Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Choosing The Right Treatments For Prostate Cancer

By Daphne Bowen


There is a lot to be put into consideration once one has been diagnosed with prostrate cancer. Your age is a vital factor in determining the treatments for prostate cancer to use. This type of cancer is a very complex one and medical professionals can disagree in opinions about its mitigation. The best thing to do whenever this arises is to consult a competent doctors like the urologists concerned with the male reproductive system and oncologists who treat cancer using radiation.

The first method that can be used in mitigation of this disease is known as expectant management. This is because, normally, the disease takes time to completely weaken the organ. Active surveillance is done to monitor the ailment by use of ultrasound to confirm if it is rapidly growing. The patient is also expected to use observations during the symptoms period to help in determining the degree of spread and this process usually requires clinic visits after every three months.

Prostrate cancer can also be stopped from spreading towards the bones. As part of its growth and development, it tends to bulge outwards heading to the bones which then causes them to hurt a lot. However, there is a medication that can mitigate this referred to Bisphosphonates. This drug prevents the cell from rapidly growing and some side effects the patient may experience are painful joints. Those suffering from kidney disorders are strongly advised not to use this drug.

Another treatment procedure is by use of vaccines which are an extraction of white blood cells from the body of the patient mixed with cancer cells. Such combination is usually referred to Sipuleucel T and is meant for mature stages of the disease. This vaccine is usually made in a medical laboratory and the victim is given in a duration of two weeks apart. Side effects that are likely to occur are fever, diarrhea and muscular pains.

Doctors have always opted for chemotherapy as a procedure of using drugs to travel through blood capillaries all the way to the prostrate glands. This is typically done using injections. The effects of this procedure are instantly felt for plasma is transported faster in our bodies. Lifespans of ailing people have been increased and this is why this is the most preferred method.

Hormone therapy is also used with an ultimate goal of reducing the male hormone levels. The presence of high testosterone hormones in the male system enable the disease to spread further. Hormone therapy is initiated by lowering of the androgens resulting to cancerous cell shrinking. Side effects associated with this procedure include weight gain and loss of muscles.

Cryosurgery is a procedure used while treating the earlier stages of the disease formation by freezing the affected cell. Ultrasound is usually used to pass cold gases to the interior of the reproductive organ as caution is taken on the adjacent tissues. Side effects include blood in the urine for two days and soreness on the organ.

Finally, radiation therapy uses electromagnetic waves to completely destroy the cancer cells. This can be through internal beam radiation or external radiation. Internal radiation is the most used procedure for it completely destroys the cell. The side effects include abdomen pains, inability to erect, diarrhea and fatigue.




About the Author:



0 comments: