Treatment Options for Advanced Prostate Cancer
What Is Advanced Prostate Cancer?
Most prostate cancers are slow growing. However, during the illness, prostate cancer may progress. When PSA (prostate-specific antigen) starts to rise in the months or years following surgery or radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer, it means that cancer cells remain in the body and there may be a recurrence of the disease. This is called advanced prostate cancer. At this time, advanced prostate cancer is generally not curable, although a variety of treatments can control the cancer, reduce symptoms, and improve and maintain quality of life.
Locally advanced prostate cancer is cancer that has grown through the outer wall of the prostate gland and into neighboring tissue and has returned after attempts at local treatment. Locally advanced prostate cancer has not spread into lymph nodes or to other organs.
Metastatic prostate cancer is prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body, particularly the bones or lymph nodes.
How Is Advanced Prostate Cancer Treated?
There are a variety of treatment options available for men with advanced prostate cancer. Some approaches aim to slow the cancer's growth or lessen the symptoms. Others are used to treat aggressive forms of cancer that don't respond to prostatectomy or radiation therapy.
Our prostate cancer specialists will work closely with you to guide you through your options and help you decide what treatment, or combination of treatments, will provide the best outcome for you.
Some of the treatments of early stage prostate cancer may be part of the regimen your doctor recommends for you.
Other options that are typically used for late stage prostate cancer include: