2. Prostate Cancer Facts
New cases: 217,730
Deaths: 32,050
Average age at diagnosis is 67 years
3. Prostate Gland
Located in the pelvis
under the bladder and in
front of the rectum
Stores a component of
semen
Healthy prostate is about
the size of a walnut
4. How is diagnosis made?
Diagnosis can be made
early before symptoms Keep up those annual physicals!
DRE
PSA
Abnormal findings leads
to biopsy
5. Other Conditions?
If symptoms present, could be
Prostatitis or BPH
Prostate cancer has spread beyond
the gland
MD may do a trial of anitbiotics
before biopsy
9. Surgery
There are four main types of radical prostatectomy surgery. These procedures take about
3 to 4 hours:
Radical retropubic prostatectomy: Your surgeon will make a cut starting just below
your belly button and reaching to your pubic bone. The entire surgery should take 90
minutes to 4 hours.
Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: The surgeon makes several small cuts instead of
one big cut. Long, thin tools are placed inside the cuts. The surgeon puts a thin tube with
a video camera (laparoscope) inside one of the cuts. This helps the surgeon see inside
your belly during the procedure.
Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: Sometimes laparoscopic surgery is
done using a robotic system. The surgeon moves the robotic arm while sitting at a
computer monitor near the operating table. Not every hospital can do robotic surgery.
Radical perineal prostatectomy: Your surgeon makes a cut in the skin between your
anus and base of the scrotum (the perineum). The cut is smaller than with the retropubic
technique. This makes it harder for the surgeon to spare the nerves around the
prostate, or to remove nearby lymph nodes. Perineal surgery usually takes less time than
the retropubic way. There is also less blood loss.
10. Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy
x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or ep them
from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy.
External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to
send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy
uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires,
or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer.
The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type
and stage of the cancer being treated.
Impotence and urinary problems may occur in men treated
with radiation therapy.
