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.

nci prostate cancer
Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility (CGEMS)
National Cancer Institute · U.S. National Institutes of Health · www.cancer.gov Fast Stats: Prostate Cancer. --Choose a Cancer Site--, All Sites

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Researchers Discover a Common Variation in a Gene Segment that Increases the Risk for Prostate Cancer. more · CGEMS Data Released October 19, 2006 NCI

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Multivitamin Use and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the National
National Cancer Institute, National Cancer Institute Here you can explore your risk for 6 cancers: breast, cervical, colon, lung, prostate, and skin.

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The Cancer Risk Calculator for Prostate Cancer was developed based upon 5519 This calculator is applicable for men who are undergoing prostate cancer

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JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2007 99(10):754-764; . Calcium, Dairy Foods, and Risk of Incident and Fatal Prostate Cancer: The NIH-AARP

OSPA - Disease Specific Information - Progress Review Groups (PRG)
Using NCI's current research program as a baseline, a Progress Review Group (PRG) identifies priority areas for A Service of the National Cancer Institute.

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The first project of the Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (BPC3) was funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for four years in 2003 to

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NCI Launches Biorepository for Prostate Cancer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced a

NCI Prostate Cancer Report, May 26, 2004 Press Release - National
The 2950 men in this study were from the "control arm" of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), an NCI-funded study that found in 2003 that the drug

Prostate cancer
Gerber GS, Chodak GH: Routine screening for cancer of the prostate. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 83(5): 329-335, 1991.

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Berg CD, NCI - Early Detection Branch: A 16-Year Randomized Screening Study for Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer - PLCO Trial, PLCO-1,

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In 2006, it is estimated that over 230000 new cases of prostate cancer and over 27000 deaths will be reported in the United States. As part of an NCI-wide

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Check for prostate cancer screening trials from NCI's PDQ^ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry now accepting patients. The list of clinical trials can be

Prostate Cancer Home Page - National Cancer Institute
Information about prostate cancer treatment, prevention, genetics, causes, screening, clinical trials, research and statistics from the National Cancer


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