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Treating Your Prostate Cancer


Once you find out you have prostate cancer, you will likely meet with several doctors. These doctors may include the following:

  1. You will likely start with your urologist, the doctor who performed your biopsies. They will discuss with you the results of the biopsy and the next steps in management.
  2. You will then speak to a urologist who specializes in performing surgery on the genital and urinary systems; this may or may not be the same urologist who performed your biopsy.
  3. You will also be referred to a radiation oncologist, a cancer doctor who specializes in treating disease with radiation therapy.
  4. Depending on the extent of your cancer, you may also be referred to a medical oncologist, a cancer doctor who specializes in treating cancer with chemotherapy and targeted therapy.

Meeting with a Radiation Oncologist

If you are considering radiation therapy, you must first meet with a radiation oncologist. During your first visit, your doctor will evaluate your case to determine if radiation therapy will be helpful in treating your disease. This includes reviewing your current and past medical history, past surgical history, family history, medications, allergies, lifestyle and current symptoms. The doctor will also perform a detailed physical exam to assess the extent of your disease and your general physical condition. Your medical record will be reviewed including any relevant imaging and laboratory studies. Finally, your doctor will discuss your specific case and their recommendations about the role that radiation may play in the treatment of your cancer. Prior to the initiation of any treatment, the radiation oncologist will also discuss the benefits, risks, side effects and treatment alternatives of radiation therapy with you and caregivers.

Frequently, your care will be discussed during a “tumor board” meeting. A tumor board is usually attended by a multidisciplinary group of specialists including medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists and pathologists. These tumor board members meet periodically to discuss mutual patients and individualize their treatment recommendations; this may be performed before or after your initial consultation with your radiation oncologist.

If you decide to receive radiation therapy, you will proceed to treatment planning at the appropriate time.

Questions to ask before treatment.


Prostate cancer treatment options include:

Active Surveillance – a physician monitors men with prostate cancer who have a low risk of the cancer growing and spreading; to accomplish this, patients are followed closely with a protocol outlined by their physician, which typically includes repeat PSA blood tests, biopsies, and imaging.

Radiation Modalities:

  • External beam radiation therapy – a radiation oncologist works with their team to deliver high-energy radiation to kill the cancer cells noninvasively.
  • Brachytherapy – a radiation oncologist delivers radiation to the prostate from within the prostate itself, with the help of a surgical procedure.

Surgery – a urologist surgically removes the entire prostate. The procedure itself is often called a Radical Prostatectomy. Sometimes, lymph nodes are also removed during the procedure.

Systemic Treatments:

  • Hormone therapy – radiation oncologists, urologists or medical oncologists prescribe medicine to stop the production of testosterone, a hormone that helps prostate cancer grow.
  • Chemotherapy – a medical oncologist prescribes medication as a pill or medicine delivered through the veins to kill cancer cells.
  • Immunotherapy/Targeted agents – a medical oncologist may also prescribe a specific drug that treats your cancer by using the immune system and/or targets a specific cancer pathway.
  • Radiopharmaceuticals – a radiation oncologist or nuclear medicine specialist prescribes radioactive drugs that target prostate cancer cells.

Other Treatments:

  • Cryotherapy – a urologist or interventional radiologist freezes the tumor within the prostate.
  • High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) – a urologist or interventional radiologist uses a high-intensity focused ultrasound beam energy to locally heat and destroy prostate tissue, including prostate cancer.

Sometimes a combination of treatments is best to treat your cancer, such as hormonal therapy along with external beam radiation therapy or brachytherapy combined with external beam radiation therapy. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of all treatment options including active surveillance.



Side Effects

The side effects you might experience will depend on the part of the body being treated, the type of radiation you receive, the dose of radiation given and whether you also receive chemotherapy. Before treatment begins, ask your doctor about possible side effects and how best to manage them. Please note this list doesn't represent all of the possible side effects.

Learn more about side effects.


Facts to Help Patients Make an Informed Decision

Because surgery and radiation can both be equally effective curative treatments for prostate cancer, it is important to review all of your treatment options. Ask your urologist about surgery and your radiation oncologist about radiation therapy. Learn about the risks and benefits to see what best meets your goals balancing cure and quality of life.


What Are Clinical Trials

Cancer specialists regularly conduct studies to test new treatments, new tests to guide treatment decisions, and new ways to improve the patient experience. These studies are called clinical trials. Most standard cancer treatments are based on the results of previous clinical trials. Patients may be eligible for clinical trial participation at any part of their cancer journey, including before, during, and after other cancer-related treatments. Many national clinical trials are available through cancer doctors everywhere, not just in major cities, university centers or in large hospitals. However, not all clinical trials are offered at every cancer center. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, please let your physician know so that they can let you know which clinical trials may be available for you to participate in.

Learn more about clinical trials.


The information on this site was created by our medical advisory board made up of physicians and other members of the radiation oncology team with expertise in radiation therapy and on the topics presented. However, this material is informational only and should not be used in place of advice from a medical professional. If you have questions about a specific treatment, please ask your radiation oncologist.