All You Need To Know About Advanced Prostate Cancer Treatment
After a diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer, there are bound to be a lot of questions in your head regarding the treatment options, metastatic prostate cancer drugs , etc. It is essential to take the time to research the condition and understand the various advanced prostate cancer treatment options, side effects and other aspects that may affect you and your family.
Understanding advanced prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is in the advanced stage when it has spread outside the prostate gland.
Know the symptoms of prostate cancer
If the prostate has enlarged, then you may have difficulty urinating. An enlarged prostate might be an early symptom of the advanced disease, and you should immediately consult a urologist without further delay. Other symptoms of prostate cancer include:
- Weakness owing to anemia when the prostate cancer has disrupted the generation of red blood cells
- Pain in the bones, if there is a bone fracture or if prostate cancer has spread to the bones
- Presence of blood in the semen and urine
- Pain while ejaculating
- Sexual disabilities and erectile dysfunction
Advanced prostate cancer – Treatment
Men with prostate cancer can choose from various advanced prostate cancer treatments. These include radiation therapy, which utilizes high-energy radiation that helps in shrinking and destroying cancer cells. Chemotherapy is another option where a drug is used to kill cancer cells. On the other hand, radical prostatectomy is used for the removal of the prostate gland. Another advanced prostate cancer treatment option is brachytherapy, which is a process in which the radioactive seeds are positioned near the tumor for reducing its size. Also, cryosurgery, when the tissue is frozen for destroying the cancer cells, is used.
Your doctor might also recommend new prostate cancer treatment drugs that are used to stop the body from producing testosterone or stop testosterone from reaching the cancer cells. The latest treatments for prostate cancer include high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy for destroying cancer cells as well as targeted therapy for inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.
There are a lot of new treatments prostate cancer options, but it is necessary to discuss with your doctor, to understand the effects of each form of treatment and then make an informed decision on what are treatments prostate cancer can be cured with.