What should you know about prostate cancer therapy?

A treatment plan may involve active monitoring, surgery, radiotherapy, hormone-based medicines, chemotherapy, targeted radioisotope therapy, or combinations of these. The choice depends on examination findings, biopsy information, imaging, blood tests, symptoms, previous treatment, and personal priorities.

Some therapies aim to remove or destroy cancer in the prostate. Others work throughout the body or focus on cancer deposits in particular tissues. Treatment can change over time as the disease responds, side effects appear, or new information becomes available.

Ask your team to explain the purpose, schedule, likely effects, and alternatives for every recommended therapy. Keep a record of medicines, allergies, urinary symptoms, bowel symptoms, sexual concerns, and other health conditions. This helps the team tailor treatment and supportive care.

Depending on the plan, you may discuss prostate removal surgery, robotic cancer surgery, brachytherapy, external radiotherapy, targeted radioisotope therapy, or bone-strengthening therapy. Difficulty passing urine should be reported because it can affect planning and may need separate assessment.

Call the treatment team promptly for fever, chills, repeated vomiting, new shortness of breath, severe diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, or a sudden worsening of pain. Ask which number to use outside clinic hours before treatment begins.

Seek emergency help for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, sudden confusion, collapse, or new weakness with loss of bladder or bowel control. Do not wait for a routine appointment when these symptoms occur.

What is the goal of my treatment? Which options fit my stage and health? How will we know whether therapy is working? What changes should I report between visits? Could surgery, radiotherapy, brachytherapy, radioisotope therapy, or bone-strengthening treatment be appropriate?