For men and their families facing a possible prostate cancer diagnosis, it’s critical to learn how this diagnosis is determined and what it means for possible treatment. The prostate cancer specialists at WMCHealth are equipped with expertise and experience using the most advanced care available for prostate cancer.
What Is Prostate Cancer?
The prostate, a small gland located under the bladder, plays an important role in male reproduction. Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer among men worldwide. Factors such as age, race, and family history can influence your risk of developing prostate cancer.
Many treatment options exist. The prostate cancer specialists at WMCHealth’s Genitourinary Cancer Program team can determine the type of prostate cancer and help guide you in choosing the best treatment options.
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
In its early stages, prostate cancer rarely has any noticeable symptoms at all, but as the cancer grows, it can interfere with the functions of the bladder and urethra. Possible indicators of prostate cancer as it spreads include:
- Difficulty and increased frequency of urination
- Back pain that doesn’t improve with rest
Types of Prostate Cancer
The predominant type of prostate cancer is adenocarcinoma of the prostate. This type of cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of prostate cancer. It is a cancerous growth of glandular cells that line the prostate.
WMCHealth's Innovative Services
The Genitourinary Cancer Program at WMCHealth is a prostate cancer treatment center that provides a customized approach to treatment. The team includes board certified specialists experienced in robotic and minimally invasive surgery, radiation, molecularly targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Our experts include nationally recognized faculty who have led National Cancer Institute sponsored clinical trials.
Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
If prostate cancer is suspected, your doctor will recommend a prostate cancer screening. The most common tests include:
- Digital Rectal Examination (DRE): During a DRE, the doctor feels for any lumps or irregularities in prostate size and shape.
- Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test: A blood test that measures the levels of PSA in your blood. Elevated PSA levels can indicate various prostate conditions, including cancer.
- MRI Imaging: A magnetic resonance imaging scan can provide detailed images of the prostate gland to help identify areas of concern.
- Ultrasound-guided Biopsy: This procedure involves taking small samples of prostate tissue to be examined for cancerous cells.
Treatment for Prostate Cancer
Choosing a prostate cancer treatment is a decision to make in consultation with your care team. Understanding the potential side effects, the goals of treatment, and preparing for the physical and emotional impact are key parts of the decision-making process. Treatment options take into account the patient’s age, overall health, and unique characteristics of the cancer. Treatment options include:
- Active surveillance involves closely monitoring the cancer with regular PSA blood tests, DREs, and occasional biopsies without immediate treatment.
- Surgery (prostatectomy) is the surgical removal of the prostate gland and some surrounding tissue. It can be done as open surgery, laparoscopically or using a robot-assisted approach.
- Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells. It can come from outside the body (external beam radiation) or from radioactive seeds placed inside the prostate (brachytherapy). Radiation therapy is often used for localized prostate cancer, particularly in cases where surgery is not an option.
- Hormone therapy, also known as androgen deprivation therapy, aims to reduce levels of male hormones, or androgens, in the body. This can slow cancer growth and prevent the hormones from reaching prostate cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. It is a systemic treatment that can be used for prostate cancer that is no longer responding to hormone therapy or has spread to other parts of the body.
Why Choose WMCHealth?
The multidisciplinary doctors at the Genitourinary Cancer Program at WMCHealth include radiation oncologists specializing in external beam radiation therapy and both high and low dose brachytherapy. The Genitourinary Tumor Board discusses individual patients’ needs to determine an integrated treatment plan, so even if a patient only sees one doctor, that doctor has access to the expertise of the entire team.
Why Choose WMCHealth?
The multidisciplinary doctors at the Genitourinary Cancer Program at WMCHealth include radiation oncologists specializing in external beam radiation therapy and both high and low dose brachytherapy. The Genitourinary Tumor Board discusses individual patients’ needs to determine an integrated treatment plan, so even if a patient only sees one doctor, that doctor has access to the expertise of the entire team.