Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatments

Prostate cancer will be found in nearly 250,000 American men and 25,000 Canadian men in 2012. The following year, the same amount will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and again years later. In fact, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Canada and the U.S. If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you will need to find out more about all the options available to you.

Treatment Options

If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you're going to want to know what treatment options are available based on your diagnosis. You will also want to know the risks associated with each treatment choice and the benefits of one treatment over another.

Your doctor will assess your condition by examining their test results. Determining how much the cancer has progressed is critical in determining the best treatment options for you. Early detection is crucial, because early stages (T-1) have a 90 percent cure rate, and many more features. On stage, T-4 (cancer has spread beyond the prostate and affects other organs and body parts) there are very few options and very little chance of a cure. Other factors such as age, health and personal preferences, must also be taken into account.

operation

There are several surgical treatment options, of which determines how advanced your cancer.

prostatectomy can be done where your prostate may be removed. It is for patients whose cancer is confined to the prostate.

pelvic lymph node dissection can be performed where lymph nodes are removed. It is usually recommended for the medium stage prostate cancer patients.

For men whose cancer has progressed to the advanced state, you are advised to May Transurethral resection. This will relieve the symptoms of urinary obstruction caused by enlarged prostate.

Although each of these methods has merit, side effects can be radical. Impotence and urinary incontinence are common in patients undergoing surgery.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy, whether it be outside the radiation beam is directed internally or through implanted radioactive seeds is effective in treating patients with advanced prostate cancer. Again, can cause impotence and urinary bladder and rectum.

Chemical treatments

Chemotherapy involves the introduction of toxic chemicals in cancer cells in the body. Often used when hormonal therapy is ineffective. It can relieve pain, suppression of tumor growth or can be used after surgery to destroy remaining cells.

Hormone therapy is used to slow tumor growth by changing hormone levels or blocking its receptors in the body. It is usually recommended for treating advanced cases of prostate cancer.

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Treatment of

Studies have shown that an alternative form of treatment of prostate cancer is the HIFU or High Intensity Focused Ultrasound. Cancer cells are heated to 40 ° C or more by a computer controlled probe. HIFU is most commonly used for the treatment of stage T-1 and T-2, but research is moving forward in the treatment of more advanced cases.

This is the preferred treatment in many cases because of the relatively few significant side effects arise, since the ultrasonic waves are supplied with targeting accuracy. Treatment is done on an outpatient basis, which takes 2-3 hours, with little down time and no reduction in quality of life. Cure rates are similar to surgery or radiation. While HIFU is currently available only in Canada, Europe and Japan, it should consider all people with limited authority prostate cancer.