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Cancer is uncontrolled cell growth, regardless of its location in the body. These abnormal cells can invade other healthy tissues, including the prostate gland, an organ that plays a role in the male reproductive system. This type of cancer is rarely fatal but as many as one out of five adult males will develop the disease, according to published statistics. Men who have been diagnosed by a licensed physician need to explore 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.
Men who are not having symptoms but show signs of prostate cancer in a screening test will not receive treatment right away. Physicians will wait to see if symptoms ever manifest before exploring treatments. The patient will have regular screening and tests, so the physician can catch any signs that the disease may be spreading or getting worse.
Treatments can involve anything from oral medication to major surgery, depending on the disease's stage and the extent of the growth. Testosterone and other male hormones can promote growth, so hormone therapy can be an effective treatment for some men. Prescription medications are available to inhibit the action or production of certain hormones. Removal of the testicles eliminates the body's main 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.
Other methods are being studied in clinical trials. Cryotherapy utilizes freezing temperatures to destroy diseased cells. Another treatment showing some promise is high-intensity focused ultrasound delivered via an endorectal probe. Proton beam radiation therapy is a type of external radiation therapy that bombards tumors with a proton stream to destroy them. Patients and their physicians will decide what best fits the individual's physical condition and lifestyle.
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.
Men who are not having symptoms but show signs of prostate cancer in a screening test will not receive treatment right away. Physicians will wait to see if symptoms ever manifest before exploring treatments. The patient will have regular screening and tests, so the physician can catch any signs that the disease may be spreading or getting worse.
Treatments can involve anything from oral medication to major surgery, depending on the disease's stage and the extent of the growth. Testosterone and other male hormones can promote growth, so hormone therapy can be an effective treatment for some men. Prescription medications are available to inhibit the action or production of certain hormones. Removal of the testicles eliminates the body's main 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.
Other methods are being studied in clinical trials. Cryotherapy utilizes freezing temperatures to destroy diseased cells. Another treatment showing some promise is high-intensity focused ultrasound delivered via an endorectal probe. Proton beam radiation therapy is a type of external radiation therapy that bombards tumors with a proton stream to destroy them. Patients and their physicians will decide what best fits the individual's physical condition and lifestyle.
About the Author:
You can visit smart-surgery.com for more helpful information about What Every Man Should Know About Prostate Cancer Treatment Options.
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