The best treatment for prostate cancer may not always be obvious. Sometimes the doctor may recommend a treatment because of what is known about their cancer and its risk factors. Sometimes, your doctor will talk about two or more treatments that could be good for your cancer.
In the early stages, talk to your doctor about various options, including surgery and radiotherapy. Older patients may simply monitor the cancer with PSA tests and biopsies be an option.
Prostate cancer that has spread can be treated with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, or chemotherapy.
Surgery, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy can interfere with sexual desire or performance. Problems with control of urine is common after surgery and radiotherapy. These problems may improve or worsen over time, according to the treatment. Discuss your concerns with your health care provider.
SURGERY
Surgery is usually only recommended after thorough evaluation and discussion of the benefits and risks of the procedure.
Surgery to remove the prostate gland and some tissue around it is an option when the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate. This surgery is called the prostate. Robotic surgery can also be done.
Possible problems after surgery include urine or feces difficult to control and erection problems.
RADIOTHERAPY
Radiation therapy with high-power X-rays or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells.
Radiation therapy works best for treating prostate cancer that has spread outside the prostate. It can also be used after surgery if there is a risk that cancer cells of the prostate that may still be present. Radiation is sometimes used to relieve pain when cancer has spread to the bone.
External radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to the prostate gland.
It comes in a radiation oncology center is usually connected to a hospital. You will get to the center of the house five days a week for treatment. The treatment lasts 6 to 8 weeks.
Before treatment, a therapist will mark the body part to be treated with a special pen.
The radiation is delivered to the prostate using a device that resembles a normal x-ray machine. The treatment itself is generally painless.
Side effects may include impotence, incontinence, loss of appetite, fatigue, skin reactions, burns or rectal injury, diarrhea, urgency, bladder and blood in the urine.
Prostate brachytherapy involves placing radioactive seeds into the prostate.
A surgeon inserts small needles into the skin behind your scrotum to inject the seeds. The seeds are so small that you can not feel them. They can be temporary or permanent.
Brachytherapy is often used for men with prostate cancer that is smaller at the beginning and is slowly growing.
It can also be administered in combination with external beam radiation therapy for some patients with more advanced cancer.
Side effects include pain, swelling or bruising of the penis or scrotum, red-brown urine, or semen, impotence, incontinence and diarrhea.
Proton therapy is another form of radiation used to treat prostate cancer. Doctors aim proton beams to a tumor, so there is less damage to surrounding tissues.
Hormone Therapy
Testosterone is the male hormone in the body. Prostate tumors require testosterone to grow. Hormone therapy is a treatment that reduces the effect of testosterone on prostate cancer. These treatments can prevent the growth and spread of cancer.
Hormone therapy is used primarily for men whose cancer has spread to relieve the symptoms. There are two types of drugs used in hormone therapy.
The primary type is called luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) agonist
These drugs block the body to produce testosterone. Medications must be administered by injection, usually every 3 to 6 months.
These include leuprolide, goserelin, nafarelin, triptorelin, histrelin, buserelin, and degarelix.
Possible side effects include nausea and vomiting, hot flashes, anemia, lethargy, osteoporosis, decreased sexual desire, decreased muscle mass, weight gain, and impotence.
Other drugs used are called androgen-blockers.
They are often given in combination with the drugs mentioned above.
They include flutamide, bicalutamide and nilutamide.
Possible side effects include erectile dysfunction, loss of sexual desire, liver problems, diarrhea and enlargement of the breasts.
Much of the body's testosterone is made from the testicles. Consequently, the removal of the testicles (orchiectomy called) is also used as a hormonal treatment. This surgery is not done very often.
Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are used to treat prostate cancer unresponsive to hormonal treatment. An oncology specialist will usually recommend a single drug or combination of drugs.
MONITORING
After treatment for prostate cancer, will be closely monitored to ensure that the cancer has not spread. This requires a medical check-ups, including serial PSA blood tests (usually every 3 months to 1 year).
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