Are There Alternative Treatments for Prostate Cancer? Cryotherapy and Watchful Waiting

When choosing a prostate cancer treatment, doctors and patients together will weigh all of the available options. Prostate surgery is one of the most common treatments, especially if the cancer has not spread to another part of the body. This and things like radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy are used by themselves or in combination as prostate treatment. There are two treatments that are less commonly used.

Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is somewhat new as a prostate cancer treatment, so there is not a lot of information on what the long-term rates of survival are. Because of this, Cryotherapy is not used as frequently as a primary prostate treatment like prostate surgery. It is, however, a good option for someone with cancer that is resistant to radiation and keeps returning.

Cryotherapy destroys cancer by freezing the cells. A small probe is inserted that freezes the prostate while closely monitoring the temperatures. Ice crystals form around the cancerous cells and the process of freezing and thawing eventually destroys the cells by dehydrating them.

Watchful Waiting
Regular blood tests can detect prostate cancer at very early stages. Because of this, many men choose what is known as “watchful waiting” or “deferred therapy” as a prostate cancer treatment, however, no medical treatment is actually provided. This can be an option if the cancer is causing no symptoms and a doctor believes it will grow very slowly. During this observation period, the progress of the cancer is monitored closely with regular blood tests.

This so-called prostate treatment is a good option for men who are elderly or in poor health. It is possible these men can live the rest of their lives without having to undergo invasive prostate surgery or other treatments.