Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among American men. Fortunately, survival rates are excellent, and new less invasive surgery and advanced treatment options offer enhanced quality of life.
Most prostate cancers are detected in the early stages when tumors are confined within the prostate, making the cure rate promising. Some prostate cancers are more aggressive than others. If those aggressive tumors are untreated and allowed to grow, they can spread to other parts of the body, causing the cure rate to drop dramatically.
Advanced Treatment Options for Better Outcomes
Lancaster General Health has a comprehensive prostate cancer program that combines clinical expertise, advanced technology, and a multidisciplinary team including board-certified urologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists and nurse specialists.
Treatment options include observation, surgery, radiation therapy, clinical trials, and hormonal therapy. Treatment recommendations are made based on your health, the stage at which the cancer is detected, and quality of life considerations like urinary incontinence and sexual potency.
Open radical prostatectomy, or removal of the prostate, is one of the surgical treatment options available. Minimally invasive da Vinci® robotic surgery is a less invasive approach which may mean less blood loss, a shorter hospital stay, and reduced catheterization time. Recovery time averages 2–4 weeks, compared to 6–8 weeks for an open radical prostatectomy.
Radiation therapy options include brachytherapy where radioactive seeds are implanted in the prostate; intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT); and image guided radiation therapy (IGRT).
TomoTherapy® Hi-Art®, our most advanced treatment option, is a form of IMRT that uses CT scans to map a 360º dose of radiation that precisely matches the shape of the tumor in order to minimize radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. TomoTherapy® treatments are more accurate than other IMRT/IGRT methods, resulting in a more targeted, safer experience for patients.
Immunotherapy (PROVENGE®) is a revolutionary new treatment that activates a patient’s own immune system to seek out and attack advanced prostate cancer.
Patients can also participate in clinical trials, which offer a unique opportunity to take advantage of expanded treatment options currently being studied and developed, while advancing cancer care.
Other Urologic Cancers