There are many treatment options for prostate cancer available today. Basically the type of treatment will depend on the extent of the disease as well as the age and health of the patient, expected life span, personal assessment of the potential risks and side effects of the treatment.
For tumors that are still contained within the prostate itself, radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy are common treatment options. Sometimes, no treatment is given until the tumor gets bigger. For the older men who have larger risks of dying from other health problems rather than the prostate cancer, a 'watchful wait' approach is often adopted. The doctor will monitor the tumor's growth by constantly checking the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. If the cancer is not too serious, there will be no further treatment. Once the tumor grows, hormone therapy is usually given. Hormone therapy basically reduces the level of androgens. The androgen male hormone helps in the growth of prostate tumor, hence reducing the level will cause the tumor to shrink over a period of time.
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