After you have been diagnosed and staged, it is important to select a treatment option quickly. As such, understanding the different types of treatment available for prostate cancer is crucial in making the best decision for yourself.
Listed are a few options on how to treat prostate cancer and the different prostate cancer treatments available.
- Surgery
If the cancer has spread outside the gland, patients may be recommended to undergo radical prostatectomy, where the entire prostate gland and surrounding tissues as well as seminal vesicles are removed. Research has shown that radical prostatectomy provides the most complete cure to younger men with higher-risk tumors.
- Radiotherapy
This is often used when cancer is still at its early stages and within the prostate glands. Radiation therapy involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. This can come in the form of external beam radiation or brachytherapy (internal radiation). The latter involves the use of small radioactive pellets that are place into the prostate. This is also recommended during the early stages of prostate cancer when the cancer is still slow-growing.
- Hormone therapy
Also known as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or androgen suppression therapy, the treatment reduces the level of male hormones to stop them from affecting prostate cancer cells. While hormone therapy alone cannot cure prostate cancer, it is used to combat cancer that has spread beyond the prostate and cannot be cured with other methods, or when cancer remains after another treatment or surgery.
- Chemotherapy treatment
Used when the cancer spread beyond the prostate gland, chemotherapy helps by introducing anti-cancer drugs into the body through injections into a vein or orally. This makes the treatment useful in cancers that have metastasized to other organs.
It is important to take into consideration other factors when selecting a treatment option, such as your age, other health conditions, stage of cancer and the potential side effects of each treatment. Consult a doctor to choose the best possible method on how to cure prostate cancer.
References
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostatecancer/detailedguide/prostate-cancer-treating-general-info