With Prostate Cancer It’s Important to Know Your Options

Swedish Health Services

SPONSORED — In the United States, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. When detected early, prostate cancer is usually curable. 2.9 million men in the U.S. who’ve been diagnosed are alive today. Since early prostate cancer rarely causes symptoms, having a simple blood test is key to detection. However, many men are hesitant to get the PSA test. That is why it is important to understand prostate cancer screening, diagnosis and the treatments available.

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men and in non-Hispanic Black men. You should talk with your healthcare provider about when to begin prostate cancer screening based on your personal risks.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer there is time to gather information, consider your options and make an informed decision. There are a wide variety of treatments options available for men with prostate cancer, including active surveillance, surgery (prostatectomy), radiation therapy (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), Proton Beam Radiation therapy, Brachytherapy (internal radiation therapy), Cryotherapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy, any or all of which might be used at different times depending on the stage of disease and the need for treatment. Consultation with each prostate cancer specialist is important and will offer the most comprehensive understanding of each treatment. In addition, while every treatment has side effects, the skill of the physician and amount of his or her experience specific to the procedure being performed are very important in minimizing the presence and ongoing impact of side effects.

A highly advanced technological treatment option is Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy using the CyberKnife platform. At Swedish Medical Center, published data shows exceptional outcomes, few side effects, and all treatment is conducted over the course of only one week. Swedish physicians have published 97% cure rates and patients report better quality of life during and after treatment.

The CyberKnife is a robotic system that uses real-time image guidance to deliver radiation from thousands of beam angles. The robot moves and bends around the patient, with the ability to approach the tumor from thousands of unique angles. The CyberKnife System is the only device designed to accommodate all forms of patient and tumor motion, even while the treatment is being delivered.

You have many treatment options available, if you are interested in the most advanced, effective treatment, consider Swedish CyberKnife at swedish.org/cyberknifeprostate or call them at 206-320-7187.