Prostate Cancer Surgery

Prostate Cancer Surgery Choices:

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the first thing you need to know is to relax. While the word cancer is emotionally charged and understandably causes distress, there is no need to make rushed decisions about prostate cancer surgery. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in men with 1 in 6 being diagnosed in his lifetime, and only 1 in 34 die of it. In fact, most men will live full lives and never know that they had microscopic evidences of the disease. According the American Cancer Society, there are more than 1.8 million survivors of prostate cancer in the United States. Facing cancer is never easy, but there are many reasons for hope.

What are the Treatment Options?

There are 5 treatment options available once a patient is diagnosed:

1. Observation
2. Radiation Therapy
3. Cry therapy, or Freezing of the Cancerous Prostate
4. Hormone Therapy, Used in Conjunction with Radiation or Cry therapy.
5. Prostatectomy, or the Removal of the Prostate

Surgery and radiation therapy are the most common choices of these options.

Surgery for Prostate Cancer

Several things factor in to the course of treatment, such as age, general health, stage of cancer and whether or not the cancer is localized or the chances of leaving cancer behind. Many men are good candidates for a radical prostatectomy, a procedure used to remove the entire prostate and any nearby tissue thought to have cancer cells. If the chances of leaving cancerous cells behind are slim and when it's possible, your doctor may suggest a surgical technique which spares the nerves.

Surgery Options

Until recently, options in surgery were few and often included a large incision in the abdomen and significant recovery time. Today however, it can be done laparoscopic ally through several small incisions. Laparoscopic surgery may be performed either by hand, or through robot-assisted surgery. Robotic prostatectomy surgery uses cutting edge technology which gives the surgeon better visibility and an increased range of motion for a more thorough surgery and provides several benefits to the patient as well which include:

• Faster Recovery Time
• Less Pain
• Less Risk of Infection
• Less Blood Loss
• Lower Occurrence of Incontinence and Impotence

Special Considerations

It is important to understand that surgery may not remove all of the cancer and additional therapies might be necessary. The surgery may also cause side effects such as incontinence and erectile problems, which may or may not improve over time.

With so many treatment options available today, men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are fortunate. Be sure to discuss these options with your physician as you, along with your doctor, evaluate the best course of action.