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.

cancer prostate trial
The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial - National Cancer Institute
A collection of material about a study designed to see whether the drug finasteride can prevent prostate cancer in older men.

Research into treatments for prostate cancer
In Belfast, there is a small trial for men whose prostate cancer has spread . A UK trial looking at gene therapy for early stage prostate cancer closed

Find a Clinical Trial
Find a Clinical Trial. To find clinical trials, click on the arrow in the box below and select the type of cancer you are interested in. Then click 'Find'.

PSA Rising Prostate Cancer News, Info, Support
Cell Genesys Provides Final Median Survival Data From Second Phase 2 Trial of GVAX Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer April 3, 2007

The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial
The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) is a Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of finasteride for the prevention of

Funding Opportunities-FY07 PCRP, Congressionally Directed Medical
FY07 Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP). Proposal submission deadline for FY07 has passed. To view past program announcements, please visit the PCRP

Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) Home Page
The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) is a research study to determine if selenium and vitamin E can help prevent prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials - Watch WebMD Video
Researchers are testing chemotherapy drug combinations for men with advanced prostate cancer.

PLCO
The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, or PLCO, is a large-scale clinical trial to determine whether certain cancer screening

Cancer - Prostate - Resources and Publications
For more information about the PLCO Trial and the 10 screening centers, visit the PLCO Web site, National Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer

|| DukeMedNews || Early Trial Indicates Prostate Cancer Vaccine
A prostate cancer vaccine that trains a patient's own dendritic cells to attack a protein antigen expressed by tumors can robustly boost a patient's immune

Prostate Trial Welcome to Advantagene
Our Phase II trial was designed for newly diagnosed, non-metastatic prostate cancer patients. Subjects received two or three cycles of transrectal

Novacea ends late-stage trial of prostate cancer drug | Health
BANGALORE (Reuters) - Drugmaker Novacea Inc ended a late-stage trial of its prostate cancer drug Asentar, after a treatment arm containing the drug showed a

SWOG: Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT)
Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial Logo The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) was a Southwest Oncology Group-coordinated study designed to test whether

USA Today-Consumer Health News, Information and Resources Updated
Prostate Cancer Trial Halted Due to 3 Cases of Leukemia In this trial, mitoxantrone was being used to treat "poor risk" prostate cancer patients.

The Early Prostate Cancer Trial And Adjuvant Anti-androgen Therapy
The Early Prostate Cancer Trial (EPC) was the largest prostate cancer (CaP) study ever undertaken. It evaluated adjuvant bicalutamide in patients across the

Prostate Cancer Trial Results - National Cancer Institute
Results of clinical trials concerning prostate cancer.

Disease Category Listing (36): Prostate Cancer
VITAL-2 GVAX ^ Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer Trial (G-0034). Anchorage; Alaska Clinical Research Center VITAL-1 GVAX^ Prostate Cancer Immunotherapy


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