Help Is Here: Treatment for Prostate Cancer at Frederick Health

If you have a prostate and are 40-50 years old, it’s time to start thinking about getting screened for prostate cancer. It’s the second deadliest cancer for American men, with 1 in 9 diagnosed. The good news? If it’s caught early and treated, it also has one of the highest survival rates of any cancer. That means you shouldn’t be afraid to talk to your doctor about it even if you think you’re still too young to be checked.

What happens if you get the news that you have prostate cancer? What’s next? Here at Frederick Health, we have the resources you need not only for top-notch treatment and care but also for support—whether that’s patient counseling or financial planning. You’ll have an expert team on your side every step of the way.

Types of Treatment

Frederick Health Medical Group Oncology & Hematology offers many cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, infusion therapy, and hormone therapy. Any of these, or a combination, may be part of your treatment plan.

For prostate cancer, radiation therapy is the most common way to go. This is where high-energy radiation damages the cancer cells without harming the healthy cells around them. Our team is a leader in the area, and our specialists and oncologists are all connected through the network, so your doctors can easily coordinate and collaborate on your care. It also makes it easy for you to see all your specialists in one visit, with a nurse navigator helping you manage the details.

There are a few kinds of radiation therapy at our center:

• External-Beam Radiation uses broader, low-dose beams over several sessions to exact spots. It may use 3D software or X-ray images to target the cancer each time you’re treated.
• Radiosurgery uses very small, high-dose beams on a very focused area to deliver a lot of radiation to the cancer cells in fewer sessions.
• CyberKnife® Stereotactic Radiosurgery is a robotic treatment that can track cancer cells to the millimeter, even in moving tissue. Treatment usually takes only 1-5 days.
• Brachytherapy seals a tiny radiation source inside a tumor. The radiation kills the tumor over time without any additional pain or discomfort.

For some cases of prostate cancer, surgery may be the better choice. Sometimes, the prostate needs to be removed entirely.

What’s Right for You?

Your care team at Frederick Health Medical Group will meet with you and your family about your options and recommend the best treatment for you. Many things will affect your treatment plan, including your cancer’s spread and how early it was detected.

If you don’t feel sure, or if there’s anything you don’t understand, you’re always welcome to visit our Second Opinion Clinic to go over your diagnosis and treatment plan. We want you to feel like you have all the information you need and that you feel good about your plan when you get treated with us.

Other Resources

Cancer care doesn’t end with the physical at Frederick Health. We offer many support services while you’re being treated for prostate cancer, starting with cancer education programs and patient/caregiver counseling to help you deal with the emotions you might be feeling. We can offer financial guidance and home health care.

We even have mind-body wellness services like qi gong, massage, yoga, and meditation to reduce stress, support healing, and improve your quality of life.

Where Do I Start?

If you’re reaching an age where prostate cancer is more common, have extra risk factors (like a family history or you’re African-American), or have noticed any symptoms like pain or difficulty urinating or unusual lower back or hip pain, ask your doctor about getting screened. This video explains our prostate cancer screening process, what to expect, and what we’ll do if your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are high enough to suspect cancer:

The most important thing you can do is plan ahead. Any cancer is frightening, but early detection with prostate cancer gives you the very best chances for recovery. Read our resources on prostate cancer statistics and facts, and share them with your loved ones or anyone you know who might need to be checked. Together, we can protect your health and get you the help you need as soon as you need it.