Question: What are the treatments for Prostate Cancer ?
Answer: Key Points
- There are different types of treatment for patients with prostate cancer. - Seven types of standard treatment are used: - Watchful waiting or active surveillance - Surgery - Radiation therapy and radiopharmaceutical therapy - Hormone therapy - Chemotherapy - Biologic therapy - Bisphosphonate therapy - There are treatments for bone pain caused by bone metastases or hormone therapy. - New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. - Cryosurgery - High-intensityfocused ultrasound therapy - Proton beam radiation therapy - Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. - Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment. - Follow-up tests may be needed.
There are different types of treatment for patients with prostate cancer.
Different types of treatment are available for patients with prostate cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Seven types of standard treatment are used:
Watchful waiting or active surveillance Watchful waiting and active surveillance are treatments used for older men who do not have signs or symptoms or have other medical conditions and for men whose prostate cancer is found during a screening test. Watchful waiting is closely monitoring a patients condition without giving any treatment until signs or symptoms appear or change. Treatment is given to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. Active surveillance is closely following a patient's condition without giving any treatment unless there are changes in test results. It is used to find early signs that the condition is getting worse. In active surveillance, patients are given certain exams and tests, including digital rectal exam, PSA test, transrectal ultrasound, and transrectal needle biopsy, to check if the cancer is growing. When the cancer begins to grow, treatment is given to cure the cancer. Other terms that are used to describe not giving treatment to cure prostate cancer right after diagnosis are observation, watch and wait, and expectant management. Surgery Patients in good health whose tumor is in the prostate gland only may be treated with surgery to remove the tumor. The following types of surgery are used: - Radical prostatectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the prostate, surrounding tissue, and seminal vesicles. There are two types of radical prostatectomy: - Retropubic prostatectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the prostate through an incision (cut) in the abdominal wall. Removal of nearby lymph nodes may be done at the same time. - Perineal prostatectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the prostate through an incision (cut) made in the perineum (area between the scrotum and anus). Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed through a separate incision in the abdomen. - Pelvic lymphadenectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the lymph nodes in the pelvis. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. If the lymph nodes contain cancer, the doctor will not remove the prostate and may recommend other treatment. - Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP): A surgical procedure to remove tissue from the prostate using a resectoscope (a thin, lighted tube with a cutting tool) inserted through the urethra. This procedure is done to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy and it is sometimes done to relieve symptoms caused by a tumor before other cancer treatment is given. TURP may also be done in men whose tumor is in the prostate only and who cannot have a radical prostatectomy. In some cases, nerve-sparing surgery can be done. This type of surgery may save the nerves that control erection. However, men with large tumors or tumors that are very close to the nerves may not be able to have this surgery. Possible problems after prostate cancer surgery include the following: - Impotence. - Leakage of urine from the bladder or stool from the rectum. - Shortening of the penis (1 to 2 centimeters). The exact reason for this is not known. - Inguinal hernia (bulging of fat or part of the small intestine through weak muscles into the groin). Inguinal hernia may occur more often in men treated with radical prostatectomy than in men who have some other types of prostate surgery, radiation therapy, or prostate biopsy alone. It is most likely to occur within the first 2 years after radical prostatectomy. Radiation therapy and radiopharmaceutical therapy Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are different types of radiation therapy: - External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Conformal radiation is a type of external radiation therapy that uses a computer to make a 3-dimensional (3-D) picture of the tumor and shapes the radiation beams to fit the tumor. This allows a high dose of radiation to reach the tumor and causes less damage to nearby healthy tissue. Hypofractionated radiation therapy may be given because it has a more convenient treatment schedule. Hypofractionated radiation therapy is radiation treatment in which a larger than usual total dose of radiation is given once a day over a shorter period of time (fewer days) compared to standard radiation therapy. Hypofractionated radiation therapy may have worse side effects than standard radiation therapy, depending on the schedules used. - Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. In early-stage prostate cancer, the radioactive seeds are placed in the prostate using needles that are inserted through the skin between the scrotum and rectum. The placement of the radioactive seeds in the prostate is guided by images from transrectal ultrasound or computed tomography (CT). The needles are removed after the radioactive seeds are placed in the prostate. - Radiopharmaceutical therapy uses a radioactive substance to treat cancer. Radiopharmaceutical therapy includes the following: - Alpha emitter radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance to treat prostate cancer that has spread to the bone. A radioactive substance called radium-223 is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. The radium-223 collects in areas of bone with cancer and kills the cancer cells. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. External radiation therapy, internal radiation therapy, and radiopharmaceutical therapy are used to treat prostate cancer. Men treated with radiation therapy for prostate cancer have an increased risk of having bladder and/or gastrointestinal cancer. Radiation therapy can cause impotence and urinary problems. Hormone therapy Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. Hormones are substances made by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. In prostate cancer, male sex hormones can cause prostate cancer to grow. Drugs, surgery, or other hormones are used to reduce the amount of male hormones or block them from working. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer may include the following: - Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists can stop the testicles from making testosterone. Examples are leuprolide, goserelin, and buserelin. - Antiandrogens can block the action of androgens (hormones that promote male sex characteristics), such as testosterone. Examples are flutamide, bicalutamide, enzalutamide, and nilutamide. - Drugs that can prevent the adrenal glands from making androgens include ketoconazole and aminoglutethimide. - Orchiectomy is a surgical procedure to remove one or both testicles, the main source of male hormones, such as testosterone, to decrease the amount of hormone being made. - Estrogens (hormones that promote female sex characteristics) can prevent the testicles from making testosterone. However, estrogens are seldom used today in the treatment of prostate cancer because of the risk of serious side effects. Hot flashes, impaired sexual function, loss of desire for sex, and weakened bones may occur in men treated with hormone therapy. Other side effects include diarrhea, nausea, and itching. See Drugs Approved for Prostate Cancer for more information. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. See Drugs Approved for Prostate Cancer for more information. Biologic therapy Biologic therapy is a treatment that uses the patients immune system to fight cancer. Substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or restore the bodys natural defenses against cancer. Sipuleucel-T is a type of biologic therapy used to treat prostate cancer that has metastasized (spread to other parts of the body). See Drugs Approved for Prostate Cancer for more information. Bisphosphonate therapy Bisphosphonate drugs, such as clodronate or zoledronate, reduce bone disease when cancer has spread to the bone. Men who are treated with antiandrogen therapy or orchiectomy are at an increased risk of bone loss. In these men, bisphosphonate drugs lessen the risk of bone fracture (breaks). The use of bisphosphonate drugs to prevent or slow the growth of bone metastases is being studied in clinical trials.
