Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, and it is also one of the most treatable. At Mission Oncology Partners, your plan is built around your stage, your health and what matters to you.
About prostate cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, one in every six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, making it the most common cancer among men. The encouraging news is what treatment can do: for approximately 99 percent of men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, treatment has helped extend their lives by more than five years.
The prostate gland sits near the bladder and the urethra. That is why changes in the gland often show up first as urinary symptoms — and why those symptoms are worth mentioning to your doctor even though most of them have causes other than cancer.
If you have been diagnosed, you will likely have a team of specialists working together: a radiation oncologist, a urologist and a medical oncologist. The right therapy varies from man to man, with the stage of the cancer and your personal health playing a key role in what is recommended.
Signs and symptoms
Because the prostate sits close to the bladder and urethra, the early warning signs are usually urinary. Symptoms that appear once cancer has spread to other tissue or bone are listed further down.
- Difficulty urinating, sometimes with burning or pain
- Loss of bladder control, or trouble controlling the flow of urine
- Blood in the urine
- Needing to urinate at night
- Difficulty getting an erection
- Swelling or pain in the legs or pelvic area
- Painful ejaculation
- Blood in the semen
When to call
These symptoms have many possible causes, most of them not cancer. But they are worth a conversation. If something has changed and hasn't resolved, contact your primary care physician — early evaluation is what makes treatment straightforward.
How we treat it
Treatment methods include radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy and hormone therapy, and in some cases they are combined. Radiation therapy focuses rays of radiation on the target area to kill cancer cells while preserving the healthy tissue around it. One advantage over other approaches is organ preservation — it minimizes how much healthy tissue is affected by treatment.
External beam radiation therapy
This delivers targeted doses of radiation to treat prostate cancer and, in some cases, cure it. It begins with a physical exam and a CT scan that creates a 3-D map to guide the beam, which is what makes the aim so precise. Sometimes the plan covers not only the prostate but the seminal vesicles — the glands behind the prostate — and nearby lymph nodes.
Image-guided planning and delivery
Before your first treatment, your physician builds a 3-D map of your anatomy from your CT scan and uses it as the guide for every session. There are different methods for administering radiotherapy, so ask your physician which one your plan calls for and why it fits your case.
Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy places the radiation source inside or immediately next to the prostate rather than directing it from outside the body. It requires a small surgical procedure. Your physician will tell you whether it suits your stage and anatomy, on its own or alongside external beam treatment.
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy treats prostate cancer by reducing the body's testosterone production. Lower testosterone can shrink the tumor and slow the cancer's progression. It is commonly combined with radiation therapy — usually given both before and after the radiation course — and may be prescribed by your radiation oncologist, medical oncologist or urologist.
What treatment involves
Your course starts with a physical exam and a CT scan. That scan becomes a 3-D map of your anatomy, and the map guides the beam at every session that follows. It is what makes pinpoint accuracy possible.
External beam radiation therapy is typically given in five-day sessions over the course of several weeks, though the actual frequency of your treatment can vary depending on your needs. If hormone therapy is part of your plan, its length depends on your stage and on what other treatments you are receiving. Your physician will walk you through the full schedule before you begin.
Possible side effects
Side effects are usually temporary and typically resolve shortly after treatment ends. Tell your care team about any discomfort — managing it is part of the treatment, not an interruption to it.
- Side effects from external beam radiation therapy are rare, because the treatment is noninvasive
- After brachytherapy: swelling, soreness and frequent urination, caused by the surgical procedure rather than the radiation
- With hormone therapy: hot flashes
- With hormone therapy: mild breast tenderness
- With hormone therapy: diarrhea or nausea
- With hormone therapy: tiredness
Caring for yourself during treatment
- Rest when you need to, and don't hesitate to ask for help.
- Follow your care team's advice — and ask when anything is unclear.
- Tell us about every medication, vitamin and supplement you take.
- Eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids.
- Treat skin in the treatment area gently: no sun, no hot or cold packs, and only lotions your team has approved.
- Lean on support groups, family and friends. Coping is part of treatment.
Trusted resources
- Malecare — www.malecare.org
- Prostate Cancer Foundation — www.prostatecancerfoundation.org
- Us TOO! Prostate Cancer Education and Support — www.ustoo.com
- ZERO — Project to End Prostate Cancer — www.zerocancer.org
Clinical background adapted from materials by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (rtanswers.org) and the American Cancer Society.
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