subject: The Case For Alternative Treatments For Prostate Cancer [print this page] Once prostate cancer is diagnosed, doctors determine to what extent the cancer has spread and then classify the cancer as stage 1, 2, 3, or 4 depending on the severity. Stage 4 indicates that the cancer has spread beyond the prostate and that immediate region of the body to other places. After determining what stage the cancer is in, different treatment methods will be considered. Conventional treatments can often do more harm than good.
The Downside of Conventional Treatment
Alternative treatments for prostate cancer are popular because treating prostate cancer can be tricky for several reasons. First of all, many doctors have different opinions about whether conventional treatment is necessary at all. Prostate cancer is a slow-growing cancer and most men who have it eventually die of unrelated causes. They may never even know that they had it! So when doctors consider conventional treatments that may put the patients health at risk, the question becomes: are the risks and side effects of conventional treatment greater than the risk of just not treating it at all? In other words, if the conventional treatments are used, the patient will surely suffer from a lower quality of life as a result of the side effects. But what would happen if the patient werent treated at all? They could live out the rest of their lives with the effects of the cancer going largely unnoticed.
Why is conventional treatment so risky? Well there are a couple of forms of conventional treatment. One is radical prostatectomy, which is the complete removal of the prostate gland and surrounding structures including the seminal vesicle. The side effects of this type of surgery include complete impotency, long post-surgery recovery, considerable pain, post-surgery complications, and a possibility of some level of urinary incontinence. That doesnt sound fun. And if the cancer has already spread beyond the prostate to other parts of the body, this procedure really wont fix the problem.
Another type of conventional treatment is beam radiology. Beam radiology targets cancer cells in the prostate and destroys them with a radioactive beam. Side effects of this treatment include a high rate of impotency, inflammation of the bladder and rectum, and urinary problems, along with many other negative side effects.
Forms of Alternative Treatments of Prostate Cancer
Because of the risks involved with surgery and radiation, many doctors now recommend alternative treatment for prostate cancer. Alternative treatment for prostate cancer includes programs that are intended to improve health generally and limit the spread of the cancer. Such a program may include a charge to avoid harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated fats, etc. It might also include dietary guidelines, an exercise plan, nutritional supplements, hormonal balancing, and other immune enhancing activities.
These alternative treatments for prostate cancer are totally non-invasive and are basically free of side effects. Many doctors have found great success using alternative treatment for prostate cancer instead of the more dangerous conventional forms.
by: prostate cancer
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
