| PROSTATE CANCER - NEW TREATMENT BY | | | | prostate cancer. Both options would not |
| RADIOTHERAPY | | | | require a general anaesthetic (you would |
| Research is continuing to try and | | | | not need to be put to sleep) making them |
| improve technology and techniques to | | | | lower risk. Both treatments also have |
| allow radiotherapy to the prostate gland | | | | fewer side effects than radical surgery |
| to be more effective and to have fewer | | | | ("prostatectomy"). However neither has |
| side effects. One way is to reduce the | | | | been in use long enough to know if it |
| amount of radiation received by normal | | | | will prevent prostate cancer from coming |
| organs (bladder, bowel etc) and this has | | | | back as effectively as standard |
| been improving over the last few years | | | | treatments (surgery and radiotherapy). |
| with better machines and techniques such | | | | Cryotherapy is the killing of cancer |
| as "conformal radiotherapy" and "IMRT". | | | | cells by freezing them. Needles are |
| Work is also being carried out on | | | | inserted into the prostate gland under |
| combining brachytherapy with external | | | | local anaesthetic and liquid nitrogen is |
| therapy to allow some of the benefits of | | | | passed along them to freeze the prostate |
| brachytherapy (fewer side effects, | | | | and the cancer cells within it. |
| higher overall dose to the prostate | | | | Currently it is being used for men whose |
| cancer) to be used for men with more | | | | prostate cancer has come back despite a |
| advanced prostate cancer without | | | | first more conventional treatment and so |
| compromising the chance of cure. | | | | is only being trialled for use as a |
| NEW HORMONE THERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER | | | | first treatment option. |
| Some newer prostate cancer hormone | | | | HIFU stands for high frequency |
| treatments have fewer side effects than | | | | ultrasound. Here ultrasound waves are |
| older hormone based drugs. Some are also | | | | directed to where there are cancer cells |
| felt to be more effective. All the time | | | | and are these are used to heat them up, |
| researchers are testing to try and find | | | | thus killing them. In prostate cancer |
| the best hormone tablets or injections | | | | the ultrasound probe would be put into |
| for use in prostate cancer. | | | | the back passage and from here |
| Other research is going on to try and | | | | ultrasound waves would be fired towards |
| work out the best time to give hormone | | | | the prostate gland. The results so far |
| treatment in prostate cancer and whether | | | | have been good in that the treatment is |
| it is best to combine this treatment | | | | safe and effective. |
| with other types of treatments such as | | | | NEW TREATMENTS FOR PROSTATE CANCER IN |
| chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Trials are | | | | VERY EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT |
| currently being run to answer these | | | | There are a number of alternative |
| questions and the results should be | | | | treatments which are still at a highly |
| available in the next few years. | | | | experimental stage of development. Gene |
| IMPROVEMENTS IN CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT | | | | therapy aims to replace the faulty genes |
| FOR PROSTATE CANCER | | | | in cancer cells with good ones which |
| In the past prostate cancer did not | | | | would allow the cell to self destruct if |
| respond very well to chemotherapy drugs. | | | | it felt it had become too mutated. |
| However now there are newer drugs which | | | | (Cancer cells have lost this self |
| are more powerful against prostate | | | | destruct ability and continue to grow |
| cancer and these have started to be used | | | | and divide despite having many |
| with more frequency in late prostate | | | | abnormalities which would normally force |
| cancer which has already spread to other | | | | the cell to die.) Vaccine treatment |
| organs and which has become resistant to | | | | looks at ways of making the bodies own |
| hormone treatments. The best drug found | | | | immune system recognise and kill |
| so far is Docetaxel, a new type of | | | | cancerous sells. Endothelin blockers are |
| chemotherapy drug. It has several side | | | | a new type of drug treatment which works |
| effects including hair loss, nausea and | | | | by preventing the prostate cancer cells |
| risk of infection. Doctors are now | | | | to grow. |
| looking to see if Docetaxel would work | | | | Many people may have heard that Vitamin |
| even better as a combination with other | | | | D is being used in the treatment of |
| drugs. | | | | prostate cancer however this therapy is |
| USE OF BISPHOSPHONATE DRUGS FOR PROSTATE | | | | in the very early experimental stages |
| CANCER TREATMENT | | | | and is no where near being used in |
| These are a group of drugs which are | | | | clinics as a cancer treatment. Vitamin D |
| most often used in treating | | | | has been reported to block receptors on |
| osteoporosis. It has been recently found | | | | prostate cancer cells thereby slowing |
| that they can also help reduce pain | | | | the rate of their growth but there is NO |
| associated with cancer deposits or | | | | clinical evidence that this is in fact |
| secondaries in the bones. They may also | | | | the case. Some researchers claim that |
| help reduce the risk of these abnormal | | | | the active form of Vitamin D slows the |
| bones from breaking or fracturing, by | | | | growth of prostate cancer but as yet |
| slowing down the damage caused to the | | | | this has only been tested on mice and |
| bone by the cancer. | | | | other small animals. |
| Research is ongoing to look at which of | | | | Beta-sitosterol is a herbal remedy that |
| these drugs is the best for treating | | | | people have started to associate with |
| prostate cancer with bone disease and | | | | prostate cancer treatment. This natural |
| when the best time to start treatment | | | | plant fat has apparently been proven |
| with these drugs is. | | | | effective for the treatment of an |
| ALTERNATIVE TO SURGERY FOR TREATMENT OF | | | | enlarged prostate but not necessarily |
| EARLY PROSTATE CANCER | | | | prostate cancer. According to research |
| There are 2 new treatments which are | | | | Beta-sitosterol MAY help to prevent the |
| being researched as an alternative to | | | | emergence of prostate cancer but this |
| surgery for some men with localised | | | | has not been clinically proven yet. |