What Men Should Know About Prostate Cancer Treatments
There is a disease men would rather ignore than talk about. That would be prostate cancer. There's a good reason for this. It's scary. It strikes at your manhood. It can kill you. And if it doesn't those who survive treatment face the horrific twins, impotence and incontinence. Is it any wonder then that men would rather talk about sports than their prostate?
But talk about it you must. Especially after you've been diagnosed with this all too common cancer that strikes one out of every six American men.
Two or three questions must be explored.
The first would be what are the odds a particular treatment option will result in loss of sexual function.
The second, no less uncomfortable, what are the odds a particular treatment option will leave me with bladder control issues.
A third would be to how long will I be coping with either of these two quality-of-life issues.
So with those out of the way what are your options? Would you believe there are seven approaches in prostate cancer treatments available to you? Let's cluster some of those into similar treatment types.
Beams
This category would include radiation and ultrasound. The former requires treatment five days a week for as long as two months with x-rays. The second uses ultra sound administered to heat the cancer cells to death. Ultra sound, although available in Canada, has yet to be approved in the US.
Blades
Traditionally using a scalpel to remove your prostate is thought by many to be the first choice. This is the option of choice if the cancer hasn't spread. In other words early stage cancer.
Minimally invasive Da Vinci or robot assisted surgery is gaining in popularity. The surgeon controls the robot which is said to lead to less pain and shorter recovery times.
Seeds
Rice sized pellets are plugged into the prostate. The number depends on the how big the tumor is and where it is located. Best for small to medium sized tumors and with Gleason score of 6 or lower, it's appeal lies in reduced odds of being left with unpleasant side effects.
Chemo
This would be your option if the cancer has spread beyond the prostate and surrounding tissue.
So that's a quick overview of your treatment options. Or what some might refer to as the good, the bad and the ugly.
There is no treatment you could say was ideal. Each has pluses and minuses. With each there is the risk of disabling side effects. While newer treatments are often touted as more cutting edge be sure you understand the benefits. Some would argue that outcomes are not significantly superior to traditional treatments.
It's also important to note that there is no universal treatment option. Nothing is ideally suited as the one size fits all approach.
Finally after being told you have prostate cancer, you shouldn't assume fast and aggressive action is needed. Most of the time the cancer is slow growing. This leaves you with plenty of time to research the options thoroughly so that you make a decision with full awareness of the odds of a good outcome with the least side effects.
The main issues aside let's not lose sight of the most important thing here. That would be to cure the cancer. Accomplish that and there will be plenty of time to deal with the side effects later. Fail to do that and sex will be one of the least of your worries.
This is why you need to contemplate on your options and discuss them thoroughly with your doctor.