PROSTRATE CANCER AFTER TREATMENT

Being able to get back to a normal life following treatment for prostate cancer can be difficult and often takes time. It also takes quite a lot of adjustment from the man who has had the treatment.

Once the prostate gland has been removed, semen can no longer be ejaculated. Also some men can achieve an erection whereas others cannot. This depends on the amount of nerve damage inflicted during surgery. Many men now return to some degree of sexual function due to the newer surgical techniques that cause less nerve damage.

Impotence or erectile dysfunction may be a side effect and medication such as Viagra may help. Drugs such as this should only be prescribed by a doctor as they can cause low blood pressure and heart problems.

As mentioned above, those men who have had their prostate removed are no longer able to produce semen. However, they are able to have an orgasm which will be without the release of semen. Those men who develop prostate cancer and plan to father children should consider have their sperm frozen for future use by artificial insemination.

Those men whose cancer has not spread beyond the prostate have a five year survival rate close to 100%. A longer outlook will depend upon a man’s age, treatment and stage of cancer.

The majority of oncologists and urologists claim treatment is essential in younger men, although therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy are difficult to endure. Long term outlook should be discussed with care providers making special considerations to quality of life, particularly for older men whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

There is no guarantee for prevention as the cause of prostate cancer still remains unclear. Scientists do, however claim men can reduce their risk of prostate cancer by:

·        Getting sufficient exercise

·        Not smoking

·        Eating a high fibre, low fat diet

·        Studies have suggested that those men who eat considerable amount of green leafy vegetable develop prostate cancer less.

·        Those men who eat tomatoes or tomatoes based foods twice a week or more might be at a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.  

·        Substance known as Lycopene, an antioxidant found in certain fruits and vegetable is under study as it may protect against prostate cancer. This is due to the belief that antioxidants protect cell protein from damage.

In general, prostate cancer does not produce symptoms until it is well advanced. It is therefore important that annual screening for men over 50 years or those men over 40 years who are at a greater risk. Early detected prostate cancer is relatively curable.

Digital rectal examinations and PSA tests on a regular basis can detect prostate cancer in the earlier stages when the treatment success rates are greater.

Some treatment options involve watchful waiting in the early stages or alternatively radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery (involving the removal of the prostate) can be performed.

The most common complications of prostate cancer are impotence and urinary incontinence although both of these can be treated through medication and treatment therapies.

Cancer of the prostate is usually slow growing and often requires minimal treatment in older men. However, in younger men, it usually required a much more aggressive form of treatment.