Questions and Answers

Radiation therapy uses radiation to treat prostate cancer. The advantage of radiation therapy is that it is less invasive than surgery. Hazards associated with treatment include urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, which may happen less frequently with radiation when compared with radical prostatectomy. Other hazards include radiation damage to the bowel and bladder. Fortunately, current […] Read More

Radical prostatectomy describes the operation to remove the prostate. Surgery is carried out under a general anesthetic. Patients are in the hospital for one to three days postoperatively and are sent home with a catheter (urinary drainage tube in the bladder) which is removed after one to two weeks. The main benefit of this operation […] Read More

The three most common treatments for localized prostate cancer are expectant management, which includes active surveillance and watchful waiting, radiation therapy, and surgery. Active surveillance or watchful waiting is based on the recognition that some prostate cancers follow a non-aggressive course, and tend not to spread outside the prostate nor become life-threatening. PSA and a […] Read More

The tumor stage refers to the size and the extent of cancer (how much is present). A staging system exists that quantifies the extent or volume of disease. When the cancer is low volume and confined to a small area of the prostate, treatment outcomes are improved compared to those situations where prostate cancer involves […] Read More

The grade is a term used to describe the microscopic appearance of prostate cancer and can help predict the potential aggressiveness of prostate cancer. Grade can be used as a measure to assess how likely prostate cancer is to grow and spread. The grading system most commonly used is called the Gleason score, which ranges […] Read More

If there is a concern that prostate cancer may be present, for example, if there is an abnormal digital rectal exam or an elevated PSA, then further evaluation is carried out with transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and prostate biopsy. For this procedure, an ultrasound probe is placed in the rectum to visualize the prostate. Needle (core) […] Read More

Current patterns of practice include two tests to screen for prostate cancer, the digital rectal exam, and PSA. The digital rectal exam is a physical exam performed by a medical practitioner to feel the surface of the prostate (a lubricated, gloved finger is placed in the rectum to feel the prostate). The prostate can be […] Read More

As men grow older, they experience the normal age-related, noncancerous enlargement of the prostate (also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH). As the prostate enlarges, it can crowd the urinary pathway and make urination more difficult. Once men reach the age of 40, they may start to notice changes in urination, which can include […] Read More

Localized prostate cancer is cancer that is confined within the prostate and has not spread to other sites, which is to be distinguished from prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate to other parts of the body. In general, prostate cancer tends to be very slow-growing. The likelihood of developing prostate cancer increases as […] Read More

Viagra, or sildenafil, is a medication that increases blood flow by causing dilation of certain arteries. It was originally designed as a blood pressure medication and was later found to work mainly by increasing blood flow to the penis and thus helps maintain erections. Viagra is a fairly short-acting medication. In other words, if you […] Read More