Support and Excellent Care on Your Prostate Cancer Journey

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. But being diagnosed with prostate cancer can still be overwhelming and scary. You and your family can rely on our support through your cancer journey. Your team includes specialists from many areas working together who help patients just like you every day.

What is Prostate Cancer?

Cancer starts when abnormal cells in the body begin to grow out of control. These cells form a tumor. Prostate cancer is a tumor in the prostate gland, a gland found only in men. It is can be a slow-growing cancer depending on the type. Some patients will never know they have prostate cancer.

Most prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas – cancers that form in the gland cells. Other types of prostate cancer are rare, but include:

  • Small cell carcinomas
  • Neuroendocrine tumors (other than small cell carcinomas)
  • Transitional cell carcinomas
  • Sarcomas

Symptoms of prostate cancer can include:

  • Problems urinating
  • Blood in the urine or semen
  • Trouble getting an erection (erectile dysfunction)

If you experience any of these symptoms it is likely they might be caused by something other than prostate cancer. Trouble urinating could be caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Talk to your primary care provider about any symptoms.

Prostate Cancer Screening

Discuss the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening with your doctor. It is not clear if screening tests for prostate cancer are beneficial to all men.

Screening tests include prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal exam (DRE).

If members of your family have had prostate cancer, you may want to consider genetic testing to help determine your personal risk. Let your primary care provider know your family history.

Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

The PSA blood test, prostate-specific antigen, is used as a diagnostic test for men with symptoms. If your doctor suspects you may have prostate cancer, based on the results of a PSA or DRE test, you may be referred to a urologist for a biopsy.

A biopsy is a procedure where a small sample of cells is taken from the tumor and examined under a microscope. A core needle biopsy performed by a urologist is the typical type of biopsy.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

Prostate cancer often grows slowly and remains within your prostate gland, needing minimal, if any, treatment. Depending on the stage and location, your cancer treatment plan could include:

  • Hormone therapy
  • Seed implants
  • Radiation therapy
  • Robotic prostatectomy
  • Traditional open surgery

Prostate Cancer Care at Guthrie

  • Board-certified specialists– Your team of doctors at Guthrie include specially trained urologists, and radiation and medical oncologists.
  • Multidisciplinary conference – doctors and providers from across specialties meet biweekly to discuss every patient and organize the best treatment for her or him across the system.
  • Prostate seed implants (brachytherapy) – we offer radiation therapy for prostate cancer through the implant of radioactive seeds in the prostate gland. Prostate seed implants are done in a single visit and cause minimal discomfort and side effects.
  • Robotic surgery for prostate cancer – we perform radical prostatectomy using a surgeon-guided robot, which results in smaller incisions, more precise removal of cancerous tissue, faster return to function, less blood loss and increased chance of return of urinary continence.
  • Clinical trials – Guthrie Clinical Research offers you treatment options not available in most hospitals.