When it comes to cancer treatment, we know the importance of a thorough workup by an experienced and knowledgeable Toowoomba specialist– traditionally this is where a diagnosis is reached via bloodwork, x-rays, mammograms, PSA tests and other forms of testing. However, as traditional in-person consultation hours are becoming fewer, more people are using online resources or computer-assisted tests that result in shorter wait times and higher accuracy rates.
How is Prostate Cancer treated?
If a prostate cancer treatment is nontoxic, this can substantially reduce the risk of side effects. There are many different non-toxic treatments that are discussed below.
The six most common treatments for prostate cancer are:
a) radiation therapy,
b) surgery,
c) hormone replacement therapies,
d) watchful waiting,
e) active surveillance and
f) psychosocial therapies.
The key to which treatment a man chooses will depend on the specific screening results and whether the other options pose any significant health risks.
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Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer
With developments in prostate cancer research, there are now more choices available to the patients. There are six treatments that are the most commonly used. Five of them consist of surgery, radiation therapy, and exercises. The treatment that you choose is allowed by the tumour invasiveness – a category monitored by third-party organizations such as European Organization for Medical Research (EORTC) and International Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Surgery for Prostate Cancer
For some treatments, prostate cancer may be completely removed by surgery. If doctors can remove the tumour, it will not return in future waves of the disease. However, even with surgery or radiation treatment, it is still unclear whether any of these treatments will prevent men from developing metastatic prostate cancer later on. As a result, most experts recommend some way to manage their risk after treatment and avoid spreading the disease to other parts of the body.
Prostate cancer treatment typically includes one or more of the following tumour interventions that may not involve radiation or other forms of chemo:
- Conventional surgery to remove aggressive prostate tumours
- Exploratory surgery to determine the type and location of the tumour
- Guided primary radiation therapy delivered by a single machine
- Radical (extraperitoneal) lymphadenectomy
Choices and Options for a Nontoxic treatment
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) produces a new report every year detailing the recommended treatment options for certain cancer types. The report is divided into different groups: the elite options, standard, and palliative care. In their latest release, the NCI released five treatments for prostate cancer: Hormone Therapy with Level I to III chemotherapy or radiation therapy; Standard Hormone Therapy with 18 F-2 Detailed Treatment as Standard of Care; Palliative Care plus hormone therapy with level IV treatment; Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapy only; Chemotherapy plus Radiation Therapy only.
PSA levels and testosterone
Additional testicular factors like increasing testosterone levels or PSA levels can be used to monitor the progress of any prostate treatment. Prostate cancer treatment gets worse when the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are high. The higher the PSA level, the higher the risk of side effects such as impotence and incontinence. Prostate cancer treatments should always be monitored by a physician.
Factors to consider when choosing a nontoxic treatment plan
Many patients may turn to nontoxic treatments when prostate cancer goes unnoticed or if it has spread. Nontoxic options are open to anyone and usually, come with fewer side effects than the standard treatment. There are many treatment options available to help cure prostate cancer, but each individual has downsides. For example, radiation therapy generally destroys the quality of life and lowers the overall wellbeing of a person after treatments. Conversely, some other treatments, including natural hormone therapies and psychotherapy, can lower the side effects associated with traditional therapy without experiencing low health outcomes. One thing that should be considered before pursuing any type of treatment is how well tolerated it will be by your body.
Conclusion
Just because a treatment is non-toxic, it doesn’t mean that it’s less harmful. In fact, some treatments can be as dangerous as they are helpful. For example, radiation therapy is safe in the short term but increases the risk of infertility and other health problems in the long term. Regardless of its many uses, there’ll always be a better way.
