Treatment Options For Prostate Cancer

Although some cancers may grow so slowly that treatment may not be needed, other grow fast and are a threat to life. Determining the need for treatment and the type of treatment can be a difficult decision.

There are a number of ways to treat prostate cancer. However, the choice will mostly be up to the doctor to determine which ones may be appropriate depending on the stage of the disease and grade of the cancer as well as the age and health of the patient. However, the longer the patient’s life expectancy, the more uncertain the prediction and choice of a treatment method becomes, as most prostate cancers progress with time. The feelings of the patient and the possible side effects are also to be taken into consideration.

Treatment for prostate cancer may involve watchful waiting, surgery, radiation therapy, or hormonal therapy. Some men receive a combination of therapies. A cure is probable for men whose prostate cancer is diagnosed early. However, surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy all have the potential to disrupt sexual desire or performance for a short while or permanently. Therefore it is advisable to discuss your concerns with your doctor.

Two major treatments have been proved to be efficient in eradicating localized prostate cancer: surgical removal of the prostate and vesical vesicles (radical prostatectomy), and radiotherapy (external beam radiotherapy and interstitial radiotherapy). It is admitted that patients who will benefit from these treatments are those whose life expectancy exceeds 10 years. No benefit is expected in older patients who are likely to die from another disease. However, for those with metastatic prostate cancer, hormone therapy or chemotherapy would prove more effective although radiotherapy could also be used.

Surgical (Radical Prostatectomy)

Radical prostatectomy involves the surgical removal of the entire prostate, the seminal vesicles, the tissue immediately surrounding them, and some of their associated pelvic lymph nodes. It is appropriate for men for whom it is believed the tumor can be removed completely by surgery.

The major advantage of radical prostatectomy is that because prostate cancer may be scattered throughout the prostate gland in an unpredictable way, the entire prostate must be removed so that cancer cells are not left behind. Many experts consider radical prostatectomy to be the gold standard treatment in young patients having organ-confined disease. Indications for radical prostatectomy are presumably curable tumors in patients whose life expectancy is above 10 years.

Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Radiation therapy, also sometimes called radiotherapy, is a general term used to describe several types of treatment including the use of high-powered X-rays, placement of radioactive materials into the body or injection of a radioactive substance into the bloodstream. These various types of radiation treatments are used in a wide range of settings. These circumstances include primary treatment of localized prostate cancer, secondary treatment for cancer recurring within the region of the prostate and for relief of pain and other symptoms related to prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

The curative indication of external-beam radiotherapy is similar to that of radical prostatectomy: organ-confined cancer in patients with a life expectancy above 10 years. The treatment generally involves a 7-week course of radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is considered to result in lower rates of incontinence and erectile dysfunction than with radical prostatectomy. The major side-effects of conventional external radiotherapy are urinary irritative symptoms and bowel complications.

Hormonal Therapy for Prostate Cancer
When the prostate cancer is more advanced, and has spread to other parts of the body, treatment includes reducing the testosterone (male hormone) that supports the prostate and its tumors. Hormone therapy reduces symptoms and prevents further growth. Hormone therapy is achieved by either surgery or medication. Testosterone can be reduced by removing the testes; the operation is called a bilateral orchiectomy. The other commonly used option, however, is chemical castration – injecting synthetic LH-RH analogs every three to four months to suppress the natural production of testosterone. In doing so, it deprives the cancer cells of an element needed for growth. Using a number of medications, hormonal therapy attempts to nullify as much as possible all male hormone effect on prostate cancer cells.

There is also evidence that prostate cancer patients whose disease has spread to the lymph nodes will encounter prolonged progressive-free survival and a better quality of life with early hormonal therapy. While hormonal manipulation causes prostate cancer to shrink in 85 to 90 percent of a prostate cancer patients, total and durable eradication of the disease is unlikely. The good news is that hormone therapy may control prostate cancer for many years. The current hormonal therapy standard of care is, once initiated, to continue hormone therapy for life.

