Urological Cancer Treatments
Prostate cancer treatment
Prostate cancer can be treated in many ways including surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and watchful waiting. Our board-certified physicians work together to develop the optimal treatment plan for each patient.
Surgery: also called radical prostatectomy, this procedure removes the entire prostate gland including some surrounding tissue. Surgery is most often used if the cancer is not thought to have spread outside of the prostate gland.
The FHCI's Urologic Cancer Team are skilled surgeons offering the latest techniques for radical nerve-sparing prostatectomy, both retropubic (incision made in the lower abdomen) and perineal (incision made in the skin between the scrotum and the anus).
Our surgeons utilize the most advanced surgical tools including Central Florida's first da Vinci® Surgical System. By integrating computer-enhanced technology with the surgeon's skill, the da Vinci Surgical System enables surgeons to perform precise, minimally invasive surgery. This tool has been shown to reduce blood loss and recovery time, and may result in improved continence and potency rates.
Radiation Therapy: uses high-energy rays or particles to kill cancer cells. Radiation is sometimes used to treat low-grade cancer that is still confined within the prostate gland or that has only spread to nearby tissue. Cure rates for these patients appear to be similar to those for men getting radical prostatectomy. If the disease is more advanced, radiation may be used to reduce the size of the tumor and to provide relief from present and future symptoms.
Hormonal Therapy: lowers levels of androgen male hormones in the body. The main androgen is called testosterone. Androgens, produced mainly in the testicles, can allow prostate cancer cells to grow. Lowering androgen levels can make prostate cancers shrink or grow more slowly.
Chemotherapy: sometimes used if prostate cancer has spread outside of the prostate gland and hormone therapy isn't working. Systemic chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs injected into a vein or given by mouth. These drugs enter the bloodstream and reach all areas of the body, making this treatment potentially useful for cancers that have metastasized (spread to other organs).
