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Prostate Cancer Treatment
- Published 02/2/2007
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Prostate Cancer Treatment
The first sign of prostate problems is a decrease in urine flow. It is common as men age and their prostate enlarges and puts pressure on the urethra. For some men it will be one of the first signs of prostate cancer.
1 in 6 men will likely be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Of those men, 33 out of 34 will survive this common cancer among men. Survival rates increase with early detection and treatment. It is a common cancer in men, second only to skin cancer. It also is the second leading cause of death from cancer in men, the first is lung cancer.
The sooner that prostate cancer is diagnosed-the sooner treatment can begin. Symptoms to be aware of:
Frequent need to urinate especially at night
Difficulty in controlling urine
Erection problems
Painful ejaculations
Burning or discomfort when urinating
Diagnosis is made by an exam, blood test, ultra-sound, and biopsy. After diagnosis, treatments will begin. Knowing as much as possible about treatment options will help you choose the most effective treatment plan with your doctor.
Surgery
The tumor is isolated and removed. A skilled surgeon is important to spare the nerves and preserve erectile function. The most common type of surgery is radical retropubic prostatectomy, where the surgeon goes behind the pubic bone to remove the prostate. The urethra is then stitched to the bladder.
Laparoscopic surgery
The prostate is removed in a similar way as traditional surgery, the difference is in the incisions, this surgery has a few, much smaller incisions. It is less invasive but requires a more skilled surgeon to perform the surgery. The healing time and scaring is reduced with this prostate cancer treatment.
Radiation
High-powered X-rays target the cancer cells and effectively kill them. Sometimes healthy surrounding tissue may be damaged. With new techniques, the beam can be precisely aimed at the prostate cancer tumor.
Radioactive seed implants
Rice size, radioactive seeds are implanted into the prostrate. There can be 40-100 seeds injected into the prostate, which do not need to be removed when they no longer emit radiation.
Early detection is the key to any treatment being successful.
1 in 6 men will likely be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Of those men, 33 out of 34 will survive this common cancer among men. Survival rates increase with early detection and treatment. It is a common cancer in men, second only to skin cancer. It also is the second leading cause of death from cancer in men, the first is lung cancer.
The sooner that prostate cancer is diagnosed-the sooner treatment can begin. Symptoms to be aware of:
Diagnosis is made by an exam, blood test, ultra-sound, and biopsy. After diagnosis, treatments will begin. Knowing as much as possible about treatment options will help you choose the most effective treatment plan with your doctor.
Surgery
The tumor is isolated and removed. A skilled surgeon is important to spare the nerves and preserve erectile function. The most common type of surgery is radical retropubic prostatectomy, where the surgeon goes behind the pubic bone to remove the prostate. The urethra is then stitched to the bladder.
Laparoscopic surgery
The prostate is removed in a similar way as traditional surgery, the difference is in the incisions, this surgery has a few, much smaller incisions. It is less invasive but requires a more skilled surgeon to perform the surgery. The healing time and scaring is reduced with this prostate cancer treatment.
Radiation
High-powered X-rays target the cancer cells and effectively kill them. Sometimes healthy surrounding tissue may be damaged. With new techniques, the beam can be precisely aimed at the prostate cancer tumor.
Radioactive seed implants
Rice size, radioactive seeds are implanted into the prostrate. There can be 40-100 seeds injected into the prostate, which do not need to be removed when they no longer emit radiation.
Early detection is the key to any treatment being successful.