Your Questions About Prostate Cancer Treatment

rob answers:

Prostate Cancer is a malignant growth of the glandular cells of the prostate. Abnormal growth of cells is called a Tumor. Tumors can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). A malignancy is a cancerous growth that has the potential to spread and cause damage to other tissues of the body. Cancers can spread locally into surrounding tissues, or cancer cells can break away from the tumor and enter the body through fluids, like blood or lymph, and spread to other parts of the body. Lymph is an almost clear fluid that drains waste from cells. This fluid travels in vessels to the lymph nodes, small bean-shaped structures that filter unwanted substances, such as cancer cells and bacteria, out of the fluid. Lymph nodes may become filled with cancer cells.

As the prostate cancer grows, it grows through the prostate, the prostate capsule, and the fat that surrounds the prostate capsule. Because the prostate gland lies below the bladder and is attached to it, the prostate cancer can also grow into the base of the bladder. It may continue to grow locally in the pelvis into the muscles within the pelvis; into the rectum, which lies behind the prostate; or into the sidewall of the pelvis. When prosate cancer spreads outside of the capsule and the fatty tissue, it usually goes to two main areas in the body: the lymph nodes that drain the prostate and the bones.
Bones that are commonly affected are the spine and the ribs.

Various treatment options are available for prostate cancer, each with its own risks and benefits. The treatments for prostate cancer can be divided into those that are intended to “cure” prostate cancer and those that are palliative, itended to slow down the growth of the prostate cancer and treat its symptoms.

Your dad has chosen a course of treatment in consultation with his doctor that is designed to cure his cancer at the earliest stages. I have chosen a different treatment, so I can’t give you more information about his therapy. I do have a link to a website that I think will be helpful to you in your search for information and support. Cancer affects not only the person with the diagnonsis, but all those around who love them. Good luck in the journey your family is about to start.

TonyM

http://www.yananow.net/

rob answers:

I think its to do with making awareness accessible through accessorization and marketing. The colour pink is very appealing to many women and so through exploiting it the charity raises awareness and money. Plus women are far more aware about breast cancer and this is often a topic of discusion amongst them. I don’t think this is the same for men. Men are far less aware and afraid to talk about prostate cancer let alone buy bands or products to promote awareness. But it needs to be done and I think this is the problem that the charity faces.

rob answers:

I have never heard of this specificly, but I do know that chemo and radiation is a risk factor of all lymphomas and leukemias.
My treatment for leukemia puts me at high risk for brain cancer, as well as other types of leukemia. Which is ironic being that my treatment is also used for.. Certain types of brain cancer.

Unfortunatly, it is one of those catch 22 things. The treatment for one type of cancer very often causes or atleast is a risk factor for another type.

rob answers:

This technique is called “brachytherapy”, and is a great choice for patients who are acceptable candidates for it since it avoids the usually rather unpleasant potential side-effects of chemotherapy and the potential discomforts associated with “external” radiation treatment. The implanted “seed(s)” emit a low-level radiation that is powerful enough to travel only a very short distance, but far enough to destroy any cancer cells the laser surgery missed.

Here’s some commercial information:

http://www.pinnaclehealth.org/body.cfm?id=639

And the National Cancer Institute pages:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/prostate/Patient/page6

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/brachytherapy

Best wishes to your husband…

rob answers:

There is one treatment in which radioactive needles are implanted in the tumor for a kind of localized radiotherapy. This has the advantage of avoiding prostatectomy and the associated risks of losing bladder function.

Antiandrogen + LHRH superagonist can also be used for hormonal suppression in case the tumor is androgen-dependant (that is, most cases). Sometimes, surgery can be avoided that way, when there is complete response and elimination of the tumor. But be aware that hormonal suppression can cause impotency, though the effect is reversible.