Types of Cancer > Prostate Cancer > Treatment

Prostate Cancer Treatment

Treatment options for men with prostate cancer vary depending on the extent and aggressiveness of the disease. Some men may choose surgery, which offers a greater chance of a cure and no recurrence. Others with slow-growing cancers may decide to delay treatment and closely monitor the cancer instead. Greenwich Hospital experts are on hand to help men make this personal decision. Treatment options for prostate cancer include watchful waiting, surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy. Patients who qualify also have access to a variety of clinical trials.

Watchful Waiting
Men with slow growing cancer may choose to postpone treatment and have their doctor actively watch and monitor the cancer closely. Men who are older, have other medical issues, or don't want to experience potential side effects from treatment may take this approach.

Surgery
The goal of prostate cancer surgery is to eliminate the cancer while preserving the patient's normal urinary and sexual functions as much as possible. Surgeons perform a radical prostatectomy to remove the prostate and some surrounding tissue when the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate to other parts of the body. Greenwich Hospital is the only medical facility in Fairfield County to offer robotic surgery for prostate cancer.

Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapists can deliver higher doses of radiation to the prostate with fewer side effects using techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (external radiation) and brachytherapy (internal radiation) with radioactive seed implants. These techniques target cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.

Hormone Therapy
People with advanced stages of prostate cancer may require hormone therapy, sometimes in combination with radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Hormone therapy may benefit patients whose prostate cancer has spread or has recurred after treatment. These treatments usually reduce the levels of the hormone testosterone, which stimulates the growth of prostate cancer cells.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy for patients whose prostate cancer has spread and for whom hormone therapy has failed can prolong life, reduce pain and increase quality of life.

While undergoing chemotherapy patients often experience fatigue. However, if patients experience other symptoms, they should call a physician or nurse right away. See When to Call - A Guide to Understanding Symptoms from Chemotherapy to learn more.