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 under ‘Prostate Cancer’
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 [...]
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Most of the time, prostate cancer does not initially cause symptoms. By the time symptoms do occur, the disease may have spread beyond the prostate. Symptoms of prostate cancer may include the following: * Urinary problems: o Not being able to urinate. o Having a hard time starting or stopping the flow of urine. o [...]
Who is at risk for prostate cancer?
An important risk factor is age; more than 70 percent of men diagnosed with this disease are over the age of 65. African American men have a substantially higher risk of prostate cancer than white men, including Hispanic men. In addition, dramatic differences in the incidence of prostate cancer are seen in different populations around [...]
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer forms in the tissues of the prostate. Except for skin cancer, cancer of the prostate is the most common cancer in American men. It was estimated that more than 186,000 men in the United States would be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 . In most men with prostate cancer, the disease grows [...]
Treating Prostate Cancer
Treatment for prostate cancer depends on whether cancer is in part or all of the prostate or if it has spread to other parts of the body. It also depends on your age and overall health. Talk with your doctor about the best treatment choice for you. For cancer that has not spread from the [...]
Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
Early prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms. As the cancer grows, you may have trouble urinating. You may need to urinate often, especially at night. Some men have pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine or semen, pain in the back, hips, or pelvis, and painful ejaculation. To find out if these [...]