Cancer that grows in the prostate is called prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the US. About one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, but only one in 34 men will die from the disease.
In the early stages, surgery and radiation may be used to remove or try to kill cancer cells or shrink the tumor. Doctors will usually recommend that you undergo surgery. You will then be given some medication to take. Many studies have shown that this combination greatly reduces pain in men, especially if prostate cancer has spread to the bones. Cancer will not go away completely, nor will you live longer. Also, seek medical help and you will make better decisions based on your health and your values. Medications can have many side effects, including hot flashes and loss of drive. Urinary incontinence can be a possible complication of surgery.
Also, a form of treatment used for early-stage cancer is High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). This procedure is performed under anesthesia (or using a local spinal anesthetic) and a probe is inserted into the prostate through the rectum. A beam of high-intensity focused ultrasound is used to increase the temperature in the focus area and thereby kill cancer cells
Another treatment option for prostate cancer is radiation therapy. This prostate cancer treatment involves the use of high-energy radiation from protons, neutrons, gamma rays, and X-rays, as well as other sources, to kill cancer cells and shrink any existing tumors. There are two ways that radiation therapy can be given as a treatment for prostate cancer. The first comes from a device placed outside your body called external radiation therapy, or you may have material that is radioactively placed inside your body near where the cancer is. This is called internal radiation therapy.
A relatively new technique that is still being evaluated is known as cryosurgery. During cryosurgery, which is performed under anesthesia, cooling probes are inserted into the prostate using ultrasound and the cancer cells are killed by freezing them.
A form of treatment used for early-stage cancer is High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). This procedure is performed under anesthesia (or using a local spinal anesthetic) and a probe is inserted into the prostate through the rectum. A beam of high-intensity focused ultrasound is used to increase the temperature in the focus area and thereby kill cancer cells
For late-stage prostate cancer, hormone therapy is used, which is designed not to attack the cancer itself but to target the male hormones (especially testosterone) that the cancer cells need to grow. In cases where hormone therapy proves ineffective, systematic radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be recommended.
The outcome of prostate cancer varies greatly; mostly because the disease occurs in older men who may have several other complicating diseases or conditions, such as heart or respiratory disease, or disabilities that immobilize or greatly reduce their activities. Regardless of the stage of your cancer, it's important to carefully consider all options and carefully weigh the pros, cons, and risks of each before choosing the treatment that's best for you.
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