Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Powell Prostate Surgery
Aired December 16, 2003 - 07:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Secretary of State Colin Powell is getting a clean bill of health from his doctors after undergoing prostate surgery yesterday.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us from the CNN Center to talk about Powell's surgery, as well as his recovery.
Good morning -- Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson.
Yes, the prognosis is very good. This process probably started several months ago. Typically what happens is that your PSA -- that's a screening test -- was probably elevated, and Secretary Powell subsequently had a biopsy at that time.
There was no rush to really perform the operation. These are very slow-growing tumors. The operation performed yesterday for a localized cancer in his prostate. His prostate was removed. That's considered a cure.
Now, several things about that. Usually it's a six-inch incision on the abdomen. The biggest concerns after an operation like this have to do with incontinence, impotence and infection -- the three I's, possible complications or side effects from this operation.
A lot of people ask about the different options that someone has when faced with prostate cancer. Really depending on what the degree of cancer it is, how quickly it was detected, there are different options. The radical prostatectomy, that's what the secretary underwent yesterday, is a pretty good option for people who find the cancers early.
There's also something known as internal beam radiation or seeding. That is something that has become more common as well.
And then watchful waiting. This has been something that is just basically watching the tumor to see if it grows. A lot of times they don't, in which case nothing has to be done at all.
Some quick facts as well about the prostate cancer in general -- 70 percent are diagnosed in men over the age 65. The secretary is 66. Seventy percent more likely in African-American men. African-American men have some dire statistics with regards to prostate cancer -- twice as likely to die if they develop versus other racial groups -- Anderson. COOPER: Sanjay, I've heard that these cancers are being detected earlier and earlier. Do we know at what stage Secretary Powell's cancer was?
GUPTA: What we heard is that it was a localized cancer, and basically there are some strict definitions of that as well. When you think about localized cancers that basically means that it's confined to the prostate, as opposed to regional cancer which means sometimes it spreads from the prostate to the nearby areas such as the lymph nodes in that area. Or it could have metastasized as well, meaning that it's actually spread to distant organs.
The five-year survival rate with a localized cancer removed is nearly 100 percent -- Anderson.
COOPER: Well, you have some good statistics there. All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired December 16, 2003 - 07:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Secretary of State Colin Powell is getting a clean bill of health from his doctors after undergoing prostate surgery yesterday.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us from the CNN Center to talk about Powell's surgery, as well as his recovery.
Good morning -- Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson.
Yes, the prognosis is very good. This process probably started several months ago. Typically what happens is that your PSA -- that's a screening test -- was probably elevated, and Secretary Powell subsequently had a biopsy at that time.
There was no rush to really perform the operation. These are very slow-growing tumors. The operation performed yesterday for a localized cancer in his prostate. His prostate was removed. That's considered a cure.
Now, several things about that. Usually it's a six-inch incision on the abdomen. The biggest concerns after an operation like this have to do with incontinence, impotence and infection -- the three I's, possible complications or side effects from this operation.
A lot of people ask about the different options that someone has when faced with prostate cancer. Really depending on what the degree of cancer it is, how quickly it was detected, there are different options. The radical prostatectomy, that's what the secretary underwent yesterday, is a pretty good option for people who find the cancers early.
There's also something known as internal beam radiation or seeding. That is something that has become more common as well.
And then watchful waiting. This has been something that is just basically watching the tumor to see if it grows. A lot of times they don't, in which case nothing has to be done at all.
Some quick facts as well about the prostate cancer in general -- 70 percent are diagnosed in men over the age 65. The secretary is 66. Seventy percent more likely in African-American men. African-American men have some dire statistics with regards to prostate cancer -- twice as likely to die if they develop versus other racial groups -- Anderson. COOPER: Sanjay, I've heard that these cancers are being detected earlier and earlier. Do we know at what stage Secretary Powell's cancer was?
GUPTA: What we heard is that it was a localized cancer, and basically there are some strict definitions of that as well. When you think about localized cancers that basically means that it's confined to the prostate, as opposed to regional cancer which means sometimes it spreads from the prostate to the nearby areas such as the lymph nodes in that area. Or it could have metastasized as well, meaning that it's actually spread to distant organs.
The five-year survival rate with a localized cancer removed is nearly 100 percent -- Anderson.
COOPER: Well, you have some good statistics there. All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
