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.

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Prostate Cancer Resources and Information | OncoLink
Prostate Cancer information including risk, prevention, screening, symptoms, research, treatment, hormonal therapy and support. Provided by Oncolink - The

Prostate Cancer Information
Prostate cancer treatment and information website.

Patient resources : Prostate Cancer
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Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education & Support Network
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Alan's Prostate Cancer Information
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ACS :: Learn About Cancer
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"I had absolutely no family history of prostate cancer," Miller says. "I was very active, had no symptoms, and had an excellent diet."

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The process used to find out if cancer has spread within the prostate or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the

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Prostate Cancer Resource Guide - The American Foundation for Urologic Disease provides all the basic information and access to help you need at initial

MedlinePlus: Prostate Cancer
The primary NIH organization for research on Prostate Cancer is the National Cancer . (National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse)

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This section of CancerHelp UK tells you about prostate cancer. It includes symptoms and causes of Where this prostate cancer information comes from

WebMD Prostate Cancer Center - Find prostate cancer information
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Prostate Cancer Information from TAP Pharmaceuticals
Prostate.com is a prostate cancer resource from TAP Pharmaceuticals that provides information about diseases of the prostate and treatment options for men

Prostate cancer information centre : Cancerbackup
Information about prostate cancer, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, side effects and further resources.

Prostate Cancer Info : education, support, male hormone therapy
We're pleased to report that a study evaluating the quality of patient information on prostate cancer available on the Internet ranked PROSTATEinfo.com

Comprehensive Cancer Information - National Cancer Institute
Accurate, up-to-date, comprehensive cancer information from the US government's Pancreatic Cancer · Prostate Cancer · Skin Cancer (Nonmelanoma)

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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