{"id":13288,"date":"2024-09-18T15:05:50","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T15:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/?p=13288"},"modified":"2024-09-19T16:16:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T16:16:50","slug":"diagnosed-with-prostate-cancer-you-have-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/2024\/09\/18\/diagnosed-with-prostate-cancer-you-have-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer? You Have Options."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Diagnosed<\/p>\n

Prostate cancer is common. The good news is that it\u2019s very treatable. This year nearly 300,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf caught early, most men can choose from several treatment options depending on their health and how advanced the cancer is,\u201d says Jeffrey Tomaszewski, MD,<\/a> urologic oncologist and director, Genitourinary Cancer Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not all prostate cancer requires immediate treatment<\/h3>\n

\u201cIf a cancer is small, expected to grow slowly, confined to one area, and not causing any symptoms, active surveillance may be a treatment option,\u201d explains Christian Squillante, MD<\/a>, medical oncologist and associate director of the Genitourinary Cancer Program at MD Anderson at Cooper.<\/p>\n

With an active surveillance (or \u201cwatch and wait\u201d) <\/strong>approach, no immediate cancer treatment is administered. Instead, doctors closely monitor the patient for any changes in the cancer. This option can also be a good choice for patients who have other health issues that could be made worse by cancer treatment or who have a limited life expectancy.<\/p>\n

Surgery to remove the prostate<\/h3>\n

If surgery is required, MD Anderson at Cooper urologic surgeons use advanced, minimally invasive techniques whenever possible. \u201cThese techniques use smaller incisions, which help patients heal faster, spend less time in the hospital, return to normal activities sooner, and have less scarring,\u201d Dr. Tomaszewski says.<\/p>\n

\u201cA new technique, called Retzius-sparing prostatectomy<\/strong>, protects the pelvic floor during surgery. This reduces the chances of incontinence after surgery and improves sexual function. \u201cOur team is one of the few in the region offering this specialized and complex surgical approach due to the advanced skills needed,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

Radiation therapy and radiopharmaceutical therapy<\/h3>\n

\u201cRadiation therapy<\/a> destroys cancer cells and prevents cells from growing or spreading,\u201d says Gary Eastwick, MD<\/a>, a radiation oncologist at MD Anderson at Cooper. This treatment option can cure or control cancer, or it can be used to relieve symptoms. There are different types of radiation therapy, which may be used in combination with other therapies.<\/p>\n

\u201cMD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper is the only cancer center in the region to offer MR guided radiation treatment, <\/strong>a technology that combines magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and a linear accelerator into one device,\u201d Dr. Eastwick says. \u201cThe MR guided radiation treatment tracks tumors in real time, allowing radiation oncologists to target cancer more precisely, which helps protect healthy tissue and reduces side effects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lutetium-177 vipivotide tetraxetan PSMA therapy<\/strong> is a new type of radiation treatment that targets a specific molecule (called PSMA) found on prostate cancer cells that encourages the growth of cancer,\u201d Dr. Eastwick says. \u201cThe therapy is given through an intravenous infusion and is used for men whose cancer has spread or who have already tried other treatments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Medical management of prostate cancer<\/h3>\n

Some men may be candidates for medical management of their cancer.<\/p>\n