Latest studies and reports

From now on, the West German Prostate Center will inform you regularly in its own newsletter about current developments in the diagnosis and therapy of prostate cancer and benign prostate enlargement, report on new research results and keep you up to date on its own projects and treatment methods.

Follow the West German Prostate Center on YouTube now! In our med.clips we inform you about diagnostics and therapy of prostate diseases and keep you up to date about news.

JAMA study: Men with localized prostate cancer who have undergone brachytherapy or external beam radiation continue to have less incontinence, better erectile function and significantly higher quality of life five years after treatment than men whose prostates were surgically removed.

Priv.-Doz. Dr. Dr. Holger Gerullis and Kai P. Schuster support the West German Prostate Center as additional specialists for urology with immediate effect. This enables the WPZ and the Urology Department of the KLINIK am RING to better meet the increasing number of their patients.

While national and international medical societies have firmly established seed implantation in their guidelines for around 20 years, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) is now following suit and giving the green light for the modern, radiation therapy procedure. In its decision, the committee certifies that LDR brachytherapy for localized prostate carcinoma has great benefits and fewer side effects compared to surgery.

A recently published study has once again confirmed the excellent efficacy of brachytherapy: Ten years after treatment, the biochemical freedom from recurrence was significantly better in patients who received a seed implant than in patients whose prostate had been surgically removed.

The radical removal of the prostate gland leads to permanent loss of urine (incontinence) in a significant percentage of prostate cancer patients. This is again the result of a subgroup analysis of the large-scale ProtecT study, which was published in the renowned journal European Urology in 2020.

The IQWiG Institute rejects prostate cancer screening using the PSA test. The Institute also receives strong criticism from the German Society of Urology (DGU). "With good reason," say Dr Stephan Neubauer and Dr Pedram Derakhshani of the West German Prostate Center in Cologne.

Secondary tumors of the bladder or rectum do not occur more frequently after brachytherapy than after radical removal of the prostate. This is the result of a large-scale study by the British Columbia Cancer Agency.

Many of you are unsettled in times of Corona, and rightly so. You ask yourself and us the question whether you should have currently planned operations or examinations of the prostate gland carried out or postpone them for the time being. We at the West German Prostate Center will explain it to you!

The urological department in the KLINIK am RING successfully passed the quality certification according to the new standard DIN EN ISO 9001 again this year.

Radiotherapy should not be postponed or interrupted even during the COVID 19 pandemic. The German Society for Radiooncology (DEGRO), among others, points this out in a current statement.

In spite of clear evidence, the IQWIG Institute has again come to the conclusion in its current report that the effectiveness of seed implantation is still not clearly proven. Experts reject the report as unscientific. A comment

EAU Congress: Radical removal of the prostate leads to erectile dysfunction in a significant percentage of patients, even during nerve-preserving surgery.

No other cancer faces such a wide range of opinions. Large international studies have shown that radiotherapy has at least the same cure rates for prostate cancer in the early stages and superior cure rates in advanced diesase compared to surgery.

JAMA study: Brachytherapy in combination with external radiation achieves better results in "high-risk" prostate cancer compared to radical surgery.

The international Prostate Cancer Results Study Group (PCRSG) has developed a unique decision support tool to compare the cure rates of all modern therapies, depending on the risk profile of the tumor. This is based on a scientific analysis of all relevant studies on localized prostate cancer in more than 52,000 patients.

Study by the British Columbia Cancer Agency confirms: high efficacy combined with very low side effects makes brachytherapy treatment of choice for localized prostate cancer.

Topics relating to early detection, modern diagnostics and therapy of prostate diseases were the focus of the "12th Prostate Patient Day" on 4 June 2019 in Cologne, which was attended by around 200 interested and affected persons at the invitation of the West German Prostate Center.

ProtecT study shows: Patients after prostate surgery suffer most from the consequences of treatment.

Patients with type 2 diabetes are less likely to develop prostate cancer. However, their prognosis is worse if a prostate carcinoma is diagnosed. Afterloading therapy achieves the best results in advanced tumors.

International Meta Study proofs: Brachytherapy at least equivalent or superior to Radical Surgery.

In benign prostate enlargement, treatment with modern laser techniques not only leads to fewer complications than transurethral resection (TURP) but also has a significantly lower risk of bleeding.

Being one of the strongest centres in Europe, the WPC has specialised in modern and minimal invasive prostate treatments.

COPCa study: what treatment do patients choose in low-risk prostate cancer?

Up to now, experts in the USA had expressly spoken out against a widespread use of the PSA test for the early detection of prostate cancer.

Dr. Derakhshani on the possibilities and limitations of focal therapy.

Experimental method with danger of overtherapy.

HIFU in prostate carcinoma continues experimental procedure.

The modern robotic assisted surgery, which is regarded biased as a "gentle" treatment option for the patient, has more side effects than previously advocated.

Brachytherapy - more effective, gentler and cheaper than radical surgery.

Supply study: One third of men still incontinent three months after prostate removal.

Patients with localized prostate cancer should not be put under unnecessary time pressure when choosing a therapy.

Urologists' Congress in Madrid: Brachytherapy significantly fewer complications than surgery.

Sexual disturbances after radical removal of the prostate are often but little noticed.

Recent studies confirm over-therapy / Serious surgical consequences for patients.

Patients with a local prostate carcinoma, whose disease takes an aggressive course, often show a vitamin D deficiency in the blood.

The largest PSA screening study to date shows serious errors, as recently reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Who benefits from a treatment - who does not? Is it worthwhile for over-75s to treat prostate cancer, or are seniors better advised to wait and see how to proceed?

Current metastudy proves advantages for modern laser procedures with benign prostate enlargement.

