Prostate Cancer Treatment
September 29, 2009
Prostate Cancer Treatments
Prostate cancer affects more men in America than any other cancer. It grows so slowly that often it is discovered too late. That is the best reason for all men over the age of 40 to get yearly prostate checks.
The treatments for prostate cancer vary and are determined on an individual basis depending on things like age, the stage of the cancer, and lifestyle factors. Some of the treatment options you and your doctor may choose are discussed here.
Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is a form of radiation treatment known as interstitial, which means that the radiation is applied from inside the tissue. This type of radiation therapy can carry larger amounts of radiation to a concentrated area within the prostate gland.
Radiation
External radiation treatments have been proven very effective and have been used longer than brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. The purpose of external radiation therapy (often called EBRT) is to administer a specific area with as much radiation as possible without affecting any nearby organs. The reason radiation is such a common treatment for prostate cancer is that the high-energy waves that are applied cause damage to the DNA of the cancer cells.
Hormone Treatment
Prostate cancer is often treated with hormone therapy. The male hormone testosterone is what causes the growth of the prostate gland and other sex organ. This growth continues even after men have passed the age of puberty. Testosterone does not know the difference between healthy cells and cancerous cells, thus it can contribute to the growth of prostate cancer. In this kind of treatment, the testosterone is removed so that it can no longer help the growth of the cancerous cells.
Prostate Surgery
This is one of the oldest prostate cancer treatments and involves removing the prostate gland. It is used most often when it has been determined that the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is a new prostate cancer treatment in which controlled freezing and then thawing are used to destroy the cancerous area. This process destroys the cancer cells through dehydration. Cryotherapy is used mostly on cancer that has proven to be resistant to radiation.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is usually used for prostate cancer that is well advanced and has metastasized to other areas. Chemotherapy is generally not prescribed unless other treatments like surgery or cryotherapy have been tried and have failed. Chemotherapy is effective because it can damage cells badly enough to make them die, however, the damage that it causes is not limited to the cancerous cells.
A website called the Prostate Cancer Treatment Guide and WebMD are good sources of more detailed information about prostate cancer and its treatments.