Get the Facts Before Making Prostate Treatment Decisions
Heads, go for the operation;
tails, choose radiation? A
recent article in Cancer
found that older men with early stage
prostate cancer used faulty information
to choose a treatment. Men made their
choices based on fears of dying, stories
of other men with the disease,
misconceptions about the value of a
second opinion, and mistaken beliefs
about the various choices.
“No one treatment has proven best for all men with prostate cancer, so getting reliable and accurate information about all options is important,” says Sanjeev Aggarwal, M.D., medical director of The Cancer Center at Lake Manassas.
Treatment Options
Treatment choices include radiation— external beam or brachytherapy (seed implant)—or surgical removal of the prostate. Both can cure prostate cancer, but each affects a patient’s quality of life differently.The Cancer Center is the only center in the northern Virginia area to offer RapidArc™ radiation therapy. RapidArc is a major advancement in external beam radiation that significantly shortens treatment times. RapidArc delivers treatments more precisely and two to eight times faster than other dynamic treatment methods. This is a winning combination that enables physicians to treat patients more effectively and patients to get back to their daily lives more quickly.
The Cancer Center also offers
brachytherapy through Fauquier and
Prince William hospitals. With
brachytherapy, a physician surgically
places tiny
radioactive
pellets
inside the
tumor.
Patients can
generally return
to their daily lives
within a few days of the
two-hour surgery. This method also
requires fewer treatment visits.
Research Before Deciding
Your decision needn’t be made in a hurry. Though prostate cancer can be serious, three out of four cases grow very slowly. Almost all men with early stage prostate cancer are still alive within five years.“Take time to research your options and talk to trusted physicians,” advises Dr. Aggarwal. In addition, he suggests that patients get opinions from a urologist and a radiation oncologist to weigh both surgery and radiation options.
“Ask lots of questions about the benefits and risks for various treatments,” he says. “Understanding all of your options before making your final decision can help you be more confident about your treatment.”
Explore Your Treatment
Options
The world doesn’t stop when your
doctor says, “You have prostate
cancer.” Research shows that
active coping—acknowledging the
disease and making a plan to
manage it—can help you live well
with cancer.
Remember that you don’t need to rush into a decision, but it’s a good idea to explore your treatment options early. Learning more about the condition can prepare you for what’s ahead and help you feel more in control of your situation.
For more information on options
and the latest advances in prostate
cancer treatment, contact The
Cancer Center at
