I still remember hearing hushed voices as I entered the room. Dad had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and it was time for us to be told. After invasive surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone treatment, my father survived another ten years before passing away. That was forty five years ago, and I have never forgotten my hopeless feeling.

Forty five years later there still is no cure, though medical advancements have leveled the playing field considerably. Statistics demonstrate just how important the fight against cancer is.

In 2003 alone, there were 220,000 new cases discovered and a total of 29,000 prostate cancer fatalities. Overall statistics reveal that risk factors increase with age, which explains why 75 percent of new prostate detections will be in men 65 years and older. There is a 5 to 10 percent increase in prostate cancer patients that have a family history of the disease.

Through better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, survival rates are increasing and the options for treatment increase. Studies reveal that proper diet, rest, and regular exercise raise your chances of staying cancer free. It is important to take proactive steps to lessen the chances of developing cancer.

Active information campaigns, advertisements, and screenings are available and more convenient than in the past. Males over 50 years old should be screened annually by your doctor. These days doctors can perform digital rectal exams, and will often suspect prostate cancer in cases where the patient reports frequent and painful urination, evidence of blood, and slow or labored urine flow.

The most recent form of detection measures the prostate specific antigens that are found in the blood. When the PSA level is above the normal range or elevates significantly between check ups, it indicates a greater likelihood of cancer. Remember that males who are of African descent or who have a family history of prostate cancer are more likely to get it, so it is important for these populations to be screened.

There are many differing views on treatment strategies for prostate cancer patients. While prostatectomy and chemotherapy were often the standard treatment for cancer, improved technology now offers more effective, less invasive options.

External Beam Radiation treatment involves three different treatment fields of radiation being delivered precisely and accurately to the cancerous tumor. The treatment advantage is in its precise delivery to the cancer cells, which intensifies the radiation attack on the cancerous cells, while avoiding damage to the surrounding organ cells such as the rectum or bladder.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy uses computer controlled linear accelerators to deliver an even more intense and precise beam of radiation to the tumor. The IMRT is able to make adjustments to the target cells, which helps target the occasional shift in the prostate gland’s location.

The great advantage of using these types of precision radiation beams is the avoidance of the normal surrounding tissue. Previously, incontinence, impotency, and permanent loss of sexual function were common side effects of prostate treatment, but this is now a thing of the past.

Oakwood Cancer Center, located in Mechanicsburg, PA, provides residents state-of-the-art Mechanicsburg PA Cancer Treatment technology and expertise. The clinic specializes in breast cancer treatment and gamma knife cancer surgery and provides service to Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania.

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