Prostate Cancer Treatment
© ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer
June 15, 2009
There are many treatment options for prostate cancer, and new treatment options are right around the corner.
You can beat prostate cancer. Nearly 100 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer are still alive in five years.
Get to know your prognosis and understand your treatment options before choosing a course of action. Minimizing side effects and maintaining your quality of life are serious factors to consider. Your options may also include treatment still in the research phase. Prostate cancer is usually slow growing, so unless your doctor tells you otherwise, you should have plenty of time to learn and consider your options.
Your doctor will help you put together a team of specialists and supporters. There are several types of treatment, and different specialists will often recommend different options, so it's important to know your doctors and get multiple opinions.
While we may not have all the answers to your burning questions regarding treatment decisions, we do have a comprehensive list of questions that you should ask your doctor and even ask yourself, to determine what is most important to you when evaluating your treatment options.
Treatment Options
It's important to keep in mind that every man is different and every case of prostate cancer is different. And with these differences, come a number of options for treating prostate cancer. No one method has proven to be more effective overall, and each treatment option has its pros and cons. The decision is yours, with the guidance of your medical team and the support of your loved ones.
For early or local prostate cancer that has not spread outside the prostate gland or nearby area, the most common treatment options are:
- Active Surveillance involves deferring treatment, and watching closely for signs the disease is progressing.
- Surgery is the surgical removal of part or all of the prostate, and other nearby areas if necessary, also known as prostatectomy. Other surgery options include Robotically Assisted Surgery and cryotherapy. Surgery is the most common option for men under 70 with cancers confined to the prostate. Surgeons will try to remove the cancer, including local lymph glands if necessary, while trying to spare the surrounding nerves and muscles.
- Radiation kills cancer cells either through external beam radiation therapy, by implanting tiny radioactive seeds through brachytherapy, or by radiosurgery.
For advanced or metastatic prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, the most common treatment options are:
- High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) aims sound waves at the prostate and its cancer. The intense heat destroys the prostate.
- Hormone Therapy starves the cancer cells of testosterone by using drugs that inhibit testosterone production.
- Chemotherapy and Radiotherapeutic Agents uses medications that are toxic to cancer cells and are generally used to treat cancers that have become resistant to hormone therapy.
For prostate cancer recurrence or cancer that has returned after initial surgery or radiation therapy, options vary depending on the individual case. Recurrence is usually determined by a rising PSA level after treatment.
For all patients:
- Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) are treatments in addition to, or instead of conventional treatments. They can include natural medicines and supplements, therapies using the influence of the mind, massage and other physical therapies, or whole medical systems.
- Some patients enroll in investigational treatment to try therapies or techniques that are promising but still in the research phase.
The Treatment Option Decision Tool in this section uses statistical models to suggest treatment options based on the medical information you provide. Decision tools and statistical models are meant to support your decision making process, not make the decision for you. Only you and your doctor can determine what is the best path for you to take for treatment.
Courtesy of ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer
Ask a Legend—Jim Kelly
