Our team is focused on understanding and treating your specific prostate cancer. Experts at the OSUCCC - James know that the very best outcomes — and the most effective means of treating cancer — comes from a team approach.
If you've been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer or are supporting a loved one with their cancer journey, our experts will create a personalized plan with the latest in treatment options.
Prostate cancer treatments
There are a variety of prostate cancer treatments. Depending on your individual case, you may need one or a combination of treatments.
Watchful waiting or active surveillance
Prostate cancer grows very slowly. For some, treatment may not be needed right away. Because people can live with the disease for years, doctors may suggest a period of what is called watchful waiting or active surveillance.
Watchful waiting involves your doctor’s decision to observe the disease and the development of any symptoms without beginning a specific course of treatment.
Active surveillance is when the doctor gives regularly scheduled exams including PSA tests and periodic prostate biopsies every one to three years.
Surgical treatment
Surgery is often the preferred method to cure prostate cancer, especially if the cancer has not spread outside the gland and you're in good health.
Different types of surgeries may be chosen, depending on the type and stage of cancer. These include the following:
Radical prostatectomy
A type of surgery that removes the entire prostate gland and surrounding tissues including the seminal vesicles.
There are several ways a prostatectomy is performed but the most common is robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.
Transurethral resection of the prostate
A transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a procedure in which enlarged tissue is removed using a specially designed tool (resectoscope) inserted through the urethra. The extra tissue is then flushed from the body after the procedure.
This procedure is performed to relieve urinary obstruction for those who may have locally advanced prostate cancer.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses X-rays to destroy cancer cells and is often chosen to treat prostate cancer if the disease has not spread beyond the prostate gland.
One kind of radiation therapy is called brachytherapy (also called implant radiation therapy, internal radiation therapy and radiation brachytherapy), in which radioactive material is sealed in seeds, wires, needles or catheters and is placed directly into or near the tumor. Radiation is then precisely directed to what has been placed near the tumor.
Our prostate cancer experts use MRI image-guided brachytherapy, Calypso 4D image-guided external beam radiation. The OSUCCC – James is one of only a few centers in central Ohio to house comprehensive and dedicated brachytherapy suites and also the only central Ohio facility to offer Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
It’s important to note that radiation therapy can create an increased risk of bladder and gastrointestinal cancer, urinary problems and impotence. That’s why choosing a highly experienced treatment team who can help you weigh the benefits and risks of this type of therapy is critical.
Other advanced treatment options the OSUCCC – James offers for prostate cancer include:
Hormone therapy
Hormones are produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. They have different effects on the body. Certain male sex hormones such as androgens (which includes testosterone) can cause prostate cancer to grow. Hormone therapy stops or blocks the action of androgen hormones that fuel prostate cancer.
Hormone therapy alone will not cure prostate cancer and may become less effective over time.
When this happens, surgery, certain drugs or even other hormones may help lower androgen levels or stop them from working, which can slow or stop the growth of prostate cancer.
Other hormone-based treatments include the following:
- Surgical castration (orchiectomy): A type of surgery in which one or both testicles are removed. This decreases the amount of hormones such as testosterone and other androgens made by the body, and this helps decrease the overall amount of hormones and stops the cancer from growing.
- Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists (or analogs): These drugs stop the testicles from making androgens
- Antiandrogens: These drugs are often used in combination with other drug therapies and serve to block the action of androgens. Some antiandrogen drugs work on the adrenal glands, another source of androgens in the body.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses specialized drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by destroying the cells or by preventing them from making new cells. The method by which chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Chemotherapy is often used when the cancer has spread beyond the prostate and when hormone therapy is not working or has stopped working.
Bisphosphonate therapy
If prostate cancer grows outside of the prostate gland it often moves to the bones. Cancer in the bones can be painful and lead to other problems, so doctors will try to prevent or slow the spread of prostate cancer to the bones. If the cancer has already reached the bones, doctors may control or relieve pain and any other complications as part of the treatment plan. Certain drugs known as bisphosphonates can lower the amount of disease in the bone and reduce the risk of bone fractures.
Other treatments for bone pain caused by metastases or hormone therapies may include:
- Pain medicine
- Radiation therapy
- The radioisotope strontium-89
- Targeted therapy such as denosumab
- Corticosteroids
Prostate cancer research and clinical trials
The OSUCCC – James has more than 500 open clinical trials at any given time, with some of the world’s latest discoveries available to clinical trial patients right here in Columbus, Ohio. In fact, patients have access to more of this nation’s leading-edge, targeted treatments for prostate cancer than at most hospitals in America.
We're only one of a few U.S. cancer centers funded by the National Cancer Institute to conduct phase I and phase II clinical trials on novel anticancer drugs. These trials go only to centers that demonstrate an exemplary capacity for research and clinical care, the expertise to deliver the latest in treatments, and the infrastructure to interpret and track treatment results for potential prostate cancer treatments.
Who should participate in a clinical trial?
For some, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. You can enter clinical trials before, during or after starting their cancer treatment. Your doctor will discuss those options if you're a candidate.
If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer or would like a second opinion, please call The James Line at 1-800-293-5066 or 614-293-5066 to make an appointment.
Related resources
Prostate Cancer Prevention
Prostate Cancer Symptoms and Causes
Prostate Cancer Treatment Team
Prostate Cancer Clinical Research