What is Hormone Therapy? Hormone therapy also known as androgen-deprivation therapy prevents prostate cells being fueled by testosterone. Prostate cancer uses male hormones and tumours don’t usually grow without certain types of hormone. Hormone therapy starves tumours by preventing the release and effects of testosterone within the prostate; it’s important […]
External Beam Radiation for Prostate Cancer
What is External beam radiation? External beam radiation is a standard treatment which kills cancer cells within the prostate gland using high-energy beams such as X-ray or proton beams. A linear accelerator machine generates these beams and are aimed at the prostate. The beams destroy the genetic material which controls […]
Tomotherapy Treatment for Prostate Cancer
What is Tomotherapy? Tomotherapy uses 3D CT scan images in conjunction with advanced radiation therapy, to direct radiation beams into cancerous cells within the prostate gland. Because high radiation doses are delivered to specific targets of the prostate, this system of treatment is known as IMRT (Intensity Modulated RadioTherapy); it […]
Prostate Cancer Risk Groups
Prostate Cancer Risk Around twelve percent of men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer; men most at risk are over fifty, black, or from families with a history of prostate cancer. Those with any risk factors combined with associated symptoms, should consult their doctor regarding their personal risk […]
Cyberknife Radiotherapy Treatment
What is a CyberKnife? The first thing prostate cancer patients should know about ground-breaking CyberKnife Radiotherapy Treatment, is that it doesn’t involve a knife or any surgical procedure. Patients rest on a manoeuvrable seat or table; each fifteen seconds their x-rays are taken, as a robotic arm manoeuvres around them, […]
Brachytherapy Treatment for Prostate Cancer
Brachytherapy Treatment Brachytherapy treatment directly delivers radiotherapy into the cancerous prostate gland, using radioactive seeds; these seeds can continuously destroy cancer cells for up to a year, by releasing low levels of radiation. Healthy organs remain unaffected, as each seed’s radiation levels are low, localised and solely affect small surrounding […]
The Gleason Score for Prostate Cancer
The Gleason Score Following a positive prostate biopsy result, the Gleason score is used to evaluate a patient’s risk levels and to determine the aggressive nature and overall significance of their prostate cancer. The Gleason score consists of staging and grading measures; these are used to assess cancer concentration levels […]
Template Biopsy for Prostate Cancer
TRUS biopsy Vs Template biopsy When it comes to biopsy procedures, prostate cancer patients are usually offered the standard TRUS biopsy (Trans-Rectal UltraSound-guided). Typically, up to twelve needle samples are collected from the rear of the prostate (the front is inaccessible), using a probe that’s inserted via the rectum. Cancer […]
PET Scans for Prostate Cancer
What is a PET scan? The PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan for prostate cancer is usually used when a patient’s PSA level starts to rise following the first line treatment such as radiotherapy or surgery. The scan can indicate the success of treatment or non-removal of cancer. To identify, locate […]
PCA3 Test for Prostate Cancer
What is PCA3? The PCA3 gene exists in all prostates and cause non-cancerous cells to produce trace levels of specific proteins. In cancerous prostates, these protein levels increase by as much as 60-100%¹ and leak into a patient’s urine where they become detectable; this way, the PCA3 test can indicate […]