Prostate cancer: GelEven more safety in the irradiation of prostate cancer is now offered by a gel deposit, a spacer placed between the anterior wall of the rectum and the prostate, which protects against radiation damage.

Prostate cancer: OP often does not justify the operation is partly associated with significant side effects.

CHAPPP: Study: PSMA PET/CT shows higher sensitivity to metastases.

Current study shows increased survival probability in patients with short-term PSA increase after brachytherapy.

Confirm guidelines: Less impotence and incontinence after seed implantation than after surgery.

Patients with a relapse benefit from a combination of radiation and hormone therapy.

Gentle laser procedures with benign prostate enlargement place high demands on the surgeon's know-how.

Dr. Neubauer once again among the best urologists in Germany.

Clinical study examines the concept of "active monitoring" as an alternative therapy option.

PSMA, a new radioactive marker, detects tumour centres and metastases more precisely than choline PET/CT.

More safety in the diagnosis of prostate cancer: State-of-the-art MRI (3-Tesla)-based biopsy at the West German Prostate Center in Cologne.

Current study of the Charité: Mortality risk in localized prostate carcinoma is greatly overestimated.

"The PSA test is useless and sometimes even dangerous." This statement is being mistakenly conveyed more and more often by the media.

While organ-preserving therapies are now standard in breast or kidney tumours, this type of treatment for prostate cancer is still in its infancy.

Less bladder and colon cancer after brachytherapy than after surgery and irradiation.

Modern laser techniques such as greenlight laser therapy or the diode laser method are far more gentle than conventional peeling (TURP) of the prostate gland.

In so-called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the glandular tissue of the prostate grows increasingly into the area of the urethra. Due to the narrowing of the urethra, the strength of the urine stream decreases and residual urine sometimes remains in the bladder. The consequences are constant urination, a weak stream of urine and unpleasant dripping.

Gel-like spacer between rectum and prostate reduces radiation-related side effects / WPZ is one of the first centres in Germany to use the innovative SpaceOAR system.

Great benefit for men with good health.

Reger Dialog zwischen Betroffenen und Experten: Mehr als 100 Teilnehmer informierten sich rund um das Thema Prostata.

Various types of medication and drug combinations are available to alleviate prostate problems.

Men are still not fully informed before prostate surgery about urinary incontinence as a late consequence of the procedure.

Elderly patients often only receive hormones or no treatment at all.

Recent Swedish study with 20,000 participants convinced of the benefits of the PSA test.

WPZ presented its latest study at EAU in Barcelona.

It is important for the professional association of German urologists (BDU) to act quickly and to put the new S3 guideline for the treatment of prostate cancer into practice.

Active monitoring as an equal treatment option for prostate cancer.

The Westdeutsche Prostatazentrum is the first center in Germany to feature a modern high-power diode laser in addition to the proven Greenlight laser.

What many international studies have already proven has now been confirmed by the leading experts: Prostate cancer patients receiving brachytherapy (internal radiation) suffer significantly less often from impaired potency after treatment.

HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) and cryotherapy are not adequate treatment alternatives in the therapy of locally limited prostate cancer, according to the new Prostate Cancer Guideline, which was recently presented by the German Society of Urology (DGU).

Dr. Stephan Neubauer, specialist in urology at the West German Prostate Center, has been included in the list of "150 best doctors in Germany"!

Everyone is talking about quality control - the doctors at the Prostate Center have now proven it.

For a long time, radical surgery of the prostate was the only successful treatment method for prostate cancer. However, there are now highly modern methods of radiation therapy.

A new diagnostic tool is now available for patients with suspected prostate cancer.

TURis plasma vaporization combines the advantages of laser processes and classic peeling.

Focus on treatment with few side effects.

9th Uro-oncological Update Symposium in Cologne.

TURis plasma vaporization combines the advantages of laser processes and classic peeling.

Nationwide patient survey documented: Highest patient satisfaction and best quality of life after radiotherapy.

New techniques for the treatment of prostate cancer in the West German Prostate Center/IGRT increases target accuracy of radiation therapy.

Department of Urology at the Clinic am Ring successfully certified.

Cologne, November 3rd, 2009 - Men should go to the urologist for the first time at the age of 40 to prevent prostate cancer, is the recommendation of the new guideline on the early detection.

Interview with Dr. Stephan Neubauer and Dr. Pedram Derakhshani from the West German Prostate Center in Cologne

This was shown by a recent study recently published in the renowned European Journal of Urology. Modern laser procedures not only cause fewer side effects such as urethral congestion, incontinence and impotence, but also prevent secondary bleeding.

At the invitation of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the senior physicians of the West German Prostate Center participated in a scientific symposium on brachytherapy for prostate cancer in New York.

Modern treatment methods in medicine are booming in Germany. But not everything that is new must also be good. Drugs are repeatedly withdrawn from the market due to severe side effects, and many doctors are not familiar with modern methods. The success of new therapies depends on the therapist's experience. This is shown by a recent study of the West German Prostate Center (WPZ) in Cologne.

​We are proud,"says Dr. Gregor Spira, senior physician and radiotherapist at the West German Prostate Center. In November 2006, the team of radiotherapists and urologists carried out the 1000th seed implantation in the treatment of localized prostate carcinoma, making it one of the largest implantation centers in Europe.​

Results of a recent US study question the strategy of "cautious waiting" in elderly patients with prostate cancer.

Health cost analysis: Long regeneration times after total removal of the prostate cause high costs.

High-ranking experts merge to form the "International Prostate Cancer Group.

Interview with Dr. Stephan Neubauer and Dr. Pedram Derakhshani from the West German Prostate Center in Cologne.

The Department of Urology at the Klinik am Ring is one of the first centers in Germany to use Olympus' new state-of-the-art narrowband imaging system for the visualization of the bladder mucosa.