There are treatments for bone pain caused by bone metastases or hormone therapy.
Prostate cancer that has spread to the bone and certain types of hormone therapy can weaken bones and lead to bone pain. Treatments for bone pain include the following: - Pain medicine. - External radiation therapy. - Strontium-89 (a radioisotope). - Targeted therapy with a monoclonal antibody, such as denosumab. - Bisphosphonate therapy. - Corticosteroids. See the PDQ summary on Pain for more information.
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
This summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials. It may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website. Cryosurgery Cryosurgery is a treatment that uses an instrument to freeze and destroy prostate cancer cells. Ultrasound is used to find the area that will be treated. This type of treatment is also called cryotherapy. Cryosurgery can cause impotence and leakage of urine from the bladder or stool from the rectum. High-intensityfocused ultrasound therapy High-intensityfocused ultrasound therapy is a treatment that uses ultrasound (high-energy sound waves) to destroy cancer cells. To treat prostate cancer, an endorectal probe is used to make the sound waves. Proton beam radiation therapy Proton beam radiation therapy is a type of high-energy, external radiation therapy that targets tumors with streams of protons (small, positively charged particles). This type of radiation therapy is being studied in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment. Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment. Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.
Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. See the Treatment Options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials. These have been retrieved from NCI's listing of clinical trials.
Follow-up tests may be needed.
Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests. Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back). These tests are sometimes called follow-up tests or check-ups.
Treatment Options by Stage
Stage I Prostate Cancer
Standard treatment of stage I prostate cancer may include the following: - Watchful waiting. - Active surveillance. If the cancer begins to grow, hormone therapy may be given. - Radical prostatectomy, usually with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Radiation therapy may be given after surgery. - External radiation therapy. Hormone therapy may be given after radiation therapy. - Internal radiation therapy with radioactive seeds. - A clinical trial of high-intensityfocused ultrasound therapy. - A clinical trial of cryosurgery. Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage I prostate cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.
Stage II Prostate Cancer
Standard treatment of stage II prostate cancer may include the following: - Watchful waiting. - Active surveillance. If the cancer begins to grow, hormone therapy may be given. - Radical prostatectomy, usually with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Radiation therapy may be given after surgery. - External radiation therapy. Hormone therapy may be given after radiation therapy. - Internal radiation therapy with radioactive seeds. - A clinical trial of cryosurgery. - A clinical trial of high-intensityfocused ultrasound therapy. - A clinical trial of proton beam radiation therapy. - Clinical trials of new types of treatment, such as hormone therapy followed by radical prostatectomy. Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage II prostate cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.
Stage III Prostate Cancer
Standard treatment of stage III prostate cancer may include the following: - External radiation therapy. Hormone therapy may be given after radiation therapy. - Hormone therapy. - Radical prostatectomy. Radiation therapy may be given after surgery. - Watchful waiting. - Active surveillance. If the cancer begins to grow, hormone therapy may be given. Treatment to control cancer that is in the prostate and lessen urinary symptoms may include the following: - External radiation therapy. - Internal radiation therapy with radioactive seeds. - Hormone therapy. - Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). - A clinical trial of new types of radiation therapy. - A clinical trial of cryosurgery. Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage III prostate cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.
Stage IV Prostate Cancer
Standard treatment of stage IV prostate cancer may include the following: - Hormone therapy. - Hormone therapy combined with chemotherapy. - Bisphosphonate therapy. - External radiation therapy. Hormone therapy may be given after radiation therapy. - Alpha emitter radiation therapy. - Watchful waiting. - Active surveillance. If the cancer begins to grow, hormone therapy may be given. - A clinical trial of radical prostatectomy with orchiectomy. Treatment to control cancer that is in the prostate and lessen urinary symptoms may include the following: - Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). - Radiation therapy. Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage IV prostate cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.