Treating Prostate Cancer  

Your treatment for prostate cancer will depend on your individual circumstances.

For many men with prostate cancer, no treatment will be necessary. Active surveillance or “watchful waiting” will mean keeping an eye on the cancer and starting treatment only if the cancer shows signs of getting worse or causing symptoms.

When treatment is necessary, the aim is to cure or control the disease so it doesn’t shorten life expectancy and affects everyday life as little as possible. Sometimes, if the cancer has already spread, the aim is not to cure it, but to prolong life and delay symptoms.

Your Cancer Care Team

People with cancer should be cared for by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). This is a team of specialists who work together to provide the best care and treatment.

The team often consists of a specialist cancer surgeon, an oncologist (a radiotherapy and chemotherapy specialist), a radiologist, pathologist, radiographer and a specialist nurse. Other members may include a physiotherapist, dietitian and occupational therapist. You may also have access to clinical psychology support.

When deciding what treatment is best for you, your doctors will consider:

  • The type and size of the cancer
  • What grade it is
  • Your general health
  • Whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body

Good Prostate Cancer Care

Your MDT will be able to recommend what they feel are the best treatment options, but ultimately the decision is yours.

Your MDT should also let you know about any clinical trials you may be eligible for.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has made recommendations about treatments offered to men with the three main stages of prostate cancer:

  • Localised prostate cancer (cancer that is just in the prostate gland)
  • Locally advanced prostate cancer (cancer that has spread beyond the prostate capsule, but is still connected to the prostate gland)
  • Relapsed (cancer that has returned after treatment) and metastatic prostate cancer (cancer that has spread outside the prostate gland, with no remaining link to the original cancer in the prostate gland)

Doctors will use the results of your prostate examination, biopsy and scans to identify the “stage” of your prostate cancer (how far the cancer has spread). The stage of the cancer will determine which types of treatments will be necessary.

A widely used method of staging is a number staging system. The stages are:

  • Stage 1 – the cancer is very small and completely within the prostate gland
  • Stage 2 – the cancer is within the prostate gland, but is larger
  • Stage 3 – the cancer has spread from the prostate and may have grown into the tubes that carry semen
  • Stage 4 – the cancer has spread into the lymph nodes or another part of the body, including the bladder, rectum or bones; about 20-30% of cases are diagnosed at this stage

If prostate cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the chances of survival are generally good. About 90% of men diagnosed at stages 1 or 2 will live at least five more years and 65-90% will live for at least 10 more years.

If you are diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer, you have a 70-80% of chance of living for at least five more years.

However, if you are diagnosed when your prostate cancer has reached stage 4, there is only a 30% chance you will live for at least five more years.

Read More ON:

Prostate Cancer
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Causes of Prostate Cancer
Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
Bladder Cancer
Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
Causes of Bladder Cancer
Diagnosing Bladder Cancer
Treatment of Bladder Cancer
Preventing Bladder Cancer
Bowel Cancer
Diagnosing Bowel Cancer
Symptoms of Bowel Cancer
Causes of Bowel Cancer
Bowel Cancer Screening
Treating Bowel Cancer
Preventing Bowel Cancer
Living With Bowel Cancer
Bone Cancer
Symptoms of Bone Cancer
Diagnosing Bone Cancer
Treating Bone Cancer
Causes of Bone Cancer
Liver Cancer
Causes of Liver Cancer
Diagnosing Liver Cancer
Treating Liver Cancer

 
SOURCE: NHS UK

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cancer-of-the-prostate/Pages/Treatment.aspx