Understanding Stage 2 Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland. The condition may spread outside the prostate and move towards adjacent tissue, lymph or even the blood systems. Doctors determine the stage of cancer through the following tests and reports:
– Imaging Tests
– Gleason Score (2–10)
– Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) Levels
The stage of cancer describes the aggressiveness of cancer and how it spread. So if your doctor says you have stage 2 prostate cancer, it is localized and not spread outside of the prostate gland. This stage is more likely to grow and metastasize than stage 1.
The Symptoms
Usually, there are no symptoms visible in the early stages of prostate cancer. Since stage 2 is still mild, you may focus on some of the following symptoms:
– Trouble urinating
– Pelvic discomfort
– Bood in your semen
Treatment Options
The best surgeon prostate cancer recommends treatment based on a number of factors. Some of these include age, overall health, and symptoms. In some cases, doctors may suggest active surveillance. The best part is that they cannot understand the symptoms. The doctor will visit your doctor every six months, which would include a digital rectal exam and PSA testing. Many patients know about annual prostate biopsy.
Active surveillance is only an option if you can commit to following up as advised by your doctor. Treatment will be considered if there are any changes.
Treatment for prostate cancer at stage 2 may involve a combination of the following therapies:
Radical Prostatectomy
This is surgical removal of the prostate done by creating an abdominal incision. These days, the surgery is also done laparoscopically, (involves a few small abdominal incisions and a somewhat easier recovery.)
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is used by doctors to destroy cancer cells. As far as external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is concerned, radiation beams come from a machine outside the body. Treatment is usually provided for five days a week for several weeks.
EBRT can be any of the following:
– Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT)
– intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
– stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)
– proton beam radiation therapy
Some of the side effects of treatment include:
– Skin irritation
– Bowel problems
– Fatigue
– Urinary problems
– Lymphedema
– Erection problems
Brachytherapy is internal radiation therapy, which involves a lot less time on your part. A surgeon inserts radioactive pellets directly into your prostate. A permanent low-dose rate (LDR) gives off radiation for up to a few months. Alternatively, there’s a temporary high-dose rate (HDR) that only lasts a few days.
Potential side effects include:
movement of the seeds
urinary problems
bowel problems
erection problems
Hormone Therapy
The treatment is primarily used for reducing male hormone levels or even blocking them from feeding cancer cells. Although not exactly a cure for prostate cancer, it does a decent job of shrinking tumors. It also contributes to retarding growth of cancer cells. The most common method is to conduct orchiectomy (surgical castration). This is helpful because most male hormones are produced in the testicles. Orchiectomy is an outpatient surgery.
Another method is to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists. Drugs are injected or even implanted under the skin. Some of the main LHRH antagonists used include the following listed below:
– histrelin (Vantas)
– goserelin (Zoladex)
– leuprolide (Eligard, Lupron)
– triptorelin (Trelstar)
As with every treatment plan, Hormone Therapy also has its side effects. Most of these are treatable. The most common ones include:
– Hot flashes
– Loss of sex drive
– Erectile dysfunction
– Osteoporosis
– Shrinkage of testicles and penis
– Anemia
– Increased cholesterol levels
– Fatigue
– Depression
– Loss of muscle mass
– Weight gain
– Diarrhea/Dizziness
