Treatments for Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer is nothing but the development of a tumor especially on the prostate gland that is located in the lower pelvic region which is below the urinary bladder. Normally, men suffers from prostate cancer than women, treatment for the prostate cancer includes radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, surgeries etc. The best effective treatment for an individual is selected based on various factors. Those factors give the information regarding the width and depth of the disease, and also depend on factors like age, side effects, sex etc. Some of the most common treatments for prostate cancer are:

Radiation Therapy

In this type of treatment, an X-ray beam is used to destroy the cancerous cells which divide spontaneously at an alarming rate. Specially designed software known as Computer imaging software targets the area that is greatly affected by the cancerous cells, and is subjected to the X-ray radiation. Hence, this plays an important role in minimizing the harm due to the cancerous cells and improves the status of the healthy tissues. The treatment is given only for few minutes and it is continued for five days in a week. The treatment requires no anesthesia since no pain is involved in the process. But it has its own side effects due to the radiation and some of them are problems during urination, loose stool etc. These symptoms gradually disappear once you finish the full course of the treatment.

Hormonal Therapy

This type of treatment is used when cancerous cells are witnessed in the region of testicles. The main function of the testicle is to produce testosterone. This hormonal therapy blocks the release of the hormone testosterone by Testicles since testosterone stimulates the spreading of cancerous cells. A doctor normally injects the medicine into the muscles and the therapy is done every 3 to 4 months. Advanced prostate cancer is treated by prescribing the hormonal tablets that are taken orally 3 to 4 times a day. The medication helps to shrink the physical size of the tumor by slowing down the growth rate of the cancerous cells. This therapy has side effects like enlargement of breasts, hot flashes, weight gain etc.

Radical Prostatectomy

The treatment mainly includes surgeries to remove prostate gland and also the affected lymph nodes. There are two kinds of procedures in the radical prostatectomy and they are retropubic and perineal surgery. After either of the surgeries, a surgeon inserts a catheter into the bladder in order to drain the urine. It is used until the bladder recovers to its normal state. Side effects of the radical prostatectomy include bladder problems and erectile dysfunction.

Radiation Seed Implants

One more type of treatment for prostate cancer is Radioactive seed implants, it is a procedure where in the radioactive seeds are implanted inside the prostates. Since it has a high doses of radiation, it lasts for a longer time. Men with smaller prostate gland undergo this type of therapy most of the times. The procedure is done in the presence of anesthesia, ultra sound needles are used to implant up to 40 to 100 radioactive seeds. Side effects due to it are painful urination, loose stool and erectile dysfunction etc.