Treatment FAQ

what are the best treatment options for a 70 year old with prostrate cancer?

by Brendon Greenholt Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

  • ADT is the first-line treatment in hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer. Evaluation of bone mineral status and prevention of osteoporosis are recommended.
  • In metastatic CRPC, chemotherapy with docetaxel (75 mg/m2every 3 weeks) is the standard for fit and vulnerable older men.
  • The tolerability of the docetaxel 3-weekly regimen has not been specifically studied in frail older men. The place of weekly docetaxel in metastatic CRPC should be further evaluated.
  • Palliative treatments include palliative surgery, radiopharmaceuticals, RT and medical treatments for pain and symptoms.

Thus, older men have been shown to receive potentially curative therapy (radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy) less often than younger men. Radical prostatectomy is preferred treatment in men younger than 70 years, whereas radiation therapy is applied predominantly in patients older than 70 years.

Full Answer

What is the best treatment for early stages of prostate cancer?

Brachytherapy is indicated in patients with low-risk prostate cancer, a prostate volume of <50 cm 3, and a good IPSS [ 4 ]. Brachytherapy might be a suitable option in older patients, but the survival benefit in older men with low-risk disease has not yet been established.

What is the life expectancy after prostate cancer?

 · Radiation: Treating prostate cancer with radiation is a good option for older men with diminished health whose cancer is progressing. Surgery may be too risky of an option for these older patients, so radiation attacks the cancer …

What is the best way to treat prostate cancer?

Most doctors believe that surgery, external radiation, and brachytherapy all have about the same cure rates for the earliest stage prostate cancers. However, each type of treatment has risks and benefits that should be considered.

When you can have sex after prostate cancer treatment?

Cancer treatment options for older adults You may have just one type of treatment or a combination of treatments. The main cancer treatments for people of all ages are: Surgery Chemotherapy or targeted therapy Radiation therapy How cancer surgery can affect older adults Like other treatments, surgery has risks.

Should a 70 year old man have prostate surgery?

While few men older than 70 are treated with radical prostatectomy, the procedure is a safe option for the treatment of prostate cancer in otherwise healthy men up to at least age 75, according to a new Canadian study.

What is the newest treatment for prostate cancer?

The treatment is called lutetium-177-PSMA-617, or LuPSMA, and it has two components: a compound that targets a cancer cell protein called prostate-specific membrane antigen, or PSMA, and a radioactive particle that destroys the cells.

What is the safest treatment for prostate cancer?

Radiation therapy is a good choice for many men with early-stage prostate cancer. It is also the best treatment for older men or those who have other health problems. There are different types of radiation therapy: External beam radiation.

What is the best treatment for prostate cancer that has spread?

If your cancer has spread beyond your prostate to other areas of your body, your doctor may recommend: Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can slow the growth of cancer cells, relieve signs and symptoms of cancer, and prolong the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer.

What is the best option for prostate cancer surgery or radiation?

Younger men tend to opt for surgery, while those who are at higher risk for surgery because of their age or other medical problems tend to choose radiation. Radiation is a good option for most prostate cancer patients, regardless of age, whose disease has progressed to a point where intervention is necessary, Dr.

What is the most effective treatment for advanced prostate cancer?

Hormone (endocrine) therapy, known as androgen ablation or androgen suppression therapy, is the main treatment for advanced prostate cancer.

At what age is prostate surgery not recommended?

Radical prostatectomy is the preferred treatment for men with prostate cancer that has not spread to other organs, but many doctors do not recommend the procedure for men over age 70 due to a perceived higher potential risk for complications.

What are the signs that prostate cancer has spread?

Prostate cancer can spread to the lymph nodes in the groin area, or to other parts of the body. The most common symptoms are swelling and pain around the area where the cancer has spread. Cancer cells can stop lymph fluid from draining away. This might lead to swelling in the legs due to fluid build up in that area.

Is brachytherapy better than surgery?

The authors conclude that surgery and brachytherapy with EBRT showed comparable overall survival. Both modalities were superior to EBRT alone. Furthermore, brachytherapy with EBRT showed superior overall survival compared with surgery or EBRT alone.

What is the life expectancy of a man with prostate cancer?

Survival for all stages of prostate cancer more than 95 out of 100 (more than 95%) will survive their cancer for 1 year or more. more than 85 out of 100 (more than 85%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more. almost 80 out of 100 (almost 80%) will survive their cancer for 10 years or more.

What is the longest someone has lived with metastatic prostate cancer?

Of the 794 evaluable patients, 77% lived < 5 years, 16% lived 5 up to 10 years, and 7% lived > or = 10 years. Factors predicting a statistical significant association with longer survival (P < 0.05) included minimal disease, better PS, no bone pain, lower Gleason score, and lower PSA level.

What is the life expectancy for aggressive prostate cancer?

A decade ago, a man with metastatic prostate cancer would typically have a life expectancy of two to three years. Today, life expectancy for men with the same advanced disease is likely to be five to six years.

What is the gold standard for prostate cancer treatment?

Radical prostatectomy remains the gold-standard treatment for clinically localised prostate cancer. Cumulative data suggest that it has a survival advantage over radiotherapy, but it is troubled by surgical morbidity especially erectile dysfunction and incontinence.

What is the latest treatment for enlarged prostate 2021?

Physicians at UC San Diego Health are now offering prostate artery embolization (PAE) as a new treatment option for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate. The minimally invasive procedure is an alternative to surgery, with no hospital stay, little operative pain and lower cost.

Has advanced prostate cancer been cured?

Advanced (Metastatic) Prostate Cancer Currently, no treatments can cure advanced/metastatic prostate cancer. However, there are effective ways to help slow its spread, prolong life, and control its symptoms, including immunotherapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, precision medicine and clinical trials.

What is the best treatment for Gleason 9 prostate cancer?

Treatment with radical prostatectomy (RP) plus adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), or both (MaxRP) provides equivalent survival outcomes as EBRT, brachytherapy, and ADT (MaxRT) in men with Gleason score 9–10 prostate cancer, according to a new study published in JAMA Oncology ...

What is the treatment for prostate cancer?

Treatments can include prostate surgery (removal of the prostate gland), radiation therapy (directing a beam of radiation at the tumor site) and hormone therapy (targets the male sex hormones active in prostate cancer, such as testosterone).

How old do you have to be to get prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer often occurs in elderly men over the age of 70 years, and therefore, treatment needs to be appropriate for the individual patient, based on fitness and health.

Can prostate cancer be treated in older men?

The authors concluded that treatments for local and advanced prostate cancer in elderly men should be individualized, with focus on the health of the patient, to determine the appropriate treatment course.

Does hormone therapy help with prostate cancer?

However, hormone therapy increases the risk of fractures, mental impairment, diabetes and heart disease. In elderly men with advanced prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate, hormone therapy combined with the chemotherapy docetaxel (Taxotere) improves 4-year survival by 9%. It also improves 4-year treatment failure rates by 16%.

How many men regain continence after prostate surgery?

Reports show that more than 86% of elderly men regain continence after prostate surgery. Hormone therapy in patients too frail to receive more active treatments has shown an improved overall survival (patients who were still alive after treatment) of 79%. Radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy is standard for locally advanced prostate ...

Do elderly men have more advanced cancer?

Patients with very low-risk disease may benefit from active surveillance (no active treatment, but careful watching for disease progression). Elderly men are more likely to have larger and more advanced cancer. Prostate surgery in these patients has shown a 91% survival rate after surgery when combined with follow-up treatments.

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What is the most common cancer in older men?

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer in men and predominantly affects older men (aged ≥70 years). The median age at diagnosis is 68 years; overall, two-thirds of prostate cancer-related deaths occur in men aged ≥75 years. With the exponential ageing of the population and the increasing life-expectancy in developed countries, the burden of prostate cancer is expected to increase dramatically in the future. To date, no specific guidelines on the management of prostate cancer in older men have been published. The International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) conducted a systematic bibliographic search based on screening, diagnostic procedures and treatment options for localized and advanced prostate cancer , to develop a proposal for recommendations that should provide the highest standard of care for older men with prostate cancer . The consensus of the SIOG Prostate Cancer Task Force is that older men with prostate cancer should be managed according to their individual health status, which is mainly driven by the severity of associated comorbid conditions, and not according to chronological age. Existing international recommendations (European Association of Urology, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and American Urological Association) are the backbone for localized and advanced prostate cancer treatment, but need to be adapted to patient health status. Based on a rapid and simple evaluation, patients can be classified into four different groups: 1, ‘Healthy’ patients (controlled comorbidity, fully independent in daily living activities, no malnutrition) should receive the same treatment as younger patients; 2, ‘Vulnerable’ patients (reversible impairment) should receive standard treatment after medical intervention; 3, ‘Frail’ patients (irreversible impairment) should receive adapted treatment; 4, Patients who are ‘too sick’ with ‘terminal illness’ should receive only symptomatic palliative treatment.

What are the factors that affect prostate cancer?

The most important factors to consider for the evaluation of health status in older men with prostate cancer were comorbidities, dependence status, and nutritional status.

What are the requirements for surgery?

Candidates for surgery should have: (1) A life-expectancy longer than the expected morbidity of the cancer if left untreated; (2) No significant surgical risk factors or serious comorbid conditions that would contraindicate an elective operation; (3) A willingness to undergo surgery after discussing the risks, operative side-effects, natural history, and options

Is prostate cancer curative?

The aim of treatment for localized prostate cancer (T1–3, N0, M0 disease) is generally curative. Older men are more likely to develop larger tumours of a higher grade than are younger patients [18,19]. Nevertheless, there is evidence both from the USA [20] and Europe [21] that only a minority of patients will receive curative treatment. Decisions for treatment in older men with localized prostate cancer should take into consideration the risk of dying from prostate cancer (which depends of the grade and stage of the tumour), the risk of dying from another cause (which depends more on the severity of patient comorbidities than chronological age), potential adverse effects of treatment, and patient preferences.

Can prostate cancer be treated at an older age?

Existing guidelines for the management of patients with prostate cancer [4–6] do not make specific treatment recommendations for older men. Although advanced age alone should not preclude effective treatment for prostate cancer, it is necessary to assess the risks and benefits of treatment in each patient to avoid interventions that might decrease health-related quality of life (HRQL) without prolonging survival. Using a systematic review of available literature, the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) developed recommendations for the assessment and treatment of older men with prostate cancer. The full version of these recommendations was published recently [7]. The aim of this review is to provide the urologist with a short summary of evidence-based recommendations, including specific decision algorithms, for managing older men with localized or advanced prostate cancer.

Does RP improve life expectancy?

The main recommendations for RP are summarized in Table 1; RP has been shown to improve life-expectancy in older patients with few comorbidities and moderately or poorly differentiated disease [25]. In patients with severe comorbidities, the risk of death from prostate cancer should be carefully balanced with the risk of dying from another cause. The risk of short-term postoperative complications also appears to be more related to the severity of comorbidities than chronological age [26]. Conversely, the risk of long-term incontinence, a common complication after RP, seems markedly more influenced by increasing age than comorbidity [26].

What is the best treatment for prostate cancer?

Chemotherapy: A common treatment for all types of cancer, chemotherapy is used to either kill cancer cells or stunt their ability to metastasize. Newer chemotherapy drugs have been shown to be effective in helping treat prostate cancer and the areas it spreads to. They also have proven to help men live longer than older chemotherapy drugs. While it’s not the primary treatment option, chemotherapy can add a layer of effectiveness.

How to stop prostate cancer from spreading?

Hormone therapy: Hormone therapy tries to keep male hormones at normal levels, as high testosterone levels have been shown to be a risk factor in the development of prostate cancer. Reducing the amount of hormones that reach the cancer can help shrink cancer cells or stop them from multiplying altogether. Hormone therapy can be done through various procedures and medications, including removing the testicles to help severely minimize how many hormones are reaching the cancer. This therapy can’t cure prostate cancer, but it can help stop it from growing and spreading, allowing for other treatment options to get rid of it.

Is radiation good for prostate cancer?

Radiation: Treating prostate cancer with radiation is a good option for older men with diminished health whose cancer is progressing. Surgery may be too risky of an option for these older patients, so radiation attacks the cancer without having to surgically invade an older body.

What is the procedure to remove a prostate?

