|
Frequently Asked Questions
Prostate
|
Prostate Cancer |
Diagnosis |
Treatment Options
|
Prostatectomy |
Robotic Surgery |
Complications
After Surgery |
Urinary Control |
Sexual Preservation
| PSA-DT
|
Namograms|
Resources |
Top of the Page

Prostate
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that makes
prostatic fluid and stores seminal fluid. It is located between
the bladder and the penis, and encircles the upper part of the
urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder) like a
donut. The prostate helps regulate bladder control and sexual
function.
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is a malignant (cancerous) disease that affects
the cells of the prostate. A malignant growth has the potential
of spreading to other tissues of the body and can cause damage
to surrounding tissue or break away and spread to other parts,
such as the lymph nodes. Prostate cancer is the second-leading
cause of cancer deaths (after lung cancer) among men in the
United States. It is more common in African American men and in
men with family history of the disease. Causes of the disease
are unknown. The mortality rate has declined more than 25
percent in recent years due to early detection and modern
techniques that have also contributed to an improved quality of
life. In its early stages, prostate cancer may not cause any
symptoms, however as it progresses several symptoms may appear,
such as frequent urination (especially at night), problems with
urination, painful ejaculation, blood in the urine or semen,
back and hip pain and stiffness.
How is prostate cancer
diagnosed?
The goal of prostate cancer screening is
to evaluate and diagnose the disease in its early stages.
Physicians routinely use two types of exams to screen men for
prostate cancer. The first type is a called a digital rectal
exam (DRE), in which a doctor inserts a gloved finger into the
rectum to feel the prostate for irregularities. The second, a
blood test, detects the amount of prostate-specific antigen
(PSA) in the blood. Men with non- cancerous benign hyperplasia
(BPH) may also have elevated PSA levels. A prostate biopsy is
performed in our office if the PSA levels, either remain
elevated or continue to rise. The tissue from the biopsy are
sent to a pathologist who will grade the cancer using a
measuring method called the Gleason grading, named after its
founder Dr. Gleason. This grading system helps us determine the
type of therapy that is best for you. Grade 1 is the least
aggressive and looks a lot like normal prostate tissue, but has
distinguishing features identifiable as cancer. Grade 5, however
is the most aggressive and does not resemble normal tissue.
Along with grading the cancer, we use a staging method to
determine how advanced the cancer is at the current time. Common
tests used to identify this might include a bone scan or a CT
scan of the pelvis.
Prognosis translates into your chances of cure/long-time
survival and is largely based on your grade, stage and PSA. Most
patients are very curable; it is only a minority of patients who
present with the disease that is already incurable.
Prostate
|
Prostate Cancer |
Diagnosis |
Treatment Options
|
Prostatectomy |
Robotic Surgery |
Complications
After Surgery |
Urinary Control |
Sexual Preservation
| PSA-DT
|
Namograms|
Resources |
Top of the Page
What are my
treatment options?
Various treatment options are available
for prostate cancer, each with its own benefits especially for
high-grade cancers, while observation called watchful waiting
may be more appropriate for low-grade cancers, elderly patients
or patients with other medical conditions. Surgical procedures
called prostatectomy, which involves the removal of the entire
prostate gland, is the most common form of treatment with the
intent to cure prostate cancer. Radiation therapy, hormonal
therapy, and cryosurgery or freezing the prostate are other
forms of treatment. As your physician, it is my responsibility
to inform you of the various treatment options that are
available based on your individual evaluation.
Radical
Prostatectomy:
A radical prostatectomy means removal of
the entire prostate and seminal vesicles. Because prostate
cancer is scattered throughout the prostate gland in an
unpredictable way, removal of only part of the prostate would
leave cancer cells behind. The pelvic lymph nodes that filter
the lymphatic fluid from the prostate are usually the first site
of any spread of the cancer beyond the prostate gland. These
lymph nodes are also removed during this operation. Fortunately,
you have many other lymph nodes, so your
body will not miss these few. The primary purpose of the
operation is to cure the cancer by removing it completely, while
making every effort to preserve normal functions. I will
recommend several prostatectomy procedures depending on our
findings.
