Medical Textbook Authored By Local Physician, Revised

Main Category: Prostate / Prostate Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 07 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Prostate Brachytherapy Made Complicated, co-authored by Michael Dattoli, MD; Kent Wallner, MD; Gregory Merrrick, MD; and John Blasko, MD - arguably the top medical textbook and comprehensive reference on the subject of prostate cancer seed implant, has been revised a third time. Dattoli is physician-in-chief at Sarasota's Dattoli Cancer Center & Brachytherapy Research Institute.

Published by the SmartMedicine Press, Seattle, Washington, the new volume was released January 21, 2008. It was first published in 1998, with the second edition coming in 2001.

Because of the rapidly growing body of journal articles regarding prostate brachytherapy, new technologies, and the quickly escalating popularity of the treatment option, the authors have maintained a perpetual revising posture.

The text's introduction cites tough politics as fueling brachytherapy's roller-coaster history. Very early failure reports clouded later success rates. Older physicians' reluctance to accept the new technology and procedures, as well as economic concerns for small physician practices may have stalled the procedure's wide-spread acceptance.

With physicians world-wide now jumping on the brachytherapy bandwagon, the authors felt it was time to offer an updated reference, along with caveats that implants are not for every patient, nor for every physician.

Prostate Brachytherapy Made Complicated is available by special order through Amazon.com, for $150.

Dattoli Cancer Foundation