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Ways to Treat Advanced Prostate Cancer

By: mauvine jezzel Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Prostate cancer starts as a tumor grows in the prostate. Prostate Cancer that spreads outside the prostate gland to the lymph nodes, bones, or further areas is called metastatic prostate cancer. Regrettably at this time, no treatments can cure advanced prostate cancer. Doctors however do have ways to help manage its spread and related symptoms.

Any methods that slow down advanced prostate cancer usually have a good deal of side effects that can sometimes be more exhausting than the prostate cancer itself. Older people usually decide not to undergo treatment for advance prostate cancer because of these side effects.

Hormone Therapy used to Treat Prostate Cancer:

Testosterone the male hormone stimulates prostate cancer growth. Reducing testosterone levels is usually the first form of treatment if the prostate cancer has spread to other parts of the body. A reduction in testosterone can reduce the growth of prostate cancer cells and shrink prostate cancer tumors. Hormone therapy has risks including loss of sex drive, impotence and weakened bones. Typically most patients using hormone therapy to treat prostate cancer become less responsive to its benefits over time (hormone therapy resistance).

Advanced Prostate Cancer Chemo:
Up to this point hormone therapy was the only treatment for prostate cancer, however now those suffering from advanced prostate cancer have a single chemotherapy drug: Taxotere. Taxotere (given with the steroid prednisone) can handicap cancer cells from dividing and growing. Like any other chemotherapy Taxotere side effects include nausea, hair loss, deficient bone marrow and the decline (or stopping) of red blood cell formation. Taxotere has been known to extend a patient’s life from a few months all the way up to several years.

Prostate Cancer Surgery:

If a person has reoccurring or advanced prostate cancer they may prefer to have the entire prostate gland removed. This surgical procedure is called a radical prostatectomy. Along with the removal of the prostate gland surgeons will usually remove the lymph nodes surrounding the prostate as well.

If the prostate cancer hasn't spread beyond the prostate gland Cyrosurgery maybeused to kill the cancer cells. Cyrosurgery uses exceedingly cold temperatures to freeze and effectively kill the cancer cells.

In an effort to reduce testosterone levels in the body permanently doctors may suggest removing the testicles. This procedure is called an orchiectomy. Patients who receive this surgery may choose get prosthetics inserted that have the same shape and size of the testicles.

Prostate Cancer’s Latest Treatment:

One of the exciting new treatments for advanced prostate cancer that is presently being developed involves using genetically modified viruses and Prostate-Specific Antigen . Here’s how it works. The patient is injected with a modified virus that contains PSA (prostate-specific antigen). When the body’s immune system encounters this virus it learns that this virus is dangerous and must be attacked. Since this virus has PSA characteristics in it researchers hope that the immune system will also attack prostate cancer cells that contain PSA, thus strategically demolishing prostate cancer cells. This form of treatment is so promising because it could prove to be very effective with very few side effects. Only time will tell of course.