Robotic
Surgery:
One
of the newest minimally invasive surgical techniques includes
using a robot called the daVinci Surgical System. This procedure
is performed by making five small incisions (ports) into the
abdomen and inserting surgical instruments through ports to
carry out the procedure. I actually control the robot from the
computer terminal in the same room as the patient but not at the
patient site. I have an assistant who stands at the side of the
patient, bringing in new instruments and helping with
visualization, should there be small amounts of bleeding in the
surgical field. Results from this surgical procedure are
excellent. In the hands of an experienced robotic surgeon, they
should be equivalent to the open technique. In my hands, cancer
control is the same as the more traditional open technique and
quality of life outcomes are equal or perhaps slightly better.
Patients return to normal function and activity in a shorter
period of time. This is due to significantly less blood loss and
small incisions that lead for a quicker recovery. Patients are
able to resume most normal activities within 2 weeks after the
operation, and all normal activities 3 weeks after the
operation, unless, of course, they have had some major
postoperative complication that lengthens the period of
recovery. Hospitalization is generally 1-2 nights after the
operation. The patient is discharged home with a catheter in the
bladder, after they are successfully passing flatus.
Prostate
|
Prostate Cancer |
Diagnosis |
Treatment Options
|
Prostatectomy |
Robotic Surgery |
Complications
After Surgery |
Urinary Control |
Sexual Preservation
| PSA-DT
|
Namograms|
Resources |
Top of the Page
Why do complications happen? What do you mean by risk
management?
Watching the evening news, we hear about unfortunate events on a
steady basis: floods, tornadoes, stock market crashes, terror
attacks and street crime, motor vehicle accidents, plane crashes
and oils spills. The world is an unpredictable place and even
those who do not expect or deserve suffering are at times
subjected to it. As long as we live, we are surrounded by risks.
Some risks are perceived to be greater than what they really
are; some are present and real. We do not like to hear about
these untimely events because they challenge our perceived
feelings of being in control at all times.
We are more afraid of situations that we cannot control like
flying, having surgery, than of situations we can control, such
as driving a car, smoking, overeating even though the latter may
carry a significantly higher risk. Statistically, it is safer to
fly than it is to drive a car! Many people are more afraid of
dying from cancer than from cardiovascular disease even though
twice as many people die from cardiovascular disease! Therefore,
before any important decisions are made, a careful risk
assessment must be done and benefits must be put in perspective.
Strategies should be sought to maximize benefits and minimize
risks.
Medicine has come a long way. Historically, humans have never
lived as long as they do today. New research and medical
technology hold great promises for the future. Nevertheless, the
human body is a complex biological system. We have a good
understanding of cause and effect, and depending upon the
question or problem at hand, physicians are correct many or even
most of times in predicting medical outcomes.
Unfortunately, even in expert hands, some outcomes or
complications are an unavoidable consequence of surgical
practice involving not only one but several complex biological
and technical systems (people) and platforms (technical
equipment). Even when the surgery is in the most experienced
hands, factors related to the patient like anatomical
variations, extent of preexisting, or unrecognized disease,
factors related to the operating room environment, or equipment
forces can lead to a postoperative complication. Nonetheless, I
have done thousands of prostatectomies. I am dedicated to the
pursuit of a perfect outcome in all my patients, although, a
complication or adverse event may occur. Therefore, to minimize
the chance of complications, I recommend choosing an expert
surgical and medical team that performs surgical procedures on a
very frequent basis, in a high quality setting, and one that has
all the equipment and brainpower at the hand should there be a
complication.
As your surgeon, consultant, and advocate, my pledge to you is
that we take your safety personally, will discuss with you risks
and benefits of this procedure, and will carefully preplan your
case, execute your surgery in a highest quality fashion. I will
monitor you closely for potential postoperative problems. While
the overwhelming majority of what we do goes as expected, I will
be available to guide you through any potential complications,
explain problems, and based on my experience formulate a plan to
deal with what is at hand. Even if complications occur, the
consequences can often be minimized through early recognition
and appropriate intervention.
What to expect after surgery
Urinary Control:
Patients are normally discharged from the
hospital with a catheter in place. The catheter is left in place
for approximately one week after surgery. This gives the
Anastomosis, or union between the bladder and urethra, time to
heal completely. You will need an x-ray called a cystogram prior
to removal of the catheter. The catheter is removed in our
office and you will be given instructions on exercises called
Kegel to begin at home. Urinary control is of paramount
importance prior to surgery. Bio-feedback training is highly
recommended.
