Prostate Cancer Treatment

Prostate cancer is a disease that affecting the prostate gland in males. Prostate cancer begins with an abnormal growth of cells which begin to grow uncontrollably in the prostate gland. The cells, which form a tumor, may then break off and begin to spread to other parts of the body. This is a life threatening situation. Prostate cancer is one of the leading cancers among men in the United States and is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States . Each year approximately 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed and about 30,000 men die from the disease. Prostate cancer tends to be slow growing, however; it can also be quite aggressive, which can make prostate cancer treatment difficult. Because of the fact that prostate cancer is slow growing, and can develop over a period of years, there may be no early prostate cancer symptom. The lack of a prostate cancer symptom early in the development of the disease makes it difficult to detect and unfortunately many men have already progressed to a later stage of the disease before it is detected, making life saving measurers more difficult.

Although at one time prostate cancer was extremely difficult, in recent years physicians and researchers have made significant strides in treating prostate cancer and the chances of surviving prostate cancer are now much better than they once were.

In most cases the prostate cancer treatment plan will depend on a number of factors. First, the doctor will need to make an evaluation regarding which stage the prostate cancer has progressed toward. The doctor will also need to take into consideration the patient's age, his general health and if there are any other illnesses present which might magnify the risk of various prostate cancer treatment options. The patient's thoughts and desires will also be of importance regarding prostate cancer treatment options.

When prostate cancer is still in the early stages and the cancer has not spread to other locations such as the lymph nodes, surgery may actually be the best prostate cancer treatment option to pursue. Although there are some risks related to surgery, at this point it may be possible to remove the cancerous tissue and cells while still retaining a portion or all of the prostate gland. This can make a huge difference in whether or no the patient will suffer from any long-term sexual dysfunction, however; many doctors still feel that a radical prostatectomy is the best option to pursue in order to be sure that all of the cancer is removed. In this type of prostate cancer treatment, the doctor will normally remove a sample of the lymph nodes near the prostate to determine whether the cancer has spread to this area. The seminal vesicles, which are the glands where sperm is made, are also removed with this prostate cancer treatment option. At a minimum, the patient will suffer from infertility as a side effect. There is a risk of impotence as well, which means that the patient will not be able to have an erection. Incontinence, the inability to control urine flow is also a risk that must be considered.

At one time these risks were greatly increased, today however doctors may be able to perform a procedure that will greatly reduce such risks. With this type of prostate cancer treatment, known as a TURP, only the cancerous portion of the prostate is removed. A small wire loop is brought into the prostate through the urethra to perform this procedure. At this time this procedure is only recommended for men who are unable to have a radical prostatectomy due to their age or because they have some other illness.

Radiation is another type of prostate cancer treatment which involves the use of high energy xrays to kills cancer cells or to shrink tumors in some cases. This type of prostate cancer treatment is most often used in the early stages of prostate cancer. In some cases radiation therapy is used via a machine while in other situations it may be administered outside the body using external beam radiation. Small radioactive pellets may also be implanted directly into the prostate gland in the area surrounding the tumor in order to shrink it.

Hormone therapy and chemotherapy are two of forms of prostate cancer treatment which are generally used to treat the cancer when it is in an advanced stage and may have spread to other parts of the body. Hormone therapy involves decreasing levels of the male hormone testosterone. Men who have this procedure may experience something similar to hot flashes as well as enlargement and tenderness of the breasts. Impotence and a loss of sexual desire may appear as well. Men who undergo this prostate treatment option may also be subject to an increased risk for blood clots, strokes and heart attacks.

Chemotherapy uses drugs in order to kill the cancer cells. It may be used after the prostate cancer has returned following another prostate cancer treatment.

There are a number of treatment options available today for prostate cancer. Patients suffering from prostate cancer may take advantage of various clinical trials, medications as well as radiation therapy. Surgery may also be an option that the physician and patient explore as a prostate cancer treatment. Surgical options are usually not the optimum prostate cancer treatment option due to the fact that there are some permanent and serious side effects related to prostate gland surgery. In cases where the prostate gland must be removed, the patient may suffer from partial or complete sexual dysfunction.

Regardless of the prostate cancer treatment option that a patient and his physician decide upon, follow up is extremely important. Follow up will include returning for monitoring and screenings in order to insure that the cancer has not returned.

At this time there is no known cause of prostate cancer, although researchers have determined that older men, men with a family history of prostate cancer and men of African-American ancestry seem to be at a higher risk for developing prostate cancer. Researchers continue to work towards isolating a single cause of prostate cancer in order to aid early detection and improve prostate cancer treatment options. Promising prostate cancer treatment options are currently being studied which may make it possible for the patient to recover with complete sexual function still intact.