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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Laparoscopic Prostate Surgery
This site provides references to both popular and professional publications that discuss laparoscopic surgery to treat prostate cancer.

Robotic Laparoscopic Prostate Cancer Surgery, The University
Laparoscopy: New surgery called less invasive for prostate patients While the operation may make prostate cancer less frightening to patients,

Article on Laparoscopic prostate cancer surgery from Boston Globe
Prostate Cancer: Laparoscopic Prostate Surgery Laparoscopic prostate surgery involves five small ( five to 10 millimeters) incisions (or portholes),

Prostate Cancer Health Center
For laparoscopic prostate surgery, this technique requires five small (5-10 if you have cancer that has not spread outside the prostate and is not very

Urology--Treatment options for prostate cancer--Laparoscopic
Enhancing the advantages of laparoscopic prostate surgery. Video: New Prostate Cancer Surgery Has Few Side Effects

Prostate Cancer at Henry Ford : Prostate Cancer
Surgery. Laparoscopic prostatectomy. If your cancer is localized to the prostate, and you are in reasonably good health and younger than 75 years old,

Prostate Cancer, Laparoscopic Prostatectomies, Seattle, Washington
If you choose to have a laparoscopic prostatectomy, your surgeon will operate with The most common procedure done with this robot is prostate surgery,

Prostate Cancer, Laparoscopic Prostatectomy Robots, Seattle
Robotic Laparoscopic Prostate Cancer Surgery is the preferred method of performing a radical prostatectomy to treat men with cancer confined to the prostate

Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy, Prostate Cancer Surgery, LRP
Robotic prostatectomy also known as Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy - is a way to perform minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery.

Prostate surgery & prostate cancer treatment using da Vinci
Prostatectomy is surgery to remove the prostate and seminal vesicles to control prostate cancer. Laparoscopic prostatectomy means we do the prostatectomy


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