Recovery and return of urinary control is an area
that is difficult to predict for each individual patient. In my
patient population, I have found that most men are dry or nearly
completely dry 2 to 8 weeks after the Foley catheter has been
removed. Nearly completely dry means they are wearing one pad or
less per day. Other men take as long as 3 to 6 months to get
dry, and there is certainly a small group of men, who as I will
discuss do not get completely dry for various reasons. There are
ways to manage this usually mild leakage of urine (that is
nonetheless very troubling). Different methodologies are
incorporated to try and return men to their complete urinary
control as quickly as possible, but it is
impossible to predict for each individual patient what their
recovery time may be.
I look forward to discussing this in greater
detail with you during your consultation.
Preoperative Biofeedback Assisted
Behavioral Training to Decrease Post-Prostatectomy Incontinence:
A Randomized, Controlled Trial
Kathryn L. BurgioabdCorresponding Author Informationemail
address, Patricia S. Goodeabd, Donald A. Urbancd†, Mary G.
Umlaufde, Julie L. Locherbd, Anton Bueschenc, David T. Reddenaf
Purpose
We tested the effectiveness of preoperative biofeedback assisted
behavioral training for decreasing the duration and severity of
incontinence, and improving quality of life in the 6 months
following radical prostatectomy.
Materials and Methods
We performed a prospective, randomized, controlled trial
comparing preoperative behavioral training to usual care. The
volunteer sample included 125 men 53 to 68 years old who elected
radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Patients were
stratified according to age and tumor differentiation, and
randomized to 1 preoperative session of biofeedback assisted
behavioral training plus daily home exercise or a usual care
control condition, consisting of simple postoperative
instructions to interrupt the urinary stream. The main outcome
measurements were duration of incontinence (time to continence),
as derived from bladder diaries, incontinence severity (the
proportion with severe/continual leakage), pad use, Incontinence
Impact Questionnaire, psychological distress (Hopkins Symptom
Checklist) and health related quality of life (Medical Outcomes
Study Short Form Health Survey).
Results
Preoperative behavioral training significantly decreased time to
continence (p = 0.03) and the proportion of patients with
severe/continual leakage at the 6-month end point (5.9% vs
19.6%, p = 0.04). There were also significant differences
between the groups for self-reported urine loss with coughing
(22.0% vs 51.1%, p = 0.003), sneezing (26.0% vs 48.9%, p = 0.02)
and getting up from lying down (14.0% vs 31.9%, p = 0.04). No
differences were found on return to work and usual activities or
quality of life measures.
Conclusions
Preoperative behavioral training can hasten the recovery of
urine control and decrease the severity of incontinence
following radical prostatectomy.
Sexual Preservation:
Every
attempt is made to keep men as sexually capable coming out of
the operation as they are going in. Sexual preservation, of
necessity, requires a number of different therapies that will be
used to keep you sexually active and normally potent. These
efforts involve starting oral drugs called 5-phosphodiesterase
inhibitors. These are the drugs commonly known as Viagra,
Cialis, or Levitra, and are given to help maintain and preserve
sexual function and to improve healing along the neurovascular
bundles, which often get bruised to some degree. I also
encourage the use of vacuum erection devices to stimulate and
exercise the penis, and other pharmacologic measures, such as
the instillation of small amounts of the drug called
prostaglandin E1 in the form of a suppository placed
just inside the opening of the penis. Another tool is the
direct introduction of medications called Tri-mix by a very
small #32-gauge needle (somewhat bigger than a hair). It
is important to me that you return to sexual activity in as
short a period as possible after the operation. To that
end, if you are not sexually active within 2 to 3 months after
the operation, I will have you seen by one of my associates.These individuals specialize in male
potency and are some of the leading investigators in new
methodologies for helping the male with erectile problems return
to normal function. I am a complete believer in the team
concept. I am a cancer specialist and strongly believe that the
best minds in each discipline should be brought to bear on your
health and in returning you to a normal life. Therefore, one of
these gentlemen may be involved in your care in order to help in
the preservation of your sexual activity.
Nerve
Sparing:
As a patient, you may read about two
forms of nerve-sparing procedures. One is referred to as
intrafascial and other as extrafascial. Extrafascial is the more
standard nerve-preservation technique. The prostate lives under
a plane of tissue called the endopelvic fascia. Fascia are thick
layers of tissue that separate various organs from other
structures. It also separates the body into different
compartments (all muscles are confined within fascial layers).
