Prostate Cancer

What can you expect after prostate cancer surgery?

After recovering from surgery, you will be given regular outpatient appointments to see your team of doctors. These visits may include blood tests and scans to monitor and check if prostate cancer recurs. 

It is important to follow your doctor's advice, keep to scheduled clinic visits and do the prescribed tests so that timely treatment can be administered if prostate cancer or other problems arise. 

• Hormone therapy
  

• Hormone therapy, known as androgen deprivation therapy, works by preventing prostate cancer cells from receiving testosterone, this causes the prostate cancer cells to die or grow more slowly. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer usually involves the use of drugs, given as injections or tablets. Another less common form of hormone therapy is the surgical removal of the testes which produce testosterone. 
  
  

• Radiotherapy
  

• Radiotherapy, also known as radiation therapy, is the use of high-energy radiation (rays or particles) to kill or damage the prostate cancer cells. Radiation affects both normal and prostate cancer cells. Generally, more cancer cells are killed compared to normal cells, which are able to repair themselves after radiotherapy.
  
  Radiotherapy can be delivered in two main ways: external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) or internal radiotherapy. During EBRT, radiation beams are generated from a machine and directed at the prostate. For Internal Radiation Therapy, also known as Brachytherapy, radiation is delivered to the prostate by placing radioactive materials in the prostate to kill the cancer cells.
  
  The type of radiation therapy the doctor recommends depends on the stage of the prostate cancer and the patient’s underlying health condition. Click here for instructions on preparations prior to Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy. 
  
  

• Proton Therapy
  

• Proton therapy is an advanced type of radiation treatment that targets cancer cells using positively charged subatomic particles called protons. The unique physical properties of protons enable tumours to be more precisely targeted compared to the x-rays used in conventional radiotherapy. This minimises damage to nearby healthy tissues and organs and therefore results in fewer radiation-related side effects. 
  
  

• Chemotherapy
  

• Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to eradicate prostate cancer cells or prevent their growth. Chemotherapy can also help to relieve or delay symptoms like pain. Chemotherapy is usually offered to men with advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, which has spread beyond the prostate to other parts of the body.
  

What are the side effects of prostate cancer treatment?