Prostate Cancer Specialist

What is prostate cancer?

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. It develops when abnormal cells multiply rapidly in your prostate. 

Prostate cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer and is generally diagnosed and treated before it spreads to other parts of your body. 

The team at Houston Cancer Institute, PA, can also treat testicular cancer. 

What are the signs of prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer doesn’t usually cause any early warning signs. As your tumor grows, it doesn’t push against anything that triggers pain. 

However, as the abnormal cells multiply, your prostate may compress your urethra and cause urinary symptoms, including:

• Trouble starting or stopping urination
• Weak or interrupted urine stream
• Painful urination
• Frequent need to urinate
• Blood in your urine
  
  

You may also develop erectile dysfunction, have a smaller volume of ejaculate, or find blood in your semen. As your cancer continues to grow, you may develop pain or pressure in your rectum, lower back, hips, and pelvis. 

If you notice any of these symptoms, make an appointment at Houston Cancer Institute. Many conditions can cause similar symptoms, and an accurate diagnosis is the first step in getting the treatment you need.

How is prostate cancer diagnosed?

A blood test to measure your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels is one of the first tests your provider uses to diagnose prostate cancer. They may also provide digital rectal exams to feel your prostate and check for abnormal size, shape, or texture. 

If your PSA test and digital exam indicate an issue, your physician continues testing with an ultrasound and prostate biopsy. The biopsy is a collection of cells from your prostate, which are tested to diagnose cancer and assess its stage and grade (aggressiveness). 

How is prostate cancer treated?

Your Houston Cancer Institute, PA, physician provides state-of-the-art, customized treatments to address your specific needs. The team may recommend surgery, radiation therapy, SBRT or chemotherapy to target cancer cells. 

Surgery

During prostate cancer surgery, also called a prostatectomy, your provider creates five to six small incisions to access and remove the prostate gland and surrounding lymph nodes to treat men with prostate cancer. This treatment method is often used in conjuncton with radiation and chemotherapy as well.

Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy can sometimes be used to reduce the levels of male hormones in the body to prevent them from fueling prostate cancer. By lowering hormone levels, the goal is for the cancer to shrink or at least grow more slowly over time. 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves injecting anti-cancer drugs into the veins to target and destroy the cancerous area. Chemotherapy is often used when cancer has spread to other areas outside of the prostate or is particularly hard to treat. 

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses energy (radioactive) beams to target, treat, and elminate cancerous tumors. 

Staging your cancer 

To determine the best treatment for your  cancer, the team at the Houston Cancer Institute, PA, stages your cancer using state-of-the-art Cat Scan or PET/CT imaging.

The scans show how large the tumor is, how deeply it extends , and whether it's spread to other areas. This will help our team at the Houston Cancer Institute, PA  identify what stage of cancer you  have and tailor your treatment plan to that stage for optimal outcomes and recovery. 

If you’re concerned about prostate or testicular cancer, call Houston Cancer Institute, PA, or book an appointment online today.