Can prostate cancer be cured?

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on December 19, 2024
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Prostate cancer, whether it can be cured or not, depends on the specific analysis of the patient with prostate cancer. If it is an early-stage patient, meaning there is no metastasis to distant organs, and it is assessed that radical surgery or radical radiotherapy can be performed, then these early-stage prostate cancer patients still have the hope of being cured through these treatment methods.

However, for patients with advanced prostate cancer, such as those who are diagnosed with multiple bone metastases at the onset—a very common clinical occurrence, prostate cancer combined with bone metastasis is very common—these advanced-stage prostate cancer patients cannot be cured through treatment. The purpose of treatment is to alleviate the patient's pain and extend the patient's survival, but these advanced-stage patients cannot be cured.

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Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
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How is prostate cancer detected?

Digital rectal examination combined with PSA testing is currently recognized as the best screening method for the early detection of prostate cancer. Currently, systematic prostate needle biopsy is the most reliable method for diagnosing prostate cancer. In addition, prostate cancer MRI plays an important role in clinical staging. There is also a whole-body nuclear bone marrow scan that can detect the most common metastatic sites of prostate cancer, including bone metastases.

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Oncology
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How long can one survive with prostate cancer?

The life expectancy of prostate cancer patients depends on the clinical stage at diagnosis, as well as the patient's sensitivity to various treatments such as endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Patients diagnosed at earlier stages who are more responsive to treatment generally have better treatment outcomes and, consequently, a longer survival period compared to those who are diagnosed at later stages and have poor responses to treatment. Overall, prostate cancer patients tend to have a relatively long disease course, and the prognosis is generally good. Even patients with advanced prostate cancer exhibiting extensive bone metastasis can survive several years due to the effectiveness of endocrine treatments. The disease itself progresses slowly, so the prognosis for this type of cancer is comparatively favorable.

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Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
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Endocrine therapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer

Endocrine therapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer is equivalent to adjuvant endocrine therapy for prostate cancer. Its purpose is to treat residual lesions, positive residual lymph nodes, and microscopic metastatic foci, thereby improving long-term survival rates. Currently, the indications for adjuvant endocrine therapy are based on postoperative pathology-positive results, positive lymph nodes post-surgery, and postoperative pathology confirmation of stage T3 or T4, but with high-risk factors. According to major guidelines, the duration of adjuvant endocrine therapy should be at least eighteen months.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Can prostate cancer be detected by a CT scan?

If a CT scan is performed for prostate cancer, it usually can detect the tumor in the prostate, especially an enhanced CT scan will show enhancement. However, to confirm the diagnosis, it is still necessary to perform a prostate biopsy to find cancer cells. Only with the detection of cancer cells can prostate cancer be diagnosed. Additionally, a blood test for the tumor marker PSA, which generally increases, can be used in combination with these findings for a comprehensive evaluation. The definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer requires a biopsy to find cancer cells, which is the gold standard for diagnosing prostate cancer.

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Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
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Prostate cancer radiotherapy is conducted in what way?

Indications for radiation therapy for prostate cancer include clinical stages T1 to T4, M0 to M1. M0-stage prostate cancer patients undergo radiation therapy techniques including external beam radiation and brachytherapy. External beam radiation techniques comprise conventional radiation therapy, three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, and intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Permanent seed implantation is used only for the treatment of early-stage localized prostate cancer with a good prognosis. External radiation therapy is divided into three categories based on therapeutic objectives: curative, adjuvant, and palliative radiation therapy.