Sunday, October 7, 2012

Prostate Cancer Treatment

This type of cancer develops very slowly, causing, in many cases, the treatment has to be carried out over a long period of time. It should be noted, however, that if the cancer is detected in its early stages, when it is still within the prostate, the patient may have a long life expectancy. Treatment of prostate depends basically evolution of the disease state. Data such as the degree or stage of cancer age and health status of the patient is very important in determining the course of treatment. Currently there are four ways to go to reduce and / or remove prostate cancer:



Surgery - Procedure that involves removal of the entire prostate gland and the tissue located around. Sometimes also removed lymph nodes in the pelvic area (lower abdomen, located between the hip bones). This intervention, known as radical prostatectomy, can be carried out using two types of procedures:

Retropubic prostatectomy - The extraction is performed through an incision in the abdomen.

Perineal prostatectomy - The operation is performed through an incision in the area between the scrotum and the anus.

Radiation - This treatment can be combined with surgery, either to prepare the affected area for removal of the affected tissue or to try to clean the area after surgery. In this case, one can proceed in two different ways:

Internal treatment (by inserting a tumor near the small container of radioactive material)- It is an implant may be temporary or permanent, which can be removed and leaves no trace radioactive Pies.

External treatment (application of radiation through external machines)- This procedure, which lasts 6 weeks (5 days per week), consists in guiding radiation to the pelvic area.

Hormonal therapy. Tumor progression is linked to the action of testosterone, a male sex hormone. Hormonal treatment aims to reduce testosterone levels in the body or block the effects of this hormone on the prostate. Permanent monitoring (frequent checks of the affected area). This is the observation and monitoring of the state of cancer. This option is especially recommended for older patients who have other diseases that can damage your health. Importantly, the fact that prostate cancer is a very slow, and therefore the treatment is also extended. In most cases of this disease patients live with cancer, but it is necessarily the cause of his death.

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