We are Medical Oncologists.
> MARK SCHOLZ, MD | MEDICAL DIRECTOR
> RICHARD LAM, MD | RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Medical oncology is a sub-specialty of internal medicine. Medical oncologists are trained to diagnose and treat all types of cancer. However, as Prostate Oncology Specialists we have restricted our practice solely to treating prostate cancer. In the United States less than a hundred medical oncologists specialize exclusively in prostate cancer. Almost all are at academic centers engaging in research. To our knowledge, Prostate Oncology Specialists is the only free-standing clinic in the US that is devoted exclusively to treating prostate cancer.
As medical oncologists rather than surgeons, we do not have a preset agenda toward a specific treatment. All treatments, including active surveillance, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, surgery, radiation, brachytherapy, cryotherapy, focal therapy, proton therapy, nutritional and alternative therapies, HIFU and chemotherapy are given equal consideration depending on the unique needs of each individual patient.
In the prostate cancer world surgeons dominate the picture. Of the more than 10,000 doctors in the US who treat prostate cancer, 99.9% are urologists. Urologists control the prostate cancer world because they are first in line after an initial biopsy diagnoses cancer.
The stakes are way too high to simply rely on doctors so focused on surgery. In our clinic, all but the simplest cases are discussed by our group. Our patients commonly see more than one doctor, a practice that provides a helpful second or third opinion, giving a broader perspective of all the various options. This process is facilitated by technology that enables our doctors to quickly ascertain the essential aspects of each case. Our goal is to empower patients with unbiased information so they can choose the treatment that will be best for them. Our doctors supervise and manage over 2000 active patients.