We normally will open the endopelvic fascia in order to better
expose the sides of the prostate. This dissection involves
getting into the fascial plane toward the side of the prostate,
or laterally. The rest of the dissection then moves medially
toward the prostate into a fascial plane between the prostate
and the neurovascular bundles.
The intrafascial technique is used for much lower volume disease
in a very select number of patients. During an intrafascial
dissection the endopelvic fascia is never opened laterally. We
simply approach the neurovascular bundles from the prostate side
sweeping up under the prostate between the neurovascular bundle
and the prostate so that we never touch the lateral aspect of
the neurovascular bundle. There is a belief that this therefore
causes less traction and less injury to the neurovascular bundle
since we are only approaching it from one side and not both
sides. My personal belief in reviewing my patients is that it
does help in obtaining a quicker return of potency for the
average patient. Of course, every person is individual and there
is no way to predict in whom this will be helpful. I do believe
that it also helps return of urinary control to be achieved much
more quickly.
Prostate
|
Prostate Cancer |
Diagnosis |
Treatment Options
|
Prostatectomy |
Robotic Surgery |
Complications
After Surgery |
Urinary Control |
Sexual Preservation
| PSA-DT
|
Namograms|
Resources |
Top of the Page
PSA-DT:
PSA
doubling time is a very valuable tool for men who may not have
been cured by removal of the prostate. When men recur, the PSA
will become detectable, which, depending on the PSA assay, means
a PSA rise above 0.05 or as is considered standard by most
definitions of failure, above 0.2. I use the lower number
because of the great sensitivity of our tests. While tracking
this PSA, we are able to calculate through a very complex
formula the absolute doubling time. Doubling time should not be
considered the time between two measures. By this I mean if your
PSA was 0.05 on January 1st and on June 2nd it was 0.10, your
doubling time should not necessarily be considered 6 months. We
need at least three to four different values that will help us
plug it into a very complex formula. PSA doubling time is very
useful in helping us understand which patients have a recurrence
of significance and those that have a recurrence that is really
not of great clinical significance. If your PSA doubling time is
greater than a year or two, the chance that this cancer will
have an impact on your life is small to modest at best. Again
this helps us predict for you the value of additional treatments
such as radiation therapy after the removal of your prostate.
PSA-DT can also be used, of course, preoperatively. A very rapid
doubling time in many publications is felt to have an
association with poor prognosis, but most men do not have a long
enough PSA history to allow any doubling time calculation to be
meaningful. If you have many years of PSAs and then your PSA
started to rise and led to a biopsy, which was found to be
positive for cancer, in your particular case, this may be very
helpful. Again, PSA doubling times of less than three months are
of concern and those greater than 9 to 12 months are men who
will do quite well with treatment. Please remember that the
PSA-DT is a statistical tool, and statistics work well for large
groups, but must be cautiously applied to individuals.
Prostate
|
Prostate Cancer |
Diagnosis |
Treatment Options
|
Prostatectomy |
Robotic Surgery |
Complications
After Surgery |
Urinary Control |
Sexual Preservation
| PSA-DT
|
Namograms|
Resources |
Top of the Page
Nomograms
A nomogram is simply a tool to aid
a patient or doctor in predicting various outcomes before or
after treatment.

Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center's free prostate cancer prediction tool.
Will open a new page.
|
The first nomogram developed for prostate
cancer — called the Kattan-Partin nomogram — was developed to
predict final pathologic stage; that is,
whether or not a cancer
will be confined completely within the prostate or extend beyond
the limits of the gland. Despite being somewhat useful, this
tool is far from perfect. The reason for this is that there is a
fair amount of “lumping” done. That is the groups categorized
are quite large. For instance, if your PSA is between 6 and 10,
your Gleason score 3+3,
and your stage T1c (found due to an
elevated PSA), your chance of having organ-confined disease is
75 percent, but this “lumps” all patients with these parameters,
whether you have one small focus in one biopsy core positive for
cancer or whether all 12 cores are positive for cancer.
I therefore encourage you to be careful in looking at these
numbers and drawing profound conclusions from them. In addition,
please recognize that in this particular nomogram, a 30% chance
of having cancer outside the prostate does not equate with only
a 70% chance of cure. For relative ideas of cure, please use the
Kattan pre- and postoperative nomograms. There are many other
nomograms that are developed, which incorporate various biologic
or pathologic or laboratory testing that are unique for
radiation and/or surgery and predicting the outcomes from these.
