Prostate Cancer Treatment Options
Treatment for prostate cancer depends on how far the cancer has spread, and the aggressiveness of the cancer, as well as the patient’s age, life expectancy, and medical history. No single prostate cancer treatment is right for all men, and we encourage all patients to consider the benefits and potential consequences of each therapy, including surgery, radiation, and experimental ablative therapies.
Treatment of localized prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is characterized as 'localized' if there is no detectable evidence that it has spread beyond the prostate gland.
Prostate surgery
A proven method of removing localized prostate cancer, prostate surgery can be performed through an "open" or robotic-assisted approach. >> Read more about surgery
Radiation therapy
External beam radiation therapy or internal therapy (brachytherapy) may also be performed as a primary treatment for localized disease. >> Read more on radiation
Experimental therapies
Several experimental ablative therapies that do not involve surgery are under study at NYU Langone Medical Center. These therapies aim to safely and effectively destroy prostate cancer without damaging adjacent structures in the body.
- HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) uses high-energy sound waves to destroy cancer. >> Read more about HIFU
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) destroys cancers using light energy. >> Read more about PDT
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy can be an option for men as a primary treatment, or as salvage therapy for those who have undergone radiation therapy but experienced a recurrence of cancer. >> Read more about cryotherapy
Watchful waiting
Watchful waiting may be an option for many men with life expectancies less than 10 years. It involves regular checkups and noninvasive tests to monitor the cancer, without actively treating it. >> Read more about watchful waiting
Active surveillance
Active surveillance is a growing approach to prostate cancer that can be thought of as "deferral of therapy" for cancers that are stable and not progressing. This approach requires diligent follow-up. >> Read more about active surveillance
Treatment of advanced prostate cancer
We treat high-risk, recurrent or locally advanced prostate cancer with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and biologic therapies. The radiation oncologists and medical oncologists of the NYU Cancer Institute and the urologic oncologists of the Department of Urology take a team approach to a disease that cannot be treated by one single treatment method. >> Read more about the treatment of advanced prostate cancer
Prostate cancer staging
Prostate cancer is classified by how far it has spread outside the prostate.
- Read more about prostate cancer staging (American Cancer Society)
