Why Prostate Cancer Treatment Shouldn’t Be One-Size-Fits-All

For the estimated 161,000 American men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the coming year, selecting a treatment option will become a pressing concern. Fortunately, men will find there are many options available, depending on the nature of their tumor and the stage at which the diagnosis is made. Interventions are not, and should not, be one-size-fits-all.

Rather than rush headlong into any particular treatment, it is recommended that men discuss the specifics of their case carefully with their doctors. Potential treatments should also be compared before a selection is made. While the appropriateness of treatments will vary based on cancer stage and risk, men will find these options may be available to them:

• Active surveillance – This "treatment" option actually involves no treatment at all. Since many prostate cancers are very slow-growing, active surveillance may enable some men to avoid the rigors of surgery and other interventions without jeopardizing their survival chances. This option is generally open only to men whose cancers are deemed low risk and those who are willing to stick with strict monitoring protocols to ensure the nature of the cancer does not change.
• Surgery – Radical prostatectomies are recommended in many cases of prostate cancer. This procedure involves the complete removal of the cancerous prostate gland. It is associated with the potential for some side effects, including erectile dysfunction and urinary concerns.
• Radiation – External beam radiation is commonly used to treat prostate cancer either with or without surgery included in the treatment. This procedure involves the use of highly targeted radiation beams to irradiate cancerous cells. It is associated with some side effects, such as erectile dysfunction.
• Brachytherapy – This involves the use of internal radiation. The procedure calls for the implantation of tiny radioactive "seed" pellets directly into the diseased prostate. Less invasive than other options, seed implants have a strong track record of success in treating some prostate cancer cases. This treatment may also produce erectile and urinary side effects. Some patients may find that side effects remedy over time.

When prostate cancer is the diagnosis, men are strongly urged to review all treatment options carefully. The best intervention to pursue will hinge on the particulars of a man’s unique case.

a href=https://theprostateseedinstitute.com/about/dr-gregory-echtDr. Echt and his team at the Prostate Seed Institute offer the most highly sophisticated methods of radiation therapy available in the United States....