The 4 Most Common Treatment Options for Cancer of the Prostate
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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 cancer. Since prostate cancer hits most men so late in life, there has been some concern recently that it can be overtreated. Some men may die of other causes long before the cancer can have any effect, and some are of the opinion that treatment can in some cases cause more pain and discomfort than the cancer ever will. Again, these are all options that will have to be discussed with your doctor. However, here we will list the available treatments and what their pros and cons of each.
Radical Prostatectomy: Removal of the entire prostate gland. Pros: Removes all the localized cancer and gives the doctor a closer look at the gland for a better look at how much the cancer has spread. cons: Long hospital stay, long recovery time, possible permanent impotence.
Watchful Waiting: Checking prostate specific antigen levels every few months to see if they go up. Pros: Non-invasive. Cons: Cancer could quickly become agressive and spread.
Radiation Treatment: Irradiating the prostate through external means or the implanting of radioactive “seeds.” Pros: Less invasive than surgery. Cons: Possible problems with incontinence or diarrhea.
Hormone Therapy: Reduction of testosterone through hormonal treatment. Pros: Useful for more advanced forms of prostate cancer. Cons: Variable side-effects can occur depending on the treatment used.
Treatment for this cancer can be effective in many cases and not so effective in others. Fortunately there is a large menu of treatments available that can be tailored to each individual’s unique set of circumstances. More aggressive treatment may be forgone in older patients as quality of life can be severely affected. Some doctors will make a judgement as to how long a patient’s life span is and consider the treatment that will delay cancer the longest while allowing the patient to lead the most comfortable life possible.
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