What is prostate cancer?
Your prostate is a small gland situated below your bladder. It makes seminal fluid, which combines with your sperm when you ejaculate. Prostate cancer develops if certain cells within the gland mutate and reproduce swiftly, forming a tumor.
Prostate cancer is often slow-growing. However, some less common forms can grow quickly and are more likely to spread (metastasize) into other areas.
Dr. Kornguth has extensive experience in treating prostate cancer, with considerable success in treating recurrent cancers and cancers that have metastasized. His focus is on educating patients on their options rather than pushing them to follow one particular path.
What symptoms does prostate cancer cause?
At first, you might not experience any symptoms. If the tumor grows large enough, however, you might start to have problems such as:
- Trouble urinating
- Low urine flow rate
- Blood in your semen
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pelvic discomfort
- Bone pain
Prostate cancer is typically more common in older men and those who have a family history of prostate cancer. Obesity is an additional risk factor. For reasons not yet understood, black men have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer and having the more aggressive forms.
How is prostate cancer treated?
Slow-growing forms of prostate cancer might not require treatment, as they won't cause problems if they stay small. Instead, you follow an active surveillance program, attending regular checkups so your doctor can monitor the tumor's development.
If you do need treatment for prostate cancer, surgery to remove the prostate is one option. Surgery is typically a successful approach to treating prostate cancer but does carry a risk of triggering other conditions like urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Another option is hormonal suppression, and alternative therapies could also be helpful in treating prostate cancer. Radiation therapy is a highly effective approach to treating prostate cancer.
What type of radiation therapy treats prostate cancer?
One type of radiation therapy is VariSeed brachytherapy, which involves implanting radioactive grains directly into your prostate. Dr. Kornguth also uses advanced technologies like image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for treating prostate cancer.
These approaches significantly improve the delivery of radiation therapy while reducing adverse effects on surrounding tissues. To further reduce the risk of radiation damaging your rectum, Dr. Kornguth uses SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel.
SpaceOAR creates a gap between your rectum and prostate, preventing high-dose radiation from affecting your rectum. Using SpaceOAR reduces the chances that you'll experience side effects like urinary and bowel problems and sexual dysfunction.
To find out more about prostate cancer treatments, call Golden Gate Cancer Center today or book an appointment online.
