Innovative Prostate Cancer Treatment Aims for Higher Success Rate: What are they?

The recommendation of doctors for the prostate cancer treatment often depends upon the age of the sufferer, stage of the disease and other afflictions the patients might be suffering from. Despite that, there are certain traditional methods of treating prostate cancer, which are currently in practice all over. However, researchers also strive to come up with innovative measures for more effective prostate cancer treatment with the aim of optimizing the success rates.

Standard Prostate Cancer Treatments

The four basic prostate cancer treatment options available in this regard include:

• Watchful Waiting

In this case, the progress of the malignant cells is examined thoroughly on a regular basis. No active treatment of the patient (typically an aged man) is carried out before ensuring the threat of tumor is spreading in some way.

• Surgery

Usually, healthier adults go through this prostate cancer treatment procedure where the removal of certain lymphatic nodes and/or prostate gland is done via an incision. While Pelvic lymphadenectomy deals with the removal of lymph nodes, Radical prostatectomy is related to the removal of the prostate and the surrounding affected tissues via an incision made in the abdomen or perineum. However, with transurethral resection of the prostate, a fine tube with an incisive tip is inserted through the urethral opening on the penis. This method of tissue removal can also be done to alleviate discomfort of tumor, prior to any proper treatment. Invaliding sexual activities and internal leakage of urine and/or fecal matter are the disadvantages associated with this procedure.

• Radiation Therapy

In this external form of this prostate cancer treatment procedure, the body is exposed to high-energy radiation beams, while the internal form of this therapy includes introduction of radioactive components into the surroundings of tumor or directly into it. Invalided sexual activities and urinary problems have been reported in patients treated with this procedure.

• Hormone Therapy

This prostate cancer treatment engages drugs and surgical methods to either obstruct the action of male hormones or remove them for preventing the spread of tumor. Examples include Orchiectomy (removal of testicles) to reduce male hormone production and Antiandrogen drugs for averting androgens that enhance male sexual features. Typically, weakened sexual activity, lack of arousal, and diminished strength are the quoted side-effects.

Innovative Prostate Cancer Treatment

The procedures of containing the prostate cancer that are still in the clinical trial phase constitute:

• Cryotherapy

It uses a surgical instrument to congeal the cancerous cells and stop their action before getting rid of them.

• Chemotherapy

In other types of cancer, chemo treatment is widely adopted. However, it is newly applied for prostate cancer treatment where certain drugs are administered to contain and kill the cancerous cells. These drugs can be taken orally, or through injections into the bloodstream.

• Intensified Ultra-Sound Therapy

Here, an endorectal probe is injected into the body via anus to generate high-energy sound waves directed towards the prostate gland for eradication of tumors.

• Immunotherapy

This is a prostate cancer treatment methodology where Biological Response Modifiers (BRMs) adapt the immune system to enhance itself in tracking and killing the cancerous cells.