Contents:
- Medical Video: Cancer Treatment: Chemotherapy
- Treatment of prostate cancer, in addition to chemotherapy and surgery
- 1. Hormone therapy
- 2. Vaccines specifically for prostate cancer
- 3. Brachytherapy
Medical Video: Cancer Treatment: Chemotherapy
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer and often occurs in men. If prostate cancer is detected as early as possible, the higher the chance of recovery. The treatment of prostate cancer that is definitely done is chemotherapy, surgery, to radiotherapy. However, in addition to all the main treatments, there are several other therapies that can be undertaken to treat prostate cancer. Anything?
Treatment of prostate cancer, in addition to chemotherapy and surgery
The combination of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy are basic therapies that are almost always applied to all types of cancer to kill cancer cells.But if you have prostate cancer, there are several treatment options and other therapies that doctors can recommend to treat your condition, such as:
1. Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy for prostate cancer is intended to reduce levels of androgen hormones in a man's body. Androgen hormone consists of testosterone and dihydrotestoterone, which are considered to trigger the growth of cancer cells in the prostate if the amount is excessive. This type of prostate cancer treatment, usually used when:
- If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
- If prostate cancer returns or recurs.
- Before doing radiotherapy, so that therapy runs more effectively.
This hormone therapy is also done to reduce symptoms and slow the progression of prostate cancer that has entered the final stage. However, the treatment of prostate cancer can cause several side effects such as:
- The body sweats excessively
- Weight gain
- Breast enlarges and feels tight
- Loss of sexual arousal
- At risk for impotence
2. Vaccines specifically for prostate cancer
The vaccine given to prostate cancer patients aims to increase the body's immune system to prevent infection and make the body stronger in attacking cancer cells in the prostate. The vaccine given is Spulucel-T which makes your immune cells more sensitive and easy to attack developing cancer cells.
This cancer treatment is done when hormone therapy is unsuccessful. However, unfortunately in patients with advanced stages this treatment can only prolong the life expectancy of the sufferer. However, for early stage prostate cancer patients, this treatment can be a good enough choice to kill cancer cells. This vaccine can also help suppress the side effects of other treatments, such as chemotherapy.
However, this treatment has its own side effects, which can cause:
- Fever
- Shivering
- Breath becomes shorter
- Feel pain in the joints
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
3. Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is part of radiotherapy treatment. In this therapy, the health technician will insert a mini object the size of a grain of rice containing active radiation into your prostate. In the body, this object will immediately emit radiation rays which inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Brachytherapy is usually done without other treatment combinations when the patient is still in the early stages. However, if the patient has advanced stage prostate cancer, brachytherapy will be carried out together with radiotherapy in general.
The advantage of doing this therapy is that radiation can directly hit the prostate affected by cancer and will not damage other body parts. Meanwhile, if you do radiation therapy normally, the risk of tissue damage to other bodies is greater.However, brachytherapy has side effects in the form of:
- The emergence of urinary problems, patients are at risk of experiencing severe urinary incontinence
- At risk for impotence
- Having digestive disorders, such as rectal sores or even acute diarrhea
To find out if you need cancer treatment, you should discuss it with your doctor. Don't forget to ask about the side effects and the level of success of each treatment offered to you.
