Tips About Prostate Cancer Radiation Treatment
Tips About Prostate Cancer Radiation Treatment
CancerMesothelioma.Info
Prostate cancer radiation treatment (also referred to as Radiotherapy) may not be the best treatment for your prostate cancer. Depending on your age and health it may be years before radiation treatment becomes necessary. Radiation therapy is only one of the therapies you and your doctor will have to discuss. This information will give you an idea of which type of therapy or combination of therapy you should ask your physician about.
This article is not intended as medical advice, nor should it be taken as medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. With a physical illness you should consult your personal physician.
Prostate malignancy is one of the slowest growing tumors of all of the cancers. Because it is slow growing, years may pass without a noticeable growth in the tumor. This phase is generally what doctors will tell you is stage one of the disease.
At this stage one course which may be taken is “wait and see”. At this point part of the decision is what is more dangerous to your health, the disease or the cure? Before making a decision of prostate cancer ratiation treatment or another course of action, the doctor may wish to observe the course your cancer takes. It could be quite some time before a treatment is needed.
During this “wait and see” period your doctor will monitor you closely. You will be subject to several tests your physician will want to do. Actually there is no one test which can determine on its own if you have prostate cancer. The most common one is a test known as the Digital Rectal Examination.
The digital rectal examination may have been what your doctor used to find the problem with your prostate. This simple test is where the doctor inserts a gloved finder up the rectum. Doing so allows them to feel the prostate and tumors. This will allow them to see if there is a change in the size of the tumor or if more have developed.
Another test that can be used is the PSA blood test. The PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) is a protein that is produced by the prostate gland. This protein will pass into the body through the blood in small quantities. A normal PSA count is between zero and four.
Your age could make it higher. If it reaches a level of 10 or more it can indicate the possibility of prostate cancer. There are some other physical conditions that could also raise the level that high. PSA tests are rarely used alone to dectect the malignancy. Some additional blood tests or other tests are used to finalize the diagnosis.
One treatment is prostate cancer radiation treatment. Radiotherapy is the use of a high intensity x-ray to direct radiation onto the prostate. This is usually done in small doses of just a few minutes duration at a time. Most patients are able to return home the same day. This therapy is usually recommended over surgery if the cancer has not spread.
Talk over all of your options with your doctor. If you are not comfortable with his explanations, seek a second opinion, it is your health.
CancerMesothelioma.Info
Filed under: Cancer Treatments, Mesothelioma Cancer News, Prostate Cancer