Prostate cancer is still a common cause of death in males and what the best treatment is a topic of some controversy in the medical community. There is no known definitive cause of the disease but family history, a high fat diet, obesity and ethnic background may all be factors that put certain men at greater risk for developing prostate cancer than others.

In its earliest stages prostate cancer produces few if any noticeable symptoms but if diagnosed at early treatment is far more effective. The cancer is most often detected during a digital rectal exam, which although uncomfortable for many men is not painful and it is recommended that men over 40 have one at least every 12 months. It is very rare for prostate cancer to be found in men under the age of 40, although those with a strong family history of the disease may want to begin at least occasional screening at an earlier age.

How best to treat prostate cancer once it is diagnosed is still a matter of great debate. The surgical option is usually a radical prostatectomy, an operation to remove the prostate gland altogether and is an effective treatment for those whose cancer has no spread outside the prostate to surrounding tissues. Those undergoing a radical prostatectomy may still need to follow up with a course of radiation treatment to ensure that the cancer is completely eradicated.

External beam radiation therapy is a widely used radiation treatment used in patients with prostate cancer. High beam x rays are used to kill cancerous cells but they may also scar and damage the surrounding tissues.

Radioactive seed implantation has become a very popular and widespread treatment for those with early to mid stage prostate cancers. The procedure, which is also known as brachytherapy, involves the surgical implantation of a number of these “seeds” directly into the prostate. These seeds then deliver a high dose of radiation, higher than is possible with external beam radiation, over a set period of time. The seeds, which contain the isotopes iodine and palladium do not need to be removed once implanted and will stop emitting radiation about a year after implantation when the run out of “power”.

Both radiation treatments are often used in conjunction with hormone therapy. Hormone therapy is used to both shrink the tumor size and slow down the spread of cancer throughout the rest of the body while other treatments are being utilized to combat the disease as well.