Prostate Cancer Diagnosed and Treated by Mercy’s Expert Cancer Doctors
Finding the best doctor for prostate cancer is important since if diagnosed in its early stages, the prognosis is typically good. The cancer doctors at Medical Oncology and Hematology in Baltimore, Maryland, manage prostate cancer with a multidisciplinary team including Mercy’s urologists at The Urology Specialists of Maryland.
Prostate cancer begins with the growth of abnormal cells in a man’s prostate gland which is located just below the bladder. The prostate is part of a man’s reproductive system and is located around the tube that removes urine from the body (the urethra). The prostate grows larger over time and prostate cancer is a common cancer in men after they reach 50. It is usually a slow growing cancer but, as with all cancers, treatment works best when the cancer is found early.
In its early stages prostate cancer often has no symptoms, so most men are not even aware they have prostate cancer. Often, their primary care physician finds it in a routine physical. One typical symptom, however, is difficulty in urination. Urination conditions that can lead to a prostate cancer diagnosis include:
- Inability to urinate
- Delayed starting or stopping in urine flow
- Frequent urination
- Blood in urine or semen
- Burning or pain with urination
- Back/belly/hip/ pelvis pain
- Difficulty in achieving an erection
Deviations from routine urination can also be a symptom of an enlarged prostate which is a common urology disorder for older men.
Our Urology doctors identify prostate cancer with:
- A digital rectal exam.
- A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Elevated PSA numbers can indicate prostate cancer. They can also identify a prostate infection or an enlargement.
- If further testing is needed, your doctor may take prostate tissues samples and send them to a lab for further testing (prostate biopsy).
Prostate cancer treatment options vary and may depend on age, how far the cancer has spread, the PSA reading and the patient’s overall health. Typical treatments include:
- Active monitoring if the cancer is low-risk and has not spread within the body or if the patient is an older man with other health complications
- Surgery to remove the prostate gland
- Minimally invasive surgeries (laparoscopic or robotic assisted surgery) that minimize scarring and can allow for quicker recovery times
- Radiation treatment that is administered either internally or externally:
- Internal Brachytherapy Radiation delivers in one dose tiny radioactive seeds that are inserted into the prostate slowly releasing radiation directly to the cancer
- Radiotherapy Radiation delivers high energy rays with pinpoint accuracy and in just minutes