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.

prostate cancer and hormone
Prostate cancer - hormone therapy - Better Health Channel.
Hormone therapy aims to manage prostate cancer by reducing the levels of male hormones. Options include injected and oral medications, or removal of those

Hormone Treatment for Prostate Cancer - WebMD
Hormone treatment (androgen deprivation therapy or androgen suppression therapy) removes, blocks, or adds hormones to treat prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy: Testosterone and Androgen Ablation
prostate cancer hormone therapy uses testosterone or androgen ablation.

Prostate Cancer Resources and Information | OncoLink
The prostate is signaled to do its job by the male hormone testosterone, which can influence the behavior of the prostate gland and prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer: Hormonal Therapy
Hormonal Therapy is based on the fact that prostate cancer cells frequently use the male hormone, testosterone, as "fertilizer", and the absence of

Prostate Cancer - Hormonal Therapy
Both normal or benign cells in the prostate and prostate cancer cells are stimulated to grow by male hormones. Prostate cancer cells that have left the

Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer - hrpca.org
For those men facing hormone refractory prostate cancer. This is a support group for HRPC issues only.

Estrogen Boosts Memory In Men With Prostate Cancer
High doses of estrogen improve long-term memory and decrease feelings of confusion in men whose testosterone levels have been lowered to treat advanced

BMJ BestTreatments :: Conditions :: Prostate cancer :: Hormone therapy
If you have early stage prostate cancer, hormone treatment may stop it growing and help to kill existing cancer cells. But, in the long term, we don't know

Prostate Cancer Treatment - National Cancer Institute
Hormones are substances produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. In prostate cancer, male sex hormones can cause prostate cancer to

Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium
The Breast and Prostate Cancer and Hormone-Related Gene Variant Study pools data and biospecimens from 10 large prospective cohorts to conduct research on

The relationship between hormones and prostate cancer : Cancerbackup
Prostate cancer cells require androgens in order to grow. Androgens can be testicular or adrenal in origin.

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options -- familydoctor.org
Once the testosterone is out of your body, the prostate cancer usually shrinks. Hormone treatments are most often used in patients with cancer that has

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer
This section tells you about hormone therapy and its use in treating prostate cancer. It includes What is hormone therapy?

What is hormone therapy?
This page is about hormone therapy for prostate cancer. There is information onWhy doctors use hormone therapy for prostate cancerThe types of drugs usedHow

Hormone Therapy | Prostate Cancer Information | UPMC Cancer Centers
Prostate cancer is hormone-sensitive or hormone-dependent, meaning that prostate cancer growth depends on androgens, particularly testosterone.

Prostate Cancer Info : education, support, male hormone therapy
Prostate cancer info on prostate cancer education, prostate cancer support, and prostate cancer diagnosis including male hormone therapy, antiandrogens,

ACS :: Prostate Cancer: Hormone Suppression Plus Radiation Equal
Prostate cancer cells are sensitive to male hormones, and decreasing hormone levels in the blood is a common treatment for prostate cancer patients.

ACS :: Hormone (Androgen Deprivation) Therapy
However, hormone therapy does not cure prostate cancer. There are several types of hormone therapy used to treat prostate cancer.


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