A diagnosis of prostate cancer is never good news to a man. However, with present and emerging therapies, the prognosis need not be as dire as it once was. There are a wide range of treatment options available to the patient. Numerous factors need to be considered when selecting the most appropriate course of action, including the stage or severity of the cancer, one’s age and individual lifestyle.
At an early-stage level of the disease, discussions with your doctor may involve one of three possible options including surgery, a form of radiation treatment or even watchful waiting. The last is not strictly a form of treatment, but in some cases may be the most optimum way of managing and living with a non-aggressive tumor. Other treatments for prostate cancer include chemotherapy and hormone therapy. Each has it’ particular benefits and drawbacks and should be thoroughly discussed with the physician.
As for radiation treatment, two possible courses include brachytherapy in which radioactive pellets or “seeds” are placed in or close to the tumor, and external beam radiation. In external beam radiation, the cancer receives radiation from a device located close to but outside the body. A newer form of radiation therapy, proton beam therapy has an advantage of pinpointing and delivering treatment specifically to the tumor. Unfortunately, this treatment is not commonly available, is expensive, and in many cases your health insurance will probably not cover you any better than pet insurance would for this particular procedure.
However, palliative therapies now bring relief to those dealing with common side effects of treatments. Furthermore, clinical trials of new drug treatments provide additional hope for those battling this disease at every level. Through testing, physician advice and expert guidance and discussions with one’s support group, a course of treatment can be found to maximize success in dealing with prostate cancer.
