Stage III Prostate Cancer Treatments

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

Stage III Prostate Cancer Treatments

Stage III prostate cancer means that the cancer has extended beyond the prostate capsule (the outer boundary of the prostate) but has not spread to other organs, or to the lymph nodes. Specialists will most often recommend the following when you are diagnosed with a stage III prostate cancer:

• Radical prostatectomy, with removal of the lymph nodes of the pelvis. This may be followed with radiation therapy.
• External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) optionally followed by hormone therapy.
• Hormone therapy alone.
• Radiation Seed Implant Therapy (Brachytherapy).
• Hormone therapy , External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) , or Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) may be recommended if you are having symptoms.

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.
• Cryotherapy is also in clinical trial.

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

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.