When Prostate Cancer is initially discovered and it is found to be pretty much still located only in the prostate gland itself (in other words, it has not spread far into the body), there are basically three options that are available as treatment. The treatment that is chosen depends on A) how much cancer is found at the time of the initial diagnosis (which is known as the Stage of the cancer at the time of the initial diagnosis of cancer), B) the patient’s age at the time of the diagnosis, C) any other medical problems that he may have at the time of the finding of the Prostate Cancer, D) the aggressiveness of the cancer and E) the patient’s personal preferences.
With the above things in mind, lets then take a look at the three basic treatment options available for Prostate cancer that is still mainly located in the prostate gland itself at the time of the initial diagnosis:
1) Do Nothing: As strange as it may seem, doing nothing about a Prostate Cancer that is found still located primarily in the prostate gland is now an accepted possible way to treat Prostate Cancer in an elderly gentleman who has a very slow growing tumor. Why? Well, because it has been shown that older men with Prostate Cancer will eventually pass away from other causes (such as a heart attack or congestive heart failure or pneumonia) WITH their Prostate Cancers still in them and not BECAUSE of their Prostate Cancers. Thus, in an age group where the Prostate Cancer will not kill them and where the treatment may be worse than the disease, the possibility of doing nothing except keeping an eye on things is now considered a real treatment option in elderly gentlemen with slow growing Prostate Cancers.
2) Surgery: Understandably, many men will not be comfortable with having cancer and doing nothing about it. Thus, for those men, the treatment options for Prostate Cancer that is found still located primarily in the Prostate is either Surgery or Radiation therapy. Surgery is usually in the form of a surgery known as a Radical Prostatectomy. This is a surgery whereby the entire prostate gland is removed surgically. For years the major concern with this form of surgery was that during the surgery the surgeon cut the nerves that help the penis achieve an erection and thus the patient was rendered impotent (i.e. unable to have an erection) following the surgery. With newer surgical treatments that are called “Nerve Sparing” surgical treatments, the cutting of these sex function nerves is now able to be avoided. Thus, men are able to have their Prostate Cancer removed surgically and still remain potent (i.e. with the ability to have an erection).
3). Radiation Therapy: The third option for treating Prostate Cancer that is still localized primarily in the Prostate gland is radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is basically a light (such as the light that you see coming from a flashlight) that one shines on the area where the prostate is located and it kills the prostate cancer. It is also possible to actually insert needles into the Prostate with radiation therapy in them as a way to give even higher amounts of radiation therapy to the prostate gland. The advantages with radiation therapy over surgery is that with the use of radiation therapy there is no danger of cutting the sexual nerves and thus possibly leaving the man impotent. Radiation therapy, however, has its own side effects. These are mainly the effects due to the amount of radiation that the intestines inadvertently receive (since the intestines they are down near the prostate and they receive radiation inadvertently when radiation is being given to the prostate gland) and thus the ongoing diarrhea that sometimes results because of this.
All of these concepts and many more are covered in excellent detail and in easy to understand language in the Prostate Cancer audio CD available on the web site www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com.