remains confined to the prostate gland.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer in its early stages might not cause noticeable symptoms. As it becomes more advanced, it may cause symptoms including:

Discomfort in the pelvic area
Blood in both semen and urine
Difficulty urinating
Pain in lower back
Pain in hips or thighs
Light stream of urine

Treating Prostate Cancer

Treatment options for prostate cancer depend greatly on the stage the cancer is at. The stages of prostate cancer include:

Stage I – During this stage, the cancer isn’t considered aggressive. During this stage, your physician may decide that treatment isn’t necessary and may choose to simply monitor the cancer.
Stage II – Cancer at this stage may still be considered aggressive. It may be larger and may involve both sides of the prostate gland.
Stage III – The cancer has spread from the prostate gland to other nearby tissues.
Stage IV – During stage IV, the cancer has spread to nearby organs, such as the bladder or lymph nodes.

Depending on the stage of the prostate cancer, your physician may choose radiation therapy, hormone therapy, surgery to remove the prostate, chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Press Release: Urologists Support a Man’s Right to Appropriate Prostate Cancer Screening

New guidelines released by the American Urological Association include specific recommendations for screening men between the ages of 55 and 69, as well as appropriateness criteria for younger and older men based on risk factors and life expectancy.

Fourth Annual Prostate Awareness Golf Tournament Information

Metro Urology Foundation will be sponsoring the Fourth Annual Prostate Awareness Golf Tournament at Kilkarney Hills, River Falls, Wisconsin. Sponsorship opportunities are available. The tournament will be held on Monday, June 17th, 2013. Registration is at 10:00am and 1:00pm shotgun.

for information on sponsorship opportunities and a golf registration form: Download Sponsorship Registration Form

Sponsoring North Oaks Golf Club Tournament in September with da Vinci Robot

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On September 16th, 2013, we will be sponsoring the North Oaks Golf Club Tournament to promote prostate cancer awareness. This is slated to be a big event and the da Vinci Surgical Robot is to be on display for demonstration. Dr. Gaertner and Dr. Knoedler will be present as sponsors of this event.

Sponsoring the Kilkarney Hills Golf Tournament for Prostate Cancer Awareness

We are proud to sponsor the Kilkarney Hills Golf Tournament to be held on June 17th, 2013 in River Falls, WI for prostate cancer awareness.

Kilkarney Hills Golf course opened in 1994 and is located in beautiful River Falls, WI. This tournament will be held to promote prostate cancer awareness.

More information to follow

Dr. Knoedler and Dr. Gaertner participating in the LaborCare Fair

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We are proud to participate in the 2013 LaborCare Health + Benefits Fair. Complete with free health screenings, education information and live entertainment, this event held April 20, from 7am – 2pm is a fantastic community event at Target Field.

Dr. Knoedler & Dr. Gaertner Make US News and World Report Top Urologist list

Both Dr. Christopher Knoedler & Dr. Robert Gaertner were listed as top urologists according the U.S. News. The list is composed of physicians selected based on peer nominations.

Dr Knoedler has been annually recognized by his peers as a “Top Doctor” in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine. Dr Knoedler is also a recognized Regional Leader in the techniques of Robotic Surgery. He and his partner, Dr. Gaertner, performed the first Robotic Prostatectomy in private practice in the Upper Midwest. They were recently presented with the Thirlby Award by the North Central Section of the AUA for their clinical research on Robotic Prostatectomy.

Dr. Gaertner currently serves as a director of the Robotic Surgery Program at Healtheast Hospitals. He is recognized by his peers as a “Top Doctor” in the Minneapolis/St.Paul Magazine. Doctors Knoedler and Gaertner were recently awarded the Thirlby Award for outstanding clinical research in robotic surgery.

For the full list [Click Here].

Saint John’s Hospital Receives 5-Star Rating for Robotic Prostatectomies

Healthgrades, the leader in helping consumers make informed choices about healthcare providers, recently awarded Saint John’s Hospital a 5-Star rating for prostatectomies. Both Dr. Gaertner and Knoedler perform most of their robotic prostatectomies at St. Johns.

Due in part to the large volume of their robotic practice, St John’s is one of only sixteen hospitals in the country to be in both the “Top 100” for robotic procedures for both Urology and Gynecology.

To see all the Healthgrade ratings for St John’s Hospital [Click Here].

Perform 1st Robotic Prostatectomy in Western Wisconsin

Doctors Gaertner and Knoedler performed the first robotic prostatectomy in Western Wisconsin in January 2012 at River Falls Area Hospital. Dr Gaertner sees patients at the River Falls Medical Center.

Thirlby Award for outstanding research

Drs Knoedler and Gaertner received the Thirlby Award for outstanding clinical research in robotic prostate surgery. The award is presented at the annual meeting of the North Central Section of the American Urologic Association.