If doctors find cancer, Huffman says, they tailor treatment based on a patient's cancer stage, health and age. Tumors caught early, before they have spread beyond the prostate gland, are easier to treat. Men should ask their doctors for information about all options, from their success rates to their side effects. Some men opt for a combination of different therapies. Others go for a straightforward approach.
Most studies show better survival rates with surgery than radiation.
Patients should look for facilities where surgeons conduct many such procedures and have shown good results, Huffman suggests. Even if incontinence or other effects occur, Huffman says. But doctors also use radiation to treat prostate cancer. It may be used instead of surgery, for early stage cancer, or after surgery to destroy cells that may remain in the area. In a technique called brachytherapy, doctors implant tiny radioactive seeds in the prostate to focus the radiation right where it's needed.