Choosing Your Prostate Cancer Treatment: What to Consider

Making the decision about which prostate cancer treatment option to choose may feel overwhelming. There are several to choose from - and each has its pros and cons. The good thing is that you can usually take your time. In most cases, prostate cancer is slow growing. This gives you time to research and carefully consider all of your choices.

Still, how do you go about making that choice? There are several factors - medical and personal - to take into account.

• The state of your disease. Is the cancer growing slow or fast? Is it just in your prostate gland, or has it spread to other parts of your body? Based on the results of exams, tests, your Gleason grading score (which measures the speed at which your cancer is expected to grow) and the stage your cancer is in (whether or not it has spread), you will have a picture of the medical status of your disease.
• Your age. Age may be a factor in deciding whether or not the benefit of a certain treatment is worth its potential risk. Because prostate cancer is usually so slow-growing, if you're in your 70s or older, you may consider taking a watch-and-wait approach to treatment.
• Your general health. Your overall physical condition may help you decide what treatment options you can withstand. If you have other disease along with cancer, such as heart problems or diabetes, or if you have had prostate surgery in the past, this will also have an impact on your treatment choice.
• Treatment side effects. Different prostate cancer treatments come with different potential side effects. These may include impotence (not being able to have an erection) and incontinence (not being able to control urine flow). Think about how you feel about possibly having these side effects and how they might affect your quality of life.
• Treatment effectiveness. Getting information about survival rates and talking with your doctor may help you figure which treatments may give you the best results. Again, you will need to weigh the risks and side effects of each against their benefits in terms of what they mean to you personally.
• Your preferences. For many reasons, you may prefer one type of prostate cancer treatment over another. You may want to discuss your preferences with your doctor and with other men who have gone through the same thing. Joining a support group for men with prostate cancer where you can hear about others' treatment experiences may give you insight into your own decision-making process.

Whatever treatment option you finally decide upon, discuss it with your spouse, partner, caregiver and anyone else who may also be affected by your choice.

Related Articles Prostate Cancer Treatments Prostate Cancer: Treatment Plan

External Sources National Cancer Institute. Treatment choices for men with early-stage prostate cancer. Accessed October 16, 2007. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Prostate cancer treatment guidelines for patients. Accessed October 16, 2007.

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