Latest Treatment on Prostate Cancer

Many people think the latest treatment on prostate cancer involves radiation therapy, chemotherapy or actual removal by a surgeon's hand. And while these are the most popular options, the latest treatment involves a procedure that is so high-tech one would think it came from a science fiction movie or novel. Specifically, this prostate cancer treatment is called robotic prostatectomy, (or in layman's terms, robotic prostate surgery).

The name alone should clue a person in as to why it is considered the latest treatment on prostate cancer. Basically, the procedure involves using a series of robotic arms to remove the entire prostate. Surgeons remain in the room to help guide the arms during the surgery. They are able to see what's going on in the patient's body through a nearby console. Indeed with robotic prostate surgery, surgeons do not have to open the patient's body directly to get a visual of what needs to be done. Of course, a few incisions will have to be made to allow the robotic arms through, but they are much smaller than the type of incisions that would be made through traditional prostate surgery.

So, can robotic prostate surgery earn the distinction as being the latest treatment on prostate cancer when it comes to how it effects the patient? The answer is both yes and no. As a surgical procedure, robotic prostate surgery results in less pain and bleeding than its traditional counterpart. The procedure also allows for a much shorter recovery period. However, it still carries with it the same type of side effects that occur with regular prostate surgery. This includes urinary incontinence and sexual problems. Urinary incontinence occurs because the procedure removes a set of muscles that helps a person hold in their urine. And sexual problems occur because the procedure negatively interferes with nerves that assist in erectile functioning. It also doesn't help that the prostate is removed, since this organ is important in the process of arousal. In fact, for some men the organ is essential for strengthening their orgasms. Still, both side effects tend to be temporary, lasting for a few months. But ultimately, since robotic prostate surgery can't prevent these side effects it really isn't the latest treatment on prostate cancer, at least in this area.

What can a person do if they're looking for the latest treatment on prostate cancer that does not carry with it complications? Unfortunately, at the moment there is not much they can do. All of the medically-accepted treatments for prostate cancer, even the latest ones, carry side effects. Some of them can even cause liver damage, (a consequence that can occur with hormone therapy). So, with that in mind, robotic prostate surgery is probably still the best option. The only downside is that it is so new that it is not widely practiced at every hospital. This means prostate cancer sufferers may have to travel out-of-state to get the procedure performed.

You can learn more about prostate cancer as well as the symptoms of prostate cancer on my website http://www.symptomsofprostatecancer.info/ - My website includes a whole range of articles focusing on the problems caused by prostate cancer, treatments and of course what you should do if you think you have prostate cancer.