Latest Treatment On Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

What are some of the treatment options for prostate cancer?

The treatment options for prostate cancer depend in part on whether the tumor has spread. For tumors that are still inside the prostate, radiation therapy (using x-rays that kill the cancer cells) and a surgery called radical prostatectomy are common treatment options. "Watchful waiting" is also a treatment option. In this approach, no treatment is given until the tumor gets bigger. Watchful waiting may be the best choice for an older man who has a higher risk of dying from something other than his prostate cancer.

Radiation therapy

In external beam radiation therapy, a large machine is used to carefully aim a beam of radiation at the prostate. The radiation damages the cells in the path of the beam – normal cells as well as cancer cells. In brachytherapy, or internal radiation therapy, radioactive beads or seeds are placed directly into or near the prostate.

Side effects will be different depending on what part of the body receives the radiation. You may feel more tired than usual, have diarrhoea, or notice changes to the skin (it may be red or tender) where the treatment was given. Radiation for prostate cancer may irritate the rectum and cause changes to your bowel movements. You may also need to pass urine more often. These side effects are a result of damage to normal cells. The side effects will usually improve or go away when the treatment period is over and the normal cells repair themselves.

Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages and is the most common cause of death from cancer in men over 75 years old. Prostate cancer is rarely found in men younger than 40.

Men at higher risk include African-America men older than 60, farmers, tire plant workers, painters, and men exposed to cadmium. The lowest number of cases occurs in Japanese men and those who do not eat meat (vegetarians).

Detection and Diagnosis

There are usually few if any symptoms of prostate cancer when it is in its early stage and 40 per cent of prostate cancers are not discovered until the disease has spread beyond the prostate. As the disease progresses, it can cause difficulties with urination, including trouble starting or holding back urination and the need to urinate frequently, especially at night. Some men experience pain or a burning sensation during urination, difficulty in having an erection, painful ejaculation, blood in the urine or semen and pain in the lower back.

If these symptoms are present, a doctor will typically begin with a digital examination of the prostate to check for hard or lump areas. The next step may be a test to check the PSA levels in the blood. Note: Not all men may get this test such as someone with another severe disease with a poor prognosis. The prostate produces an enzyme called PSA or prostate specific antigen. The levels of PSA change naturally with age but in men with prostate cancer the amount of PSA increases noticeably.

Generally speaking, the higher the level of PSA the more severe the cancer, although in rare cases the PSA level has been extremely low even in the presence of malignant cells. These tests are useful but not completely dependable in the diagnosis of cancer. The only way to confirm the presence of cancer is with a biopsy to examine tissue under a microscope, which involves taking a cell sample by inserting a needle through the rectum to the prostate.

Surgery

A decision to have surgery depends on the stage and grade of the cancer, your general health and your PSA level. During the operation, the entire prostate will be removed. This is called a prostatectomy. Some nearby tissue may also be affected by the surgery. Surgery is done under general anesthetic (you will be unconscious) and you may stay in the hospital for several days after the surgery.

After surgery, you will have a narrow tube called a catheter in your bladder, but this is usually removed within a few days. You may have some pain or nausea, or may not feel like eating. These side effects are temporary and can be controlled. Surgery to the prostate can damage the nerves that control your ability to have or keep an erection. When possible, nerve-sparing surgery will be used to try to avoid nerve damage. After prostate surgery you may have problems controlling your bladder. Problems with incontinence usually improve with time.