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LIFESTYLE
DISEASES |
The Best Prostate Cancer Treatment for Each
Type of Patient
By
Trevor Mulholland
Whether a therapeutic technique is the best
prostate cancer treatment for a patient depends on
various factors. In selecting the treatment, a
patient and his doctor should take into
consideration the patient's age and expected life
span, the stage and grade of the cancer, possible
side effects and other health problems that the
patient might have.
One of the best prostate cancer treatment
techniques, particularly for older men and those
who suffer from other serious illnesses, is the
expectant management or watchful waiting method.
Watchful waiting involves the close monitoring of
the cancer through prostate specific antigen
testing. It does not involve active treatments
like surgery and radiation therapy and is
recommended mostly to those who have no symptoms.
It is also used when the cancer is contained
within one area of the prostate gland and is
expected to grow very slowly.
Another option available to prostate cancer
patients is surgery. This can be radical
retropubic prostatectomy, radical perineal
prostatectomy, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy
(LRP) or transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).
In retropubic prostatectomy, the surgeon makes an
incision in the lower abdomen to remove the
prostate gland. Lymph nodes around the prostate
might also be removed depending on whether the
cancer has spread to these parts. In perineal
prostatectomy, the incision is made in the
perineum or the skin between anus and scrotum.
This procedure is use less often because the lymph
nodes cannot be removed and there is a high
probability that the nerves will be affected.
LRP, on the other hand, involves the use of
several smaller incisions and specialized
instruments. This highly complex procedure is
known for its high precision and control. In the
hands of experienced surgeons, it becomes an
advantageous option compared with retropubic and
perineal prostatectomy. TURP, meanwhile, makes use
of an instrument called a resectoscope which is
passed through the end of the penis into the
urethra at the level of the prostate. The
electricity that passes through the instrument
cuts or vaporizes the issue in the prostate. TURP
is done to relieve symptoms and is also used for
benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Radiation therapy is the method in which
high-energy rays or particles are used to kill
cancer cells. This, like surgical procedures, is
another example of a highly developed method of
dealing with cancer. Radiation therapy is
classified into two main types, the external beam
radiation therapy (ERBT) and brachytherapy.
In treating localized prostate cancer, a procedure
called crysosurgery is sometimes used. It involves
the freezing of the tissues using very cold gases.
Aside from cryosurgery, hormone therapy and
chemotherapy are also options that prostate cancer
patients can explore. Hormone therapy does not
cure cancer but is primarily used to lower levels
of male hormones in a patient's body.
Chemotherapy, meanwhile, is a procedure more
commonly used in cases when the cancer has spread
beyond the prostate gland.
Choosing the best prostate cancer treatment
depends on a lot of factors. What is considered
appropriate for one patient might not be good for
another, that's why options should be discussed in
detail with doctors before proceeding to the
treatment stage.
Mensglands.com provides you with info on best prostate cancer treatment, its treatments and symptoms and how to overcome or reduce the risk of getting it. http://www.mensglands.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Mulholland
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