Early Stage Prostate Cancer

EARLY STAGE PROSTATE CANCER

Treatment Options for Early Stage Prostate Cancer Treatment for early stage prostate cancer is done with the aim to cure the cancer. It is important to research your treatment options to make the right decision for you.

Some prostate cancer treatments may impact your sexual function so it is important to be open and honest with your partner. Ask your doctor questions and try to talk to other men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The most common treatment options for early stage prostate cancer include: • Active surveillance – close monitoring of the status of your prostate cancer through regular office visits and repeat medical tests, such as the PSA test, imaging, or prostate biopsies • Surgery – a radical prostatectomy is the removal of the entire prostate by a surgeon • Radiation therapy – the use of radiation to destroy the cancer cells in the prostate

Before making a treatment decision, learn more about possible side effects: zerocancer.org/ side-effects

Other treatment options for early stage prostate cancer include: • Cryotherapy – freezing of the tumor to destroy the cancer cells • HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) – uses heat to kill the prostate cancer cells • Hormone Therapy – also known as androgen deprivation therapy or ADT, it stops or slows the body’s ability to make testosterone, aiming to stop tumor growth and/or shrink the tumor. It has always been an important treatment for advanced prostate cancer, and is sometimes used in combination with radiation therapy for early stage patients The treatments for early stage prostate cancer can cause significant, life impacting side effects. The most common side effects are erectile dysfunction (loss of erections) and urinary incontinence (leaking urine). It is important to talk with your doctor to understand potential side effects of each treatment option available to you and how these side effects can be addressed. Your treatment options will depend on many factors, most importantly the characteristics of your cancer, including stage, grade, and risk category. Other factors that are unique to you include: • Other health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, or other chronic conditions • Previous prostate surgery • Age • Your personal preferences Before making treatment decisions, consider having a consultation with a medical oncologist, particularly if you have high risk disease. While your treatment will most likely be managed by a urologist or radiation oncologist, meeting with a medical oncologist will help you to have a full picture of all treatment options available to you. This is especially important should your cancer return at some point in the future. LEARN MORE We encourage you to use this information in conversations with your healthcare team about prostate cancer and related topics. For more information about prostate cancer and ZERO Prostate Cancer, visit our website zerocancer.org/learn . ZERO Prostate Cancer provides this information as a service. It is not intended to take the place of medical professionals or the recommendations of your healthcare team. We strongly suggest consulting your healthcare team if you have questions about your specific care.

A PATIENT EDUCATION SERIES

Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker