If you or a family member has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you should consult your physician. You will likely have a team of specialists, including a radiation oncologist, urologist, and a medical oncologist.

The types of therapy used to treat prostate cancer vary depending on each individual patient, with factors such as the stage of cancer and the patient’s personal health playing a key role in determining the treatment needed.

Treatment methods include radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and more. Treatment methods may also be combined in some cases. For any questions about available prostate cancer treatments, ask your doctor for more information.

Prostate cancer can be treated using radiation therapy, which utilizes focused rays of radiation on the target area to kill cancer cells, while preserving healthy surrounding tissue. An advantage to radiation therapy compared to other treatment methods is organ-preservation, meaning that it minimizes the amount of healthy tissue affected by treatment.

External Beam Radiation Therapy (Radiotherapy)

This type of radiation therapy delivers targeted doses of radiation to treat prostate cancer, and in some cases, cure it. The process begins with a physical exam, and a CT scan to create a 3-D map that will serve as a guide for the beam. This ensures pinpoint accuracy during treatment. Sometimes your treatment plan will include not only the prostate, but the seminal vesicles (glands on the back of the prostate) and lymph nodes. There are different methods for administering radiotherapy, so ask your doctor about about what type you will be receiving during treatment.

This therapy is typically given in five day sessions over the course of several weeks, but the actual frequency of your cancer treatment can vary depending on your needs.

CyberKnife

CyberKnife is a state-of-the-art radiation treatment that uses advanced robotics to precisely target tumors with highly concentrated beams of radiation with pinpoint accuracy, minimizing the number of healthy cells affected by radiation, and possibly prevent the development of side effects. The physicians of Anchorage Radiation Oncology Center have access to the Alaska CyberKnife Center at Providence Cancer Center in Anchorage. Ask your physician if the CyberKnife System is right for you.

Hormone therapy can be used to treat prostate cancer by reducing testosterone production in the body. Lower levels of testosterone can shrink the tumor, and slow the progression of the cancer to the rest of the body.

It’s common for hormone therapy to be combined with radiation therapy, usually done before and after the radiation treatment. The length of your hormone treatment depends on a variety of factors, including what other treatments you are currently undergoing, and the stage of your cancer.

Your radiation oncologist, medical oncologist, or urologist may prescribe hormone therapy; be sure to ask your physician about any questions you may have.

Since external beam radiation therapy is noninvasive, side effects from treatment are rare. Brachytherapy, on the other hand, requires a small surgical procedure, and does have some common side effects including: swelling, soreness and frequent urination just after the procedure.

However, these side effects are due to the surgical procedure, and not the radiation. If you are also receiving hormone therapy as part of your treatment, the possible side effects include: hot flashes, mild breast tenderness, diarrhea, nausea and tiredness.

Many side effects that develop as a result of prostate cancer treatment can be controlled through medication and alterations to your normal diet, which your doctor can provide assistance with.

Make sure to tell your doctor and nurse about any side effects you may be suffering from, so they can work to make you feel better and more comfortable.

Download some helpful brochures from www.rtanswers.org

Prostate Cancer Brochure

Questions to Ask

*Content provided by the American Society for Radiation Oncology, www.rtanswers.org, and the American Cancer Society.