Prostate Cancer Treatment: What Are Your Options?

08 Jul

Prostate cancer affects men in the United States more than any other forms of cancer. The possibilities for American men to get a prostate cancer are about 30 percent. Once men reach 50 years old, the cells in their prostate glands may become cancerous. This happens in 1 out of 4 men. The ratio jumps to 1 in 2 when they reach 80 years old. The older you are, the higher the risk of developing prostate cancer. Therefore, prostate cancer usually affects older men.

As you age, the prostate may become larger. This will block the urethra or bladder. As a result, you find it difficult to urinate. Sometimes, you may experience erectile dysfunction. At this stage, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) develops. It is not cancerous. The symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia may resemble the signs of prostate cancer. If left untreated, it can gradually progress to cancer.

Compared to other cancers, you tend to die with prostate cancer. The risk of death from prostate cancer is only 3 percent. Many men fail to receive proper prostate cancer treatment because they do not act early enough. If your doctor can detect this cancer early, your prognosis or chances of recovery are high. However, once the cancer spreads beyond the gland, it become difficult to treat. Even without treatment, you may not die of the prostate cancer. Nevertheless, it is better to treat it than taking the risk of death in the 3 percent group.

Each treatment for prostate cancer relies on several factors.

The rate of the cancer growth
The stage of the cancer
Your age, health condition, and life expectancy
The side effects of the treatment
Your Gleason score and the level of PSA
New or recurrent cancer

The 4 types of standard prostate cancer treatment are

Radiation therapy
Hormone therapy
Radical prostatectomy
Watchful waiting

Other treatments for prostate cancer under clinical trials are

Cryotherapy
Chemotherapy
Biologic therapy
High-intensity focused ultrasound

You can enjoy a higher chance of recovery with fewer side effects if the prostate cancer is discovered early and is not spread beyond the prostate gland.