Prostate Cancer: Making a Treatment Plan

Being told that you have cancer is frightening. But most men diagnosed with prostate cancer don't die from it. Even though a cure can't be guaranteed, treatment can often keep the cancer under control. The treatment your healthcare team will suggest depends on many factors. These include your age, your overall health, how fast the cancer is growing, and whether it has spread. Discuss your options with your healthcare team.

Your Healthcare Team

The professionals who assist in your care include:

• A urologist, a doctor who treats and performs surgery on the urinary system and the male reproductive system.

• A radiation oncologist, a doctor who uses radiation to treat cancer.

• A medical oncologist, a doctor who treats cancer with medications.

• A nurse practitioner, who may perform exams and manage follow-up care.

• Your primary care physician, who refers you to the appropriate specialists. He or she also monitors your overall health.

Choosing the Best Treatment

Knowing the cancer's grade and stage helps with forming a treatment plan. Discuss your treatment options with your healthcare team to find what is best for you.

• Watchful waiting. Depending on the cancer's grade and stage, your age, and your overall health, you may not need treatment. Your healthcare team will monitor your health and PSA, decide when you'll need follow-up exams, and schedule treatment at a later date if needed.

• Treating to cure. If cancer is detected at an early stage, chances for recovery are good. Low- or mid-stage cancer can often be cured by removing it surgically or destroying it inside your body using radiation.

• Treating to control. High-grade or high-stage cancer often can't be cured, but may be controlled using surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, or chemotherapy.

New Treatment Options

New treatment options for prostate cancer may become available in the future. These may include new surgical or radiation techniques or new medications. Your healthcare team can tell you if any of these options might be right for you. Ask the members of your healthcare team whether you could be treated as part of a clinical trial (a research project to study a new treatment).