Stage I Prostate Cancer Treatments

You have been diagnosed with Stage I Prostate Cancer. The stage is determined based on the extent that the tumors have developed and/or spread throughout the body.

Stage I Prostate Cancer Treatments

Stage I prostate cancer means that your cancer could not be palpated during a digital rectal exam (DRE) or during a rectal ultrasound. The tumor(s) are too small, and your prostate cancer has been detected early-- a good thing! It also means that the tumor cells are of a slow growing type--another good thing!

Specialists will most often recommend the following when you are diagnosed with a stage I prostate cancer:

• Radical prostatectomy, possibly with radiation therapy after surgery.
• External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT).
• Radiation Seed Implant Therapy (Brachytherapy).
• Cryotherapy is also being recommended.

Mortality rates are very similar for each of the above listed treatments, with survival rates very close to those without prostate cancer history.

When choosing a treatment with your doctor, you should weigh the different side effects of each option against each other. Which side effects are you more comfortable in dealing with for a short term, or a long term?

Be sure to consider the tumor grade and/or Gleason score when choosing an option-- the higher either of these numbers will indicate the need for quick and intense therapy.

Depending on your specific situation, watchful waiting may be an option with hormone therapy if indicated.

Additionally, there are clinical trials available for:

• High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Therapy which has been used successfully in other countries, but just now going through clinical trial in the US.

There may also be other clinical trials of new therapies that may be an option for you depending on your specific situation.