prostate cancer: Treatment

Very small cancers or slow-growing cancers in older men are now often watched and not treated unless there are changes in test results; most men who have prostate cancer do not usually die from it even if it is not treated. For most other patients with localized tumors, surgical removal of the prostate gland (prostatectomy) is the initial treatment, despite possible side effects of urinary incontinence and impotence. After surgery, a repeated blood test for protein-specific antigen can indicate whether any cancer remains. In metastatic disease, other treatments are employed depending on the stage of the disease and the age and health of the patient. Treatment options include external-beam radiation, implantation of radioactive isotopes, and palliative surgery. Hormonal manipulation by giving estrogens or other drugs, or by orchiectomy (removal of the testes), is sometimes used to decrease levels of testosterone.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Treatment
• Screening and Diagnosis
• Bibliography

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