Prostate Cancer?

[queenjoef]

My dad has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and I am really worried. How treatable is it?

[bodhidhamma7]

Like all cancers, if caught early, totally curable. If more advanced, treatment involves radiotherapy etc, but prognosis is ususally good

[Tom1999]

It depends on his age. A large number of men face the prospect of a prostate cancer diagnosis. This can be treated, however because it is often a very slow cancer it is often left as the disease does not always reach a fatal stage within the sufferers lifetime. Surgery is an option to treat the problem however there is some risk of impotence.

[grizzler69]

Prostate cancer can be one of the most treatable, but is also a big killer. The latter is often patients who have had several years of life post diagnosis. I will outline all of the options available here in Nottingham. A lot depends on the PSA level. I'm sure you've heard of this, there is a set high level depending on age, anything higher will lead to investigations. When prostate cancer is diagnosed on biopsy, then there will be a Gleason score, between 6 and 10 normally, which gives the doctors an strong idea about the how the cancer is developing. If your father is elderly, say over 70, and has a low Gleason score, 6, occassionally 7 with a low PSA, probably under 7-8 then it is likely he will be offered "active surveillance" which is where he will have his PSA level checked very 3 months to watch how it rises. If it continues to rise, other treatments are possible. If he is young, with similar Gleason and PSA levels, then treatment may be radical prostatectomy (preferably laparoscopically) to remove the prostate, radical radiotherapy (often offered with higher PSA levels) or a treatment called HiFu, which has shown excellent results, but is not available on all NHS funding, an example of the "postcode lottery". If the Gleason score is higher, then radiotherapy is still a common option depending on age, but the higher the PSA level and Gleason score rise, the more likely that he will receive androgen ablation, or hormone tablets and injections, designed to remove the testosterone which feeds prostate cancer. Normally a drug called CPA (cyproterone acetate) is given for a few weeks followed by injections of zoladex or decapeptyl. The CPA controls "tumour flare". (I would explain more, feel free to e-mail or google this) In any case where curative Tx is being considered then MRI and bone scan will be arranged to assess the local structures, and any evidence of spread to the bones. If these are clear, then curative treatment is an option. I hope this helps in some way, feel free to contact me if you want any further answers.

[♦Alex♦]

very treatable...but get help

[rob_n_tx2]

I had Prostate Cancer in 2005 and am doing great. I had Proton Radiation at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda California. I believe that Proton Radiation is by far the best and most successful treatment for Prostate Cancer. It has very few and usually no side effects...not sick or anything. Proton Radiaton delivers 90 % of the energy being released to the point of treatment... there fore, surrounding tissue are not destroyed as with conventional radiation. The cure rate with Proton Radiation is about 90%. When all other treatments are compared to Proton Radiation, to me its a no brainer... no side effects and cure rate is as good or better than other treatments.. Proton Radiation is relatively new... however Loma Linda has been doing it for 17 years... M D Anderson in Houston Tx just started offering it..Lots of doctors were are reluctant to recommend it.. They dont know how to use it and dont have the facilities.. Therefore it becomes and economic issue with them... There is a Web Site called Proton Bob..that has information about Proton Radiation... plus it has testimonials of men treated at Loma Linda for Proton Radiation... Your father needs to read those testimonials.... Funny thing about some doctors not recommending it to their patients.... There were sure lots of Doctors with Prostate Cancer at Loma Linda getting Proton Radaition treatmens for their cancer when I was there.....Im convinced its is the very best treatment available for Prostate Cancer.. Medicare and most insurance companies will cover it.You can also look at Loma Linda Universtiy Medical Centers web site...Please be sure your father looks in to Proton Radiation...like I say some Doctors consider it new.. and some are not even familiar with it... ohh US News and World Report is about to do a feature article on Proton Radiation in the next week or two I think...Just check into it.. and if you compare the other treatments... I think he will chose Proton Radiation...Dear queenjoef: I have opened my email and if you or your father would like to contact me, I would sure llike to tell you more about Proton Radiation. Just dont let your father take any of the other treatments until he finds out more about Proton Radiation... It is the only way to go!!!!I I will be glad to visit on line or on the phone...****************************

[willie d]

prostate cancer is very treatable, obviously depending on jow fast they get it diagnosed. Look at PSA ( Prostate specific anitgen) results to confirm .these will reduce when treatment begins. many men are symptomatic and dont do anything about it, However prostate cancers can be relatively slow growing and often men die of old age rather than prostate cancer

[Alison B]

It is very treatable, one of my clients had it, he had tiny implants that were radio active they gradually wore off and he was totally cured. There are lots of different treatments, it depends upon which country you are in and whether you are NHS or Private. I wish you and your Dad all the best