Prostate Cancer Treatment

For a case of Prostate Cancer Treatment, the choice you make depends on a host of circumstances. For that reason, in order to let you know what exactly what options are available to treating prostate cancer, we’ve given this information.

When considering which treatment to employ to control a case of prostate cancer, it usually depends on whether or not the tumor has spread to other parts of the body. By means of radiation therapy, radical prostatectomy, or watching and waiting, tumors that are still only located inside the prostate may be treated.

Slow growth prostate Tumors don’t need Prostate Cancer Treatment

When the tumor present is of slow-growth and doesn’t appear to be immediately harmful to a person’s livelihood, doctors often recommend that you just watch the growth of the tumor. If the tumor grows slowly enough, it might be best to leave it alone. Slow-growth prostate tumors are usually not harmful to a person’s immediate health, and some of the procedures performed to remove tumors may have too many side-effects.

Prostate Cancer Surgery: Radical Prostatectomy

A radical prostatectomy is a surgery that is performed in which the entire prostate gland, along with the nearby lymph nodes, is removed. After the prostate is removed, a catheter is placed in the penis to let the urine to exit the body without damaging the area in which the prostate once was. The procedure is carried out under general anesthesia and the patient is generally kept in the hospital for two to three days. Following their release, the patient needs to leave the catheter in place for between two and three weeks, and one can expect to be out of work for around a month after the surgery. The surgery’s main benefit is that if the cancer has not spread, it can usually be totally removed and the problem is over.

Drawbacks of Prostate Cancer Surgery

Drawbacks to getting the surgery involve the risk of incontinence and impotence. People who get the prostate cancer surgery sometimes report a lack of bladder control when laughing or performing heavy lifting, which is something to consider when deciding whether or not a radical prostatectomy is right for you.

Prostate Cancer Radiation Treatment

When dealing with a tumor, Prostate Cancer Radiation Treatment is the other thing to consider. There are two types of radiation commonly employed to treat prostate cancer, external and internal.

Neither one of the types of radiation is better than the other do; the results shown are similar when it comes to treating prostate cancer.

External Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

In external radiation therapy, an x-ray type machine beams a line of radiation at the prostate. The external therapy is administered over a 7 week period, and no anesthesia is required. The external therapy is administered over a 7 week period, and no anesthesia is required.

Internal Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

In internal radiation therapy, a radioactive ‘seed’ is injected into the prostate gland. Internal radiation therapy can be accomplished in one visit to the doctor, and it requires a minor amount of anesthesia.

Problems associated with the treatment include about one half of all men becoming impotent within two years of having the therapy, and side effects of urinary bleeding and burning have been reported by those undergoing the therapy.

When considering which treatment is right for you, weigh your personal needs and discuss them with your doctor.