Prostate Cancer Treatment Home > Prostate Cancer Surgery

Prostate Cancer Surgery – What You Must Know

Plus Things Some Wish They Had Known
About Prostate Cancer Surgery Beforehand

It has the potential to be a life changing event -both for good and bad. Regardless, every month thousands of men around the country undergo some form of life saving prostate cancer surgery.

Ideally they are hoping for a favorable response to surgery for prostate cancer. One that leaves them cancer free and still able to perform in the bedroom. Plus they want to eliminate the festering problem in their prostate without having stock up on Depends when on sale. But how likely is that?

Fact is, men stricken with prostate cancer discover pretty quickly that incontinence and impotence are two very scary and very real potential side effects of treatment. Most any prostate cancer treatment. Yet it’s equally true that many underestimate the extent these twin problems present when it comes to post-op quality of life. Leaving them depressed and disappointed.

That’s just part of the prostate cancer treatment conundrum.

Still state-of-the-art surgery ranks right up there for many when it comes to the most reliable types of standard treatment going. Which is to say, if you happen to be one of the thousands of patients with prostate cancer, (and one in six men will face this dilemma in their lifetimes) invasive surgery for prostate cancer might be your best bet. But not always. And (again) it’s certainly not always side effect free either.

For that reason understanding prostate cancer and your treatment options is crucial. That is if you want to survive the disease free as possible from the unpleasant side effects.

This is also why you would be wise to do your homework and thoroughly explore the many issues involved with and about prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Surgery Overview

To help with that let’s briefly look at its nature and development, post-operative screening tests, surgical procedures, surgery options, prognosis, pros and cons of prostate cancer surgery, treatment alternatives, and aftercare and recovery.

Nature and Development of Prostate Cancer

The prostate gland is involved in the production of seminal fluid. Yet its eventual enlargement (BPH) as men age can affect nearby organs such as the bladder. So BPH can lead to the dribbling of urine from the bladder, painful urination, and in the extreme even result in kidney damage. But don’t confuse BPH with prostate cancer. They may share similar symptoms but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

Heredity is one common factor that contributes to the development of prostate cancer where malignant tumor cells develop inside the prostate itself. Unfortunately, these cells can undergo metastasis that results in the spread or cancerous cells to seminal vessels and even to the rectal region. The idea would be to arrest metastasis and prevent this spread to surrounding tissue.

Which explains why preventative screening is important and highly recommended. The idea is to catch the cancer in an early stage as possible. Preferably while it’s contained in the gland itself. Not to mention early detection gives you the most options in addition to surgery for the treatment for prostate cancer.

Screening Test for Prostate Cancer

So are you seeing your doctor to have an annual PSA (Prostate Antigen Screening) screening test done? It’s advisable you start before your 50th birthday, you know. And there’s a reason to buy into this. Despite its flaws it works. It saves lives.

You see, PSA testing is successful in identifying localized prostate cancer. That means you can undergo early cancer treatment that uses either prostate cancer surgery or radiation therapy. Options nearly 90% of patients with prostate cancer in the United States go with.

Prostate Cancer Surgical Procedures

Given the deadly nature of untreated prostate cancer, the typical surgical procedure involves the complete removal of the prostate and its surrounding tissues. In most cases, the seminal vesicles, along with affected portions of the urethra may be removed during the process.

The operation commonly lasts for two to four hours with patients under general anaesthesia. Patients with prostate cancer can expect to stay in the hospital for less than a week. Most often the use of catheter is prescribed for a full month or less.

Prognosis For Those Facing Surgery

Unfortunately when on the receiving end of a prostate cancer diagnosis, you will find yourself confronted with a dizzying array of info. Some factors which will likely affect your prognosis includes such things as prostate cancer stage and grade.

Early diagnosis and tests along with prompt treatment of prostate cancer in stage I or II, when cancer is clinically localized or locally advanced is typically the best finding. You would have a better long term prognosis to guys face stage III and IV prostate cancer cases. Prostate cancer surgery, when done during early prostate cancer stages, is likely to produce very good ten year survival odds.

Prostate Cancer Surgery Options

By opting for radical prostatectomy to remove the cancerous prostate cells you’re electing for the complete removal of the prostate gland along with surrounding affected tissues. Based on stats that compare radical prostatectomy against other prostate cancer surgery options, the former guarantees the highest probability of recovery and survival.

But even surgery offers different types of treatment options to patients with prostate cancer. Less invasive surgical techniques can be used to remove the prostate through incisions in a process called laparoscopic prostatectomy. In this case for purposes of precision, surgeons may use of a Da Vinci machine. You may hear the use of such assistive devices and imaging tools during the operation referred to as robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

Pros and Cons of Surgery

Early prostate cancer surgery is highly favourable since the procedure entails total removal of cancer cells. As a result, metastasis of the disease can be short circuited.

That explains why this procedure yields high chances of survival when compared to other medical remedies and surgical interventions. That’s the good news. According to the Journal of American Medical Association, patients who have undergone surgery are likely to suffer from incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Studies also revealed that patients of prostate cancer may also experience retrograde ejaculation, not to mention many other side effects. None of which sounds like a day at the beach to you, I’d imagine.

Yet that’s not to say that some don’t feel there is a tendency to be overly aggressive when it comes to prostate cancer treatment. Which is something you want to consider before undergoing any type of treatment. Also there is no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to treating prostate cancer.

Yes you may want to fix the problem as soon as possible to put it behind you. Just understand one, you usually don’t have to rush to judgment and decide quickly because most prostate cancers progresses slowly. (Giving you time to get input from more than one medical provider and to carefully weigh your treatment options.) And two, surgery may or may not be the best way to fix or eliminate the problem. Less invasive treatment options like cryosurgery, radiation or even doing nothing other than so called “watchful waiting” may produce equally good outcomes.

Surgery Alternatives

Like I said you have treatment options. If you are not into invasive prostate cancer treatment, you may consider some other alternatives.

Beam radiation therapy, for instance, is a non-invasive procedure that makes use of high-energy radiation administered to the body to eliminate prostate cancer cells. Or you may find HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) which can target cancerous cells, destroy them, yet leave surrounding tissue untouched to be preferable.

Then since male hormones (testosterone) stimulate growth of cancer cells, hormone therapy is another approach. Doing so blocks the natural hormonal production triggered by the male reproductive system and so impacts the cancer growth.

Or you may else more traditional chemotherapy may also be considered to treat prostate cancer. While advances in biologic therapy may allow you to use your body’s immune system to fight the cancer.

Prostate Cancer Surgery Aftercare and Recovery

Soon after the general or regional anaesthesia wears off, you can expect to feel some discomfort and pain. This is only natural. To treat pain and the general sense of discomfort, expect to be prescribed pain medications to suppress any painful sensation. Basic pain killers prescribed are Belladona, some type of suppository, and Detrol.

All of which is to say the pain may not just go away even a week after you go under the knife. This is due in part to the presence of a urinary catheter that you will likely be using for weeks after surgery. (Antibiotics such as Macrobid also come handy in case you develop a urinary tract infection or other similar post op complications.)

Is it worth it? In a study conducted by Arnaud Merglen, M.D., the ten-year prostate cancer survival rate of patients who have successfully undergone prostate cancer surgery is at 83%. Which isn’t too shabby.

Look. Any diagnosis of cancer can be scary in and of itself. But at least now you’ll know the best options to try out given you know a bit more about prostate cancer surgery.

prostate cancer surgery