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Comprehensive Approach to Prostate Cancer

No two situations are the same. That’s why our caring team of experts are here to provide you with a custom-tailored treatment plan that is unique to your diagnosis, tumor size, location and involvement

Prostate Cancer

The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that uses male hormones called androgens, such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), to trigger and maintain male sex characteristics and reproduction. Prostate cancer begins when cells in the prostate gland start to grow out of control.

Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), about one man in nine will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.

In many cases, prostate cancer is a slow-growing cancer that does not spread beyond the prostate gland before the time of diagnosis. However, some cases are more aggressive and need more urgent treatment. Prostate cancer that is detected early, when it is still confined to the prostate gland, has the best chance for successful treatment.

Researchers have found several factors that might affect a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer, including:

  • Age: your chance of developing prostate cancer rapidly increases after the age of 50, and roughly six in ten cases are found in men over the age of 65.
  • Race/ethnicity: prostate cancer occurs more often in African-American men than in men of other races
  • Family history: in some cases there may be an inherited or genetic factor that can help indicate prostate cancer. If you have a family member who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, there is more than double the risk of developing this disease.
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Symptoms of Prostate Cancer Include:

  • Trouble Urinating
  • Decreased force in the stream of urine
  • Blood in your urine
  • Blood in your semen
  • Pain in your hips or back
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Weight Loss

Because these symptoms may overlap with those of other conditions, it is important to get the correct diagnosis to find the right treatment. To help determine the best option for you the American Cancer Society recommends prostate screenings.

How We Treat Prostate Cancer

At Rocky Mountain Oncology, we use radiation therapy to deliver a fast and high-quality treatment with comfort and convenience. Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays that target specific cancer sites. Radiation may be used to destroy cancer cells, relieve symptoms associated with cancer and/or prevent the cancer from returning. Your treatment is custom-tailored and unique to your diagnosis, tumor size, location and involvement. Your radiation oncologist (a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with radiation) will review all available treatment options and recommend a personalized plan for you based on national guidelines, which guide all cancer treatments. Radiation therapy is used either alone or in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy, hyperthermia and surgery.

Different types of radiation – such as 3D CRT (3-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy), IGRT (Image-Guided Radiation Therapy), IMRT (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy), Prostate Seeds and HDR (High-Dose Radiation Therapy), as well as radiopharmaceuticals – are used to treat specific types of cancers.

Radiation can be delivered either from outside the body with a machine called a linear accelerator (external beam radiation) or from a radiation source implanted permanently or temporarily in the body (brachytherapy).

Surrounded by a team of cancer care experts

We’ve assembled a highly skilled team of doctors, physician assistants, nurses and radiation therapists to take care of you. Because we want to minimize your worries, we also provide you with access to a financial counselor, a genetic counselor, massage and acupuncture therapists, volunteers and support staff – all of whom, live in your community. We are grateful that you trust us to take care of you. We promise to treat you like we would want one of our beloved family members – our patients describe our cancer center as “like being home”.

Your Rocky Mountain cancer care team is here to answer your questions, help ease your concerns and partner with you during every step of your treatment. And knowing that your specialized care team is close to home is as important to us as it is to you.

Talk To A Team Member Today

We know you have a choice about where you get your cancer care but we hope you’ll choose us.

Schedule Your Appointment Today

307-235-5433

What To Expect

1

Initial Scans

To create a customized treatment plan, you will have a CT or PET/CT scan to identify the exact location of your cancer.
2

Pre-Treatment Preparation

Ink marks or small tattoo-like dots will be placed on your skin in the area of the tumor to ensure the radiation is delivered to the tumor. The markings will be visible on your skin, but only in the area of the tumor and are permanent. They are designed to fade and will begin to disappear towards the end of your radiation treatments. Occasionally, the markings will have to be reapplied to your skin during treatment. It is very important that you do not scrub the markings during your bathing/showering. Your radiation therapist will discuss with you how to care for your skin during your treatments, including protecting the markings.
3

Radiation Treatment Scheduling

Radiation treatments happen Monday through Friday for a number of weeks, usually for 5-8 weeks. Weekend breaks, on Saturday and Sunday, allow your normal cells to recover and assist your healing process.
4

Treatment Room

Our radiation therapists will bring you from the waiting room, into the treatment room with the linear accelerator (radiation machine). The therapist will make you comfortable in the room and assist you in getting positioned on the treatment table.
5

Delivery Machine Setup

Two therapists will align the laser to the target on your skin, indicated by the “tattoo-like” markings. Alignment takes only a couple of minutes. The therapists will then leave the room to deliver and monitor your treatment.
6

Delivery of Radiation Therapy

During the treatment the machine will move over your body. You won’t feel anything. It’s much like having an x-ray. Sometimes the specific area of skin receiving treatment, can get tender and sunburned, your healthcare team will want to know if you are experiencing any burning or discomfort during your treatment. Your healthcare team will guide you with proper care of your skin. Typically the treatment takes about 10-15 minutes. The most common side effect of radiation therapy is fatigue – it is very important to get plenty of rest and adequate nutrition.
7

Post Treatment Followup

Generally, you will see your doctor weekly. However, we are always available if you need us.

Reliable and Helpful Information

There are a lot of unknowns that come with a cancer diagnosis so we do our best to give you as much information as we can to help put your mind at ease. Whether you’re the person diagnosed with cancer, family member or loved one, the way you approach this life-changing event will be a reflection of how you approach life. Some people like to dig into the science to understand what cancer is and what the treatment options are from a technical standpoint. You might want to know statistics about the prognosis, the potential side effects or alternative therapies. Others may focus on the emotional and spiritual aspects of the journey. Regardless of your “style,” it’s important to educate yourself using reliable sources.

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO),  The American Cancer Society and The National Cancer Institute are helpful, trustworthy websites full of educational materials which cover all types of cancer, well-being for cancer patients, coping for family members, survivorship and more.

Talk To A Team Member Today

We know you have a choice about where you get your cancer care but we hope you’ll choose us.