Surgery: A prostatectomy —surgery that removes parts of the prostate—is typically a choice in younger, healthy men who want to get rid of the problem while the side effects from surgery are less likely to be risky. There are different types of surgery (open prostatectomy , laparoscopic surgery, perineal prostatectomy ) that require incisions on different parts of the body and have varying risk factors, which can also affect someone’s decision. A study found that men who did decide to undergo surgery to remove the part of the affected prostate within a year of being diagnosed didn’t have higher rate of relapsing the longer they waited to decide to undergo this treatment process. So while surgery is an effective treatment, it’s also okay to sit on the decision and make sure that it’s the right treatment for you.

What is the early stage of prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is in the early stage when the prostate hasn’t grown or swelled because of the cancer’s presence, and it’s still localized in the gland.

What is the fluid that comes from the prostate?

The fluid that comes from the prostate makes up about one-third of the overall semen fluid composition . Because the prostate is packed between other vital organs like the bladder, rectum, penis, and urethra, when it grows—as it usually does with prostate cancer—it can cause a lot of issues.

What is the function of the prostate?

The primary function of the prostate is to excrete prostate fluid, which mixes with sperm to become semen during ejaculation.

What kind of doctor is best for early stage cancer?

For early-stage cancers, it is natural for surgical specialist s, such as urologists, to favor surgery and for radiation oncologists to lean more toward radiation therapy. Doctors specializing in newer types of treatment may be more likely to recommend their therapies.

Can prostate cancer spread?

For most men diagnosed with prostate cancer, the cancer is found while it's still at an early stage -- it's small and has not spread beyond the prostate gland. These men often have several treatment options to consider.

Why your decisions matter

In the past, doctors sometimes made decisions without talking with patients. Today, the situation is different. Your health care team wants to know your concerns and answer your questions. They also believe that you have the right to make your own decisions.

What to consider

Before making any treatment decisions, talk with your health care team about:

Your cancer treatment goals

Your cancer treatment goals depend on many factors. For example, the type of cancer and whether it has spread will factor into your goals.

If you and your family do not agree

Family members, friends, and caregivers might have different ideas about your treatment. They might want you to have more aggressive treatment. Or they might try to keep you from having certain treatments.

Cancer treatment options for older adults

You may have just one type of treatment or a combination of treatments. The main cancer treatments for people of all ages are:

Advanced cancer care

Advanced cancer is cancer that doctors cannot cure. It is also called end-stage cancer or terminal cancer. Even though your health care team cannot cure advanced cancer, they can treat it. And you can still have a good quality of life.

Questions to ask the health care team

After you learn about your treatment options and your general health, you might need more information. Consider asking your health care team the following:

Who wrote that quality of life considerations must be factored into any decision about the treatment of early stage prostate cancer

In an editorial accompanying the study, Litwin and colleague David C. Miller, MD, MPH, wrote that quality-of-life considerations must be factored into any decision about the treatment of early-stage prostate cancer.

Is there a survival advantage for prostate cancer patients with localized disease?

The jury is still out, but new research suggests a survival advantage for older prostate cancer patients with localized disease who chose active treatment over close observation without treatment, known as watchful waiting.

Does prostate cancer cause impotence?

Impotence, urinary incontinence, and bowel problems are all potential side effects of the most widely used treatments for prostate cancer. They noted that while the newly published study did show a survival advantage for treated patients, little difference was seen in disease-specific survival between the two groups.

Is prostate cancer a case by case?

Litwin tells WebMD that decisions about how to manage early-stage prostate cancer must be made on a case-by-case basis, and this is especially true for older men with the disease. "The older a patient is, the more circumspect one ought to be before marching ahead with a treatment that can have a significant impact on quality ...

What is the treatment for prostate cancer?

More and more prostate cancers are also diagnosed in younger men who want treatment that does not compromise their quality of life, take time away from work, or cause worrisome side effects. Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, and third-generation cryotherapy are promising new treatment options for men diagnosed with prostate cancer.4

What should be considered before making a treatment decision for prostate cancer?

Age, clinical stage, PSA level, histological grade, and comorbidities should be carefully balanced before making a treatment decision, especially in elderly men suffering from prostate cancer.19–21In order to choose the appropriate option, patients should be selected for potentially curative treatment on the basis of age, remaining life expectancy, tumor grade, and comorbidity.

