Prostate Cancer Treatments

treatment for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the prostate. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder (the organ that collects and empties urine) and in front of the rectum (the lower part of the intestine). It is about the size of a walnut and surrounds part of the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). The prostate gland produces fluid that makes up part of the semen.

As a man with early-stage prostate cancer, you will be able to choose which kind of prostate cancer treatment is right for you. There can be several reasonable options, which can make the decision difficult. Prostate cancer treatments with intent to cure are primarily surgery and radiation therapy.

Surgery is an incision is made in the lower abdomen or through the perineum, and the prostate is removed. Incomplete surgery, in which the entire tumor cannot be removed, may be followed by radiation therapy. Possible side effects of surgery can include and impotence. More recently, several centers are using three small incisions to do robot assisted prostatectomy that results in shorter hospitalization and faster recuperation.

The prostate cancer treatment options depend in part on whether the tumor has spread. For tumors that are still inside the prostate, radiation therapy and a surgery called radical prostatectomy are common prostate cancer treatments. “Watchful waiting” is also a prostate cancer treatment option. In this approach, no treatment is given until the tumor gets bigger. Watchful waiting may be the best choice for an older man who has a higher risk of dying from something other than his prostate cancer.

Other prostate cancer treatments such as hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, proton therapy, cryosurgery, high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) also exist depending on the clinical scenario and desired outcome.

Hormone therapy, also known as androgen-deprivation therapy or ADT, is designed to stop testosterone from being released or to prevent the hormone from acting on the prostate cells. Although hormone therapy plays an important role in men with advancing prostate cancer, it is increasingly being used before, during, or after local treatment as well.

The term “chemotherapy” refers to any type of therapy that uses chemicals to kill or halt the growth of cancer cells. The drugs work in a variety of ways, but are all based on the same simple principle: stop the cells from dividing and you stop the growth and spread of the tumor.

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