Common Methods and Strategies for Treating Prostate Cancer
Characteristics of the Cancer | Treatment Strategy | Method of Treatment |
|---|---|---|
Cancer confined to prostate in men | Active surveillance (to monitor and watch for symptoms or changes in the cancer, treating only when it becomes necessary) Curative treatment (to remove all traces of the cancer) | Surgery or radiation therapy |
Small, slow-growing cancer, confined to prostate in men | Active surveillance (to monitor and watch for symptoms or changes in the cancer, treating only when it becomes necessary) | No treatment |
Large or fast-growing cancer, confined to prostate | Curative treatment | Surgery or radiation therapy |
Cancer spread to areas outside the prostate, but not to distant areas | Palliative (aimed at slowing progression and relieving symptoms and that may prolong life but will not cure the cancer) or curative treatment | Radiation therapy with hormone therapy |
Widespread cancer | Palliative treatment (aimed at slowing progression and relieving symptoms and that may prolong life but will not cure the cancer) | Hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, sipuleucel-T, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, or radium-223 |