Every man diagnosed with Prostate Cancer is flooded with great concern and many questions, including what’s the best treatment option for me, what are the risks and success rates, how will this affect me and my family, and most importantly what’s my prognosis, will I live?
Most men are advised to have prostate cancer surgery to remove the prostate tumor and hopefully avoid the cancer from spreading and causing future problems.
But it’s vital for men to know all the risks of surgery and just as important, alternative noninvasive procedures that are equally as effective, safe and greatly reduce the risk of side effects like incontinence and impotence, two of men’s biggest concerns.
Let’s start with surgery and what is required:
The traditional surgery is a Radical Prostatectomy in which the surgeon makes a vertical 8-to-10-inch incision below the belly button to remove the prostate gland while you’re under general anesthesia.
Afterward, you will need a catheter to control urine flow. The catheter can be in place for up to two weeks post surgery.
Afterwards, there can be no strenuous activity or heavy lifting for a month after surgery.
Many patients take a couple weeks off work to focus on recovery.
The most common lifelong side effects of surgery are urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
A Radical Prostatectomy almost always includes having a Pelvic Lymphadenectomy, in which lymph nodes are removed to detect if the cancer has spread.
The most common complications after this procedure is a build-up of lymphatic fluid in the pelvic area.
Another type of surgery recommended is called a Transurethral Resection of the Prostate.
This is not a cure but TURP is helpful to patients with prostate cancer who are having difficulties in passing urine, fully emptying their bladder or other urinary problems.
This may result from a large tumor pressing on the urethra. Despite not curing cancer, patients may experience fewer symptoms and improve their quality of life.
A TURP surgery is used to remove the interior part of the prostate gland using electricity to decrease the pressure. The surgeon starts by inserting a scope through the urethra, the tube that transports urine from the bladder and out of the penis. The scope has a tiny camera and an eyepiece in it to increase visibility. A cutting tool is then placed through the scope and used to remove the inside of the prostate gland. The blockage in the prostate is removed using electricity.
The risks associated with TURP include blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs, infection of the surgical wound, blood loss, heart attack or stroke during surgery and allergic reactions to medication.
Bottom line: Each of these surgeries is extremely invasive, requires general anesthesia, requires a hospital stay and a lengthy recovery period.
No doubt, prostate cancer surgery can be life-saving.
Just know the risks and potential side effects which can be very difficult and life-altering for the rest of your life.
That’s why some prostate cancer patients are eager to take the advice of doctors who just recommend watching and waiting, simply “monitoring” the tumor with regular doctor visits to see if it’s growing, hoping it’s not.
This is often advised if the tumor is considered to be slow-growing, but research proves that at least 50% of tumors believed to be slow-growing, turned out to be aggressive. The risk in watchful waiting is having the tumor spread and making treatment and a cure much more difficult. If you are in good health and feel that quality of life is important then you must ask yourself, is it worth the risk, or should I get this taken care of as soon as possible?
At CyberKnife Miami, our Prostate Cancer Experts recommend getting cancer taken care of as soon as possible because a delay can be very risky and even deadly.
Most often cancer treatment can be done non-invasively, just as effectively, safer, easier, and quicker than surgery using the CyberKnife Radiosurgery System.
CyberKnife: A Prostate Cancer Treatment Alternative
The CyberKnife System delivers high doses of radiation to the prostate with extreme precision, destroying only the cancer, leaving surrounding tissue unharmed, greatly reducing the side effects such as incontinence and impotence.
More than two decades of research proves it has a 97% cure rate without the need for incisions, anesthesia recovery time or all the risks and side effects that often come with surgery.
Because of its missile guidance technology, CyberKnife can track the prostate even as it moves or when the patient breathes normally, greatly reducing side effects.
Another bonus, CyberKnife only requires 5 radiation therapy sessions over 10 days for prostate cancer. Other types of radiation require up to 42 treatments over 3 months.
Each treatment takes about 45 minutes and afterward, patients can go back to work, hit the gym, go to lunch or do whatever they want to do. There is no recovery time after treatment. In fact, many patients listen to music and take a nap during CyberKnife treatment sessions.
Anyone can come to the CyberKnife Center of Miami for treatment. We are a free-standing medical center. You don’t need a doctor’s referral.
Give our cancer experts a call to see if we can help you.
We have the most experienced Radiation Oncology CyberKnife Team in South Florida.
We put patients first and understand hearing you have cancer is scary.
Our compassionate team will hold your hand every step of the way and make this process as easy and simple as possible for you and your family.
We answer the phone and we return phone calls as soon as possible.
Our knowledgeable staff will help you determine the best treatment option for your particular needs, whether that is CyberKnife or not.
To schedule a consultation, call our office at 305-279-2900 and go to our special prostate cancer website now for more information at www.prostatecancertreatmentmiami.com