Jennifer Matthews: Bruce Haskin is no stranger to medicine. He's been in three clinical trials.
Bruce Haskin: I'm a walking medical experiment.
Jennifer Matthews: During a trial screening, doctors confirmed Bruce had a problem. Like a weed, his prostate had grown into a big nuisance. He was waking up several times a night to urinate.
Bruce Haskin: It was a nightly ritual.
Jennifer Matthews: Doctor Mark Plante says treatments like microwave therapy and surgery can help. But he's studying an alternative treatment, alcohol.
Dr. Mark Plante: It was quite successful in terms of reducing men's symptoms, in terms of improving how they urinate overall.
Jennifer Matthews: Doctors deliver a dose of ethanol into both sides of the prostate. Studies show the tissue then dies and the prostate shrinks, relieving symptoms in most men. But alcohol isn't the only injectable under study.
Dr. Mark Plante: There's also Botox. There's saline solutions. There's actually chemotherapy drugs we could consider for local injection into the prostate.
Jennifer Matthews: Injectables may offer a less invasive fix for men.
Bruce doesn't think much about his prostate anymore. He's much more interested in his hobbies. He got the alcohol injection, and over time, his symptoms went away.
Bruce Haskin: Once, sometimes twice. Okay, I'll get up. And that's, you know, perfectly acceptable. It's not like four, five times.
Jennifer Matthews: Now, he sleeps through the night a little easier, and focuses on fun a little more. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services