Skip to main content

Research & Development

Sunnybrook's scientists have pioneered a breakthrough device for treating prostate cancer - thanks in part to a patient who helped test it for his son's sake

When Kendall Greasley, a father of three young children, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September last year, it affected more than his health; it threatened his ability to support his family.

Kendall is a professional airline pilot. "Due to my profession and the strict medical requirements, my aviation licence was suspended until I dealt with the cancer. In other words, until I got rid of the cancer," says Kendall, who formerly worked for the Canadian Armed Forces and now flies with a private airline.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that this year alone, 24,600 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,300 will die of it.





<object width="450" height="273"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/6Cfp5OqgqXQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/6Cfp5OqgqXQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="273"></embed></object>


Watch more Sunnybrook videos

Kendall, only 49 when he was diagnosed, had been screened for prostate cancer because his father developed it at the age of 65. More awareness of the disease among younger men and better screening reduces mortality, says Dr. Laurence Klotz, Odette Cancer Centre oncologist, but there is a downside. They also result in a lot of early cancers being identified that may not be clinically significant.

These days, men with prostate cancer have two treatment options: radiation or surgery. Both are invasive and can leave men with reduced urinary, bowel and sexual function.

"The un-met need is an accurate, precise, non-invasive, effective, inexpensive treatment for localized prostate cancer," says Dr. Klotz.

Kendall went to Sunnybrook to discuss his options. Radiation meant a long, possibly two-year, recovery time, so he chose to have his prostate surgically removed – a radical prostatectomy – which would get him flying sooner. His family, who live in Dubai, includes his wife Diane and children Karmelia, 11, Kendra, 10, and Lincoln, 8.

Even as he struggled with his own diagnosis, Kendall's thoughts also turned to his son Lincoln. He believes there's a good chance Lincolnmay one day develop prostate cancer, as the disease seems to run in the family. So Kendall agreed to enter an early clinical trial of a future treatment developed at Sunnybrook called MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound.

The new, one-of-a-kind device combines high-intensity ultrasound with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The ultrasound energy is used to generate heat to destroy cancer tissue. During the procedure, the patient is inside an MR imager that every few seconds takes pictures of the heat inside the prostate. The unique temperature changes enable the doctors to control the entire treatment.



"It's like zapping cancerous prostate tissue with a thermal scalpel, with saving surrounding tissue and critical structures," says Dr. Klotz, who is leading the early clinical study.

The device has been tested so far on Kendall and seven other men, all of whom agreed to take part so researchers and doctors could see if the device works. The project has been partly reliant on the goodwill of funds raised by donors.

According to the study, the device is extremely accurate in reaching its target: within 1.3 millimetres. It takes about 30 minutes, has few complications and boasts a short recovery time.

"It's quick. It's precise. It's not invasive. There's no incision. We hope it will preserve quality of life," says Dr. Klotz. "It doesn't affect continence and erectile function. The next stage is to use it for treatment. That will roll out over the next six months or so."

Kendall then underwent his scheduled surgery, which was a success, and he was able to get his aviation licence back within three months. He calls it "a great 50th birthday present to myself."

He was glad to give back to Sunnybrook, especially for the sake of his son. "I hope that by taking part in this study I have played a very small part in the overall development of this treatment so that if there ever came a time that Lincoln needed treatment for his cancer, it would be less invasive with minimal side effects so that he can go on and live a normal lifestyle."

Sunnybrook's MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound procedure has been 10 years in the making, says Dr. Rajiv Chopra, a scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute. He and senior scientist Dr. Michael Bronskill built it there and are now collaborating with Sunnybrook's Odette Cancer Centre's clinicians and scientists to get it to patients who need it.

"It's been a sprint for a decade," says Dr. Chopra, "and we were able to do this with the support from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, the National Cancer Institute, and the Terry Fox Foundation." Sunnybrook recently licensed the technology to Profound Medical Inc., a company that will guide it through regulatory approval and prepare it for clinical trials.

"For the technology to get to the person on the street, it had to be commercialized," says Dr. Chopra. "Our goal as scientists is to see it working in patients."

Adds Dr. Klotz: "The potential benefit is huge because each year 150,000 men are diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in North America, and a significant proportion of these men would be eligible for this type of therapy."



And, as Kendall points out, most men have something in common: "We all want to be around to tell our grandkids our old fishing tales, because no one else will believe us."

Interact with The Globe