Prostate Cancer – Understanding Your Treatment Options

For someone who is told of having prostate cancer, the toughest part of this is making the decision of the kind of treatment that that you feel is best for you to have. There are several prostate cancer treatments that you need to understand before making such life-changing decision. Here are some of the prostate cancer treatment options that your urologist may discuss with you:

Your first option is radical prostatectomy. It is a major surgery where the entire prostate gland and some tissues are removed. During the process, the cancer is also removed to prevent from spreading outside your prostate. This surgery has its risks like impotence, blood clots, stroke and heart attack, infection and bleeding. Full recovery period takes up to 10-12 weeks depending on your state before the surgery.

If you don’t want to undergo a major surgery, radiation therapy is another prostate cancer treatment you may consider. There are two types: External Beam Therapy that uses high-powered X-rays to kill cancer cells and internal radiation therapy wherein radioactive pellets or seed implants are injected to your prostate gland. The risks of having this kind of prostate cancer treatment are urinary burning and bleeding, rectal discomfort and bleeding, tiredness, incontinence and recurrence of cancer cells.

Another prostate cancer treatment option is hormone therapy whereas male sex hormones are reduce to slower the growth. It is not considered as a cure but slows the growth of the cancer cells. The risks of this treatment are erectile dysfunction, feeling of tiredness and weakened bones and loss of libido.

Some people may even choose to watch and wait because of their age, state of health financial situation and readiness to deal with their situation. Before deciding to which prostate cancer treatment you would like to have, ask yourself of these few question. Are you ready for the physiological and psychological effects of these treatments? If there are non-conventional treatments that work, would you consider?

Take your time to do some more research about every prostate cancer treatment that you want to consider. Find a support group where you could learn best with their shared experiences that will shed a better light to your current situation and help you come up with the best decision during this challenging stage in your life. It helps to know what you are dealing with rather than embrace a prostate cancer treatment blindly with hopes of complete cure.

By: Naomi Clark

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For more information about prostate cancer treatments and recommended dietary changes, please visit BensProstate.com.