Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Radiation therapy is commonly used along with other treatments for prostate cancer to ensure maximum survival rates. There are two types of this treatment, both external and internal. Side effects can be serious but may subside in time. Compared to surgery, radiation therapy alone generally works just about as well.
The two types of radiation treatment [...]
Da Vinci Robotic Prostate Cancer Treatment
Various Prostate Cancer Surgery Options
When cancer is confined to the prostate gland, one of the most common forms of treatment is surgical removal of the entire prostate, known as a radical prostatectomy. There are several different ways this is performed, including the minimally invasive laparoscopic version which involves only a few small incisions in the abdomen. The major problem [...]
Is Watchful Waiting a Viable Treatment Option?
It’s hard to believe that this could be a legitimate treatment option for prostate cancer, but watchful waiting or “active surveillance” is sometimes considered by doctors treating their patients. It is what it sounds like: doing nothing but monitoring the cancerous prostate gland carefully for signs of matastisizing or an increase in cancer cells. While [...]
Minimally Invasive Surgery for Prostate Cancer
Men who require surgery on their prostate gland have more choices today, thanks to a process called Minimally Invasive Surgery, according to Health Notes, a publication from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
An October newsletter titled Health Notes from Washington University physicians said urologists lead the way in laparoscopic prostate surgery, which [...]
3 New Treatments for Prostate Cancer
Three new treatments for prostate cancer, a vaccine, cryosurgery and a clinical experiment, look hopeful in the view of the physicians who performed them.
The new vaccine, named Provenge, was tried during a study of 127 men with advanced prostate cancer. Of the 127, those who were given the vaccine lived 4 ½ months longer that [...]
How Prostate Staging Helps Your Doctor Evaluate Treatment Options
To help evaluate possible treatments, most cancers are staged by a doctor, or put into a category describing how far they have spread. While prostate cancer is generally a slower-growing disease, once it has spread outside the prostate, known as metastasized cancer, it quickly becomes dangerous. First it attacks the local lymph nodes. Then it [...]
The 4 Most Common Treatment Options for Cancer of the Prostate
Treatment for prostate cancer is highly variable and must take into account your age, how far your cancer has spread, and your own decisions. In general, your doctor will offer you several choices, most commonly surgical removal of the prostate, radiation treatment, and watchful waiting. Hormonal therapy is often considered for more advanced stages of [...]