Disruptive” Prostate Cancer Imaging Now Offered at Hope Regional Cancer Center, a partner with Advanced Urology Institute
PSMA PET scan is the best way to see prostate cancer anywhere in the body
Panama City, Fla. (October 16, 2024)—Hope Regional Cancer Center, which merged with Advanced Urology Institute in October 2023, is now employing a powerful new diagnostic tool in the fight against prostate cancer – the PSMA PET scan.
PET stands for positron emission tomography, an imaging test that shows 3D images inside the body. PSMA stands for prostate-specific membrane antigen, a protein prostate cancer cells make.
The PSMA-PET test uses an FDA-approved radioactive tracing agent to pinpoint the location of cancer cells within the body. Patients are injected with the radiotracer before starting their PET scan. The tracer binds with the PSMA on the prostate cancer cells, so when your doctor reviews your PET images, any prostate cancer cells within the body are lit up by the radiotracer.
“It’s a disruptive technology,” said Dr. Hasan Murshed, a board-certified radiation oncologist with Hope Regional Cancer Center. “The PSMA PET scan shows us the disease more accurately throughout the body. It shows us the disease at an earlier stage and allows us to be much more precise in our treatment planning.”
Hope Regional Cancer Center is dedicated to treating all types of cancers. It provides vital imaging services necessary for diagnosing nearly 30 different types of cancer, from breast to uterine cancers. Its October 2023 merger with Advanced Urology Institute helped provide for this expansion of care in prostate cancer imaging.
“October marks the first anniversary of our merger with Advanced Urology Institute, and being able to offer this potentially life-saving imaging service to our prostate cancer patients is a pretty great way to celebrate,” said Dr. Murshed.
About Hope Regional Cancer Center
Hope Regional Cancer Center was founded in 2012 on the Emerald Coast by Dr. Hasan Murshed. It is a freestanding, comprehensive cancer treatment center that provides coordination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy infusion services, blood disorder treatments, and image-guided and intensity-modulated radiation therapy. It is among an exclusive group of freestanding cancer centers in Florida that has earned the prestigious American College of Radiology (ACR) accreditation, which is recognized as the gold standard in medical imaging. Learn more about HopeRegionalCancerCenter.com.
About Advanced Urology Institute
Advanced Urology Institute was formed in May 2014, joining four respected urology practices in Florida to create a single-specialty, physician-led organization. It employs more than 68 urologists across more than 30 locations in the state and treats urologic and sexual health issues for more than 250,000 men and women annually. Learn more at AdvancedUrologyInstitute.com.
For more information on PSMA/PET scans and Hope Regional Cancer Center, including interviews with Dr. Murshed, please contact:
Randy Wahlberg
Physician Liaison
Hope Regional Cancer Center
850-276-9614
Hope Regional Cancer Center Is the Only Full-Service Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Bay County Area
PANAMA CITY, Fla., March 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Cancer patients in Bay County area now have access to multi-specialty comprehensive cancer care at the Hope Regional Cancer Center, which it announced that it is the ONLY Cancer Center in Bay County to offer imaging services, chemotherapy infusion, radiation therapy and urological services under one roof.
Dr. Murshed said “When a cancer patient comes in, many times they require both radiation, chemotherapy and/or surgery. So, in the past what we had to do was do radiation treatments here, and then go for chemotherapy consultation at a different location at a different doctor’s office in town. By bringing in a multi-specialty group that offers chemotherapy and urology in the same facility, patients don’t have to travel to different offices or go out of town for special cancer treatments.”
Dr. Jagjit Tandon, with more than 25 years of experience, recently joined the cancer center as a Medical Oncologist. And Dr. David Aronoff has joined the Center as a Urologist, whose mission is to provide the most effective and proven treatments with the utmost respect and compassion to each urological patient.
The recent expansion also added a PET/CT scanner machine to the cancer center. The 16 slice GE PET/CT scanner is accredited by the national accreditation organization American College of Radiology (ACR). The addition of PET/CT scanner to the Cancer Center will significantly benefit patients as a non-invasive detection for staging of cancer, neurological conditions and cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Murshed said “We love our patients and our patients love us back, so the fact that we will be able to provide comprehensive cancer care in one place is a benefit to all of us.” The expansion has always been a vision and desire for the center, finally coming to fruition for the much-needed cancer patients and urological patients of the Bay County and surrounding areas.
Contact:
Hasan Murshed
(850) 866-9012
[email protected]
Hope Regional Cancer Center Is Now the Only Cancer Center in Bay County Area to Offer Cancer Patients Faster, Ultra-Precise Radiotherapy Using RapidArc Technology
PANAMA CITY, Fla., Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Cancer patients in Bay County area now have access to much improved cancer care at the Hope Regional Cancer Center, which it announced that it is the ONLY Cancer Center in Bay County offering a fast, precise form of Radiotherapy using advanced technology RapidArc treatment. This new treatment is two to eight times faster than conventional radiotherapy.
“We’re really excited to be able to offer patients this excellent treatment option,” says Hasan Murshed, M.D., Medical Director. “RapidArc technology will enable us to target cancer accurately while sparing more healthy tissue.”
Hope Radiation Cancer Center’s RapidArc technology delivers image-guided IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy) very quickly, in a single rotation of the treatment machine around the patient. “RapidArc will be much easier on the patient,” says Dr. Murshed, “it’s hard for people to hold still for long periods of time. By delivering doses more quickly, we can simultaneously improve the quality of care and make our patients more comfortable.”
About RapidArc technology
RapidArc treatments is delivered the Hope Radiation Cancer Center using an iX Silhouette medical linear accelerator from Varian Medical Systems, outfitted with an On-Board Imager to guide patient placement and treatment delivery. During a RapidArc treatment, the radiation is shaped and reshaped as it is continuously delivered from virtually every angle in a 360-degree revolution around the patient, creating an aperture to exactly match the tumor thus avoiding normal critical organs from high radiation dose, making treatments much safer for patients.
About Dr. Hasan Murshed
Dr. Murshed obtained his medical degree from the University of Dhaka and received his radiation oncology residency training at nationally recognized institutions including the National Cancer Institute, University of Alabama – Birmingham, where he was the chief resident. He then received his Fellowship training from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where he specialized in Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer, and Lung Cancer. He has published many cancer related articles and authored a popular radiation oncology textbook. He now brings highest expertise and world class cancer treatment technology close to friends, family and home for Bay County cancer patients.
Contact:
Hasan Murshed
8508669012
[email protected]
Hope Regional Cancer Center Earns ACR Accreditation
Hope Regional Cancer Center, has been awarded the prestigious three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). This is the third ACR Accreditation for the Hope Regional Cancer Center (HRCC) and is the only cancer center in the Florida Panhandle to receive this accreditation. Radiation oncology (radiation therapy) is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist may use radiation to cure cancer or to relieve a cancer patient’s pain.
The ACR seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting specific Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards developed by ACR after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Patient care and treatment, patient safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.
The Hope Regional Cancer Center is dedicated to the treatment of all types of cancer. We provide world class advanced cancer care for each patient in a community setting close to friends, family and home. Our multispecialty, integrated team of board certified cancer experts have been recognized as “Top Doctors” in the areas of radiation oncology and medical oncology/hematology. We understand the importance of customer service toward our patients which explains our 5-star ratings on independent consumer websites such as Vitals and Healthgrades.
Dr. Murshed Publishes New Edition of ‘Fundamentals of Radiation Oncology’ by Elsevier in March 2019
New Book Offers Latest Cancer Treatment Recommendations for Physicians.
- Authors around the World and USA, writes a Cancer Treatment Book to advance Cancer Cure and Care for patients.
- The book is edited by local Cancer Specialist Hasan Murshed, MD.
Panama City, FL, March 27th – A new edition of Fundamentals of Radiation Oncology from Elsevier is now available. Edited by Dr. Hasan Murshed a board certified Radiation Oncologist, practices in Panama City, FL, published the 3rd edition of the book, now available on Elsevier, Amazon and all major book stores.
The field of Cancer management in general, and Radiation Oncology in specific, is rapidly changing. The exciting new techniques such as stereotactic treatments for intra and extra cranial diseases, proton radiation therapy and immunotherapy are only the few of the many, whose importance will increase significantly in the near future for all cancer patient’s treatment. Most notably new clinical studies and their associated data have led to changes in recent understanding and recommendations for cancer treatments, requiring this 3rd edition of Fundamentals of Radiation Oncology.
In his Foreword for the book Dr. Thomas Buchholz, Professor Emeritus, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center appropriately summarizes “…this text book will help bring forward the many clinical and technical advances in radiation oncology to centers around the world, and in doing so, help raise the standard of care.”
The new edition consists of 26 chapters, divided into four parts: Part I describes the basic science of radiation oncology; Part II describes techniques and modalities of radiation oncology; Part III describes the clinical science of radiation oncology and up to date treatment recommendations; Part IV describes palliative radiation treatments to improve the quality of life for cancer patients.
View / Purchase Book On Amazon.com
Hasan Murshed, MD, MS, earned his medical degree from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and his Masters of Science in Medical Physics from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He completed his residency in Radiation Oncology at the University of Alabama – Birmingham. Afterwards he served as a Fellow at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Dr. Murshed has been in private practice for more than 15 years and is the Medical Director of Hope Regional Cancer Center, Panama City, FL, USA.
# # #
Hope Regional Cancer Center is Proud to Announce the Availability of a State-Of-The-Art PET/CT Scanner For Our Patients
National Accreditation for PET/CT Scanner – We are proud to announce the arrival of our GE 16 slice PET/CT scanner. Our PET/CT scanner is accredited by the national accreditation organization American College of Radiology (ACR) mandating diagnostic quality and safety standards. The addition of PET/CT scanner to the Cancer Center will significantly benefit both our patients and patients in Bay County and the surrounding Medical Communities as a non-invasive detection and staging of cancers, neurological conditions and cardiovascular diseases.
With an order from the referring physician Hope Regional Cancer Center will now be able to perform the PET/CT for your patients. You will receive prompt interpretations from the trusted and dedicated team of Board-Certified Radiologists from Bay Radiology. You can also be confident that your patients will receive the best care that they deserve from our dedicated staff at the Cancer Center.
Please call our friendly staff at 850-481-1687 today to schedule your patients PET/CT scanning need.
Dr. Hasan Murshed Named “Top Doctor”
Panama City, FL – February 9, 2018 – Hasan Murshed, M.D., Medical Director at Hope Regional Cancer Center in Lynn Haven, was recently recognized as a Top Doctor by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. With hundreds of thousands of doctors in the U.S., less than 10% have been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor. Dr. Murshed is the only radiation oncologist in Bay County and surrounding counties to achieve this distinction.
The mission of Castle Connolly is to help consumers find the best healthcare. Since 1991, they have been identifying physicians who achieve the best possible health outcomes. Physicians are nominated to be a Top Doctor by their peers. Castle Connolly’s physician-led research team then reviews the credentials of every physician being considered for inclusion, examining among other factors medical education, training, board certification, hospital appointments and professional achievements. Castle Connolly publications of America’s Top Doctors have been recognized by major television media outlets, newspapers and national and regional magazines. For more information visit www.castleconnolly.com.
Dr. Murshed is board certified in radiation oncology. He received his medical degree from Dhaka University. He completed his residency in radiation oncology at the University of Alabama Birmingham and fellowship in IMRT/ Respiratory Gating at world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has authored numerous cancer-based publications including Clinical Fundamentals for Radiation Oncologists, a textbook which is currently used in many academic institutions.
Dr. Murshed started Hope Radiation Cancer Center in Lynn Haven in 2012. In 2017, the practice expanded its facility, grew their team of cancer care experts, added new services and changed its name to Hope Regional Cancer Center. In addition to radiation therapy, the practice now also offers precision and targeted chemotherapy, novel drug therapies and treatment of blood disorders. Patients benefit from the ability to consult with several medical specialists in one location regarding their diagnosis and treatment, while not having to worry about transferring medical histories or imaging studies from one provider to the next.
For more information visit www.hoperegionalcancercenter.com
Contact:
Hasan Murshed, M.D.
Medical Director
850-481-1687
[email protected]
Hope Cancer Center Expands, Aims for Comprehensive Treatment
LYNN HAVEN — When the Hope Regional Cancer Center opened in 2012, it only offered radiation treatment. Late last year, however, it expanded to offer other services so patients can get more work done under one roof.
The cancer center, 2900 State 77 in Lynn Haven, originally was called the Hope Radiation Cancer Center but since has changed its name to reflect its growing medical options. Patients now can see several medical specialists at one place, which helps when the different treatments are related. Besides radiation, the center now handles chemotherapy, hematology and urology as part of its oncology treatment.
“When a cancer patient comes in, many times they require both radiation and chemotherapy,” radiation oncologist Hasan Murshed said. “So in the past what we had to do was do radiation here, and then go for chemotherapy consultation at a different location at a different doctor’s office. Coordination is difficult. The patient is sick. They have to drive around town. They’re elderly people mostly. … From the patient’s perspective, this is much easier.”
The change took place in the mid-September so patients had a “more comprehensive center,” Murshed said. The expansion has always been a vision and desire for the center, finally coming to fruition when had the funding and medical staff to implement it.
“It’s going well,” Murshed said. “Patients are coming in and getting treatment.”
Robert Oldham, the center’s hematologist oncologist, came on several months ago and said the increased services are necessary because Hope’s patients often require surgery and specialists. Hematology deals with blood diseases like iron deficiency and anemia, while oncology deals with several aspects of cancer.
“Cancer is a complex disease,” said Oldham, who previously ran a cancer center in Key West. “I think what Dr. Murshed has done is set the center up so we can match up with those complexities and take care of the whole patient. … I’m glad to be a part of it. It’s very well put together.”
Robert Bloom, the center’s urologist, also has been on-site for the past few months after previously working elsewhere in Panama City. He has practiced medicine throughout the country including in New Orleans, Dallas and Oklahoma.
“It’s very convenient. It’s a new building,” Bloom said. “When I was a resident, the most common cancer in men was lung cancer. Two was colon cancer. Three was prostate cancer. Now the men stop smoking, it’s switched around. The most common cancer for men, except for skin cancer, is prostate cancer. Men are living longer and getting screened for prostate cancer.”
The radiation offered in the same facility is convenient Bloom said, because many prostate cancer patients don’t want to be “cut on” and prefer other treatment.
Along with the numerous specialists a PET scan machine also will be added, likely in March, to replace the center’s current CT scan machine. PET machines have more precise scanning, Murshed said. The center is waiting on the PET machine to be shipped in, and the scan room will be expanded to make space for it.
IMMUNOTHERAPY: New Frontier in Fighting Cancer
Robert Oldham, M.D.
Hasan Murshed, M.D.
Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses the power of your body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. Your immune system is a collection of tissues, organs and cells that work together to protect you from infections and diseases. It can keep track of the substances normally found in your body. New “foreign” substances that the immune system doesn’t recognize cause it to go into self-defense mode to protect you by killing off these invaders.
Cancer cells are foreign to the body. As such, once the immune system recognizes the cancer cells in the blood stream, it then activates the T cells and other immune cells within the lymph nodes. These T cells are then transported to the site of the cancer location, where T cells recognize and kill the cancer cells.
The main types of immunotherapy now being used to treat cancer include:
- Cancer Vaccines: Immune system cells are removed from the patient’s body, which are then sensitized to the cancer cells. The cells are infused back to the patient, which produces immune response to the cancer. Provenge vaccine is now approved for prostate cancer treatment. There are other cancer vaccines under development.
- Monoclonal Antibodies: These are man-made versions of immune system tumor specific proteins that are designed to attack a specific cancer cell. Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody used in treating breast cancer.
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: These drugs alert and activate the immune system so tumor cells have no place to hide from the immune system. Most recently, Keytruda was approved for melanoma treatment and Opdivo was approved for lung cancer treatment.
Immunotherapy is administered through an IV or as a pill. Today, it is being used to treat many different types of cancer including melanoma, breast, lung, gastric, colorectal, cervical, kidney, bladder, prostate and ovarian cancer.
Immunotherapy is a relatively new therapy in the cancer fighting arsenal. It has been found to be effective for certain cancers when other treatments are not. As a combination therapy with other treatments, it may help them to work better. Side effects such as flu-like symptoms, fatigue, rash and dizziness may occur during or after treatment.
Fortunately, the Bay County community now has access to these novel immunotherapies at Hope Regional Cancer Center. If you are diagnosed with a cancer, before undergoing any treatment, you should talk with several cancer specialists to find out which treatment options are appropriate for you.
[Dr. Hasan Murshed and Dr. Robert Oldham are board-certified cancer specialists and consultants at the Bay Medical Regional Cancer Center and at Gulf Coast Medical Center. Reach them at 850-481-1697 or www.HopeRegionalCancerCenter.com. This information is intended for education only. For treatment, seek advice from your physician.]
Specialized cancer radiation treatment reduces side effects and treatment time
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – A specialized form of radiation therapy is helping reduce side effects for cancer patients. It’s called Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, or IMRT. Radiation Oncologist Dr. Hasan Murshed says treatment time and side effects are reduced when using this technique.
“It focuses the radiation beam more accurately and more precisely toward the target,” explains Dr. Murshed.
Patients undergo a CT Scan. That data is put into a supercomputer that helps doctors design a customized treatment plan that shows exactly where the radiation beams should go.
“It can minimize the radiation dose to the skin of the breast cancer patient’s breast surface so we have less skin reaction, less side effects, less pain medication requirement, and they don’t have to break for treatment,” says Dr. Murshed.
IMRT was originally designed for head and neck cancers but is now being used to treat prostate and breast cancers as well.