Prostate Cancer Therapy

VIEW MORE INFO

Prostate cancer occurs in the prostate gland, part of the male reproductive system. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men and the leading cause of death from cancer in men over age 75. Most prostate cancers grow very slowly, but they can spread quickly.

Prostate cancer therapy involves a wide range of treatment options that currently include:

  • Watchful waiting. For older patients with other medical problems and early stage prostate cancer, physicians may recommend that the disease be monitored without treatment until symptoms appear or change.
  • Surgery. For patients in good health, surgery is usually offered as a first line of prostate cancer therapy. This may include a prostatectomy to remove the prostate, a resection to remove a portion of the prostate, or a pelvic lymphadenectomy to remove lymph nodes in the pelvis.
  • Radiation therapy. High-energy radiation can kill cancerous cells or stop them from growing. External radiation therapy involves radiation from an external machine directed at the cancer, while internal radiation therapy, or prostate brachytherapy, involves placing a radioactive material inside the body, directly into or near the cancer.
  • Hormone therapy. Certain drugs can block the hormones that prostate cancer requires to grow.

At Brigham and Women's Hospital, patients can receive the most effective prostate cancer therapy in a state-of-the-art facility.

Learn more about prostate cancer therapy.

In this video, Anthony D’Amico, MD, PhD, Chief, Genitourinary Radiation Oncology at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, reviews prostate cancer risk categories and the appropriate prostate cancer therapy for each. Dr. D'Amico also discusses novel prostate cancer therapies that are being studied at Brigham and Women's Hospital, including diffusion weighted imaging and MRI guided biopsy.

The latest in prostate cancer therapy

Brigham and Women's Hospital is a world-renowned institution for cancer treatment and research, not only for prostate cancer therapy but also colorectal cancer treatment and many other cancer treatments.

Prostate cancer patients receive the highest quality care and have access to the most advanced prostate cancer therapy. The treatment team includes medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and urologists, as well as radiologists, nurse specialists, pathologists, palliative care specialists, social workers and dieticians. Patients receive expert diagnostic services and innovative treatment options that may include:

  • Robotic surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Innovative treatment combinations
  • Dose-scaled intensity modulated radiation therapy
  • Intraoperative magnetic resonance therapy

Clinical trials to develop new therapy options for prostate and other cancers

Brigham and Women's is renowned for its pioneering research as well as its innovative treatments for cancer. Patients may be eligible to participate in clinical trials that are testing the latest prostate cancer therapy options and helping physicians to better understand the disease.

In addition to prostate cancer therapy, patients come to Brigham and Women's for many different cancer treatments, such as cervical cancer treatment, breast cancer treatment, and lung cancer therapy.

Click here to learn more about all of the cancer services available at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Learn more about Prostate Cancer Therapy at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Learn more about Brigham and Women's Hospital


For over a century, a leader in patient care, medical education and research, with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery.

About BWH