|
Curing prostate cancer is possible, but the condition has to be detected in the early stages. Many men do not even seek medical advice when the symptoms are present, partly because they are very similar to those of another disease: BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy. Most men will experience difficulties while urinating, noticing a weak or intermittent flow of urine. Other symptoms include urgent needs to urinate or the need to wake up several times a night to do this. Some patients also observe a dribbling of urine after and even before urinating.
There is no universal treatment that will work the same in individual cases. Doctors have to determine several decisive factors, such as general health condition, age, location of the tumor in the prostate, size of the tumor. The number one option for treatment is surgery. However, the main operation, known as radial prostatectomy, is extremely tiring to the body, so the patient has to be in good condition. Most surgery patients are men between 50 and 70 years of age who do not seem to have extensive cancer damage. There are some side effects involved with this procedure, mostly related to erectile dysfunctions and minor urination problems. However, modern techniques greatly reduce the side effects and the success of surgery is high.
Choosing a hormone therapy is another option. This treatment does not kill the cancer cells but it reduces the size of the prostate tumor of the majority of patients. Most doctors recommend this treatment together with surgery for best effects. Cancer growth is stimulated by testosterone, the male sexual hormone, and hormone therapies reduce its level. By reducing testosterone levels, the prostate becomes less subjected to cancer cell growth. Based on patient medical history and overall health level, doctors may or may not choose to prescribe hormone therapy.
Staging and Grading of Prostate Cancer
Staging and Grading
Once the diagnosis of prostate cancer has
been made the disease has to be staged and
graded. The stage refers to the extent and
spread of the disease while the grade refers
to the nature (aggressiveness) of the
particular tumor. Staging will determine the
extent of disease and provide important
prognostic information that will influence
the management decisions.
Staging investigations - PSA - X-rays of
lumbar spine and pelvis - Chest X-ray -
Radionuclitide bone scan - MTI scan of pelvis
TNM Staging system
T stage (extent of primary lesion)
- T1 ..
Sometimes, the doctor might suggest an alternative treatment to surgery. Radiotherapy can work by destroying cancer cells through radiation. The method is painless and involves only out-body procedures. However, some side effects like diarrhea and impotence have been noticed. Brachytherapy is the other. It involves the implantation of radioactive elements in the prostate, which are inserted with the patient under anesthesia. In time, the radioactive elements loose their properties, but they also help diminish cancer cell growth.
About the author:
George Anderson is very interested in prostate cancer and the variety of treatments available. See his website at http://www.onlyprostatecancer.com
Prostate Cancer: Why Eating Well Is The Best Defense?No other human organ is as susceptible to cancer as the prostate. Each year, an estimated 209,900 American men are diagnosed with the disease, making it the most prevalent form of cancer in the United States. Although lung cancer claims more than twice as many mens lives each year, prostate cancer is the second most lethal male cancer, killing 41,800 men annually.
In fact, the malady is so widespread that by age 65, nearly two out of three males may develop minute tumors producing in their prostates, the walnut-size gland that is wrapped around the urethra, the tube that drains the bladder ..
George AndersonThe Best Prostate Cancer Treatment Alternatives
|
