Prostate cancer, also known as prostatic carcinoma, is second only to skin cancer as the most common cancer in men. One in seven men is diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in his lifetime. Luckily, the disease grows slowly in older men, and there are many kinds of effective treatment plans for anyone afflicted by this disease. Only one in 36 men die from prostate cancer, so it is highly treatable and odds of survival are in the patient’s favor. Since this cancer is so widespread in the population and responsive to treatment, it is a very worthwhile endeavor to explore the main kinds of prostate cancer treatments available, their possible side effects, and their impact on a patient’s life. Keep reading to see the top eight questions commonly asked about prostate cancer.
If the tumor hasn’t spread outside the prostate, cryotherapy, though expensive, is a viable solution. Probes freeze prostate tissue, killing tumor cells. Laser ablation therapy uses thermal energy (heat) to destroy cancerous areas. Unlike other treatments, it doesn’t damage healthy tissue.
Possible effects, some serious and long-term, include incontinence, bowel issues, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, infertility, and individual side effects from chemotherapy, hormone or radiation therapy, which can include loose stools, painful urination, lack of bladder control, vomiting, weight loss, hot flashes, and bone mass lessening.
Laser ablation is touted as one of the safest treatments out there because it’s not invasive and reduces infection risks, a huge boon for any procedure. Proton therapy, the most precise form of radiation in existence, painlessly targets the tumor while preserving healthy parts. Both are said to have minimal to no side effects.
How large the tumor is and its location determine how surgeons operate. Young patients with otherwise clean bills of health may opt for radical prostatectomy, removal of the prostate and (usually) pelvic lymph nodes, at any stage of progression.
Cryotherapy is sometimes turned to if patients haven’t had success from radiation. Chemotherapy medication attacks and shrinks tumors, destroying cancerous cells; if hormone therapy fails, this is a good time to turn to chemo.
Biologic therapy cooperates with natural disease fighters in the immune system to combat late-stage cancer. Biophosphonate therapy, bone-directed treatment, is appropriate if the cancer proliferates to the bones, in which case drugs such as Xgeva or Zometa, are needed as defense against fractures.
Considered a less aggressive treatment, one way to halt cancer is by cutting off the body’s testosterone supply, which harmful cells depend on. Drugs either obstruct flow of testosterone to cancer cells or prevent patients’ bodies from creating it. In an orchiectomy, testicles can be surgically removed to reduce testosterone circulation.
It’s fairly aggressive, not necessarily appropriate for older, weaker patients. In external beam photon radiation, X-rays focus on the prostate and/or other areas. In brachytherapy, the doctor implants a small seed of radioactivity into the prostate, emitting low dosage for a lengthy period. In Stages II or III, these therapies can be used in combination or in tandem with hormone therapy.
Typical radiation regiments involve treatment five days a week for several weeks, a weighty commitment. Chemotherapy is similarly intensive. Hormone therapy lasts several months. Surgery always involves recovery periods for regaining strength. With laser ablation, an outpatient procedure boasting rapid recovery time, patients are usually in and out within 45 minutes, shorter than waiting in line at the DMV.
If patients are symptom-less, advanced in years, or have other major health problems, "watchful waiting" or “active surveillance” is commonly recommended. The doctor vigilantly monitors symptom levels and performs monthly digital rectal exams, biopsies, and blood tests. Dangers associated with this method: cancer might progress between checkups, becoming incurable. However, most men can live many years without ever seeing symptoms of prostate cancer.