However, while hormonal therapy can put your cancer in check, there are unpleasant side effects such as nausea and vomiting, hot flashes, anaemia, lethargy, osteoporosis, swollen and tender breasts and erectile dysfunction. Evidence indicates that hormonal treatment when combined with radiation increases survival duration.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy refers to drug treatment using single drugs or a cocktail of several medications aimed at destroying cancer cells. The drugs circulate throughout the body in the bloodstream and can kill any rapidly growing cells, including both cancerous and non-cancerous ones. Chemotherapy drugs are carefully controlled in both dosage and frequency so that cancer cells are destroyed while the risk to healthy cells is minimized. Often, it is not the primary therapy for prostate cancer patients, but may be used when prostate cancer has spread outside of the prostate gland. Over the past 10 years chemotherapy treatments have been shown to improve pain control and survival for patients with advanced prostate cancer, who have progressed despite hormonal therapy.

Common side effects of chemotherapy depend on the type of drug used, dosage and length of treatment. For prostate cancer patients, the most frequently used chemotherapy regimen is docetaxel and prednisone. The most common side effects of this regimen are fatigue, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, hair loss, taste changes and a decrease in blood cell counts that result in an increased risk of infections.

Watchful Waiting

Watchful waiting/deferred treatment consists of a standpoint strategy until an active treatment may be required. Only patients with good compliance and easy access to healthcare should be candidates for watchful waiting. These men are counseled, and reviewed regularly with clinical examination and PSA measurements. The support for such management is based on the natural course of prostate cancer progression, which has been proved to be slow. Commonly, deferred treatment is indicated in asymptomatic old patients (life expectancy being less than 10 years because of age or debilitating conditions) with localized or locally advanced cancer. It is prudent to perform re-biopsy to avoid under-staging of the tumor.

Active Surveillance

Active surveillance is traditionally reserved for men with small-volume and low-to-moderate-grade prostate cancer, who have a low risk of death from prostate cancer. During active surveillance, men are followed closely with serial PSA, DRE, transrectal ultrasounds, and repeat prostate biopsies at regular intervals. It is different from watchful waiting in that men on active surveillance may elect treatment for cure when their disease appears to be changing and becoming more aggressive. The goal of active surveillance is to allow men to maintain their quality of life when the disease is slow growing or inactive but still allow them to be cured of prostate cancer when the disease appears to become more aggressive or is growing.

However, regarding the issue of prevention of prostate cancer, there is still a lingering controversy about true prevention. Consequently, most physicians believe that there is no easy substitute for a healthy lifestyle involving eating a healthy diet, avoiding dietary excesses, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, getting lots of exercise and being physically active, visiting the doctor on a regular basis, and most importantly achieving and maintaining a normal body weight.

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Prostate Cancer Life Expectancy

Men, how long are you going to live with or without prostate cancer? If you’re being honest, you really don’t know. We all have a life expectancy based upon general statistical probabilities but none of us know how or when we’re going to die.

No matter what the illness or disease that may inflict us including prostate cancer, we still can’t be certain when we’re going to die. We know at some point our own mortality will become evident. Just because you may have prostate cancer however, doesn’t mean you’ve been given a death sentence.

Here are some facts about prostate cancer

1. Prostate cancer is generally considered a slow growing carcinoma. This means you may have many high quality of life years ahead of you… that is if you’re not hit by a truck on the way to work on the freeway.

2. Prostate cancer typically advances through four major stages. At what stage you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer, will determine your probable chances of dying due to complications of the cancer.

3. As you get older, your risk of contracting prostate cancer rises. Men have a lifetime risk or chance of contracting a prostate malignancy of about one in 10 that increases as we get older. Good news! You’ve survived into your 70s. Bad news… your risk of prostate cancer is one in three.

4. Prostate cancer is considered basically a geriatric disease. That is, the great majority of men, under the age of 60 will not be diagnosed with a cancerous prostate. Remember fact number three above though as your risk increases greatly after age 60.

According to such well known cancer societies and cancer associations as the American Cancer Society, about 92 percent of all the men diagnosed with prostate cancer survive at least five years after the initial diagnosis. Although such a prognosis may seem like less time than you expected, remember that prostate cancer is considered a disease of the aged and many men who contract the disease are well into their 60s and 70s.

So your life expectancy after a diagnosis of prostate cancer, will depend on what stage the cancerous tumor has progressed to, your age and willingness to consider all treatment options. In the end, prostate cancer survivability rests with early diagnosis and effective treatment.

About the Author:

Abigail Franks has written many articles on the subject of prostate cancer. On her Prostate Cancer site you can find valuable information about Prostate Cancer and Prostate Cancer survival rates

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Treatments For Early And Advanced Prostate Cancer

There is a wide range of prostate cancer treatments available today and the treatment that your doctor recommends will depend to a very large extent upon the progression of the disease. Thereafter it is a matter of discussing each treatment option with your doctor and of considering the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as of course looking carefully at the risks which all prostate cancer treatments carry.

