Prostate Cancer
If you or one of your loved ones have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you probably have questions. We address some of the most common questions below, but know that you can always contact us if you don’t find the answers you need here. Our resources page also provides additional information.
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is the mutation of cells within a man’s prostate, a small gland nestled between the bladder and rectum, surrounding the urethra. Like any cancer, this can be dangerous if left untreated, leading to a chance of the cancer spreading, or metastasizing, to other areas within a person’s body. Once having spread to other areas of the body, cancer cells can mutate further, allowing them to spread further and have the potential to cause great harm.
While it is often very slow-growing, prostate cancer can still be deadly if left untreated for long periods of time. Meeting regularly with a team of trusted healthcare professionals is vital in making sure that any prostate cancer cases are detected early and treated effectively.
Prostate Cancer
If you or one of your loved ones have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you probably have questions. We address some of the most common questions below, but know that you can always contact us if you don’t find the answers you need here. Our resources page also provides additional information.
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is the mutation of cells within a man’s prostate, a small gland nestled between the bladder and rectum, surrounding the urethra. Like any cancer, this can be dangerous if left untreated, leading to a chance of the cancer spreading, or metastasizing, to other areas within a person’s body. Once having spread to other areas of the body, cancer cells can mutate further, allowing them to spread further and have the potential to cause great harm.
While it is often very slow-growing, prostate cancer can still be deadly if left untreated for long periods of time. Meeting regularly with a team of trusted healthcare professionals is vital in making sure that any prostate cancer cases are detected early and treated effectively.
Prostate cancer is very common, with over 288,000 new diagnoses across the United States in 2023. When detected early, particularly before spreading to other areas of the body or only having spread to some areas near the prostate, the 5-year survival rate of prostate cancer patients is over 99%, meaning that most patients will enter remission or even be cancer-free if they are undergoing regular screening and testing. Make sure that you are following the suggestions for prostate cancer screening provided by your physician and inform them right away if you have a family history of prostate cancer or if you think you may be showing symptoms.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Because prostate cancer is so slow moving, many patients may notice little to no symptoms despite having prostate cancer. Meeting with your physician regularly to check-in regarding prostate cancer is extremely important, as it will help you detect signs of prostate cancer that you may not even be aware of. Reach out to your health team if you notice any signs of prostate cancer, including (but not limited to) the following:
Because prostate cancer is so slow moving, many patients may notice little to no symptoms despite having prostate cancer. Meeting with your physician regularly to check-in regarding prostate cancer is extremely important, as it will help you detect signs of prostate cancer that you may not even be aware of. Reach out to your health team if you notice any signs of prostate cancer, including (but not limited to) the following:
Pain with or difficulty urinating
Early detection of these symptoms, in combination with other testing of factors such as Prostate-Specific Antigen, or PSA levels, can make a huge difference in detecting prostate cancer early and treating the cancer before it spreads elsewhere in the body. Patients should also notify their physician if they have a family history of prostate cancer, as this can often (but not always) increase the likelihood of a person having prostate cancer themselves at some point in life.
Patients should also be proactive about undergoing regular screening and appointments with healthcare professionals if they have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the past. Even if a patient is diagnosed as in remission or cancer-free, there is still a chance that prostate cancer could return at some point in the future. This is called recurrent prostate cancer, occurring in about 20-30% of patients. It is crucial to continue following the screening procedures established between you and your health team, even after having completed an initial cancer treatment and being told that you’re in remission or cancer-free. Prostate cancer recurrence can be difficult for patients to process and come to terms with, but can still be treated effectively if detected early.
Types of prostate cancer treatments
Once diagnosed, there are many different techniques that can be used to successfully treat prostate cancer. The method used for treating an individual case is usually decided based on what stage of growth the cancer is currently at, whether or not the cancer has spread elsewhere in the body, whether or not the patient has had a previous diagnosis of prostate cancer, as well as whether the patient has a family history of prostate cancer. Working with a qualified, dedicated team of healthcare professionals to create a treatment plan that is tailored to a patient’s individual needs is crucial in treating prostate cancer quickly and effectively.
One highly effective type of treatment for prostate cancer is Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, or IMRT. IMRT for prostate cancer uses a linear accelerator machine to target a person’s prostate and deliver controlled doses of radiation from a variety of angles, irradiating the cancer cells within and around the prostate and killing them to avoid future mutation or growth.
Another type of treatment for prostate cancer is brachytherapy, or prostate cancer treatment seeds. This process includes the insertion of small, metal seeds into a patient’s prostate. These seeds stay implanted in and around the prostate and slowly release controlled doses of radiation into the area over the course of several months. This allows the cancer cells to be irradiated and prevented from spreading. For some patients, brachytherapy can be a suitable alternative to attending regular radiation sessions.
Other types of prostate cancer treatment include Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT). Each of these treatment options have individual strengths and uses, usually based upon the dose of radiation that a patient requires and whether or not their cancer has spread to other areas of the body.
For some patients, undergoing either surgery or radiation may be suitable for treating their cancer. In many cases, patients may undergo a combination of both surgery and radiation to provide the best possible outcome and decrease the likelihood of any potential spreading of cancer cells. Every prostate cancer case is different, and treatment should be customized to fit an individual patient’s accommodations and needs.
Schedule Your Appointment Today
If you have been referred for radiation therapy, the choice of where to receive treatment is yours. Our Brockton clinic offers the advanced treatments you need at a convenient location. Call us today to book a consultation.