Prostate Cancer: Currently Available Treatments

Many men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are lucky in that the cancer is found early. This makes the cancer easily treatable. It is important to know that even if the cancer is detected when it is more advanced, there are still treatment options available. Here's what you need to know about treatment for prostate cancer.

What Treatment Options Depend On

What treatment options are available to you depend on several factors. Your doctor will help you determine what treatments are right for you based on your wishes and whether you have had prostate cancer treatment in the past. Any other health problems you have may also affect what treatment you can receive. Your age, what stage the cancer is in, and your wishes also help to decide what treatment you can have.

Available Treatment Options

No one treatment is right for every man. Treatment can include simply keeping an eye on the tumor, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Hormone, biologic, or bisphosphonate therapies are also available.

Wait and See Approach

In the wait and see approach, called active surveillance, your doctor will simply keep an eye on the tumor. Low-grade prostate cancers grow slowly, and some doctors prefer to avoid actual treatment until the tumor changes or other problems develop. Regular tests will be done to monitor the tumor.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is done by taking drugs through an IV or by mouth. These drugs travel throughout the body and work to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. This type of therapy is normally used if the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland.

Radiation

Radiation is a therapy that uses high-energy particles or waves in order to kill cancer cells. There are certain types of radiation that can be used specifically for prostate cancer.

Hormone Therapy

Your body naturally creates hormones. Some of these can actually help prostate cancer grow. Hormone therapy works to lower the body's production of those kinds of hormones or to prevent the cancer cells from using the hormones.

Surgery

Surgery involves removing either a part of the prostate gland or the entire thing. What type of surgery is required will depend on how big the tumor is and where it is located.

Biologic Therapy

This kind of therapy is used to treat prostate cancer that is in an advanced stage. It works with your own immune system to help you fight the cancer.

Bisphosphonate Therapy

Sometimes, prostate cancer may reach your bones. If this happens, this therapy involves drugs that will keep your bones from breaking and help with pain. For more information, contact a professional like those at Unity Urology PC.