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.

bisphosphonates prostate cancer
National Prostate Cancer Coalition (NPCC)
Fosamax, a bisphosphonate drug, has demonstrated a benefit against bone loss for patients undergoing hormone treatment for prostate cancer.

Bisphosphonates for Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer? - Journal Watch
Metastatic prostate cancer often spreads to bone: 80% to 90% of patients with advanced disease manifest bone metastases. Bisphosphonates are used widely in

Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases - Abstract of article: Use
We have studied the clinical effect of bisphosphonates (clodronate) in the treatment of skeletal complications from prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases - Abstract of article: Bone
Bisphosphonates, osteoclast inhibitors, are effective in preventing skeletal-related events in patients with metastatic prostate cancer and also in

Use of bisphosphonates in advanced prostate cancer: Current status
Lilleby W. Use of bisphosphonates in advanced prostate cancer: Current status. Indian J Urol serial online 2007 cited 2007 Oct 25;23:54-4.

Use of bisphosphonates in prostate cancer: Current status Nayyar
We hereby review the ongoing and some published randomized trials to define the role of bisphosphonates in various stages of prostate cancer.

The Journal of Urology : Bisphosphonate Therapy for Hormone
Recently bisphosphonates have been demonstrated to exhibit antitumorigenic effects. We report a case of hormone refractory prostate cancer in which serum

Bisphosphonates in Prostate Cancer: Where Are We and Where Should
of bisphosphonates in prostate cancer to treat both the metasta-. ses and the ongoing bone loss due to androgen deprivation.

Cancer Spectrum: Bankhead, pp. 1273-1274.
The emergence of evidence of an osteoclastic component of prostate cancer bone metastases renewed interest in the potential for bisphosphonates to reduce

Late Stage Prostate Cancer
A new bisphosphonate, Zometa, can delay bony complications of prostate cancer when administered at the earliest signs of bony metastases, or when the cancer

Prostate Cancer Research Institute
Physicians reported success with virtually all IV bisphosphonates in treating of a variety of bone cancer including myeloma, breast, prostate and other

eMJA: Maintaining bone health in patients with prostate cancer
Further prospective trials are required to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of bisphosphonates in men with prostate cancer who require treatment

The emerging role of bisphosphonates in prostate cancer.
Despite the fact that osseous metastases in prostate cancer manifest as osteosclerosis rather than osteolysis, studies now show that bisphosphonates are

eMedicine - Prostate Cancer: Metastatic and Advanced Disease
Adami S: Bisphosphonates in prostate carcinoma. Cancer 1997 Oct 15; 80(8 Suppl): 1674-9Medline. Allsbrook WC, Mangold KA, Yang X, et al: The Gleason

Practice Guidelines in Oncology - Prostate Cancer

Bisphosphonate therapy should be considered in patients with castration-recurrent metastatic prostate cancer since it may prevent

Bisphosphonates for advanced prostate cancer
Yuen KK, Shelley M, Sze WM, Wilt T, Mason MD. Bisphosphonates for advanced prostate cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 4. Art. No.

Bone Metastases Treatment Information from Prostate Cancer | Zometa
ZOMETA is the only bisphosphonate therapy proven effective against bone complications/SREs in prostate cancer, reducing skeletal complications by 36% and

Bisphosphonates for bone pain
Bone pain is also a common problem in advanced prostate cancer. A bisphosphonate called zoledronic acid (Zometa) is licensed in the UK for treating prostate

Bisphosphonates for Men With Prostate Cancer: Sifting Through the
Previously, several randomized and nonrandomized studies indicated that bisphosphonates may be useful to alleviate bone pain from metastatic prostate cancer


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