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12 September 2010 Watchful waiting may be the right option to treat prostate cancerTypically, the treatment options are some form of radiation or surgery. If cancer has spread beyond the prostate, surgery's not going to be adequate. But in the early stages, the two very different forms of therapy offer similar cure rates. Choosing "watchful waiting" doesn't mean ignore the cancer. Experts warn that prostate cancer can kill, but that occurs when it has spread from the prostate. Of those diagnosed, about one-eighth die. Sometimes it's better to watch and wait in lieu of getting surgery Prostate cancer is a slow-moving disease, so if it hasn't spread and a patient is elderly, the likelihood is he will die with cancer, not of it. Doctors don't usually recommend treatments that can have some unpleasant side effects in those cases. When patients are younger or have a larger volume of cancer cells or cancer seems more aggressive, active treatment is recommended. Both treatments have potential for some unpleasant side effects, although doctors are much better at heading them off than in decades past. And technology has improved, with new surgery and radiation techniques, as well as robotics that offer very small incisions and great precision. The placement of radioactive beads, called brachytherapy, is an outpatient procedure that offers lower risk of rectal bleeding than external beam radiation therapy, for example. What's best for a patient depends. But the good news with slow-moving cancer is there's usually time to consider the options, do some research or get two opinions and really think about the treatment course to choose. Radiation has potential for some urinary and bowel issues such as frequency, urgency and discomfort. Incontinence is more likely with surgery and so, possibly, is impotence. Older patients may be better suited to radiation, while younger patients may do better with surgery. In all cases, it depends largely on cancer volume and location. Younger patients who have surgery typically experience fewer of the side effects than older patients, Lynch said. When prostate cancer spreads, it moves most often into the pelvic lymph nodes and the bones. But it can go elsewhere, including into the brain. The best way to survive it is to find it before it spreads. And that means screening. NOTE: Issues on this site regarding prostate cancer and treatment options, are provided for information only, and are not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional. Prostate-Report.org does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment. |
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