Prostate Cancer Treatments

How is prostate cancer treated?

Treatment of prostate cancer begins with seeking regular medical care throughout your life. Regular medical care allows a health care professional to provide early screening tests. Regular medical care also provides an opportunity for your health care professional to promptly evaluate symptoms and your risks for developing prostate cancer.

Treatment of cancer is based on its aggressiveness, the extent to which it has spread, and patient wishes. For some men, it is a slow-growing cancer that can be closely observed over time. For others, it is more aggressive and may have spread to other areas of the body, in which case more intensive therapy is warranted.

Goal of cancer treatment

For early cancers, the goal of prostate cancer treatment is to permanently cure the cancer or to bring about a complete remission of the disease. Remission means that there is no longer any sign of the disease in the body, although it may recur or relapse later. In the later stages, the goal is often to control cancer spread, alleviate symptoms, provide comfort, and extend life.

Common treatments for prostate cancer

Many options are available for treating prostate cancer including:

• Chemotherapy to attack cancer cells
• Hormonal therapy to slow the growth of the cancer
• Participation in a clinical trial testing promising new therapies for prostate cancer
• Radiation therapy to attack cancer cells
• Surgery to remove the cancer
• Targeted therapy to attack cancer cells
• Watchful waiting to identify when to start treatment if necessary

Other treatments for prostate cancer

Other therapies may be added to help with your general state of health and any complications of the cancer or its treatment. These therapies include:

• Antinausea medications if nausea occurs
• Dietary counseling to help maintain strength and nutritional status
• Pain medications as needed to increase comfort