Cancer is a disease caused by abnormal cell growth. Sometimes cancerous cells form in tissues making up the prostate, which is a male reproductive gland located in the lower abdominal area. Statistics show that 20 percent of adult males in the United States will develop this disease but it is usually not life threatening, especially with early diagnosis and treatment. Men diagnosed with this condition need to find out more about effective prostate cancer treatment options.
Physicians will select one of several treatments based on multiple factors, including the patient's age and the stage of the disease. Whether the patient has other problems with his health or whether the condition has returned after earlier diagnosis will also affect the decision making process. Patients should also weigh any expected side effects against the prognosis.
If a screening test reveals this condition in older men who are not experiencing symptoms, the physician will monitor the patient closely without treatment until the condition changes. Waiting for symptoms to show before treating is known as watchful waiting. Active surveillance is monitoring a patient with regular testing. Test results alert the patient and his physician if the disease starts to get worse or spread.
Hormone therapy can be effective for limiting the levels of male hormones that can promote cancer cell growth. Physicians can prescribe various drugs to block the production of testosterone in the testicles or to inhibit the action of androgens. Some men will have one or both testicles removed to eliminate the largest source of testosterone.
Partial or complete surgical removal of the diseased gland may be an option if the disease has not had time to spread to other organs. Depending on the progress of the disease, surgeons will remove gland tissue, the seminal vesicles, lymph nodes, or any combination to remove as many diseased cells as possible.
Radiation may be used to kill the cancerous cells or retard their growth. Radiation may be delivered to the gland from an external machine. Some radiation machines use a 3-D image of the tumor to conform the radiation beams into a shape that matches the tumor. Internal radiation therapy is a technique physicians use to implant radioactive seeds directly into the affected tissue through a needle. If the disease has spread to the bones, the physician injects the patient with radium-223, a radioactive substance that seeks out cancer cells in bone and kills them.
Chemotherapy attacks growth with drugs taken orally or injected into muscles or veins. Sometimes the physician injects the drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid or delivers it directly to the affected organ. The method of delivery and drugs used depend on the stage and type of cancer the physician is treating.
The patient's physician will do a thorough physical examination and run a series of tests to determine the best solution for the individual. Patients should be sure to discuss all known side effects and be aware of what to expect before, during, and after treatment. Depending on the situation, certain patients may be eligible to enter clinical trials for new treatments still under development. Some of the new techniques in this area of medicine include proton beam radiation, cryosurgery, and high intensity ultrasound. Patients diagnosed with prostate cancer can go on to live long and productive lives with the proper treatment by a qualified medical professional.
Physicians will select one of several treatments based on multiple factors, including the patient's age and the stage of the disease. Whether the patient has other problems with his health or whether the condition has returned after earlier diagnosis will also affect the decision making process. Patients should also weigh any expected side effects against the prognosis.
If a screening test reveals this condition in older men who are not experiencing symptoms, the physician will monitor the patient closely without treatment until the condition changes. Waiting for symptoms to show before treating is known as watchful waiting. Active surveillance is monitoring a patient with regular testing. Test results alert the patient and his physician if the disease starts to get worse or spread.
Hormone therapy can be effective for limiting the levels of male hormones that can promote cancer cell growth. Physicians can prescribe various drugs to block the production of testosterone in the testicles or to inhibit the action of androgens. Some men will have one or both testicles removed to eliminate the largest source of testosterone.
Partial or complete surgical removal of the diseased gland may be an option if the disease has not had time to spread to other organs. Depending on the progress of the disease, surgeons will remove gland tissue, the seminal vesicles, lymph nodes, or any combination to remove as many diseased cells as possible.
Radiation may be used to kill the cancerous cells or retard their growth. Radiation may be delivered to the gland from an external machine. Some radiation machines use a 3-D image of the tumor to conform the radiation beams into a shape that matches the tumor. Internal radiation therapy is a technique physicians use to implant radioactive seeds directly into the affected tissue through a needle. If the disease has spread to the bones, the physician injects the patient with radium-223, a radioactive substance that seeks out cancer cells in bone and kills them.
Chemotherapy attacks growth with drugs taken orally or injected into muscles or veins. Sometimes the physician injects the drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid or delivers it directly to the affected organ. The method of delivery and drugs used depend on the stage and type of cancer the physician is treating.
The patient's physician will do a thorough physical examination and run a series of tests to determine the best solution for the individual. Patients should be sure to discuss all known side effects and be aware of what to expect before, during, and after treatment. Depending on the situation, certain patients may be eligible to enter clinical trials for new treatments still under development. Some of the new techniques in this area of medicine include proton beam radiation, cryosurgery, and high intensity ultrasound. Patients diagnosed with prostate cancer can go on to live long and productive lives with the proper treatment by a qualified medical professional.
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