Early stages often show no symptoms, but as cancer progresses, symptoms may include frequent urination, weak urine flow, low back pain, unexplained fevers, night sweats, or unintentional weight loss.

Genetic changes in the prostate’s DNA, which may be inherited or occur during a person’s lifetime, can increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Age, family history of prostate cancer, and race, particularly among Black men.

Active Surveillance

Because prostate cancer often progresses slowly, for certain patients the best treatment may be to simply monitor the cancer. This does not mean ignoring the condition, but rather developing and implementing a plan of measuring the progression of disease over time. Schedules for imaging, examination, and testing are established so that patients with cancers growing more quickly or causing symptoms can be treated effectively without losing the opportunity to cure.

Surgical Intervention

Technological advances have dramatically changed the surgical treatment of prostate cancer. Radical prostatectomy, which involves removing the entire prostate gland, the seminal vesicles, and often the surrounding lymph nodes, is now rarely performed through a large open incision. The advent of laparoscopy and robot-assisted laparoscopy offers a minimally invasive procedure that allows more precise treatment while significantly reducing pain, shortening the hospital stay, and minimizing complications.

Northwest Urology, LLC is a leader in the use of the daVinci Robot for minimally invasive urologic surgeries. Several small incisions allow a camera and instruments to be placed inside the abdomen which are controlled by the surgeon using 3-dimensional magnified images. The enhanced vision and dexterity of the robotic instruments enable our surgeons to effectively remove the prostate while sparing the surrounding nerves and minimizing blood loss.

Radiation Therapy

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is an established treatment option for certain patients.
Brachytherapy is a method of radiation therapy in which radioactive seeds are distributed throughout the prostate. The seeds remain in the prostate and emit their radiation over time.

Hormone Therapy

Prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate gland or metastasized to other organs can have its progression slowed by hormone therapy and other so-called “systemic” therapies. Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) impedes prostate cancer cells that are hormone-dependent, but only affects cells that require testosterone (which promotes prostate cancer growth and progression). Hormone therapy is used in conjunction with radiation therapy in select cases. Current use of ADT is often coupled with additional anti-androgen therapies or immunotherapy to further treat aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

High-intenstiy focused ultrasound (HIFU)

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a revolutionary, non-invasive treatment that targets and destroys cancerous prostate tissue in either a portion of the prostate or the whole prostate, depending upon the treatment goals. Select patients may benefit from HIFU’s use of precise ultrasound energy to heat and destroy targeted prostate tissue while leaving surrounding areas unharmed. This allows for effective cancer treatment with a significantly lower risk of incontinence and erectile dysfunction compared to traditional treatments.

Early detection is crucial. 97.5% of People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. 10-year rate of 98%, and a 15-year rate of 91%.

For more detailed information on prostate cancer statistics, please refer to the SEER Cancer Statistics provided by the National Cancer Institute.