Treating Prostate Cancer with Cutting Edge Irradiation Methods

Throughout the world, different protocols of treatment are observed for treating prostate cancer. They are very varied in nature and technique. In ultrasound therapy, high density sound waves are employed to destroy cancer cells. An endorectal probe placed inside the patient’s body remits sound waves. In chemotherapy treatment, the cancer cells are destroyed or their cell division is made to stop.

Radiation therapy while employed for treating prostate cancer directs high energy x-rays or other type of radiation to kill cancer cells or mitigates their growing. External radiation therapy is when an outside machine is used to send radiation and in internal radiation therapy, radioactive material is placed inside the body near the cancer.

Treating prostate cancer is of two distinct types – treatment of local disease, (localized) and treatment of distant disease (metasized). Surviving prostate cancer depends on various factors like the type of cancer, the presence or absence of metastasis and general family background.

The three standard therapies for men without metastized prostate cancer are watchful waiting, surgery and radiation therapy. Unfortunately, so far nobody has made a comparative study of all the three options in this connection, university of Florida researchers have evolved a gene therapy which employs a synthetic protein to stop cancer growth by inducing blood clotting, which cuts off a tumor’s blood and nutrients supply’.

The researchers are also working out methods to deliver the protein directly to the sites of interest instead of through genes that later produce a protein. Other researchers are using nanoparticles to sense proteins and deliver drugs or radiate heat to destroy cancer cell when bombarded by radio waves.

Noscopine, a natural substance already employed in cough medicine, is expected to prove useful in treating prostate cancer. No significant toxicity was also noticed with noscapine. This study completed successfully in mice will be repeated i8n human volunteers.

In treating prostate cancer, from naturopathy point of view, watchful waiting can be called a regular treatment since changes are implemented in patient’s diet and supplementary herbs are prescribed. Patients will be allowed time to assess relationships. Likewise, during watchful waiting, to improve the chances of surviving prostate cancer regular digital rectal exams and PSA monitoring are conducted.

Treating prostate cancer in elderly patients is always a headache. But it has been observed that elderly patients' chances of surviving prostate cancer are greater if they are given an active cancer treatment in a study of approximately 50,000 elderly men with early prostate cancer, active treatment group lived for 13 years while the other group lived for only 10 more years.