Prostate Cancer

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Prostate cancer is a cancer of the prostate gland (male sex gland) that helps make semen. The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and wraps around the urethra and the neck of the bladder. The bladder is the hollow organ that holds urine. The urethra is a tube that carries urine from the bladder and out through the penis. Cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow and divide without control or order, often making too much tissue (tumor). Cancer cells may grow into nearby healthy tissue. They may also break away from the tumor and travel through the blood stream or lymphatic system to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it is called metastasis.
  
  
• No one knows for sure what causes prostate cancer. There are many different ways to treat prostate cancer. The prostate needs testosterone, a male hormone, to make semen but testosterone may make the cancer grow. You may need hormone medicine to block the testosterone. Surgery or radiation may be done to treat prostate cancer. Two or more kinds of treatment may sometimes be used together, such as medicine and radiation. You may also choose medicine and surgery to treat your cancer.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

RISKS:

Some cancer treatments cause unpleasant side effects. You could get an infection or bleed too much if the cancer is removed with surgery. You could also develop bowel, sex, or urinary problems. The chances of stopping the cancer from spreading are better if you are treated. If the cancer is not treated, it can spread to other parts of your body. Once cancer spreads, it can cause serious medical problems. Call your caregiver if you are worried or have questions about your care or medicines.

WHILE YOU ARE HERE:

Informed consent: You have the right to understand your health condition in words that you know. You should be told what tests, treatments, or procedures may be done to treat your condition. Your doctor should also tell you about the risks and benefits of each treatment. You may be asked to sign a consent form that gives caregivers permission to do certain tests, treatments, or procedures. If you are unable to give your consent, someone who has permission can sign this form for you. A consent form is a legal piece of paper that tells exactly what will be done to you. Before giving your consent, make sure all your questions have been answered so that you understand what may happen.

Activity: Caregivers may help you get out of bed to walk on the same day of surgery, or the day after. Ask caregivers if there are exercises that you may do while in bed. Exercise helps blood move through your body and may help prevent blood clots from forming. Your caregiver will tell you when it is OK to get out of bed. Call your caregiver before getting up for the first time. If you feel weak or dizzy while standing up, sit or lie down right away and call your caregiver.

Diet: It is important that you get good nutrition when you have cancer. Eat a variety of healthy foods. Eating healthy foods may help you feel better and have more energy. If you have trouble swallowing, you may be given foods that are soft or in liquid form. Ask your caregiver about any extra nutrition you may need, such as nutrition shakes or vitamins. Tell your caregiver if you have problems eating, or if you are getting sick to your stomach.

Drinking liquids: Men 19 years old and older should drink about 3.0 Liters of liquid each day (close to 13 eight-ounce cups). Women 19 years old and older should drink about 2.2 Liters of liquid each day (close to 9 eight-ounce cups). It is especially important to drink enough liquids if you are vomiting (throwing up) from chemotherapy. Follow your caregiver's advice if you must change the amount of liquids you drink. For most people, healthy liquids to drink are water, juices, and milk. If you are used to drinking liquids that contain caffeine, such as coffee, these can also be counted in your daily liquid amount. Try to drink enough liquid each day, and not just when you feel thirsty. It may be helpful to drink liquids between your meals instead of with your meals.

Medicines:

• Antibiotics: Antibiotics may be given to help treat or prevent an infection caused by germs called bacteria.
  
  
• Antinausea medicine: This medicine may be given to calm your stomach and control vomiting (throwing up).
  
  
• Pain medicine: Caregivers may give you medicine to take away or decrease your pain. Medicine may be given regularly, or may only be given if you ask caregivers for it. Tell caregivers if your pain does not decrease enough for you to feel better. Do not wait to ask for your pain medicine until the pain is very bad. The medicine may not work as well at controlling your pain if you wait too long to take it. Ask your caregiver for help getting out of bed if you feel tired or dizzy.

Tests: You may need one or more of the following tests to help your caregivers plan your treatment:

• Biopsy: A small piece or all of the prostate is removed and sent to the lab for tests.
  
  
• Bone scan: This test uses a special x-ray machine with a computer to take pictures of your bones. Caregivers look at the pictures to see if the cancer has spread to your bones. This test may be done if you have bone pain.
  
  
• Computerized axial tomography scan: This test is also called a "CAT" scan. A special x-ray machine uses a computer to take pictures of your prostate and other organs. Caregivers look at the pictures to see if there is cancer and if it has spread. Before taking the pictures, you may be given dye through an IV in your vein. The dye helps the cancer show up better in the pictures. Tell your caregiver if you are allergic to shellfish (lobster, crab, or shrimp) because you may be allergic to this dye.
  
  
• Magnetic resonance imaging: This test is also called "MRI". During the MRI, 3-D (three dimensional) pictures are taken of your body. Pictures are taken of your pelvis and abdomen (stomach). These pictures can show your caregiver if the cancer has spread.

Treatment options: Your treatment may change if the cancer keeps growing or if symptoms worsen. This is often decided after you have tests. You may have one or more of the following treatments:

• Biologic therapy for cancer: Biologic therapy is medicine given to help your body fight growing cancer cells. It may also make cancer cells weaker and easier to kill. You may need this medicine more than once. You may feel like you have the flu during this therapy.
  
  
• Chemotherapy:
  
  
  • This medicine, often called chemo, is used to treat cancer. It works by killing tumor cells. Chemotherapy may also be used to shrink lymph nodes that have cancer in them. Once the tumor is smaller, you may need surgery to cut out the rest of the cancer.
    
    
  • Many different chemotherapy medicines are used to treat cancer. You may need blood tests often. These blood tests show how your body is doing and how much chemotherapy is needed. Chemotherapy can have many side effects. Caregivers will watch you closely and will work with you to decrease side effects. Chemotherapy can cure some cancers. Even if the chemotherapy does not cure your cancer, it may help you feel better or live longer.
  
  
• Hormone therapy: Hormones (such as testosterone) may cause some cancer cells to grow. Medicine or surgery may be needed to block the testosterone and slow a growing tumor. Sometimes both medicine and surgery are needed. If you need surgery, your testicles may be removed to stop the testosterone.
  
  
• Radiation: This is the use of x-rays or gamma rays to treat cancer. Radiation kills cancer and keeps the cancer from spreading. It also keeps cancer cells from dividing into new cells which is one way cancer spreads. Radiation can also be used to kill cancer in other parts of the body where the cancer has spread, such as to the lymph nodes. In some cancers, radiation may be given after surgery to kill cancer cells that were not removed.
  
  
• Surgery: You may need surgery depending on the stage of the cancer. Part or all of your prostate may be removed. You may also need to have some lymph nodes taken out. This may help keep the cancer from spreading to other parts of your body.

Copyright © 2008 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Link to Page

Print Page

Email Page