Treatment Types

If you find out you have cancer, you should discuss your treatment options with a radiation oncologist – a cancer doctor who specializes in treating disease with radiation therapy, a urologist – a surgeon who specializes in the genital and urinary systems and a medical oncologist – a cancer doctor who specializes in treating cancer with chemotherapy and targeted therapy.

Prostate cancer treatment options include:

• External beam radiation therapy - a radiation oncologist directs high-energy radiation to kill the cancer cells.
• Brachytherapy - a radiation oncologist surgically places high-energy (radiation) seeds temporarily or permanently through small tubes within the prostate.
• Surgery - a urologist surgically removes the entire prostate.
• Active Surveillance - a physician monitors men with low-risk prostate cancer with repeat PSAs and biopsies.
• Hormone therapy - radiation oncologists, urologists or medical oncologists prescribe medicine to stop the production of hormones that help prostate cancer grow.
• Chemotherapy - a medical oncologist prescribes medication as a pill or medicine delivered through the veins to kill cancer cells.
• Cryotherapy - a urologist or interventional radiologist freezes the tumor within the prostate.
• High Frequency Ultrasound (HFU) - a urologist or interventional radiologist uses high-intensity focused ultrasound beam energy to locally heat and destroy prostate tissue.

Sometimes a combination of treatments is best to treat your cancer, such as hormonal therapy along with external beam radiation therapy or brachytherapy combined with external beam radiation therapy.

Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of all treatment options including active surveillance.

The information on this site was created by our medical advisory board made up of physicians and other members of the radiation oncology team with expertise in radiation therapy and on the topics presented. However, this material is informational only and should not be used in place of advice from a medical professional. If you have questions about a specific treatment, please ask your radiation oncologist.