Friday, 30 August 2013

Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Treatment of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease which only affect men. The prostate cancer begins to grow in the prostate  - a gland in in the male reproductive system.  Deciding on treatment can be difficult, partly because the options for treatment today are too much better than they were 10 years ago but also because not enough reliable data are available on which to base the decisions.  According, scientifically controlled, long term studies are still needed to compare the benefits and risk of the various treatments. To decide on treatment for an individual patient, doctors categorize prostate cancers as organ-confined [localized to the gland], locally advanced [ a large prostate tumor or one that has spread only locally], or metastatic [ spread distantly or widely ]. The treatment options for organ-confined prostate cancer or locally advanced prostate cancer usually include surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, cryotherapy, combinations of some of these treatments, and watchful waiting. A cure  for metastatic prostate cancer is, unfortunately, unattainable at the present time. The treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, which include chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, therefore, are considered palliative. By definition, the aims of palliative treatments are, at best, to slow the growth of the tumor and relieve the symptoms of the patient. 


Surgery of Prostate cancer

The surgical treatment for prostate cancer is common and referred to as a radical prostatectomy, which the removal of the entire prostate gland. The entire prostate, seminal vesicles, and ampulla of the vas deferens are removed, and the bladder is connected to the membranous urethra to allow free urination.


The radical prostatectomy is the most common treatment for organ confined or localized prostate cancer in the U.S  This operation is currently performed in about 36 percent of patients with organ-confined (localized) prostate cancer.  American Cancer Society estimates a 90 percent cure rate nationwide when the disease is confined to the prostate and the entire gland is removed. The potential complications of radical prostatectomy include the risk of anesthesia,  local bleeding, impotence (loss of sexual function ) in 30 percent to 70 percent of patients, and incontinence (loss of control of urination) in 3 percent to 10 percent of patients.

Great strides have been made in lowering the frequency of the complications of radical prostatectomy. These advances have been accomplished largely through improved anesthesia and surgical techniques. The improved surgical technique, in turn, stem from a better understanding of the key anatomy and physiology of sexual potency and incontinence. Of men who undergo these newer techniques, 98 percent are continent, and 60 percent are able to have an erection.

Radical prostatectomy can be performed by often surgery, laparoscopic surgery, or by robotic surgery [ robotic assisted radical prostatectomy ]. Now a days almost 70 percent of radical prostatectomy surgeries in the U.S are performed using the of the Da Vinci robotic system.  For robot-assisted surgery, five small incisions are made in the abdomen through which the surgeon inserts tube like instruments, including a small camera. This creates a magnifies three-dimensional view of the surgical area. The instruments are attached to a mechanical device, and the surgeon sits at a console to achieve greater precision in surgery. Studies have showed that traditional open prostatectomy and robotic prostatectomy have had similar outcomes related to cancer-free survival rates, urinary continence, and sexual function. However, in terms of blood loss during surgery and pain and recovery after the procedure, robotic surgery has been shown to a significant advantage.

If post-treatment impotence doesn't occur, it can be treated by sildenafil (Viagra) tablets, injection of such medications are alprostadil (Caverject) into the penis, various devices to pump up or stiffen the penis, or a penile prosthesis ( an artificial penis) . Incontinence after treatment often improves with time, special  exercises,and to improve the control of urination. However incontinence requires implanting an artificial sphincter around the urethra. The artificial sphincter is made up of muscle or others material and is designed to control the flow of urine through the urethra.

Transurethral resection of the prostate ( TURP ) involves the removal of a part of the prostate by an instrument inserted through the urethra. It is used as an alternative to prostatectomy in patients with extensive disease or those who aren't fit  to undergo radical prostatectomy to remove tissue that is blocking urine flow. This is often referred to as a channel TURP.

I hope that you will learn more after reading this article about treatment of prostate cancer. 

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