Treatment FAQ

what treatment after radical prostatectomy

by Dr. Hilbert Purdy Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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After surgery: If you've had a radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy might be an option, sometimes along with hormone therapy.

Full Answer

What is the life expectancy after prostate cancer?

In general, your long-term outlook and life expectancy will depend on factors like:

  • age
  • overall health, including other conditions you have
  • the extent of the metastases
  • grade of the tumor
  • Gleason score
  • prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels
  • the types and response to treatments you receive

Can you still have prostate cancer after a prostatectomy?

Its possible that prostate cancer can come back again after treatment. Your doctor should be able to explain the risk of your cancer coming back after treatment, based on things like your PSA level and the stage of your cancer. After a radical prostatectomy, youll no longer ejaculate during sex.

What to expect after radiation treatment for prostate cancer?

  • As the only (primary) treatment for cancer, usually for early-stage cancer that is confined to your prostate
  • In combination with other treatments, such as hormone therapy, for more-serious cancer that's still confined to your prostate
  • After surgery, to reduce the risk of cancer returning (adjuvant therapy)

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How to live well after a prostate cancer diagnosis?

Talking to others about your diagnosis can:

  • Provide camaraderie and support
  • Make you feel less alone or isolated
  • Educate you and make you feel empowered to face your diagnosis and treatment
  • Open up additional resources that can provide things like treatment dos and don’ts, help managing side effects, suggestions for health care providers, and tips for living a healthier lifestyle

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What are the chances of cancer returning after radical prostatectomy?

For example, a study published in the Journal of Urology, which followed 3,478 men who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, found that 32% were likely to suffer a biochemical recurrence within 10 years.

What is the latest treatment for erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy?

The most common treatment used in post RP ED is the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) therapy, which is considered the first line treatment due to its ease of use, safe profile, and positive effect on the erectile function.

What is the life expectancy after a radical prostatectomy?

Based on the natural history of localized prostate cancer, the life expectancy (LE) of men treated with either radical prostatectomy (RP) or definitive external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) should exceed 10 years.

Is radiotherapy necessary after radical prostatectomy?

Radiotherapy (RT) immediately after RP may potentially eradicate any residual localized microscopic disease in the prostate bed, and it is associated with improved biochemical, clinical progression-free survival, and overall survival in patients with high-risk pathological features according to published randomized ...

Can Viagra help after radical prostatectomy?

Viagra is an effective treatment for impotency in men who have their prostate removed. For men whose nerves have been spared, the drug improves the ability to have an erection by nearly 60%, but the effectiveness drops to 20% in those with no nerves spared.

Can a man get an erection after radical prostatectomy?

Most men who have normal sexual function and receive treatment for early prostate cancer regain erectile function and can have satisfying sex lives after robotic prostatectomy.

What is the most common problem after prostatectomy?

Stress incontinence is the most common type after prostate surgery. It's usually caused by problems with the valve that keeps urine in the bladder (the bladder sphincter). Prostate cancer treatments can damage this valve or the nerves that keep the valve working.

Can you live 20 years after radical prostatectomy?

Our study shows that with long-term follow-up RP provides excellent oncological outcomes even at 20 years. While most men do require a multimodal treatment approach, many men can be managed successfully with RP alone.

Can you live a normal life after prostate removal?

Most men experience some decline in erectile function after their prostate is removed, but this can be managed. “It can take six months or even up to a year for the affected nerves to recover from surgery. But with proper therapy and treatment, most patients can have good erectile function again,” says Dr.

Is radiation after prostatectomy successful?

Adjuvant radiation for patients with positive margins after prostatectomy decreases local recurrence; no difference in overall survival - Mayo Clinic.

When does radiation start after radical prostatectomy?

The guidelines of the European Association of Urology recommend either adjuvant radiotherapy to the prostatic bed after recovery of urinary function in patients at increased risk for relapse within 6 months after radical prostatectomy or early salvage radiotherapy for biochemical recurrence.

How long after prostate surgery does radiation start?

Garnick cautioned that any form of radiation can exacerbate urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction after surgery, and he recommended waiting at least six months after the operation before initiating it.

What is the best treatment for a radical prostatectomy?

If any of the above findings are present in the radical prostatectomy speciment, then additional postoperative treatment should be considered in the form of radiotherapy , hormonal therapy or chemotherapy. Radiotherapy is best suited for patients with positive margins and/or extracapsular tumor extension, because they are more likely ...

What is the best treatment for prostate cancer?

The greatest benefits may be gained when only tiny amounts of prostate cancer are present. Radiotherapy is performed by specialists called radiation oncologists. Chemotherapy is overseen by medical oncologists. Hormonal therapy may be administered by urologists, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists.

What factors to consider when making postoperative treatment decisions?

Other factors to consider in postoperative treatment decisions are: a patient’s age, original pathological features (Gleason grade and tumor volume) and preoperative PSA levels, other medical conditions, as well as the time pattern in the increase of PSA (how long after surgery the PSA begins to rise and how fast and how much the PSA has risen).

What is salvage radiotherapy?

Salvage Radiotherapy (see Q&A’s this issue) is recommended for rising PSA after a RP. Hormonal therapy is recommended when salvage radiotherapy is not possible or desired by the patient or when salvage radiotherapy has failed to control the tumor.

Is there a risk of prostate cancer recurrence?

There is also a greater risk of recurrence if the volume of cancer in the prostate is large (i.e., if most of the prostate gland has been replaced by cancer) or if the preoperative PSA level is high. (The PSA level usually is an indication of how much cancer tissue is present.) If any of the above findings are present in ...

Is chemotherapy used for tumors?

Chemotherapy is usually reserved for patients who no longer respond to hormonal therapy; however, chemotherapy is now being used earlier in combination with other treatments in patients at very high risk for tumor recurrence.

Is chemotherapy good for prostate cancer?

Chemotherapy is a method for slowing the progression of the cancer, but, for prostate cancer, chemotherapy is not as effective as it is for some other tumors, ...

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