General Facts About Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

By Nancy Gardner


The number of people diagnosed with cancer has been on the rise over the years. This can be mostly attributed to the fact that most people are embracing a certain lifestyle that is likely to increase chances of one getting the disease. One of the common kinds of this disease today is cancer of the prostate gland. It is important to note that this ailment is mostly common among the older people within the society. Early diagnosis and quick access to treatment can save a life thus it is important to know about prostate cancer treatment options.

Men who often have pains when urinating can be among those who get diagnosed with this disease. Other symptoms include back and pelvis pains that do not go away. Also, blood in urine can be an indication that you may be having prostate cancer. People often wait until it is too late before they see medical attention. Like all other cases of cancer, early diagnosis can save a life.

Cancer of the prostate gland in the male reproductive organ is as deadly as other cancers especially once it spreads to other parts of the body. The most common symptoms of this disease include inflammation of the prostate gland, back and pelvis pains, burning sensation when urinating, weak urine flow and dizziness. It is important to get early diagnosis as it is at that phase that the disease is manageable.

Diagnosis can be done by medical practitioners by using machines such as MRI and trans rectal ultrasound equipment or by conducting physical checks. It is important to note that these methods are confirmed by getting tissue samples from the prostate gland. After confirming that a patient has this disease, doctors first determine the extent of the disease so as to know if the cancer is localized or not.

After confirming that one has this disease, the next step in treatment is to determine if it is localized or if it has spread. This is a very crucial stage as this actually determines the choice of treatment methods to be used. IF the diagnosis is made early before the cancerous cells have spread, the prostate gland is surgically removed to prevent spreading of the malignant cells to other parts of the body.

It is important to note that the method of treatment use to deal with the disease often depends on the stage at which diagnosis has been made and if the cancer cells have spread or not. In the case of localized cancer, Prostatectomy can be done. During this process, the prostate gland is surgically removed so as to prevent spreading of the malignant cells to other body parts. After this procedure, a patient undergoes radiotherapy to ensure that any remaining malignant cells in the surrounding tissues die.

In the event that the cancer has spread to other body parts, drastic measures are taken to try to manage the cancer as the patient is at a critical stage. At this point a patient may undergo both radiotherapy and chemotherapy so at to deal with the cells that have spread to other body parts. In order to increase the chances of survival of a patient, strict doses of radiation and other medication can be administered to reduce spreading of the disease.

This method seeks to freeze cancerous cells and then thaw them. This often results in destruction of the malignant cells. In the event that the cancer has spread, a strict dose of radiation together with chemotherapy is used. At this point, the patient is carefully monitored so as to ensure all the spreading is contained. It is important to note that patients who reach such a point have minimal chances of survival.




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