Treatment will be determined by whether disease has spread

Treatment options for men diagnosed with prostate cancer vary depending on whether the disease has spread, among several other factors.

Vicksburg urologist David Fagan said if the cancer is contained within the prostate, options include removing the prostate or Brachytherapy, where radioactive seeds are planted in the organ.

Bob Head, 72, was one of the first River Region patients to be treated by the seeding method, in which pellets with chemotherapy in them are placed in the prostate. The process was relatively painless, said Head, a three-year survivor.

“I was not hurting or anything. I spent the night in the hospital, got up and went home,” Head said.

If the cancer spreads beyond the prostate, radiation treatment and hormonal manipulation are common options, Fagan said.

All treatments have adverse effects of varying degrees, information provided by the American Cancer Society shows. Testosterone production is halted when the prostate is removed or, in the case of hormonal therapy, slowed considerably. Patients might experience side effects including temporary worsening of symptoms, loss of bone density and sexual issues. Radiation side effects include skin reaction and disruption of bowel function.

Generally speaking, the earlier the cancer is detected, the easier the treatments are and full recovery is much more likely, Fagan said.

“The key is early detection,” Fagan said.

With treatment, 72 percent of men diagnosed in the United States are alive after 10 years and 53 percent live 15 years, American Cancer Society statistics show.

Common symptoms include pain while urinating, blood in the urine and lumps or irregularities on the prostate.

However, not all victims show symptoms, so an annual screening is critical, Fagan said.

The screening takes 10 to 15 minutes. Men may call their primary care physician or a urologist to schedule a screening. The Prostate Support Group sponsors an annual screening in September at Pemberton Square mall.

“If they would go ahead and tend to it, it’s not that scary. If you let it go, it will kill you,” Head said.