Medical Treatments for Prostate Cancer

There are many different medical treatments for prostate cancer that involve the clinical care of a healthcare professional. These treatments include expectant therapy, surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy. Expectant therapy is to carefully observe and monitor the prostate cancer. Because prostate cancer cells often spread very slowly, many older men who have the disease may not need more extensive treatment. However, expectant therapy usually includes routine physician examinations, including digital rectal exams and PSA tests. The different types of surgery for prostate cancer are radical prostatectomy - an open-surgery procedure in which the entire prostate gland and surrounding tissue are removed. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) - surgery to remove part of the prostate gland that surrounds the urethra. Cryosurgery - this procedure involves killing the cancer cells by freezing them with a small metal tool placed in the tumor. Side effects of prostate cancer surgery include incontinence and impotence. Incontinence is the inability to control urine and may result in dribbling of urine, especially immediately after surgery. Normal control usually returns within weeks or months after surgery. Impotence is the inability to achieve an erection. For a month, or so, after surgery, most men are not able to get an erection. Eventually, approximately 40 to 60 percent of men will be able to get an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse, but without ejaculation of semen, since removal of the prostate gland prevents that process.

Radiation therapy uses high energy rays to kill or shrink cancer cells, and to decrease their ability to divide. Radiation is often used to treat prostate cancer that is still confined to the prostate gland, or has spread only to nearby tissue. If the disease is advanced, radiation may be used to reduce the size of the tumor and to provide relief from symptoms. Possible side effects of radiation for prostate cancer may include diarrhea, with or without blood in the stool, and colitis, problems associated with urination, a degree of impotence (inability to get an erection), which may occur within two years of radiation therapy.

The goal of hormone therapy is to lower the level of male hormones in the body, particularly testosterone. Hormone therapy does not cure the cancer, and is often used to treat persons whose cancer has spread or recurred after treatment. Produced mainly in the testicles, testosterone causes prostate cancer cells to grow. Thus, reduced testosterone levels can make the prostate cancer shrink and become less active. Most studies show that hormone therapy works better if it is started early. Chemotherapy is the use of powerful, anti-cancer medications to kill cancer cells.. Hospitalization may be needed to monitor treatment and chemotherapy's side effects. Common side effects of chemotherapy include: nausea and vomiting, hair loss, anemia, reduced ability of blood to clot, mouth sores, increased likelihood of developing infections, fatigue. Most side effects disappear once treatment is stopped.

increase prostate
High Levels of Circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Increase
High Levels of Circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Increase Prostate Cancer Risk: A Prospective Study in a Population-Based Nonscreened Cohort

IngentaConnect APC 8015 plus bevacizumab may increase prostate
APC 8015 plus bevacizumab may increase prostate-specific antigen (PSA) doubling time in patients with prostate cancer. Source: Inpharma, Volume 1,

ACS :: Vasectomy Does Not Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
Researchers look to a country where vasectomy is common to see if it plays a role in prostate cancer.

Excessive multivitamin use could increase prostate cancer risk
Excessive multivitamin use could increase prostate cancer risk. Posted September 28th, 2007 by Mohit Joshi · Health Update · United States

Elsevier
Simple Interventions May Increase Prostate Cancer Screening Screening for prostate cancer remains controversial due to insufficient evidence to

Excessive Zinc Supplementation May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
Data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggest that using supplements of at least 100 mg/day or for more than 10 years can more than double the

New Study Finds Vasectomy Does Not Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
New Study Finds Vasectomy Does Not Increase Prostate Cancer Risk from National Institutes of Health in Health provided free by Find Articles.

Calcium May Increase Prostate Cancer
A high calcium intake may suppress blood levels of vitamin D -- a hormone that may protect against prostate cancer.

Study: Nonfat milk may increase prostate cancer risk - Related
Study: Nonfat milk may increase prostate cancer risk.

Do preserved foods increase prostate cancer risk?
Do preserved foods increase prostate cancer risk? L Jian1,2, D H Zhang2, A H Lee1 and C W Binns1 1School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology,

Multivitamins may Increase Prostate Cancer Risk « MS Health Reporter
Didnt know that Multivitamins can increase risk of prostate cancer! Thanks for the information from http://NurseReview.org NICE TO KNOW!

High Dietary Calcium Intake May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
Men with a high intake of dietary calcium are at greater risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a study presented today during the American

Blood transfusion does not increase prostate cancer recurrence
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Autologous blood transfusion (ABT) does not increase the risk of biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after radical

Roswell Park Cancer Institute - High Intake of Iron May Increase
BUFFALO, NY â“ High intake of iron, combined with low intake of dietary antioxidants, may increase prostate cancer risk, according to results of a study to

NIH News Release--New Study Finds Vasectomy Does Not Increase
However, despite this conflicting evidence, urologists have been concerned enough to increase prostate cancer screening of vasectomized men and to

Corn Oil May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
Corn Oil May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk. Scientists have found that a common omega 6 fatty acid known as arachidonic acid signals increased growth of

Simple Interventions May Increase Prostate Cancer Screening
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men (estimated incidence of 234460 cases, 27360 deaths in 2006). Screening remains controversial due

New Study Finds Vasectomy Does Not Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
Contrary to some earlier studies, a new study funded in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) found that men who

Blood transfusion does not increase prostate cancer recurrence
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world's leading professional organization representing physicians who treat people with cancer.


increase prostate
how to check your prostate
progesterone and prostate
prostate cancer hormone therapy
manipulation prostate