4urology

At present there is no definite evidence as to what is the best treatment for prostate cancer, especially for early stage T1 or T2 tumours. This is because prostate cancer is common and many patients with early stage disease may live for 10 years or more if no treatment is given. Howver, whilst it is possible to generalise, it can be difficult t predict what course the prostate cancer will take in the individual.

The side-effects of treatments must be balanced against overall benefit of therapy. Treatment is therefore determined by the stage and grade of the disease as well as the PSA, age and fitness of the patient. For surgical treatment to be considered the prostate cancer must be confined to the prostate, as there is liitle point in undergoing major surgery if the tumour has spread to areas that cannot be removed.

There are a number of treatment options for every stage, each with there own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore treatment should be tailored to the individual patient. It is possible to cure patients with prostate cancer at an early stage, but even if cure is not posible, the disease can usually be controlled for several years at least.

The different treatment options available to patients diagnosed with prostate cancer are described below.