Sunday, September 14, 2008

Another Option Available To Prostate Cancer Patients Is Surgery

Health, Diseases And Conditions.

The best prostate cancer treatment for each type of patient - whether a therapeutic technique is the best prostate cancer treatment for a patient depends on various factors. One of the best prostate cancer treatment techniques, particularly for older men and those who suffer from other serious illnesses, is the expectant management or watchful waiting method. In selecting the treatment, a patient and his doctor should take into consideration the patient' s age and expected life span, the stage and grade of the cancer, possible side effects and other health problems that the patient might have.


Watchful waiting involves the close monitoring of the cancer through prostate specific antigen testing. - it is also used when the cancer is contained within one area of the prostate gland and is expected to grow very slowly. It does not involve active treatments like surgery and radiation therapy and is recommended mostly to those who have no symptoms. Another option available to prostate cancer patients is surgery. In retropubic prostatectomy, the surgeon makes an incision in the lower abdomen to remove the prostate gland. This can be radical retropubic prostatectomy, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, radical perineal prostatectomy( LRP) or transurethral resection of the prostate( TURP) . Lymph nodes around the prostate might also be removed depending on whether the cancer has spread to these parts.


This procedure is use less often because the lymph nodes cannot be removed and there is a high probability that the nerves will be affected. - in perineal prostatectomy, the incision is made in the perineum or the skin between anus and scrotum. LRP, on the other hand, involves the use of several smaller incisions and specialized instruments. In the hands of experienced surgeons, it becomes an advantageous option compared with retropubic and perineal prostatectomy. This highly complex procedure is known for its high precision and control. TURP, makes use of, meanwhile an instrument called a resectoscope which is passed through the end of the penis into the urethra at the level of the prostate.


TURP is done to relieve symptoms and is also used for benign prostatic hyperplasia. - the electricity that passes through the instrument cuts or vaporizes the issue in the prostate. Radiation therapy is the method in which high - energy rays or particles are used to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy is classified into two main types, the external beam radiation therapy( ERBT) and brachytherapy. This, is another example, like surgical procedures of a highly developed method of dealing with cancer. In treating localized prostate cancer, a procedure called crysosurgery is sometimes used.


Aside from cryosurgery, hormone therapy and chemotherapy are also options that prostate cancer patients can explore. - it involves the freezing of the tissues using very cold gases. Hormone therapy does not cure cancer but is primarily used to lower levels of male hormones in a patient' s body. Choosing the best prostate cancer treatment depends on a lot of factors. Chemotherapy, is a procedure, meanwhile more commonly used in cases when the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland. What is considered appropriate for one patient might not be good for another, that' s why options should be discussed in detail with doctors before proceeding to the treatment stage.

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