Hormone Therapy For Treatment Of Prostate Cancer
Doctors rarely follow a set pattern of treatment in cases of prostrate cancer. Factors influencing the course of treatment include pace of the cancerous growth, extent of spread, the general health condition of the patient, age of the patient and the consequences of the side effects of the specific treatment on the concerned individual. |
One of the paths followed by doctors is called watchful waiting or active surveillance. This method forms a type of treatment in cases of early detection. In this course of treatment, the doctor does not take any action other than regular follow up blood tests, rectal examination and biopsies that aim towards vigilant monitoring of the malignant cells. This may be utilized as an option of treatment in cases wherein the patient is too old to cope with the repercussions of surgery or medication, or in cases of the cancer being localized in an extremely minute area of the gland. However, this technique calls for immense vigilance and involves risk of expansion as well.
The conventional form of treatment in prostrate cancer is fundamentally hormone therapy used in advanced cases of the disease. This therapy aims at either condensing the cancer or reducing its pace of growth. The spread of prostrate cancer largely depends upon availability of the hormone, testosterone. Therefore medicines administered to bar its synthesis in the body can be extremely beneficial. Some of these luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) agonists include drugs such as leuprolide (Lupron, Eligard,), goserelin (Zoladex), triptorelin (Trelstar), histrelin (Vantas) and degarelix (Firmagon). Another option could be intake of anti-androgens such as bicalutamide (Casodex), flutamide, and nilutamide (Nilandron) that are known to inhibit contact between testosterone and the cancerous cells. In certain cases, hormone therapy may be clubbed with surgery or radiation therapy to achieve better results.
More Articles :
|
