There are many ways to treat prostate cancer. The choice of treatment depends on the stage of the cancer (whether it affects part of the prostate, involves the whole prostate, or has spread to other parts of the body). It also depends on your father's age and general health. How you feel about the benefits and side effects of the various treatments is also very important.
The following are three standard treatment choices for cancer that has not spread beyond the prostate:
- Watchful waiting. If the cancer is growing slowly and not causing problems, your dad may decide not to have treatment right away. Instead, your doctor will check you regularly for changes in your condition. Older men with other medical problems often choose this option.
- Surgery. The most common type of surgery is a radical prostatectomy. The surgeon takes out the whole prostate and some nearby tissues. Side effects may include loss of sexual function (impotence) or problems holding urine (incontinence). Sometimes incontinence goes away within a year of surgery. But some men continue to have problems and have to wear a pad. An operation called nerve-sparing surgery gives some men a better chance of keeping their sexual function.
- Radiation therapy. This treatment uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. There are two kinds of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy is beamed into the prostate from a machine outside the body. Internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy) uses radioactive "seeds" that are placed in the prostate, into or near the tumor itself. Like surgery, radiation therapy can cause problems with impotence. Radiation is not as likely to cause urinary incontinence as surgery. But it can cause rectal problems such as pain and soreness, rectal urgency, and trouble controlling bowel movements (fecal incontinence).
In addition, after radiation therapy, some men are treated with hormone therapy. This is used when chances are high that the cancer will come back. Hormone therapy is also used for prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate. Side effects of hormone treatments include hot flashes, loss of sexual function, and loss of desire for sex.
Protecting Yourself
The following can be signs of prostate cancer. Keep in mind that they are much more likely to be caused by benign diseases than by cancer.
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Blood in urine or semen
- Painful or burning urination
- Difficulty in urinating
- Not being able to urinate
- Painful ejaculation
- Frequent pain or stiffness in lower back, hips or upper thighs
- Dribbling of urine
If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away.
The National Aging Institute is a U.S. federal government agency that provides accurate, up-to-date information about all aspect of aging research, information about clinical trials, educational materials and resources about aging for the general public, and information for researchers and health professionals.