Prostate Cancer Surgery Treatment: Knowing Your Options

In many cases, early stage prostate cancer surgery treatment is recommended as the first course of action. If you had detected your prostate cancer early, then the operation is a fairly simple procedure. Only the cancerous section of your prostate gland is removed.

However, on ocassions, prostate cancer surgery treatment does not go according to plan. This happens when your cancer is found to be in close proximity to nerves or the urethra, and so long-lasting side effects are a possibility. You will need to consider these issues before agreeing to the treatment.

If the nerves that control the penis become damaged during your treatment, then impotence may develop and this will seriously affect your future sex life. You should discuss this with your partner and see how you both feel about it before you agree to the operation.

Two other possible consequences of prostate cancer surgery treatment are incontinence and urinary leakage. Incontinence is when you have very little control over urination while urinary leakage is where you can control when you urinate but you dribble a little either before or after voiding your bladder. These two symptoms often disappear after a few weeks however you should be prepared for the eventuality that they do not.

Prostate cancer surgery treatment is a painful procedure and in the days following the operation you will feel very uncomfortable and may have to rely on nurses and loved ones to help with toileting. This however is a very small price to pay for being cancer-free.

There are a number of types of treatment for prostate cancer available and the one you choose will be specific to your case. You need to discuss your options with your oncologist before choosing a treatment. Your oncologist should be well equipped to offer all the information you need to make an informed decision.

More often than not the entire prostate gland will be removed so that there is little chance of the cancer returning at a later date. The surrounding lymph nodes will also be removed as this is the first place that the cancer will have spread to and by removing them the surgeon is effectively removing all chances of the cancer subsequently spreading around the body.

A radical prostatectomy removes the entire prostate gland however the surgeon can enter the body through the abdomen or through an incision made between the scrotum and the anus. In some cases, where the cancer is confined to a specific area of the prostate gland, key-hole surgery or laparoscopy may be an option so that only infected sections of the gland need to be removed.

Your decision on the specific prostate cancer surgery treatment will depend on the extent of your cancer and your individual preferences. It is crucial that you discuss your decision over with your loved ones. They may have some inputs that can help you choose which option is best.

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