What You Must Know About Prostate Cancer Treatment Options Before You Decide

Prostate cancer can be a very frightening diagnosis, but in the majority of cases the outcome is positive if it’s treated early. What treatment is appropriate for you will depend on the stage of your cancer and the advice of your clinician.

Watching and waiting

If you have a low grade stage I or Stage II cancer, no symptoms, and it has not spread, your doctor may recommend watching and waiting. If you do want treatment, then radiation therapy or surgical removal of the prostate may be recommended.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy can be either External Beam or Brachytherapy. In External Beam therapy, careful measurements are taken and the beams are aimed at the prostrate from different angles, by a machine moving around the body. Treatment typically last 5 days a week, for several weeks and side effects can include bowel, urinary or erection problems as well as tiredness and fluid collection in the legs.

Brachytherapy uses small radioactive pellets that are inserted directly into the prostate. This may not be appropriate for men with large prostate glands or other issues so an ultrasound will determine suitability. The pellets are inserted under local or general anesthetic and possible side effects are bowel, urinary and erection problems. They can be inserted temporarily as a high-dose option, or permanently for a longer low-dose effect.

Stage III cancers may be treated by a combination of radiation and hormone therapy or surgery.

Chemotherapy

Treatment of Stage IV cancer where it has spread to nearby areas or lymph nodes, may include all of the above options in the initial stages, but may also involve chemotherapy along with hormone treatment. Chemotherapy is given intravenously in clinic, in cycles that typically last a few weeks. Each cycle is followed by a rest period to allow the body to recover and side effects can be hair loss, mouth sores, nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, increased risk of infections and fatigue, depending on the drug used.