How to Treat Prostate Cancer
Discuss your options with your medical team., Maintain active surveillance., Talk to your doctor about getting a prostatectomy., Kill cancer cells with radiation therapy., Talk to your doctor about undergoing chemotherapy., Look into joining a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Discuss your options with your medical team.
Before beginning any type of treatment, you should speak to all the doctors who will be involved in your treatment and care.
Speak with your primary care doctor, your oncologist, and your urologist about which type of initial treatment will be best for you based on your overall health and the type and stage of your cancer. , One of the best treatment methods for dealing with prostate cancer is simply monitoring the cancer to make sure it does not spread.
Many men endure more aggressive treatment than is necessary to maintain their health.You and your doctor may try to avoid more immediate forms of treatment for low grades of prostate cancer.
Active surveillance will necessitate periodic blood tests, especially prostate specific antigen tests, and digital rectal examinations.
If your cancer is low in grade and volume, and you want to avoid urinary complications and possible problems with sexual function or fertility, actively surveil in the short term and reevaluate treatment options only if the cancer grows or causes other symptoms.
If you are older and have a limited life expectancy or are battling other serious medical conditions, it may be best to forego treatment and avoid the potential complications associated with other methods of cancer treatment. , Consider surgery to remove all or part of your prostate.
Undergoing radical prostatectomy, which involves the removal of the prostate and some surrounding tissue, is often recommended for those with cancer in an early stage that is confined to the prostate and may be fully removed.Radical retropubic prostatectomy requires an incision in the abdomen and the removal of the prostate, which lies behind the pubic bone.
Catheters are usually needed following radical prostatectomy to allow your urinary sphincters to acclimate to the new plumbing setup.
Variations on incision points and specific methods of surgery are important to consider with your doctor.
In the past, different methods of entry to the body were more commonly used; today, robots are often used to assist with prostatectomies.
Work with a surgeon who has experience doing prostatectomies. , Radiation therapy uses concentrated energy to kill cancer cells.
There are several types of radiation therapy.
Most commonly, an external machine will direct radiation beams directly at cancer cells.
Internal brachytherapy allows the surgical implantation of radioactive material near the cancer cells to destroy the cancer at close proximity.External beam radiation therapy will require you to lie still while a machine moves around your body blasting high-powered x-rays or protons at your cancer.
You may have to undergo this procedure multiple times over the course of many weeks, depending on how your cancer responds to the treatment.
Brachytherapy will require rice-sized “seeds” of radioactive material to be placed inside your prostate tissue via an ultrasound-guided needle.
The seeds will deliver a constant, low dose of radiation for a while, and will eventually stop giving off radiation.
Computer software and 3-D modeling have helped radiation oncologists better plan and execute radiation therapies.
Still, make sure you and your doctor have access to the latest technologies – some of which are not widely available.Be prepared for the side effects of radiation therapy, which may include painful, frequent, and urgent urination, rectal and stool variations, erectile dysfunction, fistula formation, inflammation of the bladder (cystitis), kidney stones, and more. , This treatment method includes any use of chemicals prescribed as drugs to shrink or kill cancer.
Drugs are administered intravenously, in pill form, or both, with the intent of stopping cancer cells from dividing and thus stopping the growth and spread of cancerous tumors.There are many different types of drugs used in chemotherapy.
Research continually re-evaluates the effectiveness of various chemotherapy drugs, often in combination with one another.
Different regimens, sometimes only on a trial status, are designed to be more tolerable, or to be more effective against cancer at a specific stage.
If you decide to use chemotherapy, look to maximize potential benefits and minimize side effects, which can be severe.
Plan supplementary treatment approaches with your doctors to help cope with chemotherapy’s toll on your body. , In some cases, your cancer may be too advanced to make you a good candidate for traditional therapeutic methods.
If this is the case for you, you might consider enrolling in a clinical trial for an experimental medication or treatment.
Even if the experimental treatment does not cure your cancer, the information derived from your participation in the trial may help others in the future. -
Step 2: Maintain active surveillance.
