In the radiation vs chemo for prostate cancer debate, which is your best choice? Brachytherapy has become one of the best alternative treatments for prostate cancer.
Did you know that the advance brachytherapy treatment for prostate cancer in India is now available in the States? As one of the best alternative treatments for prostate cancer today, prostate cancer diagnosis is finally finding better and less invasive solutions for men that will bring them back to health in no time. But wait! How successful is radiation therapy? In the radiation vs chemo for prostate cancer debate, which is your best choice? And most importantly, is it dangerous?
In order to alleviate your worries, we’ve prepared this article that will explain a bit more what’s brachytherapy about and why you should consider it. We’ll also explain its differences from chemo and show why it’s one of the best alternative treatments for prostate cancer.
Chemotherapy, or chemo, uses drugs to treat cancer. It is a “systemic” treatment; that is, it works through the whole body to prevent the spread of the disease. Chemotherapy’s main goal is to stop the spread of cancer to other parts of the body whilst administering specific drugs in specific stages.
Radiation therapy, on the other hand, uses particles or waves to fight cancer. Radiation therapy utilizes special equipment for these doses of radiation to the cancer cells or tumor. It can also affect healthy cells, but unlike cancer’s, these can at least repair themselves.
Brachytherapy is a type of radioactive therapy, although its method differs a bit from most common radiation treatments. We’ll explain how below.
Brachytherapy is a radiation therapy that fights different types of cancer, not only prostate cancer.
Brachytherapy branches in two types: temporary and permanent brachytherapy. Temporary brachytherapy, also known as HDR brachytherapy, inserts thin tubes into the organ affected with cancer and attacks directly the disease with a dose of radiation. Permanent brachytherapy, on the other hand, inserts tiny radioactive seeds into the cancer affected organ to destroy the cancer cells with its radioactivity.
Although each method differs, we could sum it up by saying that brachytherapy is the direct insertion of radioactivity to battle cancer cells.
As one of the best alternative treatments for prostate cancer, brachytherapy offers several benefits. Perhaps the biggest one is that, unlike external radiation therapy, which can take more than two months to complete, or even a surgery, which requires a longer recovery time, most men return to normal activities the day after brachytherapy. Also, because brachytherapy requires a high degree of expertise, the best radiation oncologists will help you feel better in less time than expected.
As one of the best alternative treatments for prostate cancer, brachytherapy offers several benefits. Perhaps the biggest one is that, unlike external radiation therapy, which can take more than two months to complete, or even a surgery, which requires a longer recovery time, most men return to normal activities the day after brachytherapy. Also, because brachytherapy requires a high degree of expertise, the best radiation oncologists will help you feel better in less time than expected.
Prostate Cancer Treatment FAQ
How long are radiation treatments for prostate cancer? External radiation therapy usually lasts around two months. However, the total dose of radiation and the number of treatments depends on the size of your prostate cancer and your health history.
What is a normal PSA level after radiation? You can use hormone therapy: it can reduce the cancer’s size and slow down the growth of tumors, and even the risk of recurrence in locally advance therapy.
What is the success rate of radiation therapy for prostate cancer? Men treated with radiation therapy have a cure rate of 95.5% for intermediate-risk cancer and 91.3% for high-risk cancer.
As research states, it’s quite effective, and can help an average man recover faster than with chemo. In this radiation vs chemo for prostate cancer debate, many men are leaning towards the former whenever they ponder about their prostate cancer diagnosis, and certainly brachytherapy has become one of the best alternative treatments for prostate cancer. So, don’t think it twice: the famous advance brachytherapy treatment for prostate cancer in India, UK and other countries that have witnessed the success rate of this kind of therapy is now in the States and you can finally get it!
Copyright © 2024 HealthMad