Your Cancer Action: Treatment Options
You want to learn as much as you can about cancer care in order to make the most
informed decision possible. So, don’t hesitate to reach out for the information
and support you need. It’s important to communicate openly with your healthcare
team so that you can find – and follow – the most appropriate treatment options
for you.
Questions to ask your doctor
As part of the Yes, I Can program, you will receive a Doctor Discussion
Guide that will help you know the important questions to ask. Take a moment to
enroll, and you’ll get your Discussion Guide, along with e-mail updates on chemotherapy,
and much more.
Enroll now in Yes, I Can. Click here.
Types of treatment
Prostate cancer is complex. Because it often grows slowly, older men may never need
treatment involving surgery or radiation – this is called "watchful waiting", or
"expectant waiting". During this time, regular tests are done to monitor the cancer.
Contact your healthcare provider if you would like to understand more about the
pros and cons of watchful waiting.
Surgery
There are 2 types of surgery used most often for prostate cancer: radical prostatectomy,
and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). In a radical prostatectomy,
the whole prostate gland and some tissue around it are removed. This operation is
performed to try to cure the cancer. A TURP is used mostly to relieve urinary symptoms.
It involves removing the part of the prostate that’s pressing on the urethra.
Another type of surgery called "cryosurgery" is sometimes used to treat prostate
cancer that has not spread. In this treatment, cold metal probes are used to freeze
the cancer cells.
Radiation
Radiation kills or shrinks cancer cells with high-energy rays, such as x-rays. There
are 2 main types: external beam radiation, and brachytherapy. With external beam
radiation, radiation is focused on the affected area of the body. The treatment
is fast and painless; men are typically given 5 treatments a week in an outpatient
center for 7 to 9 weeks. With brachytherapy, radioactive "seeds" are placed
directly into the prostate. Alternately, high-dose brachytherapy uses soft tubes
to deliver radioactive substance to the prostate.
Hormone therapy
Male hormones, or androgens, make prostate cancer cells grow. With hormone therapy,
the levels of androgens are lowered, and that often makes prostate cancer shrink
or grow more slowly. While hormone therapy can control the cancer, it is not a cure;
prostate cancers become resistant to hormone therapy over time.
Chemotherapy
If your healthcare provider has suggested chemotherapy, you should feel assured
that this treatment decision is based on medical science and what is right for your
individual situation.
Chemotherapy puts cancer-killing drugs into your bloodstream. Chemo can be
given in many ways:
- Injection. Chemotherapy is given by a shot in
a muscle in your arm, thigh, or hip or right under the skin in the fatty part of
your arm, leg, or belly.
- Intra-arterial (IA). Chemotherapy goes directly
into the artery that is feeding the cancer.
- Intraperitoneal (IP). The chemotherapy goes directly
into the peritoneal cavity (the area that contains organs such as your intestines,
stomach, liver, and ovaries).
- Intravenous (IV). The chemotherapy goes directly
into a vein.
- Topically. The chemotherapy comes in a cream
that you rub onto your skin.
- Orally. The chemotherapy comes in pills, capsules,
or liquids that you swallow.
In the past, chemo wasn’t viewed as very effective in treating prostate cancer.
Now, though, chemotherapy drugs that are used to treat advanced prostate cancer
have been shown to relieve symptoms. Chemotherapy may be considered if prostate
cancer has spread, or if it isn’t responsive to hormone therapy (specifically in
androgen-independent prostate cancer or AIPC). Though chemo doesn’t usually cure
prostate cancer, it may slow the cancer growth and ease symptoms.
Side effects: facts and reassurance
Because chemo drugs kill cancer cells, they also affect some normal cells. This
can lead to side effects. The most common side effects experienced by those with
prostate cancer are: nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, hair loss, and mouth
sores. There may also be increased risk of infection, a tendency to bleed or bruise
after minor cuts or injuries, and fatigue.
"Will I have side effects?" "What will they be like?" Most people ask these questions
before starting chemo. Here are some reassuring things to keep in mind:
- Not everyone gets every single side effect.
- Different people experience different intensities of side effects. Ask your healthcare
team which side effects are likely with your chemo, how long they may last, and
what to do about them.
- Your doctor may prescribe medicines to help prevent some side effects from occuring.
- For many people, chemo side effects are a short-term issue, not a long-term problem.
Remember: you have to weigh the potential side effects of chemo against its ability
to treat cancer.
Find out more
To find out more about side effects, including detailed information on managing
side effects, and other cancer topics affecting your life, enroll in Yes, I Can.
Click here
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