Prostate Cancer Treatment Options: Selecting What Is Best

Being diagnosed with prostate cancer nowadays is by no means a death sentence however it is imperative that you get treatment without delay. There are a number of prostate cancer treatment options available and the best one for you will depend on your individual case. You need to speak with your oncologist and decide what you want to achieve from your prostate cancer treatment so that the right course of treatment can be selected for you.

This can initially be quite difficult to do, especially when you are first diagnosed and in a state of shock however your oncologist will be able to answer any questions you may have and will be able to give you very beneficial advice. You might want to consider taking a family member with you to your consultation so that they can ask any questions that you might forget because of the stress associated with the situation.

Ask your oncologist if he/she has any leaflets about the various prostate cancer treatments because as you go back over your conversation at a later date you will undoubtedly forget important aspects that require consideration. Also ask your oncologist to explain the different prostate cancer treatment options to you in easy terms. Medical jargon can be overwhelming and confusing to a stressed mind so try to make things as easy as possible.

Simply put there are three major forms of prostate cancer treatment; surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Hormone therapy is also often used as a complimentary therapy and any combination of the three main treatments can be used together or in conjunction with hormone therapy. The type of prostate cancer treatment that you receive will depend to a large extent on the cancer itself and how far it has progressed.

When the initial cancer spreads to the surrounding tissues and then to other sites in the body, the type of prostate cancer treatment used will become more palliative than curative i.e. the treatment will slow down the growth of the cancer and help control the side effects rather than actually curing the disease.

In addition factors such as your age, general health and what you want to achieve from the treatment will also be taken into consideration. The elderly may suffer from surgery much more than they would suffer with prostate cancer and so they may choose to do nothing except slow down the growth and spread of the disease. Younger men however may want to get rid of the cancer entirely and so opt for surgery and then probably radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancerous cells.

There are a lot of things to consider when you choose your form of prostate cancer treatment and the decision should not be rushed. Prostate cancer is one of the slow growing cancers and so a few weeks of deliberation will, in most cases, have no major effect on the size of your cancer or the symptoms experienced. Take your time and weigh up all the options before deciding to do anything; after all, you cannot turn the clock back and decide again.