Prostate Cancer: What You Need to Know About Treatment

What Is Prostate Cancer?

The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland that sits just below a man’s bladder. One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in in their lifetimes. It’s the second most common cancer in the United States, and each year almost 30,000 men die from it, according to the American Cancer Society.

What is the Gleason Score

A pathologist will look at the biopsy samples under a microscope. If cancer tissue is detected, the pathologist then grades the tumor. The Gleason System of grading goes from 2 to 10. The higher the number, the more abnormal the tissues are compared to normal prostate tissue.

Two numbers are added up to get a Gleason score:

A number from 1 to 5 for the most common pattern observed under the microscope. This is the predominant grade and must be more than 51% of the sample.

A number from 1 to 5 for the second most common pattern. This is the secondary grade and must make up more than 5% but less than 50% of the sample.

It is crucial that the tumor is graded properly, as this decides what treatments should be recommended.

Traditional Treatments for Prostate Cancer

Men with prostate cancer have several treatment options. These include:

• Radical Prostatectomy – Removal of the prostate gland

• Radiation Therapy – high-energy radiation that can shrink and kill cancer cells

• Chemotherapy – drug treatment that uses chemicals to kill cancer cells

• Hormone Therapy – stops the body from producing testosterone, which prostate tumors use to grow

Brachytherapy – radioactive seeds are placed in or near the tumor to shrink and kill it

• Cryosurgery – freezing tissue to kill cancer cells

• Ultrasound Therapy – heating the prostate tissue to kill cancer cells

Advances in Prostate Treatment

In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever cancer treatment immunotherapy vaccine, Provenge. The Provenge vaccine has been found to extend the lives of men with advanced-stage prostate cancer. Researchers are also developing newer forms of treatment for prostate cancer, such as high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy to destroy cancer cells, and targeted therapy drugs to stop the growth of cancerous cells. Doctors are also looking into the use of radio frequency ablation to reduce pain in men with prostate cancer.

Vaccine for Prostate Cancer?

Talk to Your Doctor about Your Prostate Problem

The earlier prostate cancer is found, the better. Early-stage prostate cancers can often be treated, but advanced-stage prostate cancer becomes harder to treat. Plus, the treatments that are usually most effective for advanced prostate cancer tend to have the most negative side effects. These include urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Based on your individual risk for the disease, your lifestyle, and your age, you and your doctor can decide how often you should be screened and at what age those screenings should start.

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