Can prostate cancer be cured?

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on November 18, 2024
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Early-stage prostate cancer patients can achieve a cure through radical surgery or radical radiotherapy and other treatment methods. Therefore, whether prostate cancer can be cured is related to the stage of the patient's condition. Early-stage prostate cancer patients can be cured through radical surgery or radical radiotherapy.

If the cancer is diagnosed at a late stage, with extensive pelvic metastasis or multiple bone metastases, treatment for these late-stage prostate cancer patients primarily revolves around endocrine therapy. Most patients respond well to endocrine treatment; however, for these late-stage prostate cancer patients, the treatment aims to alleviate symptoms and extend survival. Through these treatments, a cure is not achievable.

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Written by Yan Chun
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Is vomiting in prostate cancer due to metastasis to the liver?

Patients with prostate cancer may experience vomiting due to the metastasis of the disease to the liver, causing damage to liver function. However, vomiting could also be caused by other reasons, such as the metastasis of prostate cancer to the peritoneum of the abdominal cavity. Clinically, this can lead to cancerous intestinal obstruction, with symptoms commonly including vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, reduced bowel movements and gas, or cessation of bowel movements and gas. When prostate cancer metastasizes to the brain, the increased intracranial pressure can also cause symptoms such as vomiting, headache, swelling of the optic disc, hemiplegia, and aphasia. Additionally, some prostate cancer patients may experience vomiting due to toxic side effects from treatments such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy.

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Written by Liu Liang
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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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Commonly used drugs for endocrine treatment of prostate cancer

The purpose of endocrine therapy for prostate cancer is to reduce the concentration of androgens in the body, inhibit the synthesis of androgens originating from the adrenal glands, inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, or block the binding of androgens to their receptors, thereby inhibiting or controlling the growth of prostate cancer cells. The medications include a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue, with representative drugs being leuprorelin, goserelin, and triptorelin. There is also an androgen-blocking drug, including steroidal drugs with representative drugs like cyproterone acetate, and non-steroidal drugs with representative drugs like bicalutamide and flutamide. Additionally, there are estrogens, with the most common being diethylstilbestrol.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Best treatment methods for prostate cancer

Treatment methods for prostate cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy, among others. The choice of specific treatment methods is comprehensively considered based on the stage of the disease and the patient's physical condition. Early-stage prostate cancer patients can choose prostatectomy or radical radiotherapy. For patients with locally advanced T3 or T4 stage prostate cancer, since the efficacy of prostatectomy alone is relatively poor, radiotherapy combined with endocrine therapy can be chosen. For patients with metastatic prostate cancer, those who are found to have bone metastasis or distant metastasis from the onset, endocrine therapy is primarily used. If endocrine therapy is ineffective or fails, chemotherapy can also be adopted for these late-stage metastatic prostate cancer patients. If the bone metastasis causes pain, local radiotherapy can also be used to alleviate the pain symptoms.

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Written by Liu Liang
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Can prostate cancer be detected by ultrasound B?

Prostate cancer can generally be detected through ultrasound, as it reveals nodules in the prostate. By examining the internal echoes of these nodules, one can differentiate between benign and malignant prostate conditions. Thus, in foreign countries, ultrasound, specifically prostate color Doppler ultrasound examinations, are used as a screening method for prostate cancer. In China, screening methods also include traditional digital rectal examinations and generally involve blood tests for specific prostate tumor markers, namely PSA. These tests are combined with prostate ultrasound for a comprehensive assessment.