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Prostate cancer is a
controllable, slow growing but deadly form
of cancer that occurs in men, most of whom
are over the age of 50. If caught early,
especially before it has spread beyond the
prostate gland itself, this is an eminently
curable cancer.
The causes of this
form of cancer are not well understood at
the moment, but certain factors have been
identified. Heredity and diet are chief
among the known contributors, and a
reduced-fat diet rich in tomato products and
vitamin E appears to discourage the disease.
This cancer usually
strikes men later in life, and since it
advances so slowly, some will die from other
causes never knowing they had it. But when
we say "strikes" that means symptoms, and
that usually means it is too late for the
simpler forms of treatment.
These are some of the
treatments:
Radical Prostatectomy
- the surgical removal of the prostate gland
and the seminal vesicles. Cancer that has
not spread outside the prostate is commonly
treated with this method.
Radiation Therapy -
there are two types of radiation therapy:
external-beam irradiation and implantation
of radioactive pellets (seeds). The seed
implantation procedure is called brachytherapy.
Hormone Therapy - this
can be given by either shots or surgery.
Medications used for these shots may include
female hormones or drugs known as LHRH-agonists
or nonsteroidal anti-androgens.
Watchful Waiting -
many prostate cancers are small and grow
slowly and it may not be necessary to treat
the tumor. So no treatment is given and
frequent checks by the doctor are used to
monitor the tumor.
We want you to know
all of the treatment options available to
you. We will provide information about all
treatments as soon as they become available
so that you may discuss them with your
physician. |
