Sem’s cancer was discovered by using a new technology to target the tumor.
Learn how a UF Health problem-solver in urologic oncology diagnosed Sem’s cancer and gave him a second chance.

When Sem Lampotang, PhD, was diagnosed with prostate cancer, even a traditional biopsy came back negative. When UF Health urologic oncologist Dr. Li-Ming Su noticed that Sem’s prostate-specific antigen levels continued to rise, Dr. Su recommended using a new MRI-fusion biopsy technology for a second sample. Unlike conventional prostate biopsies, the MRI-fusion technology acts as a GPS to navigate the biopsy needle to the exact tumor location in order to extract a sample. Through this technique, Sem’s biopsy came back positive for prostate cancer. With the guidance and support of his clinical team, Sem opted for prostate cancer surgery, known as robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, where his tumor was successfully removed. Now, Sem is back to his hobby of swimming laps. Only this time, he’s a bit faster.
Dr. Li-Ming Su is the David A. Cofrin Professor of Urology and chair of the department of urology at the UF College of Medicine. His research focuses on exploring image-guided surgery for prostate and kidney cancer as well as optical imaging technologies, robotic simulation and virtual reality. His clinical interests are in minimally invasive surgical therapies, including robotic surgery for prostate, kidney cancer and adrenal tumors.
