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Prostate Cancer Treatment Options :
The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider, considering the unique characteristics of the patient
Cryoablation (or cryosurgery)
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“Cryo” is the Greek word for cold. During cryoablation the prostate is treated by temporarily freezing it to very low temperatures. By using advanced technology, it is possible to freeze the prostate by placing thin ‘cryoprobes’ inside the gland. Circulating very cold gases through them cools the cryoprobes. A large incision is not needed and the prostate is not removed, making this a minimally invasive procedure. The procedure takes between 1 and 3 hours with the patient usually returning home the same day as treatment, or after one night in the hospital. Typically, return to normal daily life occurs within two weeks.
Radical Prostatectomy
Radical prostatectomy is the most studied and established prostate cancer treatment. The prostate is surgically removed during an operation that takes between one and three hours. After removal, the prostate is examined by a pathologist to confirm the cancer was localized (completely contained within the prostate). If not, your doctor will know immediately and appropriate additional therapy can be prescribed. Usually, a patient spends 2 – 3 days in the hospital after radical prostatectomy, and returns to normal daily life within a few weeks.
The foundation of robotic radical prostatectomy is the same as radical prostatectomy – complete surgical removal of the prostate. The difference is how the procedure is done. Robotic radical prostatectomy uses an advanced robotic surgical system. It allows for a single large incision to be replaced by a few ‘key hole’ incisions approximately the size of a nickel. Special cameras and surgical tools are inserted and guided to the prostate. The surgeon operates the equipment from a control station. During the procedure the surgeon sees a magnified image of the prostate which makes the procedure very accurate. Depending on physician experience, this procedure takes 2-5 hours. A patient will usually spend one night in the hospital and will return to normal daily life within about a week.
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)
Ultrasound is very versatile. At low energy it can be completely harmless when used to image an unborn baby. However, under specific circumstances, it can be used to destroy tissue. By focusing the ultrasound source, (similar to how a magnifying glass can focus a beam of light) and vastly increasing its intensity, a large amount of energy can be accurately targeted at a single point. This results in a rapid temperature increase of that point. High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a clinical application in which focused ultrasound beams are used to raise the temperature of tissue to a level that causes irreversible damage (“ablation”). By using technologically advanced equipment it is possible to systematically ablate the entire gland without any incision or radiation. HIFU is unique in that it is a non-invasive procedure (rather than minimally invasive) involving no radiation, or any incision. The prostate is not removed, but destroyed while still in the body. The procedure takes between 2 and 4 hours and the patient can typically return home the same day or after a night in the hospital. Return to normal daily life usually occurs within a week. Click here to read a paper explaining more about HIFU Devices that perform High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) are not approved by the FDA in the United States. It is approved for commercial use only in certain countries outside of the United States. Any discussion of treatment, clinical data interpretations or conclusions and instructions for use are specific to one or more foreign countries where devices are approved for use in the treatment of prostate cancer and other indications.
Interstitial Seed Placement (or Brachytherapy)
Interstitial seed placement is also known as brachytherapy, coming from the Greek word “brachy”, meaning near. During brachytherapy small rice sized pieces of radioactive metal (often called radioactive “seeds”) are placed inside the prostate. Over several weeks the amount of radiation from the seeds decreases to essentially nothing. By the time the seeds become inactive, the emitted radiation has treated the prostate. Having the source of radiation “near” (or in this case actually within) the prostate, there is less damage to surrounding tissue when done by an experienced physician. The placement of brachytherapy seeds usually takes between 1 and 2 hours and the patient can return home the same day. Brachytherapy is a minimally invasive procedure considering the prostate is not removed, allowing rapid return to normal daily life.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatment Resources
Firma Medical - Vacuum Therapy for post operative patients.
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