The number escalates geometrically each year, and the usefulness
of each of these in truly predicting future outcomes for any
patient is not known and therefore should be used guardedly and
with caution.
I made a number of these nomograms accessible, and please feel
free to put in your particular parameters. More importantly,
however, I look forward to discussing with you during your
office visit the significance of each of these and what you
might anticipate in your own particular situation.
Kidney Tumors
Per national cancer Institute definition, kidney cancer includes
renal cell carcinoma (cancer that forms in the lining of very
small tubes in the kidney that filter the blood and remove waste
products) and renal pelvis carcinoma (cancer that forms in the
center of the kidney where urine collects). It also includes
Wilms tumor, which is a type of kidney cancer that usually
develops in children under the age of 5.
Estimated new cases and deaths from kidney (renal cell and renal
pelvis) cancer in the United States in 2008, per NCI date:
 |
New cases: 54,390 |
|
Deaths: 13,010 |
Signs and Symptoms
Possible signs of renal cell cancer include blood in
the urine and a lump in the abdomen. There may be no symptoms in
the early stages. Symptoms may appear as the tumor grows. A
doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems
occur: Blood in the urine, A lump in the abdomen, A pain in the
side that doesn't go away, Loss of appetite, Weight loss for no
known reason, Anemia.
Treatment Options
There are different types of treatment options available for
patients with kidney tumors:
Surgery
Surgery to remove part or all of the kidney is often used to
treat kidney tumors.
A
person can live with part of one working kidney, but if both
kidneys are removed or not working, the person will need
dialysis (a procedure to clean the blood using a machine outside
of the body) or a kidney transplant (replacement with a healthy
donated kidney). When surgery to remove the cancer is not
possible, a treatment called arterial embolization may be used
to shrink the tumor. Small pieces of blocks are injected to the
main blood supply to the kidney or the tumor to prevent the
cancer cells from receiving any supply or oxygen.
The
following types of surgery may be used:
• Partial nephrectomy
(Open, Robotic Assisted, or Laparoscopic): A surgical procedure
to remove the cancer within the kidney. Partial nephrectomy may
be done to prevent loss of kidney function when the other kidney
is damaged or has already been removed.
·• Simple nephrectomy
(Open, Robotic Assisted, or Laparoscopic): A surgical procedure
to remove the kidney only.
·• Radical nephrectomy
(Open, Robotic Assisted, or Laparoscopic): A surgical procedure
to remove the kidney,surrounding tissue, and, usually, nearby
lymph nodes.
·• Nephroureterctomy
(Open, Robotic Assisted, or Laparoscopic): A surgical procedure
to remove the kidney and the ureter. This procedure is used when
the tumor is in the renal collecting system.
Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy
Performing partial nephrectomy (removing part of the kidney that
contains the tumor) using da Vinci Robotic System may make this
procedure
more
efficacious than the standard laparoscopic approach or open
surgery. One of the newest minimally invasive surgical
techniques includes using a robot called the da Vinci Surgical
System. This procedure is performed by making five small
incisions (ports) into the abdomen and inserting surgical
instruments through ports to carry out the procedure. I (Dr.
Brian Miles) actually control the robot from the computer
terminal in the same room as the patient but not at the patient
site. I have an assistant who stands at the side of the patient,
bringing in new instruments and helping with visualization,
should there be small amounts of bleeding in the surgical field.
Results from this surgical procedure are excellent. In the hands
of an experienced robotic surgeon, they should be equivalent to
the open technique. In my hands, cancer control is the same as
the more traditional open technique and quality of life outcomes
are equal or perhaps slightly better. Patients return to normal
function and activity in a shorter period of time. This is due
to significantly less blood loss and small incisions that lead
for a quicker recovery. Patients are able to resume most normal
activities within 2 weeks after the operation, and all normal
activities 3 weeks after the operation. Hospitalization is
generally 2-3 nights after the operation.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy
x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep
them from growing. Radiation therapy is usually not the first
line treatment for kidney tumors.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the
growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by
stopping them from dividing. Renal cancers are not generally
very responsive to chemotherapy.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses the patient's immune
system to fight cancer. These substances use the patients’
immune system to fight the cancer. Immunotherapy can play an
important role in the management of renal tumors.
