Prostate Cancer Care in New Jersey

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by normal as well as cancer cells in the prostate gland. An elevated level of PSA in a man’s blood can be an indicator of cancer or another urological condition.

Biomarker tests can help determine if your elevated PSA may be caused by prostate cancer and if a biopsy is recommended.

• Prostate Health Index (PHI) is a combination of three blood tests (free PSA, total PSA, (-2) pro-PSA isoform (p2PSA)) that can clarify your PSA value.
• The 4Kscore blood test analyzes four biomarkers (total PSA, free PSA, intact PSA, human kallikrein 2 [hK2]) and gives us a probability score for finding prostate cancer.
• The PCA3 test detects levels of genetic material in your urine that can indicate the probability of finding prostate cancer.

High-resolution MRI has been a game changer for diagnosing prostate cancer and preventing unnecessary biopsies.

Hackensack Meridian urologists have led at the forefront as imaging technology for prostate cancer has advanced. Compared with other MRI technology, our 3 Tesla (3T) MRI is unmatched in creating detailed, 3D images of the prostate.

Our 3T MRI makes a difference by allowing your care team to:  

• Determine with great precision the size and stage of any tumors in the prostate.
• Distinguish low-risk tumors that are candidates for active surveillance without biopsy.
• Identify more aggressive tumors for biopsy and treatment.
• Detect any cancer that has spread beyond the prostate.
• Fuse high-resolution, 3D images with ultrasound for precise biopsy.

Following PSA blood, biomarker and imaging tests, your doctor may recommend a biopsy of some prostate tissue. Hackensack Meridian Health is the first center in the area to offer MRI-targeted fusion biopsy. This advanced approach combines real-time ultrasound and MRI images for exceptional accuracy.

Advantages of MRI-targeted transperineal biopsy include:

• The safest and most accurate biopsy available.
• A team highly experienced in this approach.  
• Takes about 30 minutes in an outpatient clinic. You go home after the procedure.
• Biopsy performed through the perineum (skin between the scrotum and anus) to significantly reduce your risk of infection.  
• Your biopsy samples are analyzed by our expert prostate cancer pathologists.
• Proven to increase the detection of aggressive prostate cancer, compared to a traditional biopsy.

Our urologists are pioneers in MRI-targeted fusion biopsy for prostate cancer. In the last decade, we have performed more than 1,500 MRI-targeted biopsies and have published and presented our outcomes at national conferences. In collaboration with other leading institutions, we continue to track patient outcomes to advance the science for you.

Our uropathologists conduct molecular analysis and next-generation sequencing of your prostate tissue. Through a partnership with Genomic Testing Cooperative in Irvine, CA, a first-of-its-kind genomic profiling laboratory, we can identify your cancer’s origin, biology and response to the immune system. The resulting genetic tumor profile allows your care team to design a unique treatment plan targeted to your precise type of prostate cancer.  

Early symptoms of prostate cancer can include:

• Frequent urination, especially at night (nocturia).
• A weak or interrupted urine stream.
• Difficulty starting urination
• Straining to urinate.
• Feeling that your bladder has not emptied completely.
• Urgency to urinate.
• Dribbling of urine after you've finished.
• Pain or burning during urination (less common).
• Blood in the urine (hematuria).
• Blood in the semen (hematospermia).
• New onset of erectile dysfunction (difficulty getting or maintaining an erection).
• Pain or discomfort in the pelvic area.

Some of the most common ways our urologists diagnose prostate cancer include:

• PSA Blood Test
• Biomarkers
• Prostate MRI
• MRI-Targeted Transperineal Biopsy (TPB)
• Genetic Tumor Profiling

The urologists at Hackensack Meridian Health treat prostate cancer using the best approach for you. Some of the most common treatment options include:

• Active Surveillance
• Robotic Surgery
• Single-Port Robotic Surgery
• Focal Therapy - High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)
• Focal Therapy - Cryoablation
• Radiation Therapy
• Systemic Therapies
• Recurrent Prostate Cancer

Learn more about all the treatment options we offer. 

Hackensack Meridian Health offers treatment for prostate cancer at locations across New Jersey — from Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Sussex and Union counties in the north to Middlesex, Monmouth, Burlington and Ocean counties in the central and south. Find a care location now.