| This article is written to provide a brief description of | | | | Using Gamma rays, the medical professionals try to |
| most of the treatments available to those men | | | | kill every possible cancerous cell. This is completed in |
| afflicted with prostate cancer. To make the right | | | | one of two ways. |
| decision is very important. | | | | In this form of prostate cancer treatment, a |
| Prostate cancer is the second biggest cancer related | | | | small-radiated rod is inserted into the prostate and |
| killer in males over sixty, yet many men do not look | | | | left for a period of time to kill the cancerous cells. |
| after themselves well enough and seek help when it | | | | The second way is to use an external radiation beam |
| is needed. Luckily there are many prostate cancer | | | | to concentrate on the area from outside the body. |
| treatments available for those suffering with prostate | | | | Prostatectomy |
| cancer, a lot of which can totally eradicate the | | | | This form of prostate cancer treatment is a surgical |
| condition. | | | | one and involves totally removing the prostate gland. |
| To show how invasive each prostate cancer | | | | This is normally carried out early on in the cancer |
| treatment is we will go through each treatment from | | | | lifecycle, as the surgery cannot be completed if the |
| least invasive to most invasive. | | | | cancer has moved to other areas of the body. |
| Watchful waiting | | | | Chemotherapy |
| Watchful waiting, also known as active surveillance, is | | | | The most dangerous of all the therapies, |
| a treatment where the doctors just keep an active | | | | chemotherapy, needs to be administered carefully as |
| eye on the illness to see how it is progressing and is | | | | the drugs damage and destroy the cancerous cells, |
| normally chosen for only one of two reasons. | | | | and if given in the wrong doses can kill healthy cells |
| Reason one. The cancer is in its infancy and the | | | | too. |
| tumor is small, confined and expected to grow very | | | | The end product |
| slowly | | | | A lot of these treatments are quite invasive and |
| Reason two. The patient has a separate medical | | | | dangerous in their own way, in some cases the side |
| condition that means surgery would be worse for the | | | | affects to having these treatments can be quite |
| patient than the current suffering. | | | | drastic. It has been known for people to suffer with |
| Hormonal Therapy | | | | impotence, erectile dysfunction and loss of sexual |
| Testosterone drives the male sex drive and it also | | | | appetite from having these different treatments. |
| stimulates prostate cancer cells, as they are hormone | | | | The after affects of this can be quite devastating on |
| dependant. If the testosterone hormone can be | | | | an emotional level as the male takes time to get |
| blocked it will reduce the speed the cancerous cells | | | | used to the after affects the treatment caused, in |
| can grow. | | | | some cases this requires counseling to alleviate any |
| This prostate cancer treatment can work in three | | | | stress, depression or anger. |
| ways, one is through an oral tablet, which reduces | | | | What is important though is that the cancer is |
| the testosterone production in the testes, two is | | | | eradicated, once it has gone the person suffering can |
| androgen therapy to block the effects of | | | | sleep easily knowing they have managed to escape |
| testosterone and number three is to totally remove | | | | one of the biggest killers that men have to face |
| the testes completely. | | | | alone. |
| Radiation | | | | |