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.

biopsy for prostate
ACS :: How Is Prostate Cancer Diagnosed?
A core needle biopsy is the main method used to diagnose prostate cancer. Another finding that is sometimes reported on a prostate biopsy is atypical

Prostate Biopsy
A prostate gland biopsy is a test to remove small samples of prostate tissue to be examined under a microscope.

Needle Biopsy | Prostate Cancer Information | UPMC Cancer Centers
Biopsy Needle Illustration A sextant (six-part) biopsy is the most common prostate biopsy procedure. An average of six cores are taken from the prostate

Tales from a prostate biopsy - Low Blow- msnbc.com
Absolutely necessary to diagnosing cancer, a prostate biopsy is not quite the cakewalk that some sources would have you believe. MSNBC.com's Mike Stuckey

CRD Report 29 - Prostate biopsy methods in the investigation for

diagnostic workup for prostate cancer. A prostate biopsy is an invasive diagnostic Various systematic prostate biopsy methods and strategies are

Prostate Biopsy
That increases costs -and risks, and your insurance company might refuse to pay for all that, so prostate biopsy is usually performed without general

Medical Tests for Prostate Problems
A prostate biopsy may also produce pain in the area of the rectum and the perineum, which is between the rectum and the scrotum.

Biopsy, Gleason and Your Prostate
Biopsy and related tests to find out if you have prostate cancer and what stage it might be can ne key totreatment decisions.

Prostate biopsy
Prostate biopsy is recommended when a digital rectal examination (a routine screening test for prostate diseases) reveals a lump or some other abnormality

Prostate biopsy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prostate biopsy is a procedure in which small samples are removed from a man's prostate gland to be tested for the presence of cancer.

Prostate Cancer Biopsy Procedure
The prostate biopsy is the taking of tissue samples from the prostate gland and examining them underneath a microscope for cell differentiation.


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