What is conservative management for prostate cancer?

Conservative management proved to be an acceptable treatment option for men with low-grade Gleason scores, clinically localized disease, and life expectancies of less than 10 years. Increasing age was described as a risk factor for receiving inadequate treatment for prostate cancer. 17Thu s, older men have been shown to receive potentially curative therapy (radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy) less often than younger men.18,19Radical prostatectomy is preferred treatment in men younger than 70 years, whereas radiation therapy is applied predominantly in patients older than 70 years. Conservative therapy such as watchful waiting or androgen deprivation by luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs is preferentially applied in men older than 80 years. Watchful waiting or hormonal therapy is used to treat 82% of men older than 80 years.

How long does a person live with localized prostate cancer?

Current expert guidelines for treatment of localized prostate carcinoma recommend potentially curative therapy for patients whose life expectancy is at least 10 years. 12,14Patients with limited life expectancy are more likely to die from health conditions other than prostate cancer.

Is it ok to withhold active therapy for prostate cancer?

Considering these findings it is reasonable to withhold active therapy in elderly patients with well- or intermediately differentiated prostate cancers, thus avoiding the associated risks and impact on quality of life.

Does Gleason score affect prostate cancer?

Only 300 patients had organ-confined prostate cancer. Eighty-five of patients were younger than 70 years. Fifty percent showed well-differentiated tumors. Although its power is limited by the small number of evaluated patients with moderate-grade or high-grade tumors, this study demonstrated that Gleason score correlates with risk of death from prostate cancer. Thus, 6% of the patients with well-differentiated disease, 17% with moderately differentiated disease, and 56% with poorly differentiated disease died from prostate cancer.

How many men survived Gleason 7?

Men with Gleason 7 and 8 to 10 tumors were found to be at high risk of dying from prostate cancer. After 20 years, only 3 of 217 patients survived. Men with moderate-grade disease have intermediate cumulative risk of prostate cancer progression after 20 years of follow-up.

What is the best treatment for prostate cancer?

Active surveillance, surgery, and radiation therapy are the standard therapy choices for men with early-stage prostate cancer (see Types of Treatment, starting on page 8). Each has benefits (how treatments can help) and risks (problems treatment may cause). There is seldom just one right treatment choice.

What is the procedure to remove the prostate?

Also called retropubic prostatectomy. In this surgery, your doctor removes the prostate through a single long cut made in your abdomen from a point below your navel to just above the pubic bone. He or she might also check nearby lymph nodes for cancer (see drawing below). This type of surgery can be used for nerve-sparing surgery. Nerve-sparing surgery lessens the chances that the nerves near your prostate will be harmed. These important nerves control erections and normal bladder function.

Do we know if new treatments will be effective in the long term?

Until clinical trials are complete, we do not know if new treatments will be effective in the long-term.

What tests can be done to determine the stage of cancer?

Your doctor may do one or more of the following tests or exams to help figure out the stage of your cancer: n DRE n Prostate biopsy n Bone scan n MRI

What is the clinical stage of prostate cancer?

The clinical stage tells how much the cancer may have grown within the prostate and whether it has spread to other tissues or organs. If you decide to have surgery, your prostate, nearby lymph nodes, and seminal vesicles will be removed and samples of them studied under a microscope. This exam gives the pathologist the information he or she needs to find out the pathological stageto your cancer.

How long does it take for a prostate cancer to grow?

Early-stage prostate cancer means that cancer cells are found only in your prostate. Compared with many other cancers, prostate cancer grows slowly. This means that it can take 10 to 30 years before a prostate tumor gets big enough to cause symptoms or for doctors to find it. Most men who have prostate cancer will die of something other than prostate cancer.

What is the purpose of the prostate cancer booklet?

Its purpose is to help you learn about early-stage prostate cancer, different treatments, and the benefits and risks of each type of treatment. Most men will need more information than this booklet gives them to make a decision about treatment. For a list of groups that provide more information and support, please see the Ways to Learn More section on page 32. Also, see that section if you have prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate or that has returned after treatment.

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