Urology Centers of Alabama leads the way in prostate cancer treatment with state-of-the-art facilities and the most advanced technology available. UCA continues to modify surgical techniques to provide the best possible outcome for all patients. In addition to advanced treatment options, there are multiple post-surgery opportunities at UCA. These opportunities include: a dedicated erectile dysfunction team, biofeedback training to reduce incontinence, and cancer support groups.
What is Prostate Cancer
The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system and is responsible for the production of fluid to nourish and transport sperm. The prostate lies deep in the male pelvis between the bladder and the urethra (the tube that transports the urine and semen through the penis). Prostate Cancer develops when the cells of the gland mutate and undergo malignant changes. Cancer cells grow more rapidly than normal cells and refuse to die, and they also develop the ability to invade and destroy normal tissue. Over time, the spread of the malignant cells can result in the patient having symptoms, health problems and, ultimately, death.
Prostate Cancer is one of the most common male malignancies in the United States, and it is expected that more than 248,530 men will be diagnosed with this condition annually. Men have a 1 in 8 lifetime chance of contracting prostate cancer, and it is the third leading cause for cancer death in men. The annual prostate cancer death rate has been declining recently, which we think may be due to screening and early detection of the disease. Prostate cancer usually occurs later in life and grows slowly, but this is not always the case. While some types of prostate cancer may need minimal or no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly. If prostate cancer can be detected early while it is still confined to the prostate, the chance for successful treatment of the disease is very good.
Risk Factors
The main risk factors include:
Age – Prostate Cancer is more common as men get older.
Race or Ethnicity – For reasons that aren’t well understood, African American men have a higher risk of developing and dying of prostate cancer.
Family History – If there is a family history of prostate cancer, the chances of getting it are higher. The closer the relative, the more relatives with this condition and the younger that it was found in the relative, all increase the risk of getting and dying of prostate cancer.
Diet – A high fat diet and obesity may increase your risk of prostate cancer.
Symptoms & Diagnosing
For most men, prostate cancer is first detected during a routine screening such as a Prostate Specific Antigen blood test (PSA) and/or a digital rectal exam (DRE), and since the cancer is usually detected much earlier with screening, there are often no associated symptoms. Later in its course, the cancer can cause compression on the urinary tract, and this compression results in urinary symptoms such as the decreased force of stream and stopping and starting of the urinary stream. Since these are the same symptoms associated with Benign Enlargement of the Prostate (BPH), it is important to be checked with the PSA and DRE to be sure that the symptoms are not due to Prostate Cancer. Later stages of Prostate Cancer can cause pelvic pain, bone pain, or bone fractures, but because of routine screening, Prostate Cancer rarely presents with these advanced symptoms.
If you have difficulties with urination, see your doctor. These symptoms are not always caused by prostate cancer, but screening for prostate cancer is advisable.
The American Cancer Society and the American Urological Society recommend that the pros and cons of regular prostate cancer screening be discussed with the patient starting at age 40.
Prostate Biopsy
If the screening tests suggest prostate cancer (the Prostate Specific Antigen blood test and/or the Digital Rectal Exam), the pros and cons of a Prostate Biopsy will be discussed with the patient. This is an outpatient procedure using a small ultrasound probe in the rectum to visualize the prostate. Guided by images from the probe, numbing medication is injected around the prostate, and using a fine, spring-propelled needle, samples of tissue are taken from the prostate to determine if cancer is present and how aggressive the cancer is. Using the current technique, most patients tolerate the procedure well and complications from the biopsy are rare.
Treatments
The decision for treatment of prostate cancer depends on the age and health of the patient, the aggressiveness of the cancer and the extent of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. Virtually all treatments for prostate cancer, except observation, may have an effect on the quality of life with urinary control, erectile function and bowel function being the primary concerns. Therefore, it is important to have a thorough discussion with your urologist about the benefits, risks, morbidity and side effects of the treatment options.
If the patient is older and has a slowly progressive prostate cancer, observation and treatment with palliative therapy at a later date is an option. Some younger patients with low volume non-aggressive cancer may be candidates for surveillance in which case the cancer is carefully watched by doing infrequent, repeated prostate biopsies and curative therapy is done if the cancer shows signs of progression.
For many patients, curative therapy is the best choice, and there are several options:
- Active Surveillance
- Surgical removal of the prostate
- Radioactive seed implants
- Radiation Therapy
- Cryosurgery (freezing of the prostate)
- Hormone therapy
If the cancer is very aggressive or more extensive than usual, a combination with hormone therapy (shots to remove male hormone) or a combination of surgery followed by EBRT or Radioactive Seeds plus EBRT may give the best chance for cure. When surgical removal of the prostate is indicated, we are fortunate to have well qualified, experienced robotic surgeons at Urology Centers of Alabama, and we feel that the robotic technology offers less morbidity & side effects and excellent cancer control.
Active Surveillance
This is a course of no active treatment of the cancer, but close follow-up and usually repeat biopsies at various intervals. This is often recommended with very low volume and minimally aggressive cancer, particularly in older patients. The goal is not to make the “treatment” worse than the disease.
Robotics & Surgical Removal
Studies of several thousand patients show that laparoscopic surgery is as effective as an open prostatectomy with less post-operative pain, fewer complications, shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery time.
Read more about robotics and surgical removal.
Click here to watch our video about Robotics Prostectomies.
Brachytherapy & Radioactive Seed Implants
Radioactive “seeds” are carefully placed inside of the cancerous tissue to attack the cancer at close range. Each radioactive seed is about the size of a grain of rice and gives off radiation which travels only a few millimeters to kill nearby cancer cells.
Read more about Brachytherapy.
Click here to watch our video about radiation and seed implants.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation Therapy delivers radiation to the prostate for about 10 minutes per day to kill the cancer cells. This very rarely makes patients have any significant side effects (hair loss or nausea) and most can continue with their daily routines throughout the course of their treatment.
Read more about Radiation Therapy.
Cryosurgery (Freezing of the Prostate)
UCA has used cryosurgery to treat prostate cancer since 2006. This technique can also be used for “focal treatment” for limited prostate cancer in patients wishing to maintain some degree of prostate and erectile function and to minimize side effects.
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy involves stopping your body from producing the male sex hormone testosterone which stimulates the growth of prostate cancer cells. Another type of this therapy can block testosterone from getting into the cancer cells.
Prostate Cancer Prevention
Prostate cancer may not be preventable in some people but you can take measures to reduce your risk or possibly slow the disease’s development. This includes the following:
Healthy Eating
High-fat diets and obesity have been linked to prostate cancer as well as a number of other health problems. Limiting your intake of high-fat foods and emphasizing fruits, vegetables, and whole fibers may help you reduce your risk. Foods and supplements containing lycopene (an ingredient in cooked tomatoes), selenium, soy, vitamin D, and Vitamin E may also help.
Get regular exercise
Regular exercise can help prevent a heart attack and conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. When it comes to cancer, the data isn’t as clear-cut, but studies do indicate that regular exercise may reduce your cancer risk. Exercise has been shown to strengthen your immune system, improve circulation, and speed digestion – all of which may play a role in cancer prevention. Regular exercise may also minimize your risk of prostate gland enlargement or benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).
The important thing to remember is that what is prostate healthy is heart-healthy, cancer healthy, and healthy for your vascular system. In addition, healthy living helps to prevent obesity and diabetes, and it improves your quality of life.