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Treatment Choices for Men With Early-Stage Prostate Cancer



Introduction






Facts about Prostate Cancer






Thinking About Treatment Choices






Comparing Your Treatment Options






Making a Choice About Treatment






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10. What if my treatment doesn't work?

Watchful Waiting

This allows monitoring of the cancer for an increase in symptoms or PSA.

Surgery

The final surgery pathology report will tell whether the cancer was confined to the prostate or was found in lymph nodes or seminal vesicles. But even with a microscope, it may not be possible for the surgeon to see all of the cancer.

Some men who have surgery may need additional treatment within 5 years.

If surgery fails, hormone therapy can be a successful treatment option.

Radiation TherapyRadiation therapy may fail if the tumor cannot be seen completely in the planning process. Some men who had radiation therapy will need hormone therapy or a prostatectomy within 5 years.

Regardless of the treatment you choose, you will continue to have PSA tests for monitoring.

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