Tri-City Cancer Services
Prostate Cancer
When you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer, you want comprehensive care and treatment so you can join the 2.7 million survivors in America. In fact, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer survive if their cancer is detected early and treated properly. At Tri-City Medical Center, you benefit from our integrated cancer care, helping you from diagnosis through treatment by offering psychological support, a dedicated care team and progressive technology.
Detecting & Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
Although prostate cancer is most common among older men, it can affect you at any age. That’s why it’s important to see your doctor for annual physical wellness exams. Your doctor may also perform a digital rectal exam during your annual wellness exam for a more accurate diagnosis. While early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms, advanced prostate cancers can show symptoms including:
- Urinary stream that is slow or weak
- The need to urinate more often
- Blood in the urine
- Trouble getting an erection
- Pain in the hips, back, chest or other areas of the body
- Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
Your doctor will also ask you about your medical history, perform a physical exam and possibly request a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. This test helps with diagnosis, staging, and treatment selection. It can also can be used after prostate cancer treatment to monitor your care and recovery.
To further diagnose your prostate cancer, your doctor may request a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) to make an image of the prostate on a video screen. He or she may also request a prostate needle biopsy, in which the doctor removes a sample of body tissue to examine. The procedure takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Locate Prostate Cancer with ProstaScint®
When you choose Tri-City Medical Center, you’ll benefit from our advanced diagnostic technology. With a ProstaScint® scan, your doctor can more accurately detect the spread of prostate cancer, especially into bone marrow or lymph nodes. This allows your doctor to create a more effective treatment plan for your specific condition.
The Prostascint® scan is a two-step test spanning four days. On the first day, safe, radioactively tagged antibodies are injected into your vein. The antibodies travel through your body and attach themselves to prostate cancer cells so that doctors can see them. Four days later, you return to the hospital for a gamma camera imaging procedure that shows where cancer cells are located in your prostate. Another camera will complete the imaging, though you may need to return the next day for more imaging.
Comprehensive Prostate Cancer Treatment
Your personalized recommendations for cancer treatment may include:
- Medication
- Radiation therapy
- Vaccine treatment – Boosts the immune system to attack prostate cancer cells
- Cryosurgery (cryotherapy) – Freezes early stage prostate cancer
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy
- Surgery
Your response to treatment will depend on your age, stage and grade of your cancer, and other serious conditions you may have.
Throughout your treatment, you’ll receive outstanding cancer support and wellness services to improve your quality of life during your care.
Lower Your Risk of Prostate Cancer
For most men, the risk of developing prostate cancer depends in part on age, race and family history. But you can reduce other risk factors by adopting healthy habits, including:
- Eating healthy – Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and limit your intake of red meat or high-fat and processed meals.
- Maintaining a healthy weight – If you’re overweight, talk to your doctor about nutrition and exercise plans to lose unhealthy weight.
- Staying physically active – Talk to your doctor about exercise best suited for your age and condition and make a schedule for regular activity.
- Asking about medications – Check with your doctor about medicines that can help reduce prostate cancer risk and which ones might be right for you.
Lowering your risk of prostate cancer is not a guarantee of avoiding the disease, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the first step in taking better care of your health and future. Learn more about prostate cancer with the men’s cancer worksheet.
Treatment Innovations at Tri-City Medical Center
When you choose Tri-City Medical Center for prostate cancer care, you have access to innovative treatments, including Xofigo, an injectable medication that effectively treats advanced prostate cancer that’s resistant to other medical or surgical treatments.
Studies show that Xofigo can extend the survival time from 11.3 months to 14.9 months, and in many cases, reduce the need for palliative care.