If you have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your physician may have already discussed your condition as well as offered options to help treat it. Because they believe that the cancer is still in the early stages and is contained within the prostate, your doctor may have suggested having a radical prostatectomy as a treatment option.
This surgical treatment involves the removal of the entire prostate, and along with it, the tumour. If you are still uncertain whether you want to undergo the surgery, consider a couple of the advantages associated with having a radical prostatectomy to treat your early-stage prostate cancer.
1. Removal of the Prostate Often Gets Rid of the Cancer and Allows Your Doctor to More Accurately Diagnose You
One advantage to having a radical prostatectomy as a first-line treatment for your cancer is that removal of the prostate often gets rid of the cancer. If caught early, the cancer cells are most likely encapsulated inside the prostate and have not had time to spread to other parts of your body.
Once the prostate and tumour are removed, the doctor can then perform a biopsy so that they can more accurately evaluate the cancer and give you a full diagnosis. This allows them to know whether other treatments will be necessary or if they were able to remove all the cancer cells.
2. A Prostatectomy Should Not Adversely Affect Your Ability to Urinate or Cause Incontinence like Radiation Therapy Often Does
Another advantage of having a radical prostatectomy is that it should not adversely affect your ability to urinate or cause incontinence. Other therapies, such as radiation, can cause permanent damage to the nerves of the bladder.
However, with surgical removal of the prostate, these nerves can be avoided so that no damage is done to them. This allows you to maintain urinary control.
If your doctor believes that your prostate cancer is still in the early stages, having a radical prostatectomy to fully remove the prostate and tumour often gets rid of the cancer. It also allows your doctor to more accurately identify and stage of the cancer in case more treatment is needed. Unlike radiation therapy, removal of the prostate helps to preserve the nerves to the bladder, making it less likely that you will experience urination difficulties or urinary incontinence. Speak with a doctor who performs prostate cancer surgery if you would like more information.
