What if thousands of men are losing their sexual function treating a cancer that was never going to kill them?
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Shawn Zimberg — board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director at Advanced Radiation Centers of New York — to unpack the truth about prostate cancer screening, overtreatment, and what every man over 40 needs to know.
Dr. Zimberg reveals that the prostate cancer industry has an overtreatment problem — and genomic testing is exposing which tumors need aggressive treatment and which don’t. We break down why PSA is broken, why Gleason scores don’t tell the full story, and how cadaver studies show men from their 20s to 80s harbor prostate cancer cells that never become clinically significant.
We also dive into the science behind radiation therapy, the BioProtect balloon spacer (Dr. Zimberg has performed nearly 2,000 — more than anyone in the world), and the cutting-edge radioligand therapy changing outcomes for stage 4 prostate cancer.
If you’re a man, love a man, or work with men in health or performance, this is essential listening.
About the guest:
Dr. Shawn Zimberg is a board-certified radiation oncologist, medical director at Advanced Radiation Centers of New York, and director of radiation oncology at Bronx Care Hospital. He trained at Memorial Sloan Kettering and has pioneered the use of rectal spacer technology in prostate cancer treatment, having performed nearly 2,000 PioProtect balloon procedures — more than any other physician in the world.
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I’m Louisa Nicola — clinical neurophysiologist — Alzheimer’s prevention specialist — founder of Neuro Athletics.
My mission is to translate cutting-edge neuroscience into actionable strategies for cognitive longevity, peak performance, and brain disease prevention.
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Topics discussed:
00:00:00 Introduction: The Prostate Cancer Overtreatment Crisis
00:02:11 Understanding the Prostate: Anatomy and Function
00:04:43 The Cancer Paradox: Size Does Not Equal Risk
00:07:43 Radiation Oncology: The Specialty Explained
00:11:08 Lifetime Risk and Genetic Factors
00:15:32 PSA Testing: The Gold Standard Screening Tool
00:20:36 The Diagnostic Journey: MRI and Biopsy Techniques
00:25:27 The Ejaculation Study: Myth or Reality?
00:33:15 Gleason Scores Decoded: Understanding Aggressiveness
00:37:03 Molecular Profiling: Looking Under the Hood
00:39:27 Treatment Pathways: Surveillance, Surgery, or Radiation
00:41:02 Active Surveillance: When Watching is Appropriate
00:43:31 Stage 4 and Radio Ligand Therapy: The New Frontier
00:48:21 Testosterone and Prostate Cancer: The Complex Relationship
00:52:38 Radiation Therapy Explained: DNA Damage and Healing
00:55:28 The Bioprotect Balloon: Revolutionary Rectal Protection
00:56:07 The Therapeutic Ratio: Maximizing Cure, Minimizing Damage
00:46:39 Robotic Prostatectomy and Surgical Options
01:06:36 Prevention and Early Detection: What Men Need to Know
01:08:28 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Dr. Zimberg
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The Neuro Experience