Cancer is a serious disease caused by the uncontrolled and abnormal growth of cells. One of the most common cancers in adult American males is prostate cancer. The prostate is a male reproductive gland that produces fluid and secretes it when a man ejaculates. Men who develop this disease need to know about the prostate cancer treatment options currently available.
Many factors will determine how the physician chooses to treat a patient with this disease. The patient's overall health, as well as age, may affect the healthcare professional's decision. The physician factors in whether the diagnosis is new or the disease is recurring. The physician will inform the patient about all the possible and expected side effects of each treatment.
Physicians will typically take a watchful approach when a screening test indicates cancerous cells in an older man who is not having symptoms. This means no treatments unless and until the patient develops symptoms. If the disease progresses, the physician relies on regular testing to monitor the patient. The test results will let the physician know if the disease is getting worse or starting to spread to other areas.
Some patients are treated with minimally invasive techniques while others require surgery. Blocking the actions of various male hormones is sometimes effective for slowing or stopping the growth of cancerous tissue. An extreme form of hormone therapy involves removing the testicles, which are responsible for producing the majority of the body's supply of testosterone. Oral medications may be prescribed to inhibit the action of certain androgens.
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.
Many types of cancers, including this one, respond well to radiation. Physicians have sophisticated new ways to target radiation therapy directly to the diseased cells. These procedures can often save surrounding healthy tissue from exposure to radioactive materials. Radium-223 injections are used to kill cells that have migrated to bone tissue. Physicians may inject radioactive seeds directly into the prostate gland or use an external radiation machine to target the area.
Chemotherapy is a treatment method that patients may receive orally or through injections. Chemical cocktails inhibit new growth and kill diseased tissue. Physicians may inject the chemicals into muscles, veins, or the cerebral spinal fluid.
Patients and their doctors should discuss the various options, possible side effects, and lifestyle to decide on the best therapy. Some patients may be eligible to participate in clinical trials for newly developed therapies. High intensity ultrasound, cryotherapy, and proton beam radiation therapy are three methods of treatment under study by medical researchers. Patients may not be good candidates for trials but their physicians should be able to tell them about any studies they can apply for based on their diagnosis.
Many factors will determine how the physician chooses to treat a patient with this disease. The patient's overall health, as well as age, may affect the healthcare professional's decision. The physician factors in whether the diagnosis is new or the disease is recurring. The physician will inform the patient about all the possible and expected side effects of each treatment.
Physicians will typically take a watchful approach when a screening test indicates cancerous cells in an older man who is not having symptoms. This means no treatments unless and until the patient develops symptoms. If the disease progresses, the physician relies on regular testing to monitor the patient. The test results will let the physician know if the disease is getting worse or starting to spread to other areas.
Some patients are treated with minimally invasive techniques while others require surgery. Blocking the actions of various male hormones is sometimes effective for slowing or stopping the growth of cancerous tissue. An extreme form of hormone therapy involves removing the testicles, which are responsible for producing the majority of the body's supply of testosterone. Oral medications may be prescribed to inhibit the action of certain androgens.
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.
Many types of cancers, including this one, respond well to radiation. Physicians have sophisticated new ways to target radiation therapy directly to the diseased cells. These procedures can often save surrounding healthy tissue from exposure to radioactive materials. Radium-223 injections are used to kill cells that have migrated to bone tissue. Physicians may inject radioactive seeds directly into the prostate gland or use an external radiation machine to target the area.
Chemotherapy is a treatment method that patients may receive orally or through injections. Chemical cocktails inhibit new growth and kill diseased tissue. Physicians may inject the chemicals into muscles, veins, or the cerebral spinal fluid.
Patients and their doctors should discuss the various options, possible side effects, and lifestyle to decide on the best therapy. Some patients may be eligible to participate in clinical trials for newly developed therapies. High intensity ultrasound, cryotherapy, and proton beam radiation therapy are three methods of treatment under study by medical researchers. Patients may not be good candidates for trials but their physicians should be able to tell them about any studies they can apply for based on their diagnosis.
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