| When you first find out you have prostate | | | | reduced by having something called "nerve |
| cancer, that voice inside your head screams. | | | | sparing surgery," where the surgeon is |
| Loudly. And the fear begins. | | | | careful not to snip any "erection" nerves. |
| | | | Still, with surgery you would have to face |
| But fear gradually gives way to furious | | | | long hospital stays and long recovery times, |
| thinking; thinking about what happens next | | | | which brings us to one of the other common |
| and where to go. Usually this is in the form | | | | treatments: radiation. |
| of treatment options, a myriad of them, and | | | | |
| the many, many characteristics of each that | | | | Scary-sounding as it is, radiation is much |
| must be weighed carefully. Watchful waiting? | | | | less invasive than most forms of therapy. |
| Surgery? Radiation? Hormones? Cryosurgery? | | | | Hospital time is less, and recovery time is |
| Perhaps even proton beam? And so on. Along | | | | quicker. Not to say it's perfect. Radiation |
| with the careful advice of your doctor, you | | | | side effects can be severe, and include such |
| may begin to narrow it down, or you may begin | | | | nasties as diarrhea and bleeding from the |
| to feel overwhelmed. What exactly ARE some of | | | | rectum. In addition, there is some |
| these treatments and which one is the best? | | | | controversy as to whether radiation can zap |
| | | | cancer as effectively as surgery. |
| As you've probably already guessed, the | | | | |
| "best" is different for everyone. Watchful | | | | In fact, the effectiveness of many treatments |
| waiting is "best" for you if you're cancer is | | | | are often compared to surgery. Does this mean |
| slower and less aggressive and you are old. | | | | surgery is the gold standard, and hence the |
| That's right, I called you "old." Seriously, | | | | "best" treatment? |
| though, if your doctor thinks you are no | | | | |
| spring chicken, he may recommend that any | | | | It's just too complicated to answer. |
| treatment would be harder on you than the | | | | Certainly, a study performed by the Johns |
| cancer itself, and that you both should take | | | | Hopkins Medical Center in 1998 came to the |
| a wait and see approach. If not, he may | | | | conclusion that only surgery can successfully |
| decide that you are ready for surgery. | | | | remove all cancer, and that surgery patients |
| | | | may have short term decrease in their quality |
| This is the most drastic treatment choice, | | | | of life in exchange for long-term freedom |
| and is seen by some as the "best" of the | | | | from cancer. Other treatments have been |
| "best." What's so great about it is that the | | | | improved since then, however, and this answer |
| surgeon manually removes the entire prostate | | | | is less certain. For some individuals, |
| gland, including the cancer. It's gone. | | | | surgery is simply too drastic and the cancer |
| Completely. And he can poke around in there | | | | too slow to demand it. For others, previous |
| to see if there's more. The problem is that | | | | health problems or your own personal reasons |
| there can be side effects that can seriously | | | | may make radiation a more reasonable choice. |
| mess up your comfort level. Effects like the | | | | |
| inability to hold in your pee (incontinence), | | | | Only your doctor and you can make a decision |
| and the inability to have an erection | | | | like this together. Treatment for prostate |
| (impotence). Tempering these problems are two | | | | cancer is one of the most personal decisions |
| small facts: incontinence is very, very rare, | | | | you can make, and the "best" is different for |
| and the chance of becoming impotent can be | | | | everybody. |