Prostate Cancer Treatment in St. George, UT
Urology Associates
Prostate cancer affects one in six men during their lifetime. It’s the second most common cancer diagnosed in American men – more common than breast cancer is among women.
Most men who learn they have prostate cancer are surprised. This is because, when caught early, prostate cancer does not cause symptoms. Symptoms can develop as prostate cancer grows and spreads. These many include:
- Problems urinating
- Trouble with erections
- Trouble urinating
- Blood in your urine or semen
- Frequent pain in your lower back, hips or upper thighs
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, don’t panic. These symptoms are similar to those caused by other noncancerous prostate problems such as enlarged prostate and prostatitis. Our doctor will evaluate you to determine the cause of your symptoms.
Comprehensive Urology
Services for Men & Women
Prostate Cancer Treatment Options
If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you have lots of questions and may feel overwhelmed by all of the treatment options. We’ll help you understand the risks and benefits of each option so that you can make an informed choice.
In general, the treatment you consider will depend on your age, cancer grade, cancer stage, symptoms and your general health. You’ll also want to consider how well each treatment option will work and how you may be affected by side effects.
Prostate cancer does not always require immediate treatment. Active surveillance is a reasonable approach for men who have early-stage prostate cancer that’s growing slowly or who are older and have other health concerns.
Active surveillance means you follow a protocol of regular appointments with your urologist to monitor your tumor for changes. If your cancer’s behavior changes, your urologist may recommend moving from active surveillance to treatment.
Urology Associates doctors use a standardized active surveillance protocol, based on the latest proven research to ensure that key tests are offered and any changes in the cancer’s behavior are caught in time to trigger the next step in the surveillance protocol.
Advanced Prostate Cancer Treatment Options
Thirty percent of men treated for early-stage prostate cancer face recurrence, often a decade after initial treatment. Thankfully, many new treatment options exist to slow the progression of the cancer. These treatments aren’t curative, but they allow men to live longer with minimal disruption to their normal lives.
- Immunotherapy
- Secondary Hormone Therapy
- Bone Health
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation Therapy
- SpaceOAR
Provenge (sipuleucel T) is the world’s first therapeutic cancer vaccine. It’s administered by removing immune cells from your blood, exposing them to a protein found on prostate cancer cells, and infusing the cells back into your body to attack the cancer. Since Provenge uses the body’s immune system to attack the cancer rather than chemotherapy to poison the cancer, its side effects are usually no worse than the flu and they fade in a few hours.
We are proud of our commitment to health care and preventive care in St. George, UT! Using only the most current techniques and technologies. At Urology Associates we've grown a reputable practice built on excellence. Schedule an appointment today for more information about our services!