Bladder Tumors
Cancer that forms in tissues of the bladder (the organ that
stores urine). Most bladder cancers are transitional cell
carcinomas (cancer that begins in cells that normally make up
the inner lining of the bladder).
Per National Cancer Institute: Estimated new cases and deaths
from bladder cancer in the United States in 2008:
|
New cases: 68,810 |
|
Deaths: 14,100 |
Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is
called a risk factor. Risk factors for bladder cancer include
the following:
•
Smoking.
•
Being exposed to certain
substances at work, such as rubber, certain dyes and textiles,
paint, and hairdressing supplies.
•
A diet high in fried meats
and fat.
•
Being older, male, or
white.
•
Having an infection caused
by a certain parasite.
Possible signs
of bladder cancer include blood in the urine or pain during
urination.
Treatment Options
Surgery
One of the following types of
surgery may be done:
•
Transurethral resection (TUR)
with fulguration: Surgery in which a cystoscope (a thin lighted
tube) is inserted into the bladder through the urethra. A tool
with a small wire loop is then used to remove the cancer or to
burn the tumor.
•
Radical cystectomy: (Open,
Laparoscopic, Robotic Assisted) Surgery to remove the bladder
and any lymph nodes and nearby organs that contain cancer. In
men, the nearby organs that are removed are the prostate and the
seminal vesicles. In women, the uterus, the ovaries, and part of
the vagina are removed. When the bladder must be removed, the
surgeon creates another way for urine to leave the body.
Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Cystectomy
Performing cystectomy (removing
the bladder with tumor) using da Vinci
Robotic
System may make this procedure more efficacious than the
standard laparoscopic approach or open surgery. One of the
newest minimally invasive surgical techniques includes using a
robot called the da Vinci Surgical System. This procedure is
performed by making five small incisions (ports) into the
abdomen and inserting surgical instruments through ports to
carry out the procedure. I (Dr. Brian Miles) actually control
the robot from the computer terminal in the same room as the
patient but not at the patient site. I have an assistant who
stands at the side of the patient, bringing in new instruments
and helping with visualization, should there be small amounts of
bleeding in the surgical field. Results from this surgical
procedure are excellent. In the hands of an experienced robotic
surgeon, they should be equivalent to the open technique. In my
hands, cancer control is the same as the more traditional open
technique and quality of life outcomes are equal or perhaps
slightly better. Patients return to normal function and activity
in a shorter period of time. This is due to significantly less
blood loss and small incisions that lead for a quicker recovery.
Patients are able to resume most normal activities within 2-3
weeks after the operation, and all normal activities 3-4 weeks
after the operation. Hospitalization is generally 4-7 nights
after the operation.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy
x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep
them from growing.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the
growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by
stopping them from dividing. Bladder cancer may be treated with
intravesical (into the bladder through a tube inserted into the
urethra) chemotherapy. The way the chemotherapy is given depends
on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Testicular Tumors
Cancer that forms in tissues of
the testis (one of two egg-shaped glands inside the scrotum that
make sperm and male hormones). Testicular cancer usually occurs
in young or middle-aged men.
Per National Cancer Institute Data: Estimated new cases and
deaths from testicular cancer in the United States in 2008:
|
New cases: 8,090 |
|
Deaths: 380 |
Possible signs of testicular cancer include swelling or
discomfort in the scrotum.
These and other symptoms may be caused by testicular cancer.
Other conditions may cause the same symptoms. A doctor should be
consulted if any of the following problems occur:
• A painless lump or
swelling in either testicle.
• A change in how the
testicle feels.
• A dull ache in the
lower abdomen or the groin.
• Pain or discomfort
in a testicle or in the scrotum.
Treatment Options
Surgery
Surgery to remove the testicle (radical inguinal orchiectomy)
and some of the lymph nodes may be done at diagnosis and
staging. Even if the doctor removes all the cancer that can be
seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given
chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery to kill any
cancer cells that are left
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy
x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. The way
the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of
the cancer being treated.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the
growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by
stopping the cells from dividing. The way the chemotherapy is
given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Prostate
|
Prostate Cancer |
Diagnosis |
Treatment Options
|
Prostatectomy |
Robotic Surgery |
Complications
After Surgery |
Urinary Control |
Sexual Preservation
| PSA-DT
|
Namograms|
Resources |
Top of the Page
Cancer
Resources
|