Prostrate cancer treatments fall into two broad categories – those that are recommended for early (Stage I and Stage II) cancer which is confined to the prostate gland and those used to treat advanced (Stage III and Stage IV) cancer which has spread to other areas of the body.

Early stage cancer treatments are designed to remove the prostate or to destroy it and thus to stop the cancer cells before they have a chance to spread to other areas of the body.

The surgical removal of the prostate gland (prostatectomy) will normally be carried out as either traditional open surgery or using a less invasive laparoscopic approach. One recent development is the introduction of robotic surgery (using the da Vinci system) which has the advantage of preserving nerves, muscles and other structures in the area of the prostate. Robotic surgery is extremely effective but should be carried out by a highly skilled surgeon in a centre with considerable experience in using this technique.

Radiation therapy may also be used to kill the cancer cells within the prostate gland. A variety of different radiation therapy techniques may be used and treatment will normally be carried out over a period of several weeks.

A relatively new technique, which is still being evaluated, is known as cryosurgery. During cryosurgery, which is carried out under anesthesia, cooling probes are guided into the prostate using ultrasound and the cancer cells are killed by freezing them.

The final form of treatment used for early stage cancer is high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). This procedure is again carried out under anesthesia (or using a local spinal anesthetic) and a probe is placed into the prostate gland through the rectum. A beam of high intensity focused ultrasound is them used to raise the temperature in the area of focus and thus to kill the cancer cells.

For late stage prostate cancer hormone therapy is used and this is designed not to attack the cancer itself but to target the male hormones (in particular testosterone) which the cancer cells need to grow.

Late stage treatments will include orchiectomy (the removal of the testicles), which is designed to remove the source of the body’s main production of testosterone, or a variety of hormone treatments aimed at either reducing the level of testosterone and other male hormones in the body or of blocking their action.

In cases where hormone therapy proves ineffective, systematic radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be recommended.

Whatever the stage of your cancer it is important to consider all of the options carefully and weigh the advantages, disadvantages and risks of each carefully before choosing the treatment that is best for you.

For more information on prostate cancer treatments please visit ProstateCancerExplained.com today.

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By Donald Saunders Published: 12/20/2006

 
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 Understanding Prostate Cancer Cryo Treatment

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your doctor may talk to you about getting prostate cancer cryo treatment for your illness. Cryoablation, or also called “cryo” is the newest and latest form of effective treatment of prostate cancer. The idea behind prostate cancer cryo treatment is to freeze the cancer cells and kills the cancerous tumor. Many doctors and patients prefer this treatment to more traditional forms of treatment because it works well and is easier on the body than radiation or radical surgery.

Only your doctor can decide what kind of prostate cancer treatment is right for you. After you have been diagnosed with cancer, your doctor will discuss your treatment options. If he or she tells you that the prostate cancer cryo treatment would work well for you, then it is an option you should consider. Here are some important things about the prostate cancer cryo treatment that you should know before having the procedure done.

How Cryoablation Treatment Works:

You may wonder how this type of treatment works. When your procedure begins, you will be under local or general anesthesia. About six cyroprobes are inserted near the area and liquid argon is passed through the probes. This freezes the area where the cancer is located and the cancer is frozen, causing it to die. This whole procedure usually takes less than two hours and you will most likely not have to spend a lot of time recovering in the hospital. Most patients are allowed to go home within a few hours after the prostate cancer cryo treatment is completed.

Care After the Procedure:

Once the procedure is completed, you will be given complete recovery instructions. Most patients do report slight swelling and bruising in the area. Most men are able to resume regular activity within a week. Most men will need a urinary catheter in place for one to three weeks to allow for normal healing.

Why Choose this Procedure:

There are many reasons why doctors and patients are now using prostate cancer cryo treatment. For one, most doctors feel that it works very well. This procedure is well suited for first time cancer patients and those experiencing a reoccurrence of prostate cancer. In addition, this treatment is popular because the recovery time is minimal. Side effects are mild, especially compared to invasive surgery and chemotherapy treatment.

If you have prostate cancer, then you should consider prostate cancer cryo treatment as an option. This is an excellent choice for many men and works very well for most. Your doctor can give you more information on this form of prostate cancer treatment.

You can also find more info on Prostate Cancer Detection And Treatment and Prostate Cancer New Treatment . Prostatecancertreatmenthelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about prostate cancer treatment.

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Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

Prostate cancer is a specifically male cancer as it involves the prostate gland, which is part of the male reproductive system. The prostate gland is located between the bladder and rectum and is responsible for the production of seminal fluid. Prostate cancer treatment options depend on how advanced the cancer is.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty urinating and erectile dysfunction, although early prostate cancer may cause no symptoms at all. It is most frequent in men of fifty and is most often diagnosed in men in their seventies.

Diagnosis is through a physical examination or by blood tests. One of these blood tests is called the PSA test. PSA stands for prostate specific antigen, and it is this antigen that they are looking for in the blood. A confirmed case of prostate cancer will be confirmed by taking a biopsy.

If the cancer is contained within the prostate gland then there are two treatment options. The cancer can be treated with radiation therapy, which is the use of x-rays to kill cancer cells. The cancer can also be removed by surgery called radical prostatectomy.

A radical prostatectomy involves the removal of the entire prostate gland and usually the nearby lymph nodes, under general anaesthesia. The lymph nodes are then checked to see if the cancer has spread, known as metastasizing. There is a risk with prostate cancer of it metastasizing to other parts of the body, especially to the bones and the lymph nodes.

With both types of treatment there is a chance that the cancer will reoccur, however incidence of reoccurrence are less with the radical prostatectomy than with the radiation therapy. Careful consideration to the benefits and side effects of both treatments must be given so that you get the best treatment option for you.

If the cancer has metastasized beyond the prostate gland then hormone treatment can be given. Male hormones, called androgens, can be associated with accelerated growth of the tumor. Therefore if hormones are restricted the growth of the tumor can be slowed down. Androgens such as testosterone are produced in the testicles, so the testicles are sometimes removed as part of hormone treatment.

The final treatment for prostate cancer is called ‘watchful waiting’. This involves regular check ups and monitoring by your doctor to keep a check on the tumor’s growth. Your doctor will perform a physical examination and take blood tests, such as the PSA test.

With all types of treatment for prostate cancer the patient will need to weigh up the pros and cons and discuss the side effects of the different treatments with his doctor. A decision can then be taken on which course of treatment to take, or whether to undertake a period of ‘watchful waiting’ before deciding which of the prostate cancer treatment options to follow.

Prostate cancer is one of the leading health problems of man today especially when he reaches the over-the-hill age. Every man should have more than enough information about this predicament and what the best remedies are for it and here at www.a1prostatecancertips.com

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Best Treatment Option for Early Prostate Cancer

One of the most confusing things about being diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer is choosing if and how to treat it. Unlike other cancers that have one or two standard treatment options, acceptable approaches for prostate cancer are more numerous. Each has different pros and cons and the decision about how to proceed needs to be customized to each man, depending on his age, his general health, and the severity of his early prostate cancer.

Treatment options

Radical prostatectomy is the surgical procedure that removes the prostate gland. The operation is traditionally performed through a vertical incision made in the pelvis. The man needs to be admitted to the hospital and recover for several days. The most worrisome potential long term side effects are urinary incontinence and impotence. A new technology is available: robotic laparoscopic prostatectomy. This method entails making five small incisions instead of one larger one. The recovery is expected to be faster and easier than with the traditional procedure.

Radiation therapy has a cure rate comparable to that of surgery. The two forms of radiation therapy are external beam and brachytherapy, pronounced bray-kee-ther-uh-pee.

o External Beam Radiation Therapy entails the use of a radiation treatment machine, most commonly, a linear accelerator. Using sophisticated treatment planning computers and devices built into the linear accelerator, the radiation beams deliver a very precise dose of radiation to the intended area while sparing the normal surrounding structures, such as the rectum and bladder. By using 3-D conformal radiation therapy, the radiation beams conform to, or match the shape of the tumor. Intensity modulated radiation therapy, also known as IMRT, is a refinement of 3-D conformal radiation therapy. It uses multiple, tiny beamlets, instead of a single radiation beam. IMRT beamlets can be understood by visualizing it as multiple, tiny mosaic tiles of different hues of blue; the tumor receives the dark blue beamlets, whereas the tissue near the rectum and bladder receives the beamlets of the palest shade of blue.

