Two Prostate Cancer Treatments

Medical experts will diagnose nearly a quarter of a million American men with prostate cancer this year alone.  Although the disease can result in fatalities, most victims will be successfully treated using one of a few common techniques.  Doctors frequently prescribe surgical solutions or radiation therapy following the diagnosis of prostate cancer.  Let us evaluate these two common methods of treating prostate cancer:

Surgical options involve the removal of the cancerous tumor.  The success of surgery is, in large measure, based upon the overall health of the patient and the exact nature of the prostate cancer.  Most patients recover completely from prostate surgery in a relatively short period. 

Complications will occasionally arise.  The most commonly encountered problems are impotence and incontinence, but the majority of patients experience complication-free surgeries.  In some cases, surgery may not be possible due to the nature or location of the cancer.  In these situations, radiation therapy may provide a workable alternative.

Radiation therapy is usually performed in one of two ways.  Either radiation is externally applied using a device similar to an x-ray machine or it is actually injected into the prostate in the form of small “seeds” containing radioactive materials.  This method of prostate cancer treatment is popular both because of its enviable success rate and because it is non-invasive. 

Side effects associated with radiation therapy for prostate cancer are usually fairly mild.  Some patients do experience discomfort or fatigues, however.

Although other approaches to prostate cancer are used (including hormone treatments, non-traditional approaches and what is termed “watchful waiting”) surgery and radiation the two most recognized methods.