Prostate cancer treatment

• American Cancer Society. • Prostate Cancer Foundation. • National Cancer Institute. • Soylu FN, Peng Y, Jiang Y, et al. Radiology. 2013;267(3):797-806. doi:10.1148/radiol.13121319 • Wong SK, Mohamad NV, Giaze TR, Chin KY, Mohamed N, Ima-Nirwana S. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(10):2587. Published 2019 May 27. doi:10.3390/ijms20102587

Prostate cancer is the second-most diagnosed cancer in American men. About 80 percent of prostate cancers are diagnosed at a localized stage, which means that the cancer hasn’t spread outside of the prostate. The average age at the time of prostate cancer diagnosis is about 66. Compared with other men, African-American men and men with a family history of the disease are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. A man with a father or brother who had prostate cancer is twice as likely to develop the disease. According to The National Institute on Aging, prostate problems are common after age 50. However, learning more about prostate cancer and prostate-related health issues can help optimize health. Basics • • • • • • Treatments, Tests and Therapies • • • • • • • • • • • •

• Observation or Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer • Surgery for Prostate Cancer • Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer • Cryotherapy for Prostate Cancer • Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer • Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer • Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer • Targeted Drug Therapy for Prostate Cancer • Treatments for Prostate Cancer Spread to Bones Who treats prostate cancer? The main types of doctors who treat prostate cancer include: • Urologist: A surgeons who treat diseases of the urinary system and male reproductive system (including the prostate) • Radiation oncologist: A doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy • Medical oncologist: A doctor who treats cancer with medicines such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy Many other specialists may be involved in your care as well, including nurse practitioners, nurses, nutritionists, social workers, rehabilitation specialists, and other health professionals. Making treatment decisions It’s important to discuss all your treatment options, including their goals and possible side effects, with your doctors to help make the decision that best fits your needs. Some important things to consider include: • The • Your age and expected life span • Any other serious health conditions you have • Your feelings (and your doctor’s opinion) about the need to treat the cancer right away • The likelihood that treatment will cure your cancer (or help in some other way) • Your feelings about the possible si...

ON THIS PAGE: You will learn about the different types of treatments doctors use for people with prostate cancer. Use the menu to see other pages. This section explains the types of treatments, also known as therapies, that are the standard of care for prostate cancer. “Standard of care” means the best treatments known. When making treatment plan decisions, you are encouraged to discuss with your doctor whether clinical trials are an option. A clinical trial is a research study that tests a new approach to treatment. Doctors learn through clinical trials whether a new treatment is safe, effective, and possibly better than the standard treatment. Clinical trials can test a new drug, a new combination of standard treatments, or new doses of standard drugs or other treatments. Clinical trials are an option for all stages of cancer. Your doctor can help you consider all your treatment options. Learn more about clinical trials in the How prostate cancer is treated In cancer care, different types of doctors—including medical oncologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists—often work together to create an overall treatment plan that may combine different types of treatments to treat the cancer. This is called a Treatment options and recommendations depend on several factors, including the type and stage of cancer, possible side effects, and the patient’s preferences and overall health. Cancer treatment can affect adults who are 65 and older in different ways. More information on...

Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time (usually 5 years) after they were diagnosed. These rates can’t tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful. Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they can’t predict what will happen in any particular person’s case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Ask your doctor how these numbers might apply to you. What is a 5-year relative survival rate? A relative survival rate compares people with the same type and stage of cancer to people in the overall population. For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of prostate cancer is 90%, it means that men who have that cancer are, on average, about 90% as likely as men who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed. Where do these numbers come from? The American Cancer Society relies on information from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to provide survival statistics for different types of cancer. The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates for prostate cancer in the United States, based on how far th...

At MD Anderson, you receive customized care that is planned by some of the nation’s leading prostate cancer experts. Your personal team of specialists works together at every step to be sure you receive the most advanced therapies with the fewest possible side effects. Through our Prostate cancer treatments Your treatment plan will depend on a variety of factors, including: • Overall health and well-being • Age • Grade and associated risk of your cancer • Goals for treatment outcomes Talk with your doctor about which treatments are available and how those treatments may affect you. One or more of the following therapies may be used to treat your cancer. Active surveillance or watchful waiting Because prostate cancer usually grows slowly, doctors may recommend some patients not be treated. These patients are typically older and/or have a very low-risk form of prostate cancer. Instead, these patients can be put on active surveillance, or “watchful waiting.” This approach involves closely monitoring the cancer without treatment. Prostate biopsy procedures and PSA tests are repeated at set intervals. Treatment may be recommended if the tests show the disease is progressing. Prostate cancer surgery Nearly all prostate cancer surgeries at MD Anderson are minimally invasive procedures performed with surgical robots. These surgeries result in smaller incisions, less blood loss, less pain and shorter hospital stays. Surgery for prostate cancer usually requires an overnight hospital...

Prostate cancer is categorized into four stages that indicate severity and spread. Stages 1 and 2 are known as localized or early-stage cancer; stage 3 is called locally advanced cancer, and stage 4, or advanced cancer, is the most severe. If identified and treated promptly, most cases of prostate cancer can be effectively managed. jarun011 / Getty Images Prostate Cancer Symptoms: What Are the Signs? Prostate cancer can be challenging to diagnose in its early stages since it may not cause many symptoms. There can also be considerable variation in how it presents from person to person. Primarily, the symptoms occur when cancerous tumor growth obstructs the What Causes Prostate Cancer? Prostate cancer arises when there are changes in the genes of prostate cells. These mutations cause genes that code for cell division ( oncogenes) to be more active while hampering others that regulate growth and repair DNA (tumor suppressor genes). As a result, affected cells (malignant, or cancerous, cells) grow uncontrollably and can spread to other body parts. Researchers aren’t exactly sure what triggers this process. Black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer and are twice as likely to die from the low-grade disease, compared to their white counterparts. This is due to less access to screening, longer delays between diagnosis and treatment, and a lack of diversity in clinical research. Prostate Cancer Screening and Early Detection Most prostate cancer cases are detected through...