Choosing a treatment option involves the patient, his family, and one or more doctors. They will need to consider the grade and stage of the cancer, the man’s age and health, and his values and feelings about the potential benefits and harms of each treatment option. Since both surgery and radiation therapy are options for [...]
Posts from ‘May, 2009’
How is localized prostate cancer treated?
Three treatment options are generally accepted for men with localized prostate cancer: Radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy (with or without hormonal therapy), and active surveillance (also called watchful waiting). * Radical prostatectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the entire prostate gland and nearby tissues. Sometimes lymph nodes in the pelvic area (the lower part of [...]
How is prostate cancer diagnosed?
A diagnosis of prostate cancer can be confirmed only by biopsy. During a biopsy, a urologist (a doctor who specializes in diseases of urinary and sex organs in men, and urinary organs in women) removes tissue samples, usually with a needle. This is generally done in the doctor’s office with local anesthesia. Then, a pathologist [...]
Does prostate cancer screening save lives?
The benefits of screening and local therapy (surgery or radiation therapy) for early prostate cancer remain unclear, and it is not known for certain whether prostate cancer screening saves lives. Because of this uncertainty, NCI, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, is supporting research to learn more about screening for prostate cancer. [...]
How reliable are the screening tests for prostate cancer?
Neither of the screening tests for prostate cancer is perfect. Most men with an elevated PSA level do not have prostate cancer (false positives), and some men with prostate cancer have a low PSA level (false negatives). The DRE is also associated with false positives and false negatives. Using the DRE and PSA together will [...]
Can prostate cancer be found before a man has symptoms?
Yes. Prostate cancer screening is looking for the disease before a person has any symptoms. Two screening tests commonly used to detect prostate cancer in the absence of symptoms are the digital rectal exam (DRE), in which a doctor feels the prostate through the rectum to find hard or lumpy areas, and a blood test [...]
What other prostate conditions can cause symptoms like prostate cancer?
As men get older, their prostate may grow bigger and block the flow of urine or interfere with sexual function. This common condition, called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is not cancer, but it can cause many of the same symptoms as prostate cancer. Although BPH may not be a threat to life, it may require [...]