Prostate Cancer Treatment

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. The greatest risk factors are age and genetics. Within the U.S., African-American men have a particularly high risk, and the reasons behind this have not yet been determined.

Diagnosis of prostate cancer usually begins in the primary care doctor's office with an abnormal digital rectal exam (DRE) or elevated Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). For men without benefit of a primary physician, the abnormality may first be detected at the annual free prostate cancer screening offered jointly by the hospital and the affiliated urologists. With early detection, treatment offers a high rate of cure. Late-stage disease is more problematic, but in the next year a new oral chemotherapy for metastatic disease is expected to be released that promises new opportunities in treatment for advanced prostate cancer.

If a biopsy confirms the presence of prostate cancer, there are several treatment choices currently available at Martha Jefferson:

• Surgical removal of the prostate - performed exclusively by board-certified urologists
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) for precise delivery of radiation to improve outcomes and minimize side effects
• Prostate brachytherapy seed implants performed as a team by Dr. Stephen Schmitz (urology) and Dr. Sylvia Hendrix (radiation oncology)
• Cryosurgery
• Hormonal therapy for cancers that have spread beyond the capsule
• NCI-sponsored cooperative group clinical trials available for eligible patients