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Prostate Cancer Recurrence Treatment

The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that is responsible for supplying much of the fluid part of semen. In some cases, it can develop mutated cells that begin to grow abnormally, making them cancerous. Even if the initial case of prostate cancer has been treated, it can come back, causing recurrent prostate cancer. This recurrent form may also spread to other tissues, including the lungs, liver, and bones.

  1. External Beam Radiation

    • Most cases of recurrent prostate cancer will be treated with external beam radiation therapy. With this process, a device called a linear accelerator is used to direct high-energy X-rays at the prostate. These X-rays will damage cells in the area and will cause the most harm to the cancerous cells, although some of the other tissue will be damaged as well. The purpose behind this treatment is to destroy the cancerous cells and, at the very least, shrink the tumor.

    Prostectomy

    • After a patient has received radiation treatments, oncologists may decide to have the patient receive a prostectomy. This is a procedure in which the prostate gland is removed which will eliminate the main tumor. This type of surgery is not as effective, however, if the tumor has metastasized and spread to other tissues.

    Hormonal Therapy

    • Because the prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system, it is able to be affected by hormones. Androgens, a type of hormone that includes testosterone, can cause the prostate cells to grow. As a result, blocking the production of androgens can slow the rate of growth of prostate cancer, even if it has spread to other tissues. This mode of treatment can either be pursued by removing the testicles or by administering medications that block the production of androgens.

    Cryosurgery

    • Cryosurgery for recurring prostate cancer is a new treatment that is in clinical trial. It involves the use of ultrasound to try and identify the specific parts of the prostate that have become cancerous. Once the tumor has been identified, it is frozen, using liquid nitrogen or some other source of extreme cold to kill the tumor.

    Chemotherapy

    • Chemotherapy works by using medications that poison tumor cells. The chemotherapy may work by preventing cells from dividing and multiplying, or it may be directly toxic to cancerous cells by damaging their DNA. Chemotherapy is often used when the prostate cancer has spread to other tissues.

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