Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Affects One in Every Six Men

About 11% of men will develop prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men other than skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 164,690 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2018. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in men, after lung cancer. The good news is that prostate cancer is also one of the most treatable types of cancer, and the death rates are declining due to early detection and improved treatments.

You Have Options

With different treatment options for prostate cancer, how do you know which is the right for you? Your physician will help guide you in the decision making process.  

Radiation Therapy

A standard course of prostate radiation therapy used to be delivered over a course of eight to nine weeks but can now be safely and effectively delivered in four to six weeks; in some cases, treatment can be completed in as little as five treatments delivered over two weeks.

Spectrum Health Lakeland has started to use the SpaceOAR hydrogel rectal spacer to reduce the short and long-term side effects of radiation therapy. The SpaceOAR System is a temporary injectable gel that protects the rectum in men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer. It is the first and only prostate cancer spacing device to receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance.

Combined with our state-of-the-art treatment technology, including on-board cone-beam CT imaging and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), Spectrum Health Lakeland offers the most efficacious, safest and cost effective radiation treatment available for prostate cancer.

Surgical Options

Which type of surgery you have depends on the type of cancer, where it is, how much it has spread, and other factors. Surgery removes all or most of the prostate gland.

Prostate cancer can be treated with:

  • Radical prostatectomy - removing the whole prostate gland and some nearby tissue. Done with one large incision.
  • Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy - done with a few small incisions instead of one larger incision. Laparoscopic surgery can lead to a shorter stay in the hospital, less pain, and quicker recovery time.
  • Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) - done with a small tool that is put inside the prostate through the urethra. There is no incision with this method. TURP is used to relieve symptoms. It is not used to cure the cancer. 
  • Cryosurgery - done with a small metal tool placed in the tumor. The healthcare provider makes a tiny incision in the skin and inserts a thin metal probe into the prostate. Liquid nitrogen is then put into the probe to freeze the cancer cells.

For more detailed information on surgical options, surgery, recovery, and risk - click here.

While 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer during his lifetime, only 1 in 41 will die of this disease.

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