UC Davis Cancer Center provides multidisciplinary care for men with all stages of prostate cancer. The Prostate Cancer Program's internationally respected team of urologic oncologists is backed by a laboratory of 25 scientists with $4 million in prostate cancer research grants, as well as by one of the nation's largest clinical trials programs. For men with prostate cancer, this combination means access to treatment advances, early diagnostic approaches and prevention strategies that may not be readily available elsewhere.

UC Davis Cancer Center physician-researchers are at the forefront of efforts to develop chemopreventive treatments for men with early stage prostate cancer. And they have entered into a pioneering research partnership with scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a collaboration that is bringing biodefense technologies to bear against prostate and other cancers.

The most common treatments for prostate cancer at UC Davis Cancer Center are:

• Surgery - radical prostatectomy for localized disease
• Robotic prostatectomy - a minimally invasive, laparoscopic approach
• Radiation therapy - external beam radiation or brachytherapy for localized disease
• Hormone therapy - used to treat metastatic disease (cancer that has spread beyond the prostate gland), as well high-risk localized disease
• Chemotherapy - added to enhance the effectiveness of other therapies for localized and metastatic disease
• Active surveillance - combined with secondary chemoprevention

The choice of treatment will depend on many factors, including how fast the cancer is growing, how far it has spread and the patient's age and health. Weighing the benefits against the potential side effects of treatments is an important consideration, resulting in individualized treatment programs.

In every case, the goal of therapy is to cure prostate cancer while maximizing a man's quality of life. Preventing and treating erectile dysfunction in men with prostate cancer is an area of special emphasis and expertise at UC Davis Cancer Center.

The UC Davis Prostate Cancer Program is dedicated to treating the whole patient. We offer:

• A prostate cancer support group, in which long-term survivors of the disease help newly diagnosed men make treatment choices and cope with side effects
• Social workers experienced at helping cancer patients and their families through diagnosis, treatment and recovery
• For patients who participate in a clinical trial, access to our award-winning simultaneous care program
• Patient education classes and lectures 
• Discounts on gentle yoga classes and massage therapy
• Art therapy
• A Cancer Resource Center 

A multidisciplinary team of specialists works with each patient to determine the best course of treatment. In addition to urologic oncologists, the team may include medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, oncology nurses, social workers and clinical trial coordinators.

Our prostate cancer treatment team includes:

Urologic Oncology

Ralph W. deVere White, M.D.
Professor of Urology
Director, UC Davis Cancer Center
Associate Dean of Cancer Programs, UC Davis School of Medicine

Christopher P. Evans, M.D.
Professor and Chair of Urology

Marc Dall'Era, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Urology

Theresa M. Koppie, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Urology 

Hematology and Oncology 

Primo N. Lara Jr., M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology
Director, Clinical Trials Support Unit

Fred Meyers, M.D.
Professor and Chair of Internal Medicine

Chong-Xian Pan, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology

Robotic Surgery

Marc Dall'Era, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Urology

Christopher P. Evans, M.D.
Professor and Chair of Urology

Theresa Koppie, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Urology

 To make an appointment, please call (916) 703-5210 or (800) 362-5566.

Updated 10/2008.