Prostate Surgery

Like most other types of cancer, prostate cancer stands a better chance of being successfully treated if it is caught while still in the early stages. Unfortunately, this is sometimes very difficult to accomplish due to the fact that prostate cancer typically does not cause in any symptoms when it first begins to develop. By and large, prostate cancer is a slow growing and developing disease. This means that a man may have begun to develop prostate cancer years, even decades, before he begins to show any symptoms. For this reason alone, prostate cancer is very dangerous and many times the only treatment option available is prostate surgery.

Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among American men and by the time a man reaches the age of 65 there is a 1 in 10 chance that he will develop prostate cancer. Prostate cancer occurs when abnormal cells begin to grow around the prostate gland and then spread to other parts of the body. In the early stages of prostate gland cancer there may not be any apparent symptoms, which can make it difficult to detect. Annual rectal exams are recommended for men who are over the age of 50 or who fall into a high risk category. If the doctor observes any type of abnormality of the prostate gland during a rectal exam, he or she will then order a blood test known as a PSA to measure the concentration of the protein Prostate Specific Antigen. This protein is normally very low; however the levels frequently become much higher when there is any type of prostate gland disease or disorder present. The PSA does not always necessarily indicate that prostate gland cancer is present, because levels may also be raised with prostatitis or benign prostatic hyperplasia. If levels are raised, the doctor may feel it necessary to do a biopsy.

If a positive prostate cancer diagnosis is made the physician will then make a determination regarding how fast the cancer is growing and possibly spreading. This will help him or her in developing a treatment plan and determine whether prostate surgery is required or not. Prostate surgery options are generally given very careful consideration due to the long-term side effects. In some cases where portions or all of the patient's prostate gland is removed, the patient may always suffer from partial or complete sexual dysfunction.

In most cases the determination whether prostate surgery is needed or not 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 surgery options.

When prostate cancer is still in the early stages and the cancer has not spread to other locations such as the lymph nodes, prostate surgery may actually be the best option to pursue. Although there are some risks related to prostate 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 surgery, 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 prostate surgery 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.

Even if a patient does have a partial or complete prostate surgery, he will generally be required to return for monitoring and screenings in order to insure that the cancer has not returned.

Today the rates of surviving prostate cancer are much higher than they once were and the death rate from prostate cancer is actually declining. Researchers are studying promising new techniques which may enable doctors to purse different kinds of prostate cancer which will allow the patient to retain more of a sexual function. One of these techniques allows doctors to locate the nerves that are responsible for sexual function and activity and possibly preserve them even though it may be necessary to perform prostate surgery in order to treat the cancer. The importance of such research became tantamount after it was determined that men were shying away from radical prostate surgery for fear of becoming impotent and remaining so for the rest of their lives. It should be noted that it may take as much as a year in order for a patient to resume full sexual potency after this technique is used. A preliminary study indicates that 90% of patients who select this type of prostate surgery may be able to avoid impotency, compared to 30% who retain sexual function of those who have surgery without the new technique.