Prostate Cancer Treatment
Prostate cancer, like any other cancerous condition of the mesenchymal tissues, can be treated with the help of the traditional triad that is used in cancer treatment. This traditional but effective triad consists of surgical management, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, there are some new treatment methodologies that are being tested and these happen to be quite promising. However, most of these are still in their initial clinical trial stage. This can be a good thing for those who would like to get themselves registered for clinical trials, as many oncology centers can offer new hope to patients of prostate cancer and also, volunteering for clinical trials is a noble thing to do in itself.
However, for those who choose not to go for clinical trials, or for those who cannot opt for these trials because of certain stringent qualifying prerequisites, the traditional treatment methodologies can work out quite well, provided the cancer was diagnosed at a relatively early stage.
Early stage or benign tumors can be left alone as they tend to regress or at least do not grow further. These, however, have to be periodically examined and the official status of ‘watch and wait’ has to be followed religiously, especially the 'watch' part.
Surgery can be carried out in patients who are otherwise healthy and present no or very minor clinical complications which do not make surgical procedure contra indicatory. Young patients are preferably treated by surgical excision of the cancerous growth. Shortening of the length of the penis by 1 to 2 cm and sometimes impotence are some infrequent complications.
TURP or Trans Urethral Resection of the Prostate is a surgical procedure that is employed in cases where the poor health status of the patient does not allow him to go for an open excisional surgery. This procedure is least invasive as the cannula is inserted through the urethra, and therefore the complications that are sometimes encountered in an open surgery are averted. This can also be used as an initial stage surgery before the open surgery, and is also used in cases where the small growth is detected at its initial stage.
Prostatectomy is a surgical procedure in which the prostate gland is removed. This can be either radical prostatectomy, in which the involved and nearby lymph nodes are removed along with the prostate gland, or it can be non radical. Seminal vessels and surrounding tissue is also removed during radical prostatectomy. This operation can be performed via incisions given through either the perineum, in which case it is called perineal prostatectomy, or the incision may be given in the abdominal wall, in a procedure which is known as retro pubic prostatectomy.
Cryosurgery, or surgery with the help of super cooled instruments and below subzero temperature which aids in killing off the cancer cells, is becoming more and more popular. Chemotherapy, hormone therapy and radiation therapy are also used as adjuncts to the surgical procedures performed. Sometimes, in cases where the cancer has been detected in its initial stage surgery is not required.