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Step 3: Talk to your doctor about getting a prostatectomy.
-
Step 4: Kill cancer cells with radiation therapy.
-
Step 5: Talk to your doctor about undergoing chemotherapy.
-
Step 6: Look into joining a clinical trial.
Detailed Guide
Before beginning any type of treatment, you should speak to all the doctors who will be involved in your treatment and care.
Speak with your primary care doctor, your oncologist, and your urologist about which type of initial treatment will be best for you based on your overall health and the type and stage of your cancer. , One of the best treatment methods for dealing with prostate cancer is simply monitoring the cancer to make sure it does not spread.
Many men endure more aggressive treatment than is necessary to maintain their health.You and your doctor may try to avoid more immediate forms of treatment for low grades of prostate cancer.
Active surveillance will necessitate periodic blood tests, especially prostate specific antigen tests, and digital rectal examinations.
If your cancer is low in grade and volume, and you want to avoid urinary complications and possible problems with sexual function or fertility, actively surveil in the short term and reevaluate treatment options only if the cancer grows or causes other symptoms.
If you are older and have a limited life expectancy or are battling other serious medical conditions, it may be best to forego treatment and avoid the potential complications associated with other methods of cancer treatment. , Consider surgery to remove all or part of your prostate.
Undergoing radical prostatectomy, which involves the removal of the prostate and some surrounding tissue, is often recommended for those with cancer in an early stage that is confined to the prostate and may be fully removed.Radical retropubic prostatectomy requires an incision in the abdomen and the removal of the prostate, which lies behind the pubic bone.
Catheters are usually needed following radical prostatectomy to allow your urinary sphincters to acclimate to the new plumbing setup.
Variations on incision points and specific methods of surgery are important to consider with your doctor.
In the past, different methods of entry to the body were more commonly used; today, robots are often used to assist with prostatectomies.
Work with a surgeon who has experience doing prostatectomies. , Radiation therapy uses concentrated energy to kill cancer cells.
There are several types of radiation therapy.
Most commonly, an external machine will direct radiation beams directly at cancer cells.
Internal brachytherapy allows the surgical implantation of radioactive material near the cancer cells to destroy the cancer at close proximity.External beam radiation therapy will require you to lie still while a machine moves around your body blasting high-powered x-rays or protons at your cancer.
You may have to undergo this procedure multiple times over the course of many weeks, depending on how your cancer responds to the treatment.
Brachytherapy will require rice-sized “seeds” of radioactive material to be placed inside your prostate tissue via an ultrasound-guided needle.
The seeds will deliver a constant, low dose of radiation for a while, and will eventually stop giving off radiation.
Computer software and 3-D modeling have helped radiation oncologists better plan and execute radiation therapies.
Still, make sure you and your doctor have access to the latest technologies – some of which are not widely available.Be prepared for the side effects of radiation therapy, which may include painful, frequent, and urgent urination, rectal and stool variations, erectile dysfunction, fistula formation, inflammation of the bladder (cystitis), kidney stones, and more. , This treatment method includes any use of chemicals prescribed as drugs to shrink or kill cancer.
Drugs are administered intravenously, in pill form, or both, with the intent of stopping cancer cells from dividing and thus stopping the growth and spread of cancerous tumors.There are many different types of drugs used in chemotherapy.
Research continually re-evaluates the effectiveness of various chemotherapy drugs, often in combination with one another.
Different regimens, sometimes only on a trial status, are designed to be more tolerable, or to be more effective against cancer at a specific stage.
If you decide to use chemotherapy, look to maximize potential benefits and minimize side effects, which can be severe.
Plan supplementary treatment approaches with your doctors to help cope with chemotherapy’s toll on your body. , In some cases, your cancer may be too advanced to make you a good candidate for traditional therapeutic methods.
If this is the case for you, you might consider enrolling in a clinical trial for an experimental medication or treatment.
Even if the experimental treatment does not cure your cancer, the information derived from your participation in the trial may help others in the future.
About the Author
Sandra Myers
A passionate writer with expertise in practical skills topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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