Study Compares Three Different Prostate Cancer Treatments

A new study that has been published may make it easier for men diagnosed with prostate cancer to decide which form of treatment they want to persue.

The study which can be found in the New England Journal of Medicine, focused on 3 types of treatment; surgery, radiation and radioactive seed implants, and goes into detail on the pros and cons of each.

“Prostate cancer treatment is not ‘one size fits all’ and needs to be individualized,” said Martin Sanda, director of the Prostate Care Center at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and lead author of the study.

The debate over which form of prostate cancer treatment is best is one that could go on for ever. Some say that due to the slowness at which the cancer grows, that taking a wait and see approach is the best option. Other medical professionals feel that a more aggressive approach is necessary.

When it came to side effects from the 3 treatments, sexual function seemed to be present for all of them. Bowel problems were greatest after radiation. Urinary irritation was worst after radioactive seeds.

“It’s better for patients to know ahead of time what they are likely to experience,” says Co-author Laurel Northouse, a nursing professor at the University of Michigan. “You don’t want men to say, ‘If only I had known this, I would have gone another way.’ “