Not all prostate cancers are treated in the same manner. The goal of any treatment is to eliminate the primary or main tumor while doing as little damage to normal surrounding tissue, and to prevent or reduce the chance of the cancer spreading. Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy are used alone or in various combinations, depending on the specific type, location and stage of tumor. Your physician will recommend the best combination of treatments for your individual condition and assist you in making the choice that's right for you. Surgery is commonly used to treat prostate cancer, usually employing one of several procedures.
Radical prostatectomy is the removal of the prostate gland and surrounding tissue.
This procedure is performed only if cancer has not spread outside the prostate. In this surgery, an instrument is inserted through the urethra and into the prostate. The cancerous tissue is removed using a small loop on the end of the instrument. In cryosurgery, cancer cells are destroyed cells by freezing them. Hormone therapy is the use of hormones to stop cancer cells from growing.