Men's Health > Prostate Cancer > Treatment Options

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

When faced with something as menacing as prostate cancer, perhaps the first question that comes to mind are what prostate cancer treatment options are available. It is important to understand that the diagnosis of prostate cancer does not necessarily mean you are doomed to death. There are prostate cancer treatment options that greatly increase your chances of life after the disease.

Radical Prostatectomy

A radical prostatectomy is often the first route taken for advanced stages of prostate cancer. This is the removal of the entire prostate gland and surrounding tissue, if necessary. One of the major concerns of this prostate cancer treatment option is the possibility of damaging nerves associated with sexual performance, most specifically the ability to have an erection; however, it is performed in a manner which reduces the likelihood of such damage occurring. If the nerves are cut, it may result in the inability to have an erection. However, feeling in the penis is usually not affected, nor is the ability to have an orgasm. Therefore, medication can be used to achieve an erection to maintain a healthy sex life. There have been numerous studies done on having sex after prostate surgery.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a prostate cancer treatment option which uses radiation, either externally or by injection, to kill cancer cells. The external option, which is performed by a machine much like an x-ray machine, is very time consuming and is usually done over a 7 week period, 5 days a week. The injection prostate cancer treatment option is known as seed therapy, in which radioactive “seeds” are inserted into the gland. This option is less time consuming, but often results in worse side effects.

The really bad news with radiation therapy is that half of the guys that are treated in this manner become impotent within 2 years of treatment.

Surveillance

In certain cases, doctors choose to wait and watch the progression of prostate cancer before deciding what treatment course to take. This is often done in cases of older men that are not healthy enough to undergo other prostate cancer treatment options.

Hormone Therapy

Another possible prostate cancer treatment option is hormone therapy which is used to control the level of male hormones, specifically testosterone, in the body which fuel cancer growth. This is most often used in severe cases in which cancer has spread significantly. It is not the most effective treatment option, but in severe cases, it may be the only option, as radiation and prostatectomy may not be used.

Cryoablation

Cryoablation is a fairly new prostate cancer treatment option in which cryotherapy is used to freeze the prostate gland to destroy cancerous cells. This is done by inserting probes through the rectum and, thus, the procedure is non-invasive. The procedure is usually done twice and testing is required periodically to determine the extent, if any, of cancer cells present.

Jim Shaw