Men facing a prostate cancer diagnosis often worry not just about the cancer itself – but living with a lifetime of side effects from treatment including sexual dysfunction and urinary issues.
But the reality is there are alternative prostate cancer treatments that may mitigate those possible side effects and perhaps eliminate the side effects altogether – giving men a new lease on life, cancer-free and side-effect-free.
Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatment
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, doctors use several different traditional treatments for prostate cancer including chemotherapy, hormone therapy, surgery and radiation. But there are other options gaining attention.
Some alternatives include treatments under clinical trial as well as highly effective treatments already being used but that may be less known.
- High-intensity focused ultrasound or HIFU is currently under clinical trial. It’s a non-invasive medical procedure that uses ultrasound waves to treat prostate cancer. It’s generally used for early-stage prostate cancer but is not FDA approved.
- According to WebMD, there are also clinical trials looking at dietary supplements to see if they can help treat or slow the progression of the disease.
But even within more traditional modalities – there are alternatives.
- If radiation is recommended, treatment with CyberKnife, an alternative form of pinpointed radiation therapy, may be right for you.
CyberKnife for Prostate Cancer
CyberKnife is at the forefront of radiation technology. It’s known as stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT, according to the experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami. It can kill prostate tumors with precision leaving the surrounding healthy tissue alone.
While some patients typically turn to traditional radiation for prostate cancer, Cyberknife offers an alternative treatment — with fewer side effects.
Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatment: How CyberKnife Works
CyberKnife is not a knife at all. It is a non-invasive, state-of-the-art form of radiation. It kills prostate cancer while reducing the risk of unwanted side effects of traditional treatments because of its extreme accuracy.
The side effects of traditional treatments can be life-altering, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The cancer and traditional treatments can drastically affect your lifestyle. They can interfere with urinary, bowel and sexual function.
With CyberKnife, because of its precision, there are minimal side effects, which may include tiredness and urinary and rectal irritation. Medication can help minimize these, and they usually go away in a few weeks.
There is also a lower risk of toxicity than with traditional radiation.
The radiation from Cyberknife focuses directly on the tumor. There is less risk of burning the anus or testicles. There is also a reduced risk of impotence and urinary incontinence. And sexual function remains the same for most patients after treatment.
Prostate Cancer Treatment Near Me: CyberKnife Miami
For patients curious about what treatment with Cyberknife looks like: Watch this time-lapse video showing a prostate cancer treatment in progress at the CyberKnife Center of Miami.
According to our experts and clinical experience, most patients tolerate CyberKnife treatment very well. We’ve seen cure rates of more than 98% for more than a decade. And worldwide, hundreds of thousands more have been treated using CyberKnife technology.
If you would like to find out more about prostate cancer treatment with CyberKnife, call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our prostate cancer website now for more information.