WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES FOR TREATING ADVANCED AND METASTASIZED PROSTATE CANCER?
The primary goals of late-stage cancer treatments are to: • Slow cancer progression. • Increase patient comfort. Treatment options include the following: • Hormonal treatments used to suppress or block androgens (male steroid hormones) are the mainstay treatment for advanced and metastasized cancer (Stage IV). • External beam irradiation is used for late stage patients and is the mainstay for controlling pain caused by metastasis. External-beam radiation used with on-going androgen suppression treatment is being investigated for advanced cancer that has not yet metastasized. [ For more information, see What Are the Radiation Treatments for Prostate Cancer?, below.] • One study has suggested that combinations of certain standard chemotherapy drugs may be useful for patients with advanced prostate cancer who fail hormonal treatments. In this study, after one year, 77% of the patients were alive. • Radical prostatectomy is rarely helpful. Hormonal Therapies: Blocking Androgens (Male Hormo
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