Looking Beyond Borders for Prostate Cancer Care
Prostate cancer is a global health challenge, and effective treatment depends on access, regardless of geography. With over 313,780 new cases for 2025 in America alone and increasing diagnoses, ensuring patients receive optimal care is critical. Though survival chances improve with early detection, determining the right personalized treatment remains complex.
Because every prostate cancer patient is unique, a one-size-fits-all approach should not drive all treatment choices. This tailored approach is key to better outcomes.
The ‘global’ outlook will continue to create an environment where men will have greater access to prostate cancer decision-making, more options for treatment, and greater hope for long-term survival.
Common Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
In early stages, prostate cancer causes little or no symptoms. So in this case, early screening plays a key role in detecting cancer early.
Common symptoms are:
- Difficulty initiating or maintaining urination
- Increased frequency of urination (especially at night)
- Painful urination or a burning sensation during urination
- Blood in urine
- Pelvic discomfort
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pain in the lower back, hips, or thighs in advanced stages
These symptoms may also be caused by non-cancerous conditions affecting the prostate, such as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. These symptoms, however, should always be diagnosed to ascertain the real cause.
Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer
Several risk factors have been identified with prostate cancer. These risk factors include:
- Age above 50 years
- Prostate cancer family history
- Genetic Factors
- Increased incidence in African American males
Guidelines for screenings change depending on individual risk factors. Various state and national health care entities support shared decision-making for someone who is considering a PSA test and follow-ups
New and Emerging Therapeutic Modalities
Treatment for prostate cancer does not have to be similar for all men. According to varying levels of risk, some of the best courses of treatment are as follows:
- Active surveillance for certain low risk patients
- Surgical removal of prostate
- Radiation therapy
- Hormonal therapies
- Systemic therapies
- Minimally invasive focal therapies
There are some other procedures such as the TULSA-PRO, offered to prostate cancer patients,that have emerged within this range during recent times.
What Is the TULSA-PRO Approach?
The TULSA-PRO is a form of MRI-guided focused therapy, where targeted ultrasound is used to ablate regions in the prostate without any incision being made.
In this procedure:
- The applicator is placed via the urethra under MRI guidance.
- The directional ultrasonic energy is used for heating as well as ablating the prostate tissue accurately.
- The aim is to protect the surrounding tissues from injury, as opposed to conventional surgery as well as radiation therapy.
This may be applied from focused ablation therapy to entire gland therapy, depending on clinical requirements.
Access, Timelines, and the Role of Medical Travel
There has been significant development in the treatment of prostate cancer, with the introduction of MRI-guided treatments like TULSA-PRO, which have opened new avenues for patients in the United States. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for the procedure, TULSA-PRO, for the year 2025, thus granting the treatment recognition as part of the healthcare services in the United States. The access to getting the treatment, the timing of appointments, also depends upon insurance coverage.
For some patients, integrating treatment timing with new technology may be difficult within their health care system. Due to this challenge, more people are considering medical tourism as an alternative means of achieving specialized prostate treatment within a predictable timeline.
India - The Destination for World-Class Prostate Cancer Treatment
India has developed as an established destination for complex urological and oncological procedures, thanks to internationally accredited healthcare institutions and qualified professionals, as well as high-end imaging capabilities. Some centers have designed models of care that incorporate procedures such as TULSA-PRO within their scopes of work.
KIMS Hospitals, Hyderabad, India, is one such facility that provides TULSA-PRO under minimal invasion as a day-care treatment. The treatment pathways are designed as a multidisciplinary approach, which results in the treatment of focalized prostate cancer as an integral part of comprehensive, evidence-based management.
Care Coordinated through Medical Travel Routes
In the context of medical tourism, the worth of international medicine not only involves the availability of treatment options but also the coordination of these options. This involves government and cancer treatment guidelines that advocate for the multidisciplinary management of cancers through urologists, cancer experts, radiologists, and other support staff.
Well-organized medical travel itineraries can also ensure that patients with prostate cancer follow medical assessments, treatments, and follow-up procedures in a coordinated manner. To many people, this can mean having clarity, continuity, and confidence in seeking medical travel services to alternative countries.
Key Challenges in Cross-Border Care
Long-distance travel during or after treatment has the potential to create physical stress on the body and hinder recovery.
Gaps in follow-up care exist when coordinating ongoing monitoring of PSA and imaging with both international healthcare professionals and local physicians.
A rapid connection to specialists may be needed to address any post-treatment complications once patients return home.
Most health insurance plans in the United States only cover a very small portion of costs associated with overseas treatment; obtaining clarity on finances will be of utmost importance.
Role of Emerge Medical Travel
Patients in the United States can consider their options for medical care internationally. Emerge Medical Travel helps patients with hospitals that are AACI-accredited, offering them the ability to set up a care path that meets their needs, all while keeping their personal information secure with the highest ethical standards.
How Are We Different at Emerge Medical Tourism?
- Data Privacy
We adhere to international best practices in safeguarding health information and personal data during the coordination of care. We communicate through our app ,Better App, a digital tool that streamlines patient-hospital communication while keeping highest data privacy.
- AACI-accredited hospitals
Our network of care consists of facilities accredited by the AACI. This reflects our commitment to health care quality standards.
- Medically Experienced Support Team
Our coordinators have been trained in fields related to medicine and psychology, allowing them to effectively communicate with patients concerning their treatment processes.
We do not make decisions about your medical treatment. Our team supports you through treatment planning, referral, and patient-provider communication so that you make an informed decision.
Conclusion
Currently, there are several evidence-based treatment alternatives for prostate cancer. These vary from traditional surgery to radiation therapies to more targeted therapies such as TULSA-PRO for prostate cancer. When it comes to medical treatment, it is only prudent to rely on evidence-based clinical information.
Some patients research global treatment alternatives in order to correlate accessibility with treatment timescales, specialist knowledge, and technological availability. In responsible hands, global treatment options can inform rational treatment decision-making.
If you are looking at options such as the TULSA-PRO for prostate cancer or any other form of prostate cancer treatment, visit Emerge Medical Travel.
Reena Tilwani
Reena Kanyo Tilwani is the Head of International Patient Experience at Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA). With a strong clinical and patient-care background, she champions empathy-driven, culturally sensitive healthcare. Her work focuses on improving patient satisfaction, communication, and care quality across global health systems.
