Prostate Cancer Treatment- Part 1

When cells in the prostate gland begin to grow out of control, prostate cancer develops. Only males have a gland called the prostate. It produces a portion of the fluid that makes up semen. The prostate is located in front of the rectum, which is the last part of the intestines. It is below the bladder, which is a hollow organ that stores urine.

You typically do not need to make treatment decisions in a hurry because the majority of prostate cancers are discovered in their early stages, when they are growing slowly. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of all your treatment options, as well as when treatment should begin, during this time. This conversation ought to likewise address the present status of the disease:

• Whether you have symptoms or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are rising rapidly

• Whether the cancer has spread to the bones

• Your health history

• Your quality of life

• Your current urinary and sexual function

• Any other medical conditions you may have

In spite of the fact that your therapy proposals will rely upon these variables, there are a few general strides for treating prostate malignant growth by stage.

The following is a list of the most common treatments for prostate cancer. Treatment for symptoms and side effects, an essential component of cancer care, may also be included in your care plan.

Active surveillance and watchful waiting

Treatments for prostate cancer may have a significant impact on a person's quality of life. Erectile dysfunction, or the inability to erect and maintain an erection of the penis, and incontinence, or the inability to control urine flow or bowel function, are two potential side effects of these treatments. Additionally, many prostate cancers progress slowly and do not manifest as symptoms or complications. As a result, a lot of people might think twice about starting treatment for cancer right away. Active surveillance is the term for this strategy. The cancer is closely monitored for signs of deterioration during active surveillance. Treatment will begin if the cancer is found to be getting worse.

Surgery

During surgery, the prostate and some of the surrounding lymph nodes are taken out. A urologist or urologic oncologist is the surgical oncologist who treats prostate cancer. The stage of the disease, the patient's overall health, and other factors influence the type of surgery.

Open radical prostatectomy: The surgical removal of the entire prostate and its seminal vesicles is known as a radical prostatectomy. Additionally, pelvic lymph nodes can be removed. Sexual function may be affected by this procedure.

Robotic or laparoscopic prostatectomy

A radical prostatectomy is more invasive, but this type of surgery may reduce recovery time. Small keyhole incisions are made in the patient's abdomen to insert a camera and instruments. The robotic instruments are then used by the surgeon to remove the prostate gland. Although the sexual and urinary side effects are comparable to those of a radical (open) prostatectomy, robotic prostatectomy generally results in less bleeding and less pain.

Bilateral orchiectomy

The removal of both testicles surgically is known as a bilateral orchiectomy. The section below titled "Hormonal therapy" provides a comprehensive explanation of it.

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)

The majority of the time, TURP is used to treat symptoms of a urinary blockage rather than treat prostate cancer. In this procedure, a surgeon inserts a narrow tube with a cutting tool called a cystoscope into the urethra and then into the prostate to remove prostate tissue while the patient is under full anesthesia, which is medication that blocks the patient's awareness of pain.

Radiation therapy 

High-energy rays are used in radiation therapy to kill cancer cells. A radiation oncologist is a doctor who specializes in administering radiation therapy to treat cancer. A typical radiation therapy schedule includes a predetermined number of treatments administered over a predetermined time frame.

• External-beam radiation therapy: The most prevalent form of radiation therapy is external-beam radiation therapy. A machine outside the body is used by the radiation oncologist to focus an x-ray beam on the cancerous area.

• Hypofractionated radiation therapy is one type of external-beam radiation therapy used to treat prostate cancer.

• Brachytherapy: The direct insertion of radioactive sources into the prostate is known as brachytherapy or internal radiation therapy. Seeds are these sources, and they emit radiation in the immediate vicinity of where they are inserted. They can be left for a short period of time (high dose rate) or for a longer period of time (low dose rate). After being inserted, low-dose rate seeds remain permanently in the prostate and function for up to a year.

• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): Before treatment, IMRT is a type of external-beam radiation therapy that uses computed tomography (CT) scans to create a three-dimensional image of the prostate.

• Proton therapy: A form of external-beam radiation therapy that employs protons rather than x-rays is known as proton therapy or proton beam therapy. Protons have the ability to eradicate cancer cells at high energy.

Focal therapies

Focal therapies are treatments that target small prostate tumors without affecting the rest of the prostate gland and require less surgery. These treatments use heat, cold, and other techniques to treat cancer, mostly prostate cancer with a low or intermediate risk.

• Cryosurgery: Cryosurgery, also known as cryotherapy or cryoablation, involves freezing cancer cells with a metal probe inserted through a small incision in the skin sac containing the testicles between the rectum and scrotum.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU): Focused therapy using heat is called HIFU. An ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum during HIFU treatment, and sound waves are directed toward cancerous areas of the prostate gland. The goal of this treatment is to limit damage to the prostate gland as a whole while simultaneously eliminating cancer cells.

Dr. Amit Ghosh is one of the best urologist and robotics uro-surgeon in Kolkata. After his return from the UK, he has been associated with various institutions including Wockhardt Hospital and Kidney Institute, Woodlands Hospital, Kothari Medical Center and Anandalok Hospital. Currently he is dedicated to his service to Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata. Currently he has developed a very well established and robust Urological presence in the campus of Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata. The practice takes care of all fundamental general Urological procedures, a vast multi-disciplinary Uro Oncology specialty, and also a comprehensive diagnostic and uro health check-up facility.