Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer among men in the United States. If detected early, it is treatable, and the prognosis is positive. Thanks to continued research, men dealing with advanced stages of prostate cancer can also find hope in new levels of care and treatment options.

Stages of the Disease

Physicians have identified four stages of prostate cancer, for the purpose of planning treatments. In the early stages, the cancer is detected through screening, but there are not yet any apparent symptoms. At the intermediate stage, the tumor can be felt during an external examination, but the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate. Next is the locally advanced stage in which the disease has spread to local tissues and perhaps the lymph node, but has not spread to other organs. Finally, in the advanced stage, cancer has spread from the prostate to other major organs in the body.

Treatments for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Researchers have known for years that the male hormone testosterone feeds prostate cancer and encourages growth of cancerous cells. When this fact first came to light, physicians found that if they removed the testicles of an infected man, testosterone secretion would be inhibited and the cancer cells would go into remission. Now, testosterone can be controlled with drug therapy, and such drastic surgical measures are no longer necessary. Men in advanced stages of prostate cancer will often undergo a combination of radiation and hormone therapy to stop the spread of the cancerous cells, while destroying the cancer that already exists.

While prostate cancer cells are almost always responsive to this form of treatment, sometimes the cells will “outsmart” the treatment and begin to divide and spread again despite the hormone therapy. There is good news on the horizon, as researchers are developing three new drugs that have proven promising in the experimental phases in tackling these more resistant cancer cells.

Side Effects

As with any hormone-based therapy program, there are side effects that are common with this prostate cancer treatment. Patients may experience periodic hot flashes, which may be mild to moderate in intensity.Osteoporosis, erectile dysfunction, weight gain, and fatigue are also potential side effects hormone treatments.For most of these, there are medications and steps that can be taken to lessen or eliminate the problem, giving the patient some long term treatable issues in place of the spread of prostate cancer.

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