This way, the intensity of each tiny beamlet is modulated. IMRT has enabled radiation oncologists to deliver much higher doses of radiation therapy to the prostate with fewer complications to the rectum, resulting in higher cure rates. Temporary and early side effects include the need to urinate frequently, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fatigue, which is usually not severe. Side effects that can develop months to years later include urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, albeit a significantly lower incidence than with surgery. With the advent of IMRT, the risk of rectal injury that can cause rectal bleeding is uncommon.

o Prostate Seed Implants introduce multiple radioactive pellets smaller than grains of rice into the prostate gland. The prostate gland then receives a substantial dose of radiation, but the surrounding tissues receive virtually none. This option is very attractive to men who are concerned about maintaining potency. Also, for men who do not have a significant risk of the cancer penetrating through the capsule that envelopes the prostate, a prostate seed implant can serve as the only form of therapy. However, men whose tumors fall into a higher risk category cannot be treated solely with a pro 1ff8 state seed implant, and need to supplement it with external beam radiation therapy, albeit a briefer course of treatment than in men who receive only external beam radiation therapy.

The disadvantages of brachytherapy include the fact that the radioactive seeds take several weeks to decay to the level of background radiation; during this time, men need to refrain from getting close to pregnant women and small children. Also, there is a low risk of rectal irritation in the short and long run. Infrequently, the need to urinate frequently can persist. Incontinence and impotence are relatively rare. The risk of a channel forming between the urinary tract and the rectum, also known as a rectal fistula, can cause urine to leak through the rectum. This complication is rare, fortunately, and can be repaired surgically.

Cryosurgery involves freezing the prostate tissue with liquid nitrogen. Via the guidance of an ultrasound probe inserted in the rectum, needles are guided into the prostate, by piercing the skin between the scrotum and the anus. Short term side effects include blood in the urine for several days, soreness of the surgical area, swelling of the penis and scrotum, urinary burning, and frequency of urine and bowel movements. Late complications include nerve damage that can result in impotence and rarely, the formation of a fistula. Also, the long-term success rate is not well known.

Hormone Therapy is also known as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Prostate cancer thrives on testosterone. By depleting testosterone, prostate cancer cells die. ADT has never been demonstrated to be a curative modality, but it is useful in holding the disease at bay for some time. Its other role is in shrinking the prostate prior to surgery or radiation therapy. Side effects are those of ‘male menopause’, such as hot flashes, weight gain, decreased mental acuity and depression. Other potential adverse effects include osteoporosis, anemia, breast enlargement, fatigue, diminished good cholesterol and loss of muscle mass.

Watchful waiting is a reasonable choice for men who have a short life expectancy, as well as for those men who have very slowly growing prostate cancer and will most likely not die from prostate cancer but rather, from some other more life threatening problem. The down side of watchful waiting is the psychological implication that the man’s mortality is looming ahead of him. Although no active treatment is given, men are still followed with digital rectal exams, PSA levels and possibly, transrectal ultrasounds of the prostate. However, with low risk prostate cancer in an elderly man, this might be a fine option.

Apparently the spectrum of treatment options is vast, and ranges from doing nothing to undergoing radical surgery. To make the best decision for himself, a man should know his treatment options based on his individual situation and lifestyle. Then, he will be empowered by knowledge as he embarks on his journey into the world of medical opinions. Finally, he should choose an experienced specialist to ultimately treat and follow him.

For more information about radiation therapy, check out http://www.ASTRO.org, the official website of ASTRO, The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

Copyright 2006 by Carol L. Kornmehl. All rights reserved.

Author: Carol Kornmehl

Dr. Kornmehl is Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Passaic Beth Israel Medical Center, Passaic, NJ, and author of the critically acclaimed consumer health book, ‘The Best News About Radiation Therapy’ (M. Evans, 2004). Her website is http://www.RTSupportDoc.com

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Treatment For Prostate Cancer – Which One is the Best?

Treatment for prostate cancer is extensive from my estimation. But this does not mean you have to use only one method to help you out.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers that affect 1 out of 6 men in the United States alone. Older men are more prone to this disease. In fact, 65% of sufferers of this condition are over 65 years old.

This disease happens when the cells located in the prostate increases in number. Normally, our cells follow a regular life cycle. But when these cells do not follow that life cycle and they grow uncontrollably this leads way to the production of cells that are more than usual.

The extra cells accumulate and create tumors. Anyone who is diagnosed with this condition may think their life is over and that if ever they do have a shot in getting better, the treatments are grueling and life-altering. Actually, if the tumor is still in its primary stage, the person has a high chance of being cured.

The problem lies when the symptoms are not that apparent creating a false sense of security that there is nothing wrong until the growth of the tumor cannot already be prevented. The earlier the diagnosis, the higher the chances for survival are.

Undergoing this disease is never easy. The person affected should make wise choices about treatment for prostate cancer that they should utilize. The decision will not just affect themselves but will also affect their whole family.

It is important to remember that when it comes to this disease, or any other type of cancer for that matter, "one size does not fit all". A variety of treatments should be utilized. Whether it be medical approach or a holistic approach, one should always keep an open heart and mind.

Surgical procedures such as prostatectomy can be utilized along with other methods such as radiation therapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy. If you have heard all these before and you want to know more about other options, then you should be open to the idea of using herbal remedies.

Saw Palmetto

This herb has been singled out because of its great effects in treating this disease. It helps by reducing the enlargement of the prostate and decreases the growth of DHT. It also allows better DHT elimination process by decreasing the level of estrogen in the body.

Pygeum

This has also caught the attention of medical authorities because of its efficacy in treating this disease. Like saw palmetto, it can also inhibit the production of DHT and can lessen the bloating of the affected organ.

Cernilton

This is another treatment that is extracted from the pollen of rye. It can treat a problem called prostatitis.

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Options For The Latest Treatment On Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a serious diagnosis. When you find out your have prostate cancer, you want to make sure that you get the right treatment for the type of cancer you have. In order to do this, you will need to work with your doctor and understand your options for the latest treatment on prostate cancer.

Understanding your Options:

There are several options you have when it comes to find the right cancer treatment. Some possibilities range from the “watchful waiting” all the way to the most radical—removing the testes. It is important to understand that there are side effects to all prostate cancer treatment and some forms of treatment work better for some men than other. Here are some of the options you have for the latest treatment on prostate cancer

• Watchful Waiting: This is the least invasive form of cancer treatment and simply is a method of waiting to see what happens over a period of time. This is often the best option for early stages of tumors and prostate cancer.

• Brachytherapy: This is one of the latest treatment on prostate cancer options. This is also a minimally invasive way to treat prostate cancer. It involves implanting radiation “seeds” in the prostate is an excellent choice for young patients or those that are in very good health otherwise. This latest treatment on prostate cancer has less side effects than other treatments and usually has very good outcomes for many men.

• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is probably the most common when it comes to treating prostate cancer. This is almost always used when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, or for late stages of prostate cancer. There are side effects associated with using chemotherapy, however, this may be the only treatment option for some men that suffer from prostate cancer.

• Hormone therapy: This form of treatment is designed to block or suppress the growth of cancer cells in the prostate. It does not kill the cancer, but does prevent it from spreading and growing. There are side effects from using this latest treatment on prostate cancer.

• Prostatectomy: This latest treatment on prostate cancer requires the surgical removal of the prostate. This is often the best way to ensure that the cancer cells do no spread to other parts of the body. This is one treatment that is often recommended for those that are in good overall health and can overcome surgery well. There are very few side effects, other than those associated with surgery.

There are other ways that your doctor may choose to treat your prostate cancer. There are always changes when it comes to treating cancer and if you use a well-qualified cancer specialist, you can be certain that your doctor knows and understands the lasted treatment on prostate cancer options. Only you and your health care provider can decide which type of treatment is right for you.

You can also find more information at Prostate Biopsy and Prostate Exam.prostatecancertreatmenthelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about prostate cancer treatment.

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Find the best prostate treatment for you, visit Hormon Treatment vs.Radiation on Prostate Cancer and Prostate Cancer Treatments.

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The Most Common Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

There are different types of prostate cancer treatment options for men who have different stages of tumor development. There is low, intermediate and high risk localized and locally advanced prostate cancer and then tumors that return after initial treatment. Due to advancing research there is a lot of prostate cancer information on hand for patients to further their knowledge of the condition.

Firstly, low risk localized cancer of the prostate is highly unlikely to develop or grow for years. Patients are usually offered active monitoring (or active surveillance) which keeps track of the tumor and its development. However, sometimes symptoms of prostate cancer are never caused because it develops incredibly slowly. If it does start to develop, then treatments for prostate cancer will likely be surgery to totally excise the prostate gland or radiotherapy.

With intermediate risk the cancer can start to develop after a several years and so internal radiotherapy (brachytherapy) or active monitoring are likely to be offered plus surgery to excise the prostate gland or external radiotherapy to the prostate.

High frequency ultrasound and cryotherapy may be offered under clinical trials but they are not standard treatments for prostate cancer.

High risk sufferers normally have surgical treatment for prostate gland removal or external radiotherapy focused on the prostate. Internal radiotherapy is not normally used as, in high risk cases the cancer has slightly spread and has grown through the capsule enclosing the prostate gland. So external radiotherapy is used to make sure all the cells are reached. Surgery, radiotherapy are normally used in conjunction with hormone treatments.

Locally advanced cancer is where the cancer has grown through the prostate gland’s surrounding capsule. Surgery and external radiotherapy along with hormone treatment are offered. Metastasis means the spread of cancer cells. Metastatic prostate cancer means that cancer cells have spread away from the original tumor perhaps into the blood stream and lymph glands.

If the cancer returns after the first treatment it can be treated with hormone therapy. If the initial treatment was surgical then radiotherapy is unlikely. If it has spread then it cannot be cured however, with the use of hormone therapy to lower testosterone levels, it can be controlled. There are a lot of treatments available for this and doctors will explain all these at appointment.

Different treatments come with different side effects, risks and benefits which medical professionals will explain in full before commencement of treatment.

The prognosis depends on the grade and stage (Stage I to IV) of the cancer rather than the treatment choice. Men with slow growing, well differentiated, smaller tumors usually have the best prognosis. The good news is that these comprise around three quarters of tumors (stage I or II).

Staging means that the doctor ’stages’ the cancer based on the character of its cells, the tumor size and extent of metastasis. For this type of cancer, two staging systems are used namely, TNM (tumor, node, metastases) system and the Jewett-Whitmore system.

New clinical studies are improving prostate cancer treatment options and therefore the survival rate is increasing all the time.

For more information about Prostate Cancer Treatment Options visit Annabelle Wooldridge’s website at http://answers-for-cancer.com

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Learn more about prostate cancer and find out the best treatment for you. Visit Prostate Cancer New Treatment and Prostate Cancer Treatment Options.

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 Is There A Prostate Cancer Cure?

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer seen in men today with more than 230,000 cases been diagnosed annually in the United States alone. It is also a major cause of death amongst men in the United States and claims more than 30,000 lives every year.

Although prostate cancer is more likely to be seen in African American men, men with a family history of the disease and men over the age of 60, it does not otherwise discriminate in choosing its victims and claims the lives of poor and rich alike including some well know figures like Don Ameche, Bill Bixby, Telly Savalas and Frank Zappa.

While any death is clearly regrettable, the deaths of such well known personalities from prostate cancer has done much to raise the visibility of the disease and this, combined with other figures such as retired General Norman Schwarzkopf, Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and comedian Jerry Lewis who have all publicly fought prostate cancer, has led to greater public awareness and earlier medical intervention. And the results are clear to see.

While some 230,000 people will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, the figure 10 years ago was 330,000. Similarly, while in the region of 30,000 will die from prostate cancer this year, the figure again 10 years ago was nearly 42,000.

There are two major problems with prostate cancer. The first is a reluctance on the part of many men to talk about anything to do with their sex organs or to visit their doctor until the symptoms are so bad that they simply don’t have any choice. The second is the fact that it is quite common for men to suffer from an enlarged prostate and therefore to experience problems with urinating as they enter their 60s. Because an enlarged prostate is a benign condition and enlargement of the prostate generally progresses slowly, they simply put up with the problem as simply another sign of growing old. The problem here is that, while an enlarged prostate does not cause cancer, the symptoms produced by an enlarged prostate can mask the symptoms of a developing prostate cancer.

As with many forms of cancer, the secret to finding a prostate cancer cure lies in the early detection of the condition. If the disease is detected at an early stage when it is still confined to the prostate gland then it can be treated without too much difficulty. Once it starts to spread however into the surrounding tissue, and particularly into bone tissue and the lymphatic system, treatment is far more difficult and less effective.

There are now a variety of tests available to detect the presence of prostate cancer and a prostate cancer cure is certainly within the reach of most men as long as they act quickly as soon as the first signs of trouble appear and consult their doctor.

For more information on finding a prostate cancer cure please visit ProstateCancerExplained.com today.

Author: Donald Saunders

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