Surgery (radical prostatectomy)
The nerves and blood vessels (neurovascular bundles) that allow the penis to become erect run along either side of the prostate. To help a patient maintain the ability to have erections after surgery, either one or both of these bundles can be spared.
Lymph nodes close to the prostate may be removed during a prostatectomy so they can be checked for cancer.
A large body of evidence shows that in the case of surgery for prostate cancer, surgical experience matters greatly. Medical centers and surgeons performing a high number of prostatectomies per year demonstrate better outcomes in terms of both cancer control and quality of life than those performing relatively low numbers.
See Radical Prostatectomy at UCSF
- External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) - X-ray photons - is focused from a source outside the body onto the prostate and, if needed, surrounding lymph node areas.
- Brachytherapy (seed implants) - iny radiation seeds, each smaller than a grain of rice, that are implanted in or around the prostate gland (or both) to destroy cancer cells.
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