Medical Treatments for Prostate Cancer

There are many different medical treatments for prostate cancer that involve the clinical care of a healthcare professional. These treatments include expectant therapy, surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy. Expectant therapy is to carefully observe and monitor the prostate cancer. Because prostate cancer cells often spread very slowly, many older men who have the disease may not need more extensive treatment. However, expectant therapy usually includes routine physician examinations, including digital rectal exams and PSA tests. The different types of surgery for prostate cancer are radical prostatectomy - an open-surgery procedure in which the entire prostate gland and surrounding tissue are removed. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) - surgery to remove part of the prostate gland that surrounds the urethra. Cryosurgery - this procedure involves killing the cancer cells by freezing them with a small metal tool placed in the tumor. Side effects of prostate cancer surgery include incontinence and impotence. Incontinence is the inability to control urine and may result in dribbling of urine, especially immediately after surgery. Normal control usually returns within weeks or months after surgery. Impotence is the inability to achieve an erection. For a month, or so, after surgery, most men are not able to get an erection. Eventually, approximately 40 to 60 percent of men will be able to get an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse, but without ejaculation of semen, since removal of the prostate gland prevents that process.

Radiation therapy uses high energy rays to kill or shrink cancer cells, and to decrease their ability to divide. Radiation is often used to treat prostate cancer that is still confined to the prostate gland, or has spread only to nearby tissue. If the disease is advanced, radiation may be used to reduce the size of the tumor and to provide relief from symptoms. Possible side effects of radiation for prostate cancer may include diarrhea, with or without blood in the stool, and colitis, problems associated with urination, a degree of impotence (inability to get an erection), which may occur within two years of radiation therapy.

The goal of hormone therapy is to lower the level of male hormones in the body, particularly testosterone. Hormone therapy does not cure the cancer, and is often used to treat persons whose cancer has spread or recurred after treatment. Produced mainly in the testicles, testosterone causes prostate cancer cells to grow. Thus, reduced testosterone levels can make the prostate cancer shrink and become less active. Most studies show that hormone therapy works better if it is started early. Chemotherapy is the use of powerful, anti-cancer medications to kill cancer cells.. Hospitalization may be needed to monitor treatment and chemotherapy's side effects. Common side effects of chemotherapy include: nausea and vomiting, hair loss, anemia, reduced ability of blood to clot, mouth sores, increased likelihood of developing infections, fatigue. Most side effects disappear once treatment is stopped.

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Prostate Cancer: Surgery vs. Watchful Waiting - National Cancer
At that time, researchers found that the surgery group was 50 percent less likely to die of prostate cancer than the watchful waiting group,

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Heal thyselfâ”or chose the next best option. Dr. Lange, who helped develop the PSA test, designed to detect prostate cancer, began testing his own PSA in his

Prostate Cancer Surgery: Weighing the Risks and Benefits
Dr. See said that all of the treatment options for prostate cancer, including surgery, carry with them some risk. "You need to be careful about

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The Way to Find the Best Available Treatment for Your PC Advice For Men Newly Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. PCRI Insights August, 2004 vol. 7, no. 3

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This is by no means a complete list of the premier prostate cancer American Society of Plastic& Reconstructive Surgeons, Arlington Heights, IL

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options -- familydoctor.org
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.

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The best results from surgery for prostate cancer have been established with a traditional "open" surgical approach. Surgeons at Fox Chase have extensive

Dr. Scardino Discusses Prostate Cancer Surgery Outcomes: Surgeon
Dr. Scardino Discusses Prostate Cancer Surgery Outcomes: Surgeon Dependent Factors. Main Category: Urology / Nephrology News

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This page tells you about surgery for prostate cancer. You can choose from the following Best Body and Mind and Most Popular Body and Mind site 2007

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One very common side effect of prostate cancer surgery (or radiation or . These are the results that can be achieved if all the best open surgeons in the

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Curing Prostate Cancer - Without Side Effects Surgery Preserves Potency, But HMOs Put Up Barriers; Finding the Right Doctor By Amy Dockser Marcus

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Right now, the best way to try and prevent prostate cancer is to modify the risk . Surgery for prostate cancer is generally felt to be equivalent to

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Radical prostatectomy is surgery that attempts to cure prostate cancer. . Not all doctors agree about their usefulness or the best way to do them,

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Men with early prostate cancer have several options. But those who get prostate cancer surgery are slightly less likely to die than those who wait and

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Some urologists, called urologic oncologists, are surgeons who further specialize in treating Prostate Cancer Specialists: Who Do You Turn to For Help?

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Dr. Samadi has been performing robotic prostate cancer surgery since 2002. In most cases, a da Vinci robotic prostatectomy is the best prostate cancer

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Brachytherapy Seeds Migrate From Prostate to Lungs in 17% of Patients: Presented at ASTRO · Radiation After Surgery Keeps High Risk Prostate Cancer at Bay

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SURGERY (radical prostatectomy, RP ). Concept If the prostate comes out, so does the cancer. Practice The retropubic approach is made through the lower

What happens after prostate cancer surgery? March 2000; 73-6
Figure 1: Effect of prostate cancer surgery on problems men had with urinary incontinence a man wants to know what is the best treatment option for him.


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