No matter what treatment path you choose, your Cone Health team focuses on two main goals. The first is to control the cancer and work toward a cure. The second is to protect your quality of life by reducing side effects, so you can live as fully and normally as possible.
Prostate Surgery
Surgery is one of the best treatments for prostate cancer. It removes the whole prostate and sometimes nearby lymph nodes to make sure all the cancer is gone. Your surgeon may use precise robotic technology that impacts less of your body and leads to:
- Shorter hospital stay
- Less blood loss and pain
- Faster recovery
- Lower risk of side effects
Learn what to expect and how to get ready for robotic prostatectomy at Cone Health.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is another proven way to treat prostate cancer with good long-term results. You might receive it:
- If you’re not healthy enough for surgery
- After surgery to lower the risk of cancer returning
- Along with hormone therapy
Cone Health’s radiation technology kills tumors while protecting nearby organs like your bladder and rectum. Options include:
- External beam therapy—Delivers high-energy X-rays from a machine outside your body, usually five days a week for several weeks
- Brachytherapy—Places tiny, radioactive pellets in your prostate
Your doctor will recommend the best approach for you.
Hormone Therapy
Testosterone fuels the growth of prostate cancer. To reduce or block this hormone, your care team could:
- Give you medicine
- Remove your testicles through surgery
While hormone therapy doesn’t cure prostate cancer, it can slow the disease for many years. It might be part of your treatment plan for cancer that spreads beyond the prostate.
Cryoablation
Cryoablation uses cold to kill prostate tumors. A doctor places tiny needles into the prostate and sends freezing gas through them to destroy the cancer. New technology makes cryoablation safer and more precise than in the past. Many men choose cryoablation if their cancer returns after radiation, while others select it as their first treatment. It can be a good option because it avoids major surgery or radiation, and your doctor can repeat it if needed.
Chemotherapy
Chemo uses powerful drugs that move through your whole body to kill fast-growing cancer cells. It can treat cancer that spreads beyond the prostate. Discover how Cone Health’s technology and amenities help you stay safe and feel more comfortable during chemotherapy.
Experimental Therapies
Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for newer options, like:
- High-intensity focused ultrasound—Uses sound waves to kill cancer cells but doesn’t yet have approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Radiofrequency ablation—Destroys cancer with heat
Researchers are still studying these treatments in the United States. Some men choose them knowing these experimental approaches may offer new hope.
