Prostate
cancer, surgery and sex - House call: expert advice
on health and fitness - Brief Article |
Q I have prostate cancer,
but I have refused to get an operation because my friends
say it will end my sex life. What should I do?
M.C., Chicago
A You should run, not walk to the nearest
hospital or specialist. Recent medical advances can
help to eliminate many of the fears associated with
prostate surgery, and urologists and other health care
professionals can recommend new medication and other
procecures that can extend your sex life.
It may not even be necessary for you
to have surgery. New procedures in the treatment of
prostate cancer include implanting radioactive seeds--called
brachytherapy--into cancerous prostate glands. In some
cases, about 100 radioactive seeds, each smaller than
a grain of rice, are placed into tumors inside the prostate
gland to destroy the cancer cells.
Other treatment options include "watchful
waiting," an approach that consists of regular
exams to monitor the cancer's progress without any actual
treatment, and hormone therapy to stop the cancer cell
from growing, using hormones and bioligical therapy.
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