Surgery vs Radiation

Been diagnosed with prostate cancer and confused about your options? Let’s examine the choices and why surgery is preferable to radiation.

Surgery removes the entire prostate and with it, all the cancer. This allows for accurate staging, which means you will know how much cancer is present, the Gleason score and whether the seminal vesicles or lymph nodes are involved. Surgery allows for accurate and precise follow-up. Your PSA will drop to zero, giving you a peace of mind knowing you are cured. Careful PSA monitoring will allow for immediate detection should cancer recur.

With surgery, options such as radiation and chemotherapy are still available. BPH will never occur, continence and sexual function return to normal over time. This equates to a higher quality of life. With radiation, treatment is based on random biopsies, potentially underestimating the amount of tumor and Gleason score. PSA will never go to 0, which can be emotionally upsetting.

Surgery after radiation is extremely challenging and can result in complications. Radiation can lead to rectal pain, bleeding, may even cause cancer. Radiation is often combined with powerful hormones, resulting in male menopause and lower quality of life. You owe it to yourself to know your options.