Ferring

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Decisions regarding how and when to treat prostate cancer are based largely on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis, whether it is confined to the prostate, or whether it has spread into other areas of the body.

Your doctor will also take into account things like your general health, treatment side effects, and your attitude toward living with these side effects.

Treatment options are aimed at either curing the disease if it has not spread or offering palliative care (relieving pain and symptoms) in order to treat advanced prostate cancer.

 

Treatment options include:

 

Watchful waiting/Active surveillance

If your cancer is slow growing and you are not showing any symptoms, your doctor may decide that no treatment is needed immediately. Your doctor will monitor the tumor and start treatment only when he or she thinks it will be of benefit. This is the standard management strategy for many people.

Treatment options include:

 

Hormone therapies

These therapies treat prostate cancer by reducing the level of testosterone in the blood to inhibit the growth of the cancer. Hormone therapies include LHRH agonists and GnRH antagonists. LHRH agonists cause a surge in testosterone levels before reducing them. A GnRH antagonist works differently, leading to a direct reduction in testosterone levels without any surge.

 

Chemotherapy

Treatment options to relieve pain and symptoms include chemotherapy, which is used for patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, when other therapies have stopped working.

Chemotherapy treatments generally have a high degree of toxicity and have many possible side effects including pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, anemia, malnutrition, hair loss, memory loss, depression of the immune system, weight loss or gain, and hemorrhage.

 

Orchiectomy

This surgical procedure removes both of the testicles, in order to reduce testosterone levels. The growth of prostate cancer is dependent on testosterone, and reducing testosterone levels can cause the cancer cells to grow more slowly, stop growing, and even reduce the size of the tumor.

 

Radical prostatectomy

This surgical procedure removes the prostate gland, seminal vesicles, and often nearby lymph nodes. This major operation has commonly occurring side effects, such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence.

 

Radiation therapy (Radiotherapy)

Radiation is given from an external machine, or sometimes small radioactive seeds may be inserted into the tumor (brachytherapy). Radiation therapy may be given to cure the patient but has a role in all stages of prostate cancer and may also be combined with hormone treatments.

Low-dose radiation treatments generally cause minimal or no side effects. Higher doses may cause various side effects that are usually limited to the area of the body that is being treated. Possible side effects include skin reactions, swelling, infertility, fatigue, fibrosis, hair loss, and tissue dryness.