Treatments and Side Effects

• Active Surveillance

  Active surveillance means keeping close tabs on your prostate cancer to see if it changes. Active surveillance is an option if your cancer is not causing any symptoms and is expected to grow slowly. Since prostate cancer often spreads very slowly, many men who have the disease may take this option.

  Men on active surveillance normally undergo regular PSA tests and periodic prostate biopsies to ensure that the cancer is not becoming more aggressive.

  Watch these videos for more details about active surveillance from Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Michael McKenzie, and Vince, a prostate cancer survivor.

• Radical Prostatectomy

  Radical Prostatectomy is surgery for prostate cancer that involves removing your prostate gland, some surrounding tissue and a few lymph nodes. This surgery can be performed in a variety of ways: open technique, laparoscopic, or robotic.

  Watch these videos for more details about radical prostatectomy and side effects from prostate cancer survivors Bob and Bryan.

• Radiation Therapy

  Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy to kill your cancer cells. A tailored treatment plan is developed depending on the nature of your cancer, individual symptoms and overall health. Radiation therapy can be delivered in two ways:

  • External beam radiation - a machine moves around your body, directing high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays or protons, to your prostate cancer. Typically, treatment is five days a week for several weeks.
  • Brachytherapy involves the planting of radioactive “seeds” inside your body that deliver low or high doses of radiation directly to the tumor cells within the prostate. The implanted seeds remain in your body and will eventually stop giving off radiation. The procedure lasts about 45 minutes.

  Watch these videos for more details about radiation therapy and side effects from Dr. Michael McKenzie, Radiation Oncologist, and Robert and Allan, prostate cancer survivors.

• Androgen Deprivation Therapy

  In order to grow, prostate cancer cells need to “eat.” They feed on androgens, one of which is testosterone. Androgen deprivation therapy works by decreasing your androgen levels (stopping the production of the testosterone) and thus “starving” the cancer cells, causing them to die or to grow more slowly.

  Watch this video for more details about androgen deprivation therapy from Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Michael McKenzie, and prostate cancer survivors Robert and Paul.

• Systemic Therapy

  Systemic therapy incorporates hormone therapy, chemotherapy, biologic approaches, and bone-targeted therapy to control, slow, or stop the growth of prostate cancer cells.

  Although chemotherapy is an intense treatment, the type of chemo used to treat prostate cancer is milder, with less severe side effects, than the chemotherapy used for other cancers.

  Watch these videos for more details about systemic therapy from medical oncologist Dr. Bernie Eigl.

• Side Effects

  Side effects of prostate cancer treatments can include:

  • fatigue, changes in thinking, memory and retention, heart problems, hormone changes, dental problems, vision problems, chronic pain and problems with digestion, constipation or diarrhea
  • stress, worry, sadness and anger
  • relationships and intimacy changes related to responsibilities, roles, emotional closeness, sexual intimacy and fertility

  Watch the following videos by Dr. Stacy Elliott, Clinical Professor, and Robert, prostate cancer survivor, about dealing with the side effects of radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy and androgen deprivation therapy.

To see videos on all of these topics, visit ifiweretom.ubc.ca/treating-prostate-cancer