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Prostate
Cancer Institute Online (PCI) |
Men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer often need information regarding prostate cancer and treatment options. You will find a wealth of helpful information on these pages. With prostate cancer, knowledge is power. The goal of PCI is to provide information for prostate cancer patients and their families.
PCI
offers a FREE service for
men who have prostate cancer -- a TOLL-FREE
Nurse Line. Click the blue Prostate Cancer Nurse Line button to the left for more information, or call 1-866-469-7733
to speak with a nurse. You can remain anonymous.
Prostate Cancer:
Advances in Minimally-Invasive Treatments
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| “You
have prostate cancer.”
These are four words no man wants to hear. But according to the American Cancer Society an estimated 232,090 men in the U.S. will receive this news in 2005 (Source:www.cancer.org).
Prostate cancer may be
frightening, but if your physician finds
prostate cancer at an early stage, your
chances of survival are excellent. Medical
science has made great strides in detecting
prostate cancer and treating the disease.
If you have been diagnosed
with prostate cancer, you face an important
decision. Which treatment is best for you? In the past,
common treatment
options for prostate cancer may have
seemed harsh, unpredictable, or had alarming
side effects. |
About
Prostate Cancer:
Get a patient-friendly overview of prostate
cancer and the prostate gland. Take a prostate
cancer self-evaluation.
Treatments:
Explore proven prostate cancer treatments.
Learn about cryotherapy, brachytherapy,
prostatectomy and radiation therapy, EBRT,
hormonal therapy and more.
Partners:
Get sound advice for rebuilding your total
relationship and giving/getting support.
Glossary:
Get definitions of medical terms related
to prostate cancer.
Find
a Physician:
See the right physician. Find and contact
a local urologist who specializes in prostate
cancer treatment.
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For these and other
reasons, including the fact that prostate cancer
tends to be slow growing, some men choose a course
of action called “watchful
waiting.” This means routinely monitoring the progess of the disease without specific treatment,
while being alert to the possible spread of the
disease. But this carries some risks; for
example, the cancer may grow beyond the prostate
gland before your next doctor visit.
Fortunately, advances
in technology have led to improvements in treatment.
Today there are several minimally-invasive treatments
available for prostate cancer. In choosing a treatment,
you should look for one that combines the best
possible outcome with minimal side effects. This
Website can help you compare the pros and cons
of the various treatment
options.
There are two major minimally-invasive treatments
for prostate cancer today.
Brachytherapy
With brachytherapy, small radioactive seeds are
implanted into the prostate where they irradiate
prostate tissue. Side effects and discomfort
are minimal, and the entire procedure usually
takes less than an hour. For most patients this is an outpatient procedure and they go home the same day, returning to normal activities
a few days later.
| Cryotherapy
With cryotherapy, thin needles are inserted into the prostate. Extremely cold gases flow through the needles forming ice balls at the tips of the needles, literally
freezes the prostate, eradicating
the cancer. Cryotherapy reduces the
pain, risks, and long recovery times associated with
surgery. Most patients are mobile
the same day, and many are discarged the same day and return to normal activity
within a few days. |
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How
do you know which treatment is right for
you?
Prostate cancer treatment should
be highly individualized. What is right
for one person may not be right for another.
The best approach includes several steps: |
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• Educate yourself about prostate cancer
• Seek your doctor's advice (click here
to find a prostate cancer physician who
specializes in prostate cancer near you)
• Understand your clinical stage and pathological grade of prostate cancer and the treatment options appropriate for it
• Research the various treatment options
available available for prostate cancer
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