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How to choose your
Prostate Cancer treatment
Newswise —
Prostate cancer can be managed
conservatively or aggressively. The primary
choices include observation, surgery,
radiation, hormonal manipulation followed by
radiation, and hormonal treatment. Some
centers also offer cryotherapy for localized
disease. So which approach is best for a
given patient?
To help answer the crucial question of how
to best treat prostate cancer, the American
Urological Association convened a Prostate
Cancer Clinical Guidelines Panel. But after
reviewing more than 13,000 studies, the
expert panel was unable to establish
recommendations.
That’s
because the studies differed substantially
in such factors as patient age, disease
stage, and follow-up, making direct
comparisons impossible. New studies to
resolve these issues will not be completed
for years.
Until then, patients have to choose for
themselves among several acceptable options.
The June
2008 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch
outlines some general guidelines to help men
decide which treatment is best for them.
A man must
know his cancer’s stage and its Gleason
score (a ranking that considers the cancer’s
aggressiveness).
But other
factors are important, too, including his
age, general health, and life expectancy,
and the experience and skills of his medical
team. And every patient should consider how
each treatment—and its side effects—will
affect his quality of life.
In general, men with early disease have the
most options, reports Harvard Men’s Health
Watch.
Older men
with small tumors and low Gleason scores
often choose radiation or observation;
younger men with higher scores often choose
surgery or radiation.
Most
men with locally advanced cancer choose
radiation, with or without hormonal
treatment. Men with widespread disease might
benefit from hormonal treatment known as
androgen-deprivation therapy.
Harvard Men’s Health Watch notes that these
are only general guidelines. Each man should
consider his options in detail, with